South & Central America

Mardi Gras/Carnival, the biggest party on earth–all around earth–is just weeks away. So why is it I don’t have my bags packed or plane tickets yet? Because, sigh, I’m not traveling anywhere this party season. Unfortunately, the life of a freelance writer is driven by the ups and downs of one’s assignments. And right now my work card is quite full, for which I am quite thankful (as is my landlord). I may not be there in the flesh but that won’t stop me from traveling to a few of the wild worldwide celebrations virtually. Here’s a wish list of some of the par-tays I hope to experience in Mardi Gras future.

Top on my list is Rio de Janeiro, the Big Daddy of all the planet’s celebrations. Although the modern Brazilian Carnival dating back to the 1830s was similar to the celebrations in Europe, over time it has taken on a singular life of its own. Today, the event includes lavish balls, elaborate costumes, delicious food, colorful floats and a whole lotta samba and debauchery, drawing thousands upon thousands to Rio. But what truly sets this celebration apart are the blocos, community groups of costumed musicians and dancers (many with their own hard-core devotees), who crowd the streets, encouraging onlookers to follow suit. Of course, the highlight of Carnival is the crazy Samba School Parade event that takes place in the Sambadromo with 60,000 or so live revelers, the Sunday and Monday before Fat Tuesday. While millions tune in to the live broadcast, 14 top samba schools –comprised of costumed dancers, percussionists and performers atop otherworldly floats–compete for bragging rights for best show. For details go to www.rio.rj.gov.br/riotur/en.

Next up is New Orleans. God knows this city deserves some good times. In Louisiana, there’s an entire Carnival season (beginning on Twelfth Night) where parades and balls aplenty get the party started. And for the two weeks before Fat Tuesday, at least one major parade takes place every day. But the most grandiose and elaborate parades, and events and parties are reserved for the last five raucous-inducing, city-never-sleeps days of the season. The eye-catching floats filled with costumed and masked participants, organized by Carnival krewes elicit screams of delight and cheers from the crowds as float-riders toss (most famously) cheap beads and other goodies–from plastic toys and trinkets to the traditional doubloons, which are dollar-sized coins of wood or aluminum often embossed with the krewe name. The normally hopping French Quarter is on triple overdrive during Mardi Gras, as its streets are clogged with revelers of all shapes and sizes for the event’s duration. For details go to www.mardigrasday.com.

The other Carnival event I hope to attend some day is in Sydney, Australia. It may have started out as a local gay pride event, but the 30-year-old Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has come a long way, baby. And for good fun, seems like this one can’t be beat. In fact, Conde Nast recently named it one of the Top 10 most spectacular costume events in the world. A month-long calendar of colorful goings-on and activities include dance parties, a film festival, concerts, sports activities and family-friendly Fair Day. But the highlight of the saucy event, attended by hundreds of thousands of people, is the spectacular nighttime Mardi Gras Parade (reportedly the largest event of its kind) followed by the Grand Ball that doesn’t end until the next morning. For more details go to www.mardigras.org.au.

There are a lot more Carnival celebrations that I hope to experience some day– check out the full roundup of 2007 Mardi Gras & Carnival Celebrations. OK, gotta go–deadlines await.

-Gail Goldberg

Travelers have been sending us questions about the new passport requirements for US citizens. So a recap is in order, in case you’re unaware of the most sweeping changes to US travel documentation in a decade.

Beginning January 23, 2007, all US citizens traveling to/from the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada and Central & South America must carry a valid US passport. There are no exceptions, it applies to all US travelers including children. This is a Homeland Security measure aimed at making it more difficult to enter the US illegally. If you don’t already have a US passport, the US State Department website tells you how to apply for one.

For complete details read our original blog post about the new US passport requirements.

-Scott McNeely

If you’re not American, congratulations! None of this applies to you, so you can safely skip this Travel Alert.

If you are still reading, we assume you’re a U.S. citizen. In which case we want to remind you of the new Homeland Security law coming into force as of January 23, 2007. That’s the day the U.S. government is requiring all U.S. citizens (repeat: all citizens) to present a valid passport in order to travel between Canada, Mexico, Central & South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda. It’s called the Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) and nobody in the travel industry is very happy about it.

The one big exception is if you’re traveling via cruise ship (as opposed to by air). Cruise ship passengers are allowed to embark and disembark freely, as long as they have two valid forms of ID (a birth certificate and a driver’s license are sufficient).

The other big exception is if you’re traveling to / from a U.S. territory that is not included in the WHTI program. In other words, you will not need a passport to travel between Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

In all other cases you’ll need to present a valid U.S. passport at the border. Say ‘adios’ to hopping across the border in San Diego for a game of Jai-alai in Tijuana. Say goodbye to impromptu cross-border visits to our Canadian brethren up north. And say farewell to those last-minute trips in your private jet to Aruba. No passport, no shoes, no service.

-Scott McNeely

As a gift to our blog friends and family this holiday season,

Viator is offering 15% off all purchases made by December 31, 2006.

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What is the travel world buzzing about this week? In a word, summer. As the top half of the planet eases into winter, the northern hemisphere travel compass starts pointing south, to destinations where ice comes in your drink, not on your windshield.

The New York Times Travel section picks up on the “go south” theme with features on Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. The Times also throws in an excellent article on Venice, Italy, in case you’re one of the lucky ones to visit Venice off-season when the skies may be filled with rain, but the streets and canals are gloriously empty of tourists.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s Travel section is feeling the same “take me somewhere warm & sunny” vibe, with a handy A to Z guide to the Caribbean, from Aruba to the Virgin Islands and every sun-kissed spot in between.

In the UK the Guardian is keen on fishing in New Zealand, where, thanks to the miracle of Planet Earth’s axial rotation, summer is fast approaching. Also featured are Trinidad (think: beach), Dublin (think: Guinness) and Beijing (think: cool!).

In Australia the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne’s The Age argue it’s time to add Fiji to your travel wishlist. As well as India. There’s also a pleasantly controversial article here about hitting the road for the holidays without your family. You know, leave the loved ones at home while you hit the slopes or hiking trails.

The global news round-up finishes this week in Dubai, where the Khaleej Times has profiles on Australia (extreme sports) and South Africa (wildlife, wildlife, wildlife).

Let us know what your hometown newspaper is buzzing about.

-Scott McNeely

A lot of us here at Viator enjoy the company of our animal friends. Whether it be through lots of pictures of our pets, a regular visit to an aquarium or zoo, or, and I’m not naming names here, an elephant tattoo, we all show some spirit. I’ve taken time on a couple of trips to commune with my favorite animal, the penguin.

Penguins are surprisingly abundant, I’ve visited them on three different continents. The best visit, mainly because the penguins are living in their natural habitat outdoors, was to Otway Sound in Chile. At the very end of South America, its plenty chilly for these little guys, who create burrows to keep out of the elements. The tour to the sanctuary was fantastic because the penguins mingled with the visitors, and there are raised viewing platforms to see into their burrows.

If you’re unlikely to travel to the ends of the Earth to see penguins in the wild, you’re best best is to visit an aquarium. Many aquariums have penguin exhibits and there are a few I’d highly recommend.

Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter in Auckland, New Zealand replicates an Antarctic habitat for King and Gentoo penguins. Visitors ride around the habitat in a snowcat, and while that sounds a bit distant, the ride is actually quite intimate. I was able to see penguin chicks huddling under their parents, which wins hands down for cutest penguin thing I have ever seen.

If you’re near San Francisco, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is filled with renowned aquatic exhibits, including penguins. If you need a penguin fix now, check out their live penguin webcam.

See more Viator attractions featuring our tuxedo wearing friends.

– Kelly Gillease

A friend I traveled with in Africa was (and is) obsessed with monkeys. While I and our other traveling partner went for reasons encompassing things like exposure to different cultures, food, and, well, lions and hippos and elephants, our companion went for the primates.

Which when you come to think of it is not a bad way to organize your travels. There are a lot of places you can see monkeys - and chimpanzees, orangutans, baboons, and other primates - and we book tours to many of them. You can visit the sacred Monkey Forest in Bali, or explore wildlife parks in Costa Rica and Barbados. In Belize, locals have joined together to create a Baboon Sanctuary.

For sheer audacity however few places beat the Taj Mahal for cheeky monkeys. One recently toppled a bit of decorative masonry there. But such wanton monkey vandalism is relatively rare - still, maybe a pith helmet wouldn’t go astray.

-Bruce Melendy

For a person who lives in a place with no snow (San Francisco), I like ice a lot. In particular I love trekking about on glaciers. I’ve strapped on some crampons and clambered up a couple now, and there’s something about the crackle of the ice under your feet, the clean air, the fresh water and endless white that keeps me coming back for more.

My favorite so far is Perito Moreno in Chile, which you can also visit from Argentina, the glacier spans both countries in Patagonia. Perito Moreno is easy to access, you can basically walk right up to it after a short boat ride. To get to most other glaciers or ice fields, it’s best, or at least a lot less tiring, to helicopter in and out.

Fox and Franz Josef glaciers in New Zealand are next on my list, though I’m very tempted head just a little North some weekend to Whistler, Canada.

You don’t need to be in great physical shape to take a glacier walk, just reasonably active, but if you don’t think you’re up to trekking on the ice, I’d recommend a glacier cruise. Most glaciers are near water and usually cruises are in operation. I took a glacier cruise in Alaska, and it was gorgeous.

My advice when you’re on the ice: Take lots of pictures and dump that water bottle out and scoop up some fresh glacier water, it’s cold and it’s the best water I’ve ever tasted.

-Kelly Gillease

What destinations are hot? What destinations are up and coming? What are the big issues or emerging trends in travel?

The answer to these questions depends a lot on where you live and what newspapers you read. Here’s a snapshot of what the Weekend Travel sections looked like from London to Dublin, San Francisco to Sydney.

• In the USA the travel buzz was all about winter destinations and places to hit the slopes. The New York Times featured skiing in British Columbia, Japan, and Switzerland. The Times also ran a good piece on Tasmania, Australia. The San Francisco Chronicle stayed closed to home, justly signing the praises of Lake Tahoe.
• In the UK the Guardian said ‘enough’ to stories about snow and ski, and instead put its travel spotlight on mountainboarding on the Isle of Wight. It’s the first time we’ve heard of mountainboarding — looks a bit mad if you want our opinion. The Guardian was also talking up Australia in the run-up to the Ashes, which pits the Brits against the Aussies in one of cricket’s most important competitions. The Ashes will be played in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.
• Across the Irish Sea, the Irish Times put the spotlight on South America and, as you do, shopping in Paris.
• Down Under in Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald was off and running to China, while Melbourne’s The Age had plenty to say about Egypt.

So what’s the travel buzz in your local newspaper?

-Scott McNeely

This tour was awful! This tour was the best! I loved it. I hated it. Absolutely brilliant. Go ahead, it’s OK, tell us what you really think.

Over the past few months we’ve been asking Viator.com travelers to tell us what they liked, what they loved, and what they think could be better about the thousands of tours, activities and things to do we offer. And we’ve been truly amazed by the responses.

So far we’ve received more than 6,000 reviews from Viator travelers, and we’ve only just started! The reviews just keep rolling in. We’ve heard from John in Bangkok, Delia in Dallas, Lorna in London, Gillian in Sydney, Olu in Canada, Sikandar in New York, Alice in Hong Kong - and from thousands more travelers who’ve used Viator.com to make the most of their trips.

Now we won’t lie to you. Not every review has been positive. We’ve learned, for example, that airport shuttle drivers sometimes are late; that rain can ruin a helicopter ride; that the seats at Moulin Rouge are not that comfortable; that not everybody remembers to print our their Viator Voucher (please, folks, don’t forget to print your vouchers!).

Yet by and large the feedback from travelers has been overwhelmingly positive. And people have been sharing all sorts of helpful hints and tips in their reviews (…sit on the right side of the Manhattan boat tour for the best views, look for the pre-paid window at Top of the Rock, have a snack before going on the Seine River dinner cruise because dinner isn’t served until 10:30pm…).

Our goal is to connect travelers with other travelers, and to help you have an unforgettable experience each and every time you travel. So tell us what you think, and we’ll be sure to share your advice and feedback with other travelers (learn how to submit a review at the bottom of this post).

In the meantime, we want to share reviews in some of our favorite destinations. Read on, get inspired, and have an experience worth sharing.

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