Viator Travel Blog

I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley. I misspent my youth at the Sherman Oaks Galleria of Moon Unit Zappa fame. I probably wasted months of my life driving from Santa Monica to downtown LA to Encino to Hollywood to North Hollywood, you name it. And there’s one thing I can say with absolute certainty about my hometown. Los Angeles, it is a strange place.

Swimming with Dolphins For most of my life the idea of traveling with children never crossed my mind. It was something other people did, other people with kids. But not me. Fast forward a few years, and all of a sudden the idea of family travel isn’t so strange. That’s mainly thanks to my 9-month [...]

There is little protest to the claims that Memphis, Tennessee is the birthplace of rock ‘n roll. Sun Studio produced hit after hit in the early 50′s that transformed American music forever. This little “hole-in-the-wall” recording studio is where artists such as B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley got their start. [...]

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 [...]

Spending a day at the Grand Canyon with Wilfred Whatanome, perhaps the most recognised member of the Hualapai Indian Nation, may have some troubling effects on your outlook on life. Wilfred is connected to the Earth around here. The Hualapai have lived on the West Rim of the Canyon for almost a thousand years, and [...]

Two AM: casino, club, show, slot machines, crowds, neon… Nine AM: desert, sagebrush, blue sky, emptiness, cowboys, horses. You’ve escaped from the Strip. This is going to do you good. Tex and friend, waiting for riders. Stream of consciousness: Wow, the air is clear out here. Which horse are they going to give me? That [...]

Head to Hong Kong for the 2006 Hong Kong WinterFest, November 24 – January 1. Organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the business district will be transformed into the winter wonderland of Santa’s Town, featuring different Christmas settings. Drop in to see Snowy Chapel, Santa’s Lodge and Mistletoe Corner to name a few. Hong [...]

Which countries are most popular with travelers? According to a survey released this week at the World Travel Market, New Zealand came out on top in a number of categories. The results are based on feedback from 1,500 international travellers, travel industry experts and hospitality professionals, all of whom travel internationally at least once per [...]

People often say that “travel” is a synonym for doing new and exotic things. For getting out of your comfort zone and pushing yourself hard to learn something new about our wonderful, maddening, quixotic world. Yet people often overlook the pleasure of a return. The quest for newness can be tiring, and it can focus [...]

Los Angeles isn’t the easiest city to figure out. Here are some sightseeing suggestions to help you make the most of this one-of-a-kind city. It’s LA, the home of celebrities. So it’s OK to want to take a Movie Star & Hollywood tour. Or satisfy the other extreme, the high-cultured extreme, with a visit to [...]