Best of the Viator Travel Blog

So you’ve been following the Northern Territory (NT) motto for a while now — Not Today, Not Tomorrow, Not Tuesday, Not Thursday. You’re kicking back with some second-rate Australian beers (Fosters anyone?) or expensive imported stuff underneath the palm tree of your choice, and now you reckon the day has arrived to leave Australia’s northern capital. So why rush things now?

The long road from Darwin to Alice

To enjoy the maximum effect of your decision to head south from Darwin and its tropical oases, spend all day packing your car, take your time, enjoy the last of the sea breeze and then amble out onto the Stuart Highway around 4pm.

Why so late?

Well, at this restorative time of day, as the light shifts low, casting all in its path in a heart-warming shade of cinematic orange, its not hard to see how people get trapped in Darwin for so long. Once you are clear of the mighty outliers — Coolalinga, Virginia, the unusually named Humpty Doo and Noonamah, the fringe-dwellers zone where a man’s mullet* is often as long his goatee — and you pass the sign reading “Outer Darwin” (some argue it should read “I gotta get Outta Darwin”) the landscape tells a different story to the spreading suburbia and corrugated iron tenements of the tropical metropolis.

I lived out here many years ago and ended up in Town like many others. But as I head out of Darwin now, I remember what drew me here originally — the ubiquitous rust-coloured eucalypts, dusted an ochre which echoes southern desert sands, with burnt umber stumps from early dry season fires; long grass, drying to brown from their wet season fluorescence; metres-high folded crenulations of termite mounds, built to provide natural air-conditioning in the hotter months, quiet sentinels breaking the horizon of the open plains.

Later in the evening it’s not unusual to find the dangerous allure of bushfires burning along savannahs, dotting the gently undulating hills and side-tracks among the stretched canvas of the Northern Territory landscape. These fires are part of centuries old fire-farming techniques developed by indigenous peoples and often run their course almost unnoticed by local eyes, used to them as they are forming part of the backdrop to the six shifting seasons of the tropical year.

Termite Mounds in NT

Should you fancy a dip (swim) at this early juncture, Litchfield National Park may beckon to the west as you slip back through the frontier — ample places for private camping and gorgeous scenery makes this a worthwhile diversion and perhaps a good first stop if you aren’t in much of a hurry.

The small township of Batchelor might be an interesting diversion, for reasons that may become apparent when you are there. It’s also home to the Bachelors of Batchelor calendar (think strategically placed machinery in photos for a calendar to raise money for the annual Lingalonga festival. This year was the ladies’ turn).

The road-side signs and “photo opportunities” (look for the little sign with the camera!) that mark the “something happened here once” approach to Australian history and landscape, is still evident in the NT. With its careful documentation of places that can often boast little more than a roadside monument (usually a big piece of concrete resembling a drunken Masonic obelisk where perhaps an explorer washed their horse), a former WWII airstrip, or as one sign declares 110 km south of Darwin “Adelaide River – World War II Frontier”.

Formerly housing Australian troops back in the 1940s, part of a protective manoeuvre covering the northern coast from attack, Adelaide River is now part of a new frontline to economic change. Only two of the three petrol stations, the general store and of course the pub and police station there have survived the past few years of rationalisation. Further down the track its obvious that they aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch as more than a few roadside stations-come-small-town have reduced their business capacity. Adelaide River, in days past, boasted Charlie, the free-roaming (well, in an enclosure) buffalo from iconic Australian film Crocodile Dundee. These days Charlie is still on display, but he’s moved to the bar. Literally. Stuffed, mounted and standing on the corner of the bar in all his woolly glory, waiting for you to have a chat over your fourteenth can of XXXX**.

From Adelaide River you can head along a side road west, to the secluded Robin Falls, Douglas Daly Hot Springs (one of a series of thermal pools extending along a 400km line south from Litchfield Park) and the exciting, adventurous indigenous community of Port Keats – one of the wilder outposts of the north, but open only to those with a permit to enter Aboriginal Land. Heading out without one is opening a can-o-worms…

The Boxing Croc

If you stayed on the highway you’ll be offered a few opportunities to turn off to the unique hospitality that is Grove Hill. Signs start many miles out, shouting “cold beer” and “coldest beer in the Territory” and similar catchphrases that lure the thirsty traveller. Should you be interested that is exactly what you would find – an old shed which is all that remains of a once thriving gold mining town, now housing a museum of “the way life once was” exhibits (i.e., nothing has changed) and of course a line of beers on a shelf so you know what is on offer within the implied Holy Grail: a glass-fronted fridge with aforementioned Cold Beer. Glorious. The licencee is often on for a chat these days…

Australia is known for the celebration of The Big in its roadside attractions – the Big Prawn (Ballina, NSW), the Big Wool Bale (Hamilton, Victoria – huge concrete boxes) and of course the Big Boxing Crocodile (Humpty Doo, NT – its got boxing gloves on! marking the home of the Hard Croc Café).

Up here, some clever sod, who some years ago realised that the rising price of land in the Territory could one day bring him some luck, turned earth into tourist gold with the Big Clod. On a side road, just a short distance from the main road, a four metre mound of dirt marks the spot where one man’s vision became another man’s happy snap*** for the gran-kiddies.

–Jack Brown

* Mullet: A great Australian haircut characterised by the phrase ‘business at the front, party at the back’

** XXXX is an Australian beer from Queensland – rumour has it that it was so named because the locals couldn’t spell Beer.

*** Australian term for tourist photo or casual/holiday photo opportunity

Editor’s Note: The following blog post is by Don George from his recent trip to Kenya & Tanzania. Don, a pioneering travel writer and editor for 25 years, is the host and creator of the adventure travel web site Don’s Place and the editor of the literary travel magazine RECCE. His seven books include “Travel Writing”, “The Kindness of Strangers,” and “Tales from Nowhere.” You can read Don’s original post here.

A kiss is just a kiss…

My introduction to the wildlife of East Africa was a kiss from a giraffe. No, this isn’t a metaphor. We’re talking about a real wet lip-smacker here, a “come here big boy and let me give you a taste of my long black tongue” kiss.

But let’s back up a bit.

I arrived in Africa from London at about 8:45 on a humid Nairobi night. Almost immediately on exiting the plane, I was greeted by a smiling woman from the safari company that had organized my tour, and whisked through Immigration to the baggage claim area, where she introduced me to two fellow safari-mates who just happened to be on the same flight: Jennifer and Benjie, exuberant 30-somethings who, she explained, were celebrating their new marriage with a safari honeymoon. Ah, romance! We gathered up our green duffle bags and before long were rolling through the night toward the Norfolk Hotel, a grand colonial-era establishment on the outskirts of the city, where I tumbled into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning we met the fourth and final member of our party – Jill, a lively Southern Californian – and then gathered with Mrs. Pinto, who with her husband started and still manages the safari company; Duncan, the director of their safari programs; and our safari leader, Lewela. Pointing to a large map, Lewela presented an overview of our itinerary: We would spend the first day touring Nairobi and the surrounding area, then fly south the following day to Amboseli, where we would spend two days; in successive two-day stays, we would visit the Mt. Kenya Safari Club; Maasai Mara National Reserve; Serengeti National Park in Tanzania; and finally Ngorongoro Crater before returning to Nairobi.

Duncan then introduced a tall, thin man splendidly attired in bright red traditional Maasai garb, who told us in a soft voice about the history and culture of his people, and said that as part of our stay in Maasai Mara, we would be able to visit a Maasai village; he said the villagers welcomed this opportunity to teach us about their traditional ways of life.

Lion cubs having a nap… cute but where’s momma?

After that we scrambled into a minivan for a day-tour of Nairobi and surrounding towns. On first impression, Nairobi is a daunting city, a big, bustling, car-crammed and pedestrian-crammed, choking-air capital that seems to uncomfortably combine elements of the first and third worlds. On the one hand, there are shining skyscrapers, headquarters of international corporations and organizations, and businesspeople striding in sleek suits as they talk urgently on cell phones; on the other hand, there are potholed streets, broken-up sidewalks, and endless strings of people walking, walking, walking along the roadways, crossing haphazardly in the midst of perpetual-rush-hour traffic or threading a ragtag path between cars. In some places we passed small plots of lovingly tended community gardens and bright brand-name boutiques; in others, trash fires burned where sidewalks should have been, and muddy, tin-roof shanty towns sprawled and spread. While experience tells me that a sustained stay would open up the idiosyncratic wonders of the city, on first glance Nairobi seemed an intimidating, impenetrable place.

Soon a very different Kenya revealed itself as we drove into the suburbs of Karen, past posh mansions and rambling walled estates to the gracious former farmhouse of Karen Blixen. A Danish aristocrat and coffee planter who settled here from 1914-1931, Blixen wrote the passionate memoir Out of Africa, which has probably introduced more Westerners to the country than any other single tome. On her expansive estate Blixen lived what was considered a life of luxury, but it’s illuminating to tour the farmhouse, now a museum, and see what kinds of cooking and cleaning contraptions constituted luxury in those days. (more…)

In this era of global warming it’s preferable to catch trains than planes whenever you are able. Apart from the whole carbon footprint thing, train travel lets you see this wonderful planet and the people who live on it. So even if it takes a bit longer, “the journey is the destination” as Dan Eldon wrote. Also, when you take into account all the time it takes to check-in and go through security at airports, trains can often be quicker door to door in Europe.

I have had three really memorable train journeys in the last year, all of them highly recommended: St Petersburg to Moscow (overnight), Zagreb to Venice, and Lake Como to Zurich.

St Petersburg to Moscow

After an hilarious and slightly nerve-wracking Friday night commuter Aeroflot flight from Moscow to St Petersburg, it was a relief to be heading back on the Sunday night train. Much to the bemusement of the locals, we had booked a first class sleeper cabin – why would we pay that much when you could sit up all night for half the money? You’d still get there. But with our dollars, the price was still cheap and we got a private compartment and beds.

Private sleeping compartment on Russian train

Our first joy was the train itself. Obviously old, it had the communist star on the front of the engine and the Russian double-headed eagle crest on the carriages. The guard who checked our tickets was magnificent; a heavy dull green coat and matching hat which she later shed to reveal a uniform mini skirt, ankle boots with spiky heels and lots of fabulously blond hair. Our compartment was all wood paneling, flowers, magazines (in Russian but the pictures were intriguing) and a breakfast pack of oddly plastic meats, cheeses and bread. I didn’t want to waste a second of it on sleep, even so I got the best 7 hours shuteye of my life.

Re-entry to Moscow was the big shock. Arriving at a busy metropolitan station in morning rush hour, just awake, was challenging enough but I had to go to the toilet and found them to be the hole in the ground with foot plate type – nasty. Although watching a regal woman in fur coat use the same facilities was diverting.

Zagreb to Venice

Anytime you have the opportunity to catch a train through Slovenia, take it. Despite the Croatians making unkind jokes about how small it is, Slovenia is one of the prettiest countries I know. All castles and churches clinging to mountains, and winding river valleys, it has so many trees it gives you hope for the future. Truly it must act as the lungs of Europe. If you’re lucky you can see wild deer gamboling around, but the numerous bears are shyer. Slovenia has so many bears it relocated some to France after they managed to kill all their own. Do animals get culture shock?

I have been through Slovenia several times, going from Zagreb to Venice, and from Zagreb to Graz in Austria. In fact, pretty much any trip north from Zagreb will take you through Slovenia, and Ljubljana is worth a visit in its own right, although don’t judge it by its station. Which goes for most places really. Oh, and don’t be alarmed when buying a train ticket at Zagreb station – it will be handwritten, yes, handwritten. Still gets you where you’re going though.

Slovenian mountain country

On one trip, from Venice to Zagreb, I had been issued the wrong ticket in Italy and should have been on the train via Rijeka in Croatia, not via Ljubljana in Slovenia. The conductor’s English went as far as ‘Wrong ticket. I will see,’ before he disappeared with my ticket and my passport. It’s not a happy thing to be without your passport. But then, it’s how I met the lovely Italian mother and daughter in my compartment. They assured me it would be all right and distracted me with stories of their 20 hour trip from a small town south of Naples to Zagreb. Too many connections, too much time waiting on stations. They were exhausted. The mother spoke no English but was keen to chat and, when her multi-lingual daughter went to the toilet, we managed to have quite a good chat without one common word. Reaching the Croatian border, the conductor suddenly reappeared with my passport, shrugged about my ticket and disappeared. I was mightily relieved – I had the recent memory of seeing people taken from the one-carriage Bratislava-Vienna train, marched into a tin shed by the tracks and the train then leaving. I did not want to end up in a tin shed on the Slovenian-Croatian border with no passport, no language and no train.

That trip taught me that when in Italy buy train tickets from the easy-to-use machines whenever possible. Or at least check them really, really thoroughly. Although I think the whole Italian train system, Trenitalia, has improved a lot in the last couple of years. From past experiences of having been allocated a seat in Carriage 8 to find the train went straight from Carriage 7 to 9, to the wrong ticket fiasco, to being unable to get from Rome to Naples because rain had stopped all the trains, to finding the 22.57 train left before the 22.30 train… this year I found Italian trains logical, reliable, and easy to buy tickets for. Big notice boards at the stations have yellow lists of all that day’s trains with all the stops named so it’s really easy to get the right train. But bless the Italians because, despite any problems, their charm makes you forgive them. And when an Italian man spends the whole journey checking you out, at least you know he will be gracious in carrying your suitcase off the train for you.

Lake Como to Zurich

Swiss railway

My final favourite journey was in June year, Lake Como to Zurich. Such a pretty journey and I have to confess to getting tears in my eyes at seeing the Swiss landscape which truly does look like the chocolate box lids of my childhood. For so long those views had been a part of my imagination and suddenly they were right there, just out the window. Magic. There was still snow on the peaks in mid-summer, amazing to an Australian. Unfortunately I wasn’t on one of the panorama trains which have windows stretching half way around the roof but the windows were still big enough and clean enough for seeing everything.

And in Switzerland my whole view of train travel was jolted. Everything was completely on time. All the trains connected with one another. All the clocks at the stations were synchronised. Wow. Impressive.

There are lots of websites where you can buy train tickets but I always end up doing it at the station on the day. Having said that though, I did just book online tickets from Munich to Salzburg - my next trip and, I’m told, spectacular scenery - mainly because I know with my tight flight connections I’ll be running to get those trains. It can also be cheaper to book ahead online. This is especially valuable advice for train travel in Britain which can be prohibitively expensive and, if you don’t book ahead and get an allocated seat, you can end up standing for five hours – not fun.

–Philippa Burne

Welcome to the Medina

One of my favorite things to do in any destination I visit is a little shopping. I am not talking postcards, logo shot glasses or t-shirts (..My uncle went to Paris and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!..). I am talking about the places where the real locals shop. Instead of the Supermarket start by visiting the local Boulangerie, Patisserie and Fromagerie in Paris and create your own picnic lunch. (Don’t forget the wine!) Find the local café or coffee shop and not the big chains. Visit the flea markets and street vendors to get a real taste of the destination.

Besides supporting the locals, the markets can be not only a place to shop, but a great place for people watching and socializing. And when you get off the beaten path a bit, the markets are one of the best places to truly interact with the locals. Take your time and make your shopping trip just another experience of the destination. With this in mind, I came up with my Top Ten places to Shop in the World…

Counting down:

10. Magnificent Mile, Chicago, USA. Let’s start with something pretty simple: Good ‘Ol American-style commerce. Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, aka “The Magnificent Mile” is a great shopping street. It has all the chains that you expect in an American shopping experience and some you don’t. It is also a good place to get all your high end goods and designer fashions. It’s also part of the friendliest city in America (sorry San Francisco colleagues) and a beautiful flower-lined street – at least in the summer.

9. Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, Paris, France. Known as just “Les Puces” (The Fleas) to the French, this is the place to go for antiques in Paris, everything from a rough around the edges clock to a $50,000 armoire. Open Friday – Sunday, officially at 8:00, but alas, this is France, so no need to show up at opening time. The vendors will be having a café-au-lait and a smoke and will be there around 9:00. Why not join them?

8. Souk, Muscat, Oman. Not the biggest souk in the Middle East, but one of the friendliest, the Muscat Souk is know for its Gold and Silver Bazaars. The narrow lanes are almost too bright to walk down with all the gold jewelry in the shops. Know what you are looking for and what its worth and you can find some very high quality bargains here. Don’t know and you may end up with a very expensive gold plated piece of junk.

7. Chinatown, New York City. Can’t afford The Magnificent Mile? Then try Chinatown, NYC. You know you need that Louis Vuitton handbag and that Rolex watch but you only have $25 dollars, right? Don’t fret – they’re all here for you! And I am assured that everything here is “genuine”. I just wonder why the street tables pack up every time the police come by…(PS – Don’t play the street shell / card games. You will get swindled every time, just ask Viator CEO Rod!)

6 . Rastro Flea Market – Madrid, Spain. The area known as El Rastro area in Madrid is supposedly the largest flea market in the world, but I am not sure if I buy it or not. It is open on Sundays and Holidays from around 10:00am to 2:00pm, but the coffee shops and tapas bars are open earlier and later. You can buy just about anything you need (or don’t need here). Of course, with any big flea market, watch your wallets and purses. This area is known for some pretty adept pickpockets.

Curses-R-US

5. Voodoo Fetish Market, Lomé, Togo. Need to put a hex on your mother-in-law or a particular colleague? Need to remove that hex your mother-in-law put on you? Then you need to go to the Voodoo Market in Lomé, Togo, in West Africa. Its not the easiest place in the world to get to, but it is teaming with all the necessary ingredients for any curse – think Monkey heads, bat’s wings, snake blood and goat’s testicles. Its all for sale and the merchants can likely help you with your “recipe”. Really, this is a must visit – but not for the faint-hearted.

4. Pete’s Antiques, Swakopmund, Namibia. Where? Swakopmund! This town is a little piece of Bavaria set in South Western Africa. The town has beer halls, timbered buildings and some good schnitzel, but the place to go is Pete’s Antiques. Ask anyone into African Art and they will tell you so. Housed in a small shop, this place is literally filled to the (timbered) rafters with African antiques – wood carvings, tribal masks, drums, baskets, pottery – the list goes on and one. Pete and his staff travel all around Africa and support local tribes and craftsman. They are extremely knowledgeable on the artifacts. They can tell you exactly where your mask came from and what ceremony it was used for. This is the place to go if you can’t make it to Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Mali in one trip!

Aerial view of Fez Media

3. Old Medina – Fez, Morocco. Filled with winding alleys, dead-end lanes and teaming with people, donkey carts and activity, the local lore is that you must have a guide to visit the Medina (Old City) in Fez or you will never find your way out. Alas, we did have a guide when I went and we were hustled into several carpet shops. You decide if you can make alone it or not, but either way, this place is incredible. If you enjoy total chaos and have a sense of adventure (and patience), this is a great spot. Within the Medina are the famous dye pits – a must see.

2. Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey. It’s not the “Fair Bazaar” or the “Good Bazaar” – it’s the GRAND BAZAAR! This covered market in Istanbul is often stop #1 for visitors. A great place to buy carpets, pottery, handicrafts as well as just about anything else, you can spend hours per day here. My advice: go early or go late. If you see busses pull up with hundreds or cruise ship passenengers, take a break, visit the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque and come back later. The prices are directly related to the amount of people shopping and the time you are willing to spend negotiating.

1. Chatuchak Weekend Market – Bangkok, Thailand. Easy to get to on the new Bangkok SkyTrain, this is the best (and hardest to pronounce) outdoor market in the world! The market is open officially on Friday and Saturdays, but is also open to the wholesale trade on Thursday – you won’t be turned away if you have a fistful of dollars or Baht. The market is huge, but very organized with maps of all the various sections – crafts, art, household goods, pets, furniture, wood carving – everything in its place. The Thai people are incredibly friendly and polite, making this a very pleasant shopping experience. Stop mid-day for a steaming bowl of green curry and a cold Singha beer and watch the throngs buying and selling. A great way to spend a Saturday!

Well, there you have it, Ken’s Top Ten Shopping Sites. The most important thing to remember in any of these markets is to respect the locals. Too smoky for you in Paris? Too bad! Don’t like the kids following you around in Marrakesh trying to sell you a scorpion and some turmeric? Get over it! It’s their country and you are a guest. Learn a few words in the local language, and most important of all, smile! A friendly smile and “no thanks” in the local language go a long way.

Check back next week for my Top Ten Tips on negotiating in the local markets.

–Ken Frohling

Poor, poor Hugh

If you took a straw poll at the Viator offices, I reckon the Dearly Departed tours in Los Angeles would rank among the most popular we offer, anywhere.

The reason? Partly it’s that fantastic mug shot of Hugh Grant. And partly it’s the concept of the tour itself: a 2-1/2 hour romp across Hollywood in a ‘Tomb Buggy’ tracking down gruesome, ghastly and notorious episodes in Tinsel Town history. From the Manson murders to George Michael’s favorite LA public restroom, from Sunset Boulevard to the last-gasp locations of Frank Sinatra, River Phoenix, Dee Dee Ramone, Bela Lugosi… how cool is that!

So we tracked down the founder and driving force behind the tours, Scott Michaels, and asked him a few questions about Los Angeles, the Golden Era of Hollywood, and some of the funny (as in strange) things he’s encountered over the years.

Viator: What’s the most gruesome episode or event you cover in your tours?

Scott Michaels: Probably the most gruesome event that is covered… well, actually there are three. First is the Black Dahlia, which was the murder of Elizabeth Short is 1947 (a woman severed in half, and carved beyond recognition - we have the crime scene photographs). Second is the Menendez murders, which was two boys killing their parents as they sat watching TV (we park out front the house and play the actual 911 call made by one of the brothers, which is chilling - he was totally acting when he called). But my personal obsession is the Tate - LaBianca murders, orchestrated by Charles Manson in 1969. That case is so bizarre, it’s better than any fiction you’ll ever read.

Viator: Who’s the most famous person you’ve taken on a tour?

Scott & his ‘Tomb Buggy’

Scott Michaels: I’ve had some fun celebrities on the tour. Leeza Gibbons – who I can now call a pal – has sort of taken me under her wing, and I’m now a part of her weekly syndicated Hollywood Confidential radio show. I’ve taken the Playboy Playmates Kendra, Holly and Bridgette from The Girls Next Door – who were a scream, and just as nice as I had hoped they would be. My absolute favorite celebrity was the woman who played Snow White on the 1989 Oscars, Eileen Bowman. She sang “Proud Mary” with Rob Lowe, and that brought an end to the wonderfully tacky production numbers at the Oscars. The Oscars never got permission to use the Snow White image, and before the show was even finished, lawsuits were filed. Fantastic.

Viator: What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you (presumably, while giving one of your tours)?

Scott Michaels: One consistently odd thing, I find fingernail clippings in my bus a lot.

Viator: If you could offer a similar ‘dearly departed’ tour in any other city in the world, where would it be? Paris? New Orleans?

Scott Michaels: I would love to start a Dearly Departed tour in London. I lived in London for 6 years, and did tons of research for a tour. I even had a tour company prepared to sponsor me, but unfortunately my residency wasn’t established yet, and I had to let it go. It would certainly merit a guidebook – at the very least.

Viator: What is the most unusual ‘celebrity’ item in your collection?

Hollywood ain’t what it used to be…

Scott Michaels: My collection of oddities includes a piece of the Hindenburg, a hunk of John Denver’s airplane, rocks from the fireplace of the Tate/Polanski home, a tile from the pool that Brian Jones of the Rolling Stone’s drowned, upholstery from the car Jayne Mansfield was killed in. But the oddest thing I have is probably Sharon Tate’s autopsy report, signed by the coroner, Dr Noguchi, who actually performed the autopsy 30 years prior. He said it was probably the absolutely the weirdest thing he’d ever been asked to sign.

Viator: What do you like / dislike about Hollywood today compared to the ‘golden era’?

Scott Michaels: What irritates me about Hollywood today, is that no one in Hollywood today knows or cares about Hollywood then. It seems like our heritage is being carted away in dump trucks, one by one. The Ambassador Hotel where RFK was assassinated, but also hosted six Academy Awards ceremonies – gone. The Brown Derby? Gone. Well, the hat still exists, now it’s on a Korean karaoke restaurant. Perino’s restaurant, the Villa Capri, the Trocadero – all gone. Stars today go out of their way to cover their faces when they drive by the tour bus. Like we’re going to turn around and chase them. Get real. I remember when Jimmy Stewart or Gregory Peck would come out and greet tour buses. They knew how to work it. Stars today are just common.

–Scott McNeely

Special thanks to Jenny Crossling. Because of Jenny and her team, we think — no, we know — Viator’s selection of tours and things to do in Los Angeles is unbeatable. Have a look for yourself.

Why we travel

Have you noticed the latest trend in travel?

It’s been building slowly, ever since the debut of MTV’s Real World series back in 1992. It was followed by the Survivor reality television series in 2000, and quickly followed by cookie-cutter reality shows such as Temptation Island, The Amazing Race and the latest monstrosity, Pirate Master. Arrrr.

The common thread here is an “exotic” location. Temptation Island was filmed in Belize, a Central American country few Americans could have located on a map. Yet thanks to Temptation Island, all of a sudden the idea of a Belize holiday wasn’t so far fetched.

On the face of it, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a holiday in Belize.

But TV executives know a good thing (read: money maker) when they see one, and the combination of far-flung locations and people doing all sorts of stupid things was — and still is — a tempting concept. Witness the latest crop of reality shows. I’m talking about 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, Bizarre Foods, The Best Places to Find Cash and Treasure, Man vs. Wild, I Shouldn’t Be Alive, Going Tribal, Everest: Beyond the Limit, Survivorman, and one that really gets me annoyed, the television travesty known as Edge of Existence.

Let me quote for you a description from a recent episode of Edge of Existence: “Intrepid adventurer Donal MacIntyre braves the scorching heat of the Arabian Desert to live with Bedouin tribesmen. Donal is on a mission to understand why the Bedouin choose to live in such an unforgiving place when life in the towns could be much easier.”

Actually, the show is about Donal rolling around in the sand dunes, complaining of the heat, lots of shots of him stumbling and thirsty and pushing himself to the limits of physical endurance in order to show the Bedouin how ‘life in towns could be much easier.’

I guess this makes for compelling television. It certainly does not make for compelling travel. And here’s the rub: these shows are inspiring an entire generation to make bad travel decisions. When I started backpacking, travel was all about discovering new cultures, interacting with locals, becoming better people. My generation came of age using Lonely Planet. We were all about discovering ourselves, and the world, through travel.

And today’s generation of travelers? I worry their role models are what I call extrem-elers, or extreme travelers. The new trend in travel is parachuting into inhospitable locations to see if you can survive. Interacting with locals? Only if they’re head-hunting savages. Eating local foods? Only if it includes bugs, worms or other nasties. Doing good deeds and making a difference? Only if there’s a cash prize at stake.

I’m not wearing rose-colored glasses here. When I was 18, I was not a saintly do-gooding traveler. I visited Germany (for the beer), Ireland (for the beer), Amsterdam (for the — mom, are you reading this??), Morocco (because it sounded cool), London (more beer), you get the idea. We were traveling to have fun, to meet people. Along the way we had a great European adventure and learned what it meant to be “travelers”.

And that’s why we travel. To learn. To make new connections. To gain new experiences and to grow as individuals. I worry these messages are getting lost on the current generation of young travelers. I worry that, thanks to the explosion of mediocre reality-television shows, travel is becoming a mere synonym for testing your limits. For putting yourself into extreme situations. For getting sun stroke. For eating bugs.

So here’s my proposal: If you agree with me, grab the nearest teenager you can find and start a conversation about travel. My 18-year-old sister is graduating from high school next week. Her summer travel plans include Ibiza (for dance clubs), Cannes (to meet movie stars), Prada and Fendi (it’s unclear if she believes these are small European countries or not). She’s obviously not an extreme traveler. Even so, like the rest of her generation, she can probably use some sound road-tested advice about the meaning of travel in the 21st century.

–Scott McNeely

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!

I’ve always been a great advocate of the hop-on hop-off bus tours that we offer in so many of our destinations. They provide a wonderful way to get acquainted with the city — its various districts, the key attractions and even the places to avoid — while at the same time getting you out in the sunlight and helping your body clock adjust to the new time zone. In Paris, we now offer a tour with all those benefits, but just a little more personalized and special: The private ‘Secret Paris Tour’ by Citroen 2CV.

Pierre, sans beret, in the Citroen 2CV

Before I describe this wonderful tour, a word about the 2CV, or as it is more commonly known the deux chevaux. Driving around Paris in a “dedeuche” — as passers-by will call out when they see you — is an experience in itself. The French have a great love of this car, and you will notice the reverence with which it is treated by pedestrians, traffic policemen and certainly other drivers, who seem happy to always give way to this iconic French auto!

This gives your driver a little more license to act with bravado, as you issue instructions to stop immediately for a photo opportunity, or to give you a moment to pop into the Robert Clergerie store to check if they have your size in those impossibly gorgeous boots you spotted in the window a moment ago.

That example really sums up the difference between this very, very personal experience and the albeit lower-priced but nonetheless group experience of the Paris hop-on hop-off bus. Your driver, inevitably Pierre and naturally wearing a beret, picks you up at your hotel door. By the time you arrive at the car he is in conversation with your concierge, who is relating his own dedeuche-owning experience back in the ’70s, and marveling at how well this particular model has stood the test of time. Pierre will now quiz you about your special desires as he prepares to tailor a tour just for you. The best hot-chocolate in Paris? Vinyl stores that specialize in ’60s jazz? Hidden architectural treasures? Little-known museums and galleries? Or just a leisurely drive to get you acquainted with this city that he loves…

One of Pierre’s girlfriend’s favourite sculptures…

And his knowledge of Paris, it turns out, is immense. All the company’s drivers are young and quite suitably enthusiastic about their city. Their English is perfect and many speak Spanish and German, too. My Pierre described each of his personal Paris highlights in terms of his girlfriend: “This is where my girlfriend and I buy the best ice cream in Paris,” and “This is where my girlfriend and I like to eat our ice cream.”

Pierre’s girlfriend is indeed a lucky young woman, as each of these recommendations turned out to match their billing. And Pierre’s advice helped on the negative side too: “Oh, yes, this restaurant certainly has a good reputation, but they didn’t lower their prices as Michelin took away two of their stars!”

So whether you’re coming to Paris for the first time, or have been before but wish to get a little further under the surface than your guidebook will take you, I can’t recommend this tour enough. You’ll love the open-top 2CV, marvel at the stick-shift and how anyone could possibly determine the difference between first and fourth gear, and delight at your guide’s intense knowledge and very personal connection to Paris. Right now the company is running a summer promotion that includes a bottle of TerraVentoux wine with every tour. A maximum of three passengers per vehicle, but the fleet is quite large so don’t hesitate to book a whole convoy if you have a group!

–Rod Cuthbert

Planning a trip to Paris? Browse Viator’s Paris tours, Paris shows & concerts and, d’accord, our tours by 2CV Citroen.

I’m not going to tell you who found this “Toilets of the World” book, but I will say that “ellyKay” was a “ecretSay antaSay” for someone in San Francisco and this was the gift. Alas, our site director never had a chance to take his inspirational reading material home, as his fellow co-workers kept borrowing it.

The person-I’m-not-naming can be credited with introducing us to this fantastic website, the Bathroom Diaries. These folks were inspired to put together a site on the belief that toilets and their surroundings can make or break an otherwise excellent outing. As the Bathroom Diaries site puts it “From feng sui serene to funky bohemian to cutting edge science, bathrooms are as varied as snowflakes.” I think I’d take any of those bathrooms over the ripe 1 AM toilets at Tornado in the Haight or, by far my worst of the worst, the Doggy Diner (which is no more thankfully). The latter is such an unspeakably horrorible experience for me that it has become the scale by which I judge all my “bad bathroom” experiences. The cool thing that I’ve learned from this site is that if I’m in Union Square, avoid Macy’s (rated bad) and head across the way for Neiman Marcus (rated excellent). So, for any traveler braving the unknown trail without clue where to find the loo, here’s a site that will help you mark your map with “rest” stops.

Got tips of your own? Share them with us!

-Suzann M

What’s not to love?

There’s a new documentary coming out titled “Let’s All Hate Toronto” and it will premiere at Toronto’s very own Hot Docs film festival. And yes, as you might guess, it’s all about Canadians who hate Toronto. Here’s a description from the Hot Docs website:

This tongue-in-cheek road doc follows “Mister Toronto” as he embarks on a coast-to-coast Toronto Appreciation tour, encountering “recovering Torontonians” and those who would be quite happy never to step foot in our fair city. Are we really Torauma, Onterrible? Yes, according to a “professional Toronto hater.”

After being shocked that people hated Toronto (a city I visited for the Toronto film festival last September, and really loved), I went on to be shocked that Canadians we’re being so vocally mean about it. They always seem so nice and inclusive. I love Canadians, and Canada, and yes, even Toronto. But I take issue with this film. Issue!

So to combat this documentary in my own humble way, I present 5 reasons to LOVE Toronto.

1. Superb restaurants. Bymark, Canoe, and the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar are all as tasty as any food you can get in New York or San Francisco or any foodie city. Certainly better than say, Ottawa. Take that Ottawa!
2. The Hockey Hall of Fame. Shame on you Canadians for not loving the city that houses your Hockey Hall of Fame. Shame.
3. The Toronto Blue Jays. the only Canadian team left in major league baseball, and a pretty decent team at that.
4. Lake Ontario. It borders Toronto and it’s one of the Great Lakes. See, GREAT is right there in the name.
5. Diversity. The United Nations cited Toronto as one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. And I have to say I’d agree. Jealous one hit wonder Montreal? Yeah, yeah, we know you’re all French, or Quebecoise or whatever.

So please, give Toronto a chance. Let’s be lovers not fighters, after all we all love some good gravy fries and a nice hockey game.

– Kelly G