Travel Inspiration | Viator Travel Blog

Touring New Zealand: An Insider’s Guide

4. November 2009

I'm not originally from the northern hemisphere. But now that I live up here, only now do I realise just how idyllic my native southern hemisphere was. Is. Growing up in the southern hemisphere, each year my mother sent me to the family dairy farm in Golden Bay, at the top of the South Island of New Zealand, for a two-month summer holiday.

Atlas Obscura: Cemetery Edition

30. October 2009

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This month, Atlas Obscura leads us through the dark alleys of Highgate Cemetery in London, St. Sebastian’s Cemetery in Salzburg, and Merry Cemetery, Romania. Happy Halloween!

All My Roads Lead to Dubrovnik

27. October 2009

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Dubrovnik, in Croatia, just keeps pulling me back in. For starters it’s beautiful; for another thing there are a few different ways to experience it. In the past I’ve always stayed in or near the old town (Grad). The walled old city is so spectacularly beautiful that to wake up in the morning and look out the window at all that history is magical.

Reykjavik, Iceland: Top Things to Do

23. October 2009

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Reykjavik (Reykjavík), despite its tiny population, is a very cosmopolitan place for being tucked away in distant Iceland. The nightlife in Reykjavik is legendary. And when the sun is out, the mustards and crimsons of its corrugated houses sit in happy contrast with the Nordic blue of the summer sky. Reykjavik is an awfully pretty town to meander through.

Madrid’s Top 5 Day Trips

20. October 2009

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The Spanish capital, Madrid, isn’t exactly short of things to do. But for those who have got a little more time to explore, there are some awesome day trips from Madrid available. There are a series of interesting cities that are either a short distance away or can be reached in surprisingly quick times via high speed train. Whether it’s mosques, cathedrals and castles or a carnivorous feast on local specialities, these cities have plenty to offer. And then there are the royal and literary hang-outs that are just on Madrid’s door step...

Melbourne’s Tram Restaurant

14. October 2009

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It’s a cold late-winter Tuesday in Melbourne and I’m standing on a tramstop under the glare of the Casino’s neon. A brown shelter keeps the rain off but not the bitter wind out. Trams rattle past ferrying commuters home from work. A crowd builds. Then, out of the fading light comes a glow of soft light. It’s here: Melbourne's Colonial Tramcar Restaurant.

Bizarre Germany: Odd Things To See & Do

13. October 2009

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So you've ticked off the wall in Berlin, the Oktoberfest, the Rhine cruise and all manner of stunning castles and cathedrals? Well, you’ve only just scratched the surface of Germany – and the way to get the most out of the rest is to make things a little weirder. We’ve picked out eight of the most bizarre places to visit in Germany and they’re far from the usual suspects.

Rome’s Gladiator School

9. October 2009

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The Gladiator School (Scuola di Gladiotori) in Rome is nestled very appropriately off the ancient Roman road of the Appia Antica, where cars and buses still roar over the original paving stones that make up this ancient via. The school is like a genuine little fortress, complete with its wooden ramparts constructed from sharpened wooden logs.

15 Tips for Traveling with Kids

7. October 2009

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Traveling with little and big kids, ages five and up, can really be a hoot. Whether taking my 18-year-old niece on her first New York City trip or Burning Man festival, or planning a Crater Lake expedition with my 6-year-old stepdaughter, adapting my usual travel habits makes trips different and more enjoyable for me, too.

The Castles and Palaces of Denmark

1. October 2009

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Who among us can honestly say that the idea of living Happily Ever After™ as a fairytale Prince or Princess in a bejeweled castle holds no appeal? Not I, good reader, not I. After years of vicarious tabloid-browsing and a steady diet of Handsome-Prince-Marries-Accidental-Princess stories since childhood, the idea of donning glass slippers and going to the ball has always held a magical appeal for me. So, on a recent visit to Denmark, home to one of the world’s oldest royal families and jam-packed with castles and palaces, it seemed only right that I indulge my fantasies and visit a royal residence or three.