Caribbean

So what is Viator’s Traveler of the Month?

Before we answer that, let’s back up a little. Recently we started publishing photos over on the viator.com website. These are photos taken by actual Viator travelers, photos of themselves on elephant treks, helicopter tours, desert safaris, private tours of the Vatican — and on hundreds of the other 5,000+ tours and things to do available on Viator.

So we’ve started giving props each month to an individual Viator traveler who makes us laugh, makes us smile, or who inspires us to make that next trip. It might be the prettiest traveler photo, or the funniest, or most inspirational, or just most plain weird.

What do you win? A $100 gift certificate (or the equivalent in pounds or euros) to use on Viator.com! So get traveling, take photos and submit them to viator.com when you return. If you want to participate, simply submit your travel photos (see below for how this works) and you are eligible. Each month we will chose a new winner.

This month we’re pleased to honor James & Michelle for their Egypt trip photos.

April Travelers of the Month - James & Michelle, United Kingdom

Michelle and James went on a trip to Cairo, Egypt and had a wonderful time exploring the different pyramids on their private tour to the Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis and Sakkara. James submitted some really fun photos of their trip to the Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis and Sakkara in Cairo. This is a great tour to get the full pyramid experience in Egypt.

James said, “This was a great day out. We had a few laughs along the way. The guide was brilliant.”

March Traveler of the Month - Alexandra S, Australia

Alexandra S and her family recently went on a trip to Fiji and based on her photos and captions, they had a blast. The photo above is from the South Sea Island Day Cruise where they snorkeled and relaxed by the pool. Alexandra submitted some great photos of the South Sea Island Day Cruise in Fiji. If you’re looking to relax and have a fun trip with the kids in Fiji, Alexandra recommends this tour.

Alexandra says: “Kris has given his thumbs up for this experience. This is definitely a trip to take especially if you have kids.”

February Traveler of the Month - James A, UK

Here’s a shot taken by James A in Rome, on the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Rome Walking Tour. James submitted some great photos of Rome and the inside of the Vatican. And, according to James’ review he’s glad he booked ahead because the line to get into the Vatican was over 2.5 hours long!

James says: “We were enjoying our tour within 15 minutes, and the guide brought the Vatican alive. There is so much to see you simply would not enjoy any other way as it would not mean much without being explained. The headsets you are given for the tour are fab, and you can hear loud and clear what your guide is saying. We normally do our own thing on holiday; however, this is one of the rare places which the tour works very well.”

January Traveler of the Month - Sumit B, USA

Sumit B seems to be having a good time at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Las Vegas, which he visited after purchasing the Las Vegas Power Pass. Sumit, his wife and his two embarrassed children met Beyonce, the Terminator, Johnny Depp, George Bush and Jenna Jameson, among others. Hopefully his wife forgives him for all of the photos with other women.

–The Viator Travel Team

Editor’s Note: We’ve posted the photos submitted by our Travelers of the Month over on the Viator Flickr site. Hop on over for some inspiration for your next trip.

How can you submit photos to Viator’s Traveler of the Month contest? It’s simple: book a tour with Viator and, when you return, you will receive a “Welcome Back” email. This email will invite you to submit reviews and photos of the tours and things to do on your trip. Tell other travelers what you loved, what you hated and show them in a photo. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Let me make one thing clear, I am not stalking any of Britain’s royal family, and I’m not a royal family gossip monger. However, I read Yahoo! News, and I can’t help but notice when article after article on Charles and Camilla’s tour through the Caribbean keeps popping up.

At first I was intrigued. Are they in their swimsuits sunning on a beach?

The thought of Camilla in a swimsuit was not thrilling (or Charles for that matter). I admit my curiosity reached an all-time high when it said they were in Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. Why those islands, as opposed to say some fancy private one or even a posher Caribbean island selection, and what are they doing there?

The reggae jammin’ Charles and Camilla

They’re apparently doing a lot of royal ambassadorish cultural things. For instance, in Jamaica they visited the museum dedicated to Bob Marley, where they listened to some reggae tunes performed by a group of Rastafarian drummers, and they also tried their hand at drumming along.

In Trinidad they visited the oldest nature park in the West Indies, the Asa Wright Nature Center. In St Lucia, the biggest news was that Camilla wore a bright purple dress. It must be a bummer to not get to wear shorts on the royal tour, I hope back at the resort they are chilling out in a nice frayed tee and some cutoffs sipping planters punches.

So all in all, if you leave out having to wear a suit everyday and the official meetings about drug trafficking and crime, it sounds like a nice trip itinerary. And frankly, a pretty inexpensive one too. Though Charles and Camilla are traveling via luxury yacht, I am sure there’s a cheaper way to travel between these islands if one were so inclined. And all the things they did? You can book all those on Viator, at a guaranteed lowest price. The only thing we don’t sell is the red carpet (you’ll just feel like its there).

–Kelly G

 

Thailand (Bangkok) - voted #40 in 2007

Friends, blogsters and fellow travelers, the time has come for Viator to pay our final respects to 2007 and to the travel year that was. My desk calendar proclaims ‘2008′ now, and points stubbornly ahead anticipating travels yet to come.

Yet before we say farewell to 2007, let us take a moment to honor the Top 50 destinations of the year as determined by viator.com travelers. This is our second annual “Viator Top 50″ list, and like last year, 2007 had been a great ride, full of surprises (good on ya, Rome) and some surprising absences (Mexico, we missed you).

If you’re not yet caught up on our end-of-year lists of top things to do around the world, these links will help: Europe, Asia, USA & Canada, Australia, Caribbean, Central & South America, Middle East & Africa.

Thanks again to the millions of travelers who visited us in 2007, we hope to see you again in 2008.

The Viator 50: Top Travel Destinations in 2007

50. Montreal

Mt Fuji, on a day trip from Tokyo (#10 in 2007)

49. Prague

48. Alice Springs

47. Seville

46. Port Douglas

45. Krakow

44. Perth

43. Christchurch

42. Auckland

41. Chicago

40. Bangkok

39. Boston

Sunset in Venice (#8 in 2007)

38. Miami

37. Athens

36. Salzburg

35. Granada

34. Edinburgh

33. Naples

32. Dubai

31. Vancouver

30. Costa del Sol

29. Oahu

28. Hong Kong

The Sydney Skywalk, Sydney (#7 in 2007)

27. Los Angeles

26. Zurich

25. Vienna

24. Singapore

23. Washington DC

22. The Grand Canyon

21. Munich

20. Orlando

19. Barcelona

18. Cairns & the Tropical North

17. Dublin

16. Versailles

15. Ayers Rock

14. Milan

13. Madrid

12. Amsterdam

11. Melbourne

Ahh, the wonders of Rome (#1 in 2007!)

10. Tokyo

9. San Francisco

8. Venice

7. Sydney

6. Florence

5. London

4. New York City

3. Las Vegas

2. Paris

1. Rome

So how’s your wanderlust doing after reading this entire list? For us, the Viator 50 list of top travel destinations is all about getting inspired to take that next trip. We hope this year’s list of top travel destinations on viator.com has got you thinking about your next holiday, whether it’s across town or across the globe.

We’d also like to extend our congratulations to a few destinations, notably to Rome, which jumped from #3 last year to #1 this year. And to Las Vegas, which made it into the top 3 this year.

If you’re feeling nostalgic about last year’s winners, keep on reading below. We’ve kept last year’s Viator 50 for your entertainment and traveling pleasure.

Happy travels in 2008.

–The Viator Team

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Editor’s Note: The following is part of our ongoing “2007 Travel Year in Review.” So far we have announced our Top 25 Things to Do in each of the regions we cover, and we’re getting ready to announce (look for it next week) the Top 50 Travel Destinations of 2007.

Dolphin Swim: #4 Thing to Do with Kids in 2007

Got kids? Plenty of travelers do, and in 2007 they hit the road in record numbers. Family trips, vacations with kids, kid-friendly adventure holidays, all of these experienced major growth in 2007. We saw similar trends on the viator.com site, with kid-friendly and family-friendly travel growing by more than 35%. We’re also impressed by the range of kid- and family-friendly tours purchased in 2007. Sure there were plenty of holidays to Disneyland and Universal Studios, we would expect no less from two of the world’s most popular theme parks and entertainment brands.

Yet our list includes a number of non-traditional and off-beat things to do with kids, from dolphin swims to ‘duck tours’ and more.

What does it all mean? Maybe that having a kid (or three) is not the end of your travel career, but rather an opportunity to act like a kid and have a heap of fun doing it.

#1. Universal Studios, Orlando

Universal Studios Orlando: #1 Thing to Do with Kids in 2007

Universal Studios in Orlando, as well as Universal Islands of Adventure, are filled with innovative rides and attractions from high-speed roller coasters to children’s rides and groundbreaking 3-D attractions.

The studios are the #1 movie and TV based theme park in the world. And because it is a real film studio you can go behind the scenes of your favorite movies. If you’re a kid yourself, or the parent of a brood of kids, this is a no-brainer way to have an awesome family vacation.

Viator links:

• Universal Orlando 2-Park Unlimited Admission Ticket (7 Days)
• All family-friendly things to do in Orlando
• Suggested itineraries in Orlando

#2. Disneyland, Paris

Ahh, Disneyland. Every kid loves it. How could you not?? From the rides to the parades to the theme park characters, Disneyland is all about making sure the kids have a great time. Honestly, we were a little surprised that so many families are taking the kids to Paris these days, but it makes sense if you think about it. So many people want to share Europe with their children, and while they’re there why not spend a day or two having a great time at a theme park that the kids are guaranteed to love.

Viator links:

• Disneyland Paris, including transport from Paris
• All family-friendly things to do in Paris
• Suggested itineraries in Paris

#3. Singapore Zoo Jungle Breakfast (with Orangutans!), Singapore

The award-winning Singapore Zoo is one southeast Asia’s top attractions; in fact our Singapore Zoo Night Safari consistently ranks among our top 25 things to do across Asia. The jungle breakfast is becoming equally popular, as it provides a rare opportunity to interact with endangered orangutans (Singapore’s zoo is a world leader in caring for orangutans). The visit includes commentary from zoo experts and a tram ride through the hugely popular Singapore Zoo. And let’s be honest, what kid doesn’t love a good zoo?

Viator links:

• Singapore Zoo Jungle Breakfast with Orangutans
• All family-friendly things to do in Singapore
• Suggested itineraries in Singapore

#4. A Tie! Dolphin Swims in Orlando, Florida & the Dominican Republic

These two dolphin swims were so close in popularity that we decided to call it a tie. The dolphin swim and Everglades airboat adventure in Orlando is rated 4 stars (the highest possible) by Viator.com travelers, which is no small feat. The swim is in a natural ocean-water lagoon at Dolphin Plus, a marine mammal research and education facility. Dolphins Plus is committed to the conservation and protection of marine mammals through education, research, experiential learning and environmental awareness. Don’t worry it’s also plenty of fun. The dolphin swim at Ocean World in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, is another four-star-rated experience and is hugely popular with families and kids.

Viator links:

• Swim with Dolphins & Everglades Airboat Adventure, Orlando
• All family-friendly things to do in Orlando
• Dolphin swim at Ocean World, Dominican Republic
• All family-friendly things to do in the Dominican Republic
• More dolphin swims around the world

#5. Duck Tour, Boston

What? You’ve never heard of a ‘duck tour’? It doesn’t matter, there’s a good chance your children have. Duck Tours are city tours with a wacky twist: authentic, renovated World War II amphibious landing vehicles. That’s right, hop aboard a WWII landing craft for a land / water tour that will put a smile on even the most cynical parent’s face. The Boston Duck Tour covers the golden-domed State House to Bunker Hill and the Fleet Center, Boston Common and Copley Square to the Big Dig, Government Center to fashionable Newbury Street, Quincy Market to the Prudential Tower, and more. And then it’s a left turn — splashdown! — into the Charles River for a view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines.

Viator links:

• Boston Duck Tour
• All family-friendly things to do in Boston
• All Duck Tours on Viator.com

–Scott McNeely, parent of a 2-year-old

What’s hot in the Caribbean? What are the up-and-coming destinations, the most popular things to see and do? If you’re asking yourselves these questions, you have come to the right place.

See yourself in the Caribbean in 2008?

As part of Viator’s annual “Top Things To Do” lists, we are pleased to announce the Top 25 Things to Do in the Caribbean for 2007.

The results are based on the actual travel choices made by thousands of Viator.com travelers to the Caribbean in 2007. And before we crown this year’s winners in the Caribbean, we wanted to draw your attention to our list of “Top 25 Things to Do in the Caribbean in 2006″, which we’ve included at the bottom of this post in case you’re feeling nostalgic about our 2006 winners.

Otherwise it’s time to crown the 2007 winners: the top 25 activities, tours and things to do in the Caribbean. Congratulations to all our winners.

Top 25 Things To Do in The Caribbean: 2007

We hear you asking, so Viator what were the big trends and surprises for the Caribbean in 2007?

Montego Bay in Jamaica: A top destination in 2007

The main trend is a big jump in travel to both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. There’s been a lot of press recently about the Dominican Republic, and it’s safe to say that the Dominican Republic is now firmly on the radar of many travelers to the Caribbean.

Puerto Rico has seen a similar bump in popularity this year, no doubt driven by the new USA passport requirements (which do not include Puerto Rico, as it’s a U.S. Territory).

The other big trend? The ongoing popularity of Jamaica (especially Ocho Rios) and the Bahamas (especially Nassau). We’re also pleased to see Aruba, St Lucia and St Maarten make the list again this year.

Now, without further ado, Viator’s Top 25 Things to Do in the Caribbean for 2007:

25. Saona Island by Catamaran, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

24. Sailing and Horseback Riding, Negril, Jamaica

23. Santo Domingo City Tour, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana and Bayahibe, Dominican Republic

22. Majestic Lady Dinner Cruise, Nassau, Bahamas

21. ATV Safari in Negril, Negril, Jamaica

20. Negril Irie Adventure, Negril, Jamaica

19. Monster 8 Wheel Truck Excursion, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

18. SUB Bahamas Adventure, Nassau, Bahamas

17. Catamaran Day Sail, St Lucia

16. Atlantis Submarine Expedition, Oranjestad, Aruba

15. Snorkel Bahamas Adventure, Nassau, Bahamas

14. Aruba ATV Mania Half Day, Oranjestad, Aruba

13. Dunns River Falls and Shopping Tour, Montego Bay, Jamaica

12. St Maarten Golden Eagle Friday Farewell Party, Philipsburg, St Maarten

11. Rum Distillery and Old San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico

10. Negril Canopy Tour, Negril, Jamaica

9. Ocho Rios Canopy Tour, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

8. Robinson Crusoe Cruise, Nassau, Bahamas

#1 in 2007: Dominican Republic dolphin swim

7. Dolphin Encounter Program in Ocho Rios, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

6. Rio Camuy Cave Park and Arecibo Observatory, San Juan, Puerto Rico

5. El Yunque Rainforest, San Juan, Puerto Rico

4. Fantastic Exuma Powerboat Adventures, Nassau, Bahamas

3. Swim with Dolphins Program, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

2. The Different Day - Snorkel, Picnic and Sail, San Juan, Puerto Rico

1. Dolphin Swim at Ocean World, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

There you have it. Viator’s list of the Top 25 tours and things to do in the Caribbean in 2007.

Stay tuned for more lists in the coming days, to help you plan your next trip across the globe. In the meantime, if your curious about the top things to do last year, in 2006, keep on reading…

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We didn’t want the day to pass without wishing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the Viator Travel Blog, which went live exactly one year ago today. Here’s an excerpt from our very first post:

It’s official — the Viator travel blog is up and running. Tell your friends, tell your coworkers, tell random people in the street. The Viator travel blog is a resource for anybody who loves to travel. Check back over the coming weeks and months as we post and share our thoughts on a range of travel topics: from things to do in New York City and Paris tours and activities (the stuff that pays the bills and keeps us going) to travel deals, travel news, travel alerts, you name it. We also want to hear from you — don’t be shy, ask us questions, tell us what you like or don’t like, and we’ll see what we can do to help you make the most of your next trip. Happy travels.

Turning one is a good time to reflect on the year that was, the year that will be. Here’s a motley mix of facts and figures about our blog. It’s been quite a year, and we fully expect Year 2 to be as fun, inspiring and interesting (possibly even controversial!) as the first one.

The Viator Travel Blog: Year One

Somehow we’ve managed to publish 434 posts. Many of these are actually quite useful and good!

The 5 most popular (based on page views) are:

• A first-hand report from Viator’s founder about opening day at the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
• Our list of the Top 25 Things to Do in Europe in 2006. Which reminds me, stay tuned for our 2007 lists of top things to do, including our list of the Top 50 things to do around the world.
• Kerrie’s post about the 2007 Cricket World Cup. She explained the game with grace and patience (useful for us Americans) and did a pretty decent job tipping the results, too.
• My post about 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. It struck a nerve, and generated a fair amount of controversy. My opinions have not changed.
• Our Insider’s Guide to Malaysia’s Best Beaches. Going to Malaysia? Read this post.

Our Spam Filter has deleted 17,663 comments! That’s a lot of Viagara links. My favorite spam comments:

• I do think your right on the spot here, i am going to bookmark your site to see if other people have different views.
• I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting
• Sorry, it just sounds like a crazy idea for me

The 3 most popular search terms used to find our blog…

• rugby world cup predictions (thanks Ian for all your great Rugby World Cup posts)
• things to do in Europe (once again our list of Top 25 Things to Do in Europe in 2006)
• virgin first time (hmmm, was this post really what you were looking for??)

The 3 least popular search terms used to find our blog…

• belize it or not (no joke, 1 person found us using this term, hopefully they enjoyed our post)
• menstrual blood attracting sharks (yes, we really did blog about it)
• ancient 14 wonders of the world (silly us, we thought there were only 7)

Who are you people??? The top 5 home cities of our blog readers:

• London (cheers)
• Auckland (ta)
• Sydney (good on ya)
• New York City (thanks)
• Singapore & San Francisco (it’s a tie)

We have plenty of new ideas and plans for Year 2, so keep checking back over the next 12 months (or subscribe to our RSS feed and let your computer do all the heavy lifting). Thanks for your interest in the Viator Travel Blog, and let us know what else you’d like to see in the coming year.

–Scott McNeely

Honestly, the things we do to travel sometimes! My husband and I spent an hour of our Saturday morning sitting on a plastic chair surrounded by snotty nosed kids and coughing seniors. Ahh, the glamour of international travel! Why were we here? Egypt in 5 weeks, that’s why.

On the edge of sanity after listening to a one sided conversation from a teacher with a broken toe aimed in the direction of an overworked receptionist about the trials and tribulations of having a child, and god forbid going back to work after 2 years off, it was finally our turn. Going into the doctor’s office I was thinking 2, maybe 3 injections, after all I have been traveling since I was 19 and had several vaccinations along the way. My husband has never had a vaccination in his life (gotta love the Irish health care system?!), so with some smugness I had been teasing him all week that he would be getting MANY injections.

Checking my medical records, the doctor informed me that yes, I had previouly had a couple of the vaccinations I would need for Egypt, so I began to relax. Hmm, it might just 2 shots after all. That is until he finished the sentence “…but they have expired and you will need a few boosters.” Dammit!

In the end I needed 5 shots, and he needed 4! Yes that’s right, he who has never been immunised needed less than me. How does that work I hear you ask? Well apparently these days Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccinations are combined into one, whereas when I originally got mine, they were still separate and the boosters still need to be separate.

Getting over the shock of this news, I resigned myself to a second visit next weekend - surely you don’t get 5 vaccinations in one day? For the second time in a day I was horribly wrong. How silly of me, I have 2 arms right, so let’s just get 3 in one arm, 2 in the other, oh it just kept getting better and better! I now have a new resolve to visit all the exotic destinations on my wishlist covered with this set of immunisations in the next 10 years before these ones expire.

By lunch time our bodies were swarming with microscopic quantities of 5 nasty diseases, our arms hurt like hell and we were $430 poorer. Egypt - you better be worth it!

-Kerrie O’Mahony

If you are traveling overseas, don’t forget to check for health advise and recommended travel vaccinations before you go - a preventable disease is not the kind of souvenir you want to bring home from your trip!

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention This US-based organization is one of the best global resources on diseases and prevention.

Association for Safe International Road Traveling (ASIRT) is all about making the roads we travel safer. They offer reports on dozens of countries.

UK Department of Health another excellent global resource for health and prevention aimed at travelers heading abroad on business or leisure.

The Travel Doctor TMVC traveler’s medical and vaccination center provides vaccination advice, travel health advice, clinic details and current health alerts for overseas travel.

Jenny, working hard & loving it

When you think about the great jobs of the world, a few spring to mind. Travel journalist, roller-coaster tester, even candy taster – but I think my job is right up there with the best of them.

What I do is try out the tours and activities we sell on the Viator.com website. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all fun and games. There are contracts that need signing, hundreds of e-mails arriving in my inbox daily, flight delays in getting to your destination and lost luggage to contend with… arriving in Puerto Rico at 2am with no luggage, after a 36-hour journey, was no fun at all. But like the professional I try to be, I was on a walking tour of San Juan the next day in the same clothes! (Editor’s note: Jenny, did you at least take a shower first?)

What’s the most fun I’ve had? That’s a tough one to answer. Honestly, I have loved pretty much every tour I’ve done, along with the opportunity to visit new places and learn about different cultures. I’ve also met some pretty cool people along the way (both the locals and the operators of our tours).

Now I’m living in Las Vegas (for work), I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of the local activities: the Skywalk at the West Rim of the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas shows (The Rat Pack is Back and Spamalot are my two favourites), Horseriding, the Lake Las Vegas Serenity Tour and more. And of course, a good place to have a meeting is at a local nightclub! Only in Vegas…

Rafting on the Martha Brae

But aside from the ‘local’ tours, in the past 2 years I have been to the Bahamas, Jamaica, Aruba and more. I have been swimming with dolphins in both Key Largo and Jamaica, climbed Dunns River Falls (would be just like the movie Cocktail, but unfortunately I was alone at the time), and rafted down the Martha Brae River. I did Sub Bikes and the Powerboat Adventure in Nassau (LOVED feeding the iguanas), and discovered the seedy side of Hollywood on the Dearly Departed Tour (this one was especially cool given my obsession with Errol Flynn). Theme Parks are a must, of course: Disneyland, Disneyworld and Universal Studios (both coasts). The list goes on, and I can only hope will continue to!

I’m always looking for new and different experiences that we can bring to you, our loyal travelers, so that you can try these adventures for yourself. Honestly, it’s not the plane flight, or the hotel you remember from your vacation (unless they’re unbelievably good or bad), it’s what you do on your vacation that sticks in your mind. And it’s my job to ensure that you have the most unique, most fun and most memorable time ever!

–Jenny Crossling

Editor’s Note: We are nominating Jenny as Viator’s “Traveler of the Week” for taking her job seriously enough to have fun doing it!

Scuba diving on the Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands (Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac) are among the smallest islands in the Caribbean. Yet what they lack in size, they make up for in beauty, spectacular sea adventure and world-renowned scuba diving.

If you’re not a diver, no worries. There’s still plenty to capture your attention… and, yes, a piece of your wallet. On our recent trip to Grand Cayman (locals pronounce it cayMAN, like “Hey, man!”), we found it easier to just accept the high prices as a reality of traveling to an island largely sustained by imports.

Scuba Diving & Water Sports in the Caymans

Grand Cayman’s scuba diving easily lived up to its reputation. Many certified divers come to dive, and to do nothing else, often choosing to stay at one of several all-inclusive dive resorts. If you plan to dive multiple days, ask about price breaks for diving with the same company. And book your dives in advance, especially during high season. (If you’ve got your own gear, leave your scuba gloves at home as diving with them is illegal in the Caymans, leaving you subject to a hefty fine.)

If you’re thinking about getting certified, forgo the swimming pool training back home and get certified here. Several reputable dive companies with highly experienced divers will help you get certified in 3-5 days. With an average water temperature of 80F (26C), Grand Cayman sure beats most other chilly bodies of water. Full PADI certification costs US$400-$550, which is competitive with US mainland prices. If you’re not sure if diving is for you, you can try a Cayman Island resort-course dive, where a certified instructor takes you through a training session and a guided dive right off shore, which can be far less stressful for a beginner. The general topography of Grand Cayman with reefs, sandbars, and coral beds right off shore make this experience well worth it.

As an advanced diver, I can attest to magic bestowed on Grand Cayman’s crystal clear, underwater world. The highlight was seeing a 200-300lb Goliath Grouper in Tapan Alley along the North Wall. But the real magic was in the typical sea life that boasts hundreds of species, including Hammerheads, sea turtles, sting rays, and barracudas. Check this out for yourself on a two-tank Cayman Islands dive.

Next stop? Paradise

The general Cayman pace is slow, and the ‘art of doing nothing’ is a daily pastime. Yet there’s enough action to keep non-divers busy. Since my traveling companion was a non-diver, we were keen on finding activities to meet both of our interests. Conveniently, most dive boats will leave in the morning and have you back in time for lunch, allowing time to experience much more together both above and below sea level.

Surrounded by water, you can hire just about any water activity from shore: wave runners, kayaks, parasailing, water skiing, glass-bottom boat tours and underwater submarine tours. And there seems to be an endless choice of sunset sails and dinner cruises.

Grand Cayman & Georgetown

As the most developed island in the chain, Grand Cayman hosts one to five cruise ships a day off the main town – Georgetown. Here you’ll find a concentration of specialty shops and restaurants — the likes of Hard Rock Café and Senor Frogs — not far from resort hotels. You’ll also find a large number of tourists, so if you’re not one for crowds, we suggest visiting this area on a day when there are two or less ships in port. There’s a convenient website you can check to see what ships are in port to determine the days that should be the least /most crowded.

Adjacent to Georgetown is Grand Cayman’s famous 7-mile beach, where you can relax, soak up the sun and take advantage of several water-sport activities. Be warned: areas in front of hotels can be overcrowded on busy cruise-ship days, so choose your time wisely. If you want to enjoy a bit more seclusion, head away from central Georgetown.

If you’re not staying at a hotel, explore the magic of 7-mile beach by planting yourself at Calico Jacks, which is a restaurant bar near the public beach park with covered picnic tables. Here you get a sweeping view of the 7 miles and can rent beach chairs and water activities.

While a rental car is not necessary since a slew of taxi and tour companies are clamoring for your business, we found having one made it easier to take off on a whim. But be prepared to drive on the left since the Caymans remain a British Crown Colony. It’s also worth noting, Grand Cayman’s limited roads contribute to a daily rush hour, which is only compounded when cruise ships are docked, so midday sojourns are better than early morning or evening.

As you head away from Georgetown, you’ll get a more “local” feel. If you head east you can take the long way around the island where you’ll discover remote beaches as well as more evidence of Hurricane Ivan that devastated the island in 2004. If you keep driving around the East End, you’ll eventually stumble upon Rum Point with a fine white beach and picture-perfect turquoise sea. Rum Point embodies the “fun-in-the-sun” spirit with FREE use of hammocks supported by palm trees and FREE beach chairs (but you’ll be asked not to bring in outside food and beverage since they prefer you purchase from their restaurant). When you order make sure to try the signature Mudslide — but only if you’re really ready for the hammock or the passenger seat.

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It is safe for women to dive any time of the month

Viator’s customer care team is the best. I’m not kidding, our teams in Las Vegas and Sydney are incredibly good at responding to questions and concerns from you, our loyal travelers. They don’t just review each and every booking you make. They also go out of their way to answer all sorts of questions about our tours and activities, often within just a few hours of receiving them.

I am not trying to get on their good side.

Nor am I trying to make them feel better in the run-up to the Northern Hemisphere high season. (In late April and early May, people like you start getting serious about the summer travel plans. Which means our customer care teams get busy. Real busy.)

I’m telling you this because just the other day our customer care team received a query that stumped them at first. (Would I have ignored it, or buried it in the bottom of the queue? Hmmm, maybe. Which is why I don’t work in the customer care team.) Undaunted, Viator’s customer care team went the extra mile to find an answer, which I want to share.

The question was about one of our tours in the Dominican Republic, in Punta Cana specifically:

“Hello, I would like to book this snorkeling and diving tour in Punta Cana, but am worried about my menstrual cycle. I am not sure what date is best to book. Do you know if a female’s menstrual cycle can attract sharks? Thank you!”

Full disclosure: I am not a shark expert. And neither is Fleur, the customer care agent who fielded this question. But Fleur recognized this as a serious safety issue. I mean, if sharks are attracted (and I mean that in the ‘eat you, bite you, thrash you’ sense of the word) to women during their menstrual cycles, then obviously it is a really, really bad idea to snorkel or dive anywhere near a shark during a woman’s menstrual cycle!

To track down an answer Fleur queried the Viator staff, many of whom are passionate divers. There’s a lively debate about the topic on scubaboard.com, with some (mainly men, I’d like to point out) suggesting that menstruating women may, in fact, be at greater risk. Yet the vast majority of academic journals and shark experts disagree with that assumption. The best response we could find was from Richard Martin in his book Shark Smart, The Divers Guide to Understanding Shark Behavior:

“It has been demonstrated that