List Mania: Viator's Take on the Best in Travel

Editor’s note: If you’re tackling the streets of Melbourne in person, be sure to read John’s Melbourne pub guide and list of top Melbourne outdoor cinemas; and Jodi’s notes on living a bohemian life in Melbourne.

Melbourne’s Yarra River on a hot summer night…

Melbourne gets a bad wrap from the rest of Australia for the weather, but this summer is gearing up to be another (climate-change induced) long, hot and dry spell.

The city’s location on a bay means that evenings are often tempered by cooling breezes, so any opportunity to get outside is lapped up by locals and visitors. With weather this pleasant you must go outdoors. You have no choice. And with that in mind here are my top summer picks for things to do in Melbourne.

#1 Australian Open Tennis

Melbourne famously loves its sport, and it also loves to show off on the world stage, so the Australian Open is always popular. The competition plays out at the hottest time of the year, making it an endurance event as well as a typical tennis tournament. While last year saw players endure court temperatures in excess of 50degC (122F), new rules mean they will be allowed to retreat to the locker rooms if things get fiery. Personally, I think it’s a cop out. I’m all for seeing these people made to earn their millions in tough match conditions.

As long as I can watch from home with the air-con on and a Long Island Iced Tea, I’m fine.

#2 Big Day Out & Laneway Festival

The Big Day Out is a touring music festival that takes place in major cities in Australia and New Zealand. This year, tickets to the Melbourne event (28 January) sold out in just minutes, so unless you got lucky, or can scrape together an eBay bid (currently A$200 but rising fast), you might have to set up a folding chair outside the fence of this year’s venue, Flemington Racecourse.

This year’s handy line up includes Rage Against the Machine, Bjork, Arcade Fire (about as good as music gets at the moment), silverchair, Battles, DJs I’ve never heard of and even good old Billy Bragg. It’s likely to go off like a frog in a sock.

Way smaller and far groovier is the new-ish St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, which also tours a few Australian cities. Taking place in a Melbourne city laneway and assorted nearby venues, the day-long festival (on 24 February) features some great acts, including Broken Social Scene, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Okkervil River (how good are they!), the stunning elecronica of Dan Deacon and local wunderkind Gotye. If you haven’t heard any of Gotye’s stuff, you should track it down.

#3 Queen Victoria Night Market

On Wednesday nights through summer, the Queen Victoria Market goes all Asian with the Night Market. Hawker stalls, fresh food, licensed bars, locally made gifts and tacky tourist tat vie for the attention of the tens of thousands of people who visit this weekly event. The live performances and the friendly vibe make this a great summer outing, especially after Christmas when the gift-panic has passed. The market runs from 5.30 – 10pm.

#4 Australia Day

Australia Day (26 January) may be a day of national pride celebrating the ‘discovery’ of Australia by British explorers, but to most of us locals, it’s the laziest day of the year. Flame up the barbeque and chill the drinks. It’s an open invitation, and it goes all day. Bring your own.

While it’s the same right across the country, Melbourne has a couple of unique ways of celebrating. A picnic on the banks of the Yarra River is a great way to do nothing in the great outdoors. Also, with an international cricket match being played in Adelaide, they’re always broadcast on the TV. Sip on a beer from one of Melbourne’s great microbrews (Three Ravens, Emerald Hill or – my favourite – Mountain Goat). Doesn’t get much better than that.

#5 Tai Chi at Fed Square

While it’s not especially – or even exclusive to - summer, and not traditionally ‘Melbourne’, the free Tai Chi sessions at Federation Square every Tuesday morning are still a great highlight of city life. Starting at 7.30am and lasting one hour, these expert-led sessions are a great way to get the mind and body moving in harmony. Set yourself up for a day of sightseeing with this ancient Chinese art, regarded by those in the know as “the physiotherapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine”.

–John Ryan

Planning a trip? Check out more recommendations in Melbourne. And have a look at all of Viator’s tours and things to do in Melbourne, from Colonial Tramcar dinners to Yarra Valley Wine Tasting.

Rome - a traveler favorite in 2007

After much pummeling of calculators and mashing of spreadsheets, we’ve calculated our Top 25 Things to Do in Europe for 2007. As always there are some surprises on the list as well as some notable absences.

In the former category: Rome and Paris. Both of these cities continued to dominate travelers’ itineraries in Europe.

It’s a similar story with London and Florence, both of which maintained their popularity with travelers (and that’s despite the strong pound sterling!). We’re also very pleased to see Granada, Munich and Milan on the list.

And the absences? I’ll admit it, I have a soft spot for Istanbul, Dublin and Madrid. Yet none of these cities made it onto our list. Let’s agree to disagree for the time being.

(We’ll tackle these three cities - and why you should factor them into your 2008 travels - in a future post.) Anyway, enough of the overview let’s get into the winners…

Viator’s Top 25 Things To Do in Europe: 2007

25. Skip the Line: Vatican Museums Entrance Tickets, Rome, Italy

24. Capri and the Blue Grotto Full Day Tour, Rome, Italy

23. Florence Day Tour, Rome, Italy

22. Skip the Line: Guided Tour of the Louvre Museum, Paris, France

#16 - The Royal Castle of Neuschwanstein

21. Eiffel Tower Dinner and Seine River Cruise, Paris, France

20. Chianti Region with Wine Tasting Afternoon Tuscany Tour, Florence, Italy

19. Alhambra and Generalife - UNESCO World Heritage Site, Granada, Spain

18. Giverny and Versailles Day Trip, Paris, France

17. Bateaux Parisiens Dinner Cruise on the Seine, Paris, France

16. Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Day Tour, Munich, Germany

15. Siena and San Gimignano Full Day Tuscany Tour, Florence, Italy

14. Florence City Sightseeing Morning, Afternoon or Full Day Tour, Florence, Italy

13. Paris City Hop On Hop Off Tour, Paris, France

12. Skip the Line: Vatican Museums Walking Tour including Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Rooms and St Peter’s, Rome, Italy

11. The Paris Pass, Paris, France

10. Venice in One Day - The Original Venice Walk and Grand Canal Boat Tour, Venice, Italy

9. Dinner and Show at The Moulin Rouge, Paris, France

8. Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Rome Walking Tour, Rome, Italy

#3. Eiffel Tower Dinner and Moulin Rouge Show

7. Paris Illuminations Tour and Moulin Rouge Show, Paris, France

6. Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Georgian Bath, London, England

5. Rome Hop On Hop Off Double Decker Bus Tour, Rome, Italy

4. Sightseeing Tour including il Cenacolo - Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”, Milan, Italy

3. Eiffel Tower Dinner and Moulin Rouge Show, Paris, France

2. Naples and Pompeii Day Tour, Rome, Italy

1. Skip the Line: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tour, Rome, Italy

Do you have your own list of favorite things to do in Europe? We’d love to hear about them. Simply leave us a reply below and we’ll add them to the list.

Stay tuned for our final ‘Best of’ 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 Europe, keep on reading…

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Editor’s note: We asked Viator’s founder, Rod Cuthbert, to pick some of his favorite travel experiences in 2007; in this edition he makes us all very hungry with a review of his top meals in 2007. Also check out Rod’s Top 5 Travel Destinations for 2008.

Pasta with Lobster Sauce, Venice

I arrived at Venice’s Marco Polo airport late on a low cost carrier flight that made it clear why they’re called low-cost carriers… but forgot all that with a water taxi ride into the very heart of Venice. It’s after 11pm and the town is quiet, but the hotel manager calls a little restaurant around the corner and yes, they will take us if we come now. OK, we’ll unpack later, let’s go. We arrive, there are still a few people eating, and it feels warm and inviting. Red wine appears before we ask for it, as well as bread, and there’s no need for menus because there’s just one dish on offer: pasta with lobster sauce and “it’s bellissimo, you will like it.”

OK, we’ll take it. And our waiter was right, but maybe only half right because really this might be the finest pasta meal either of us have ever had, without exception. Fifteen minute later the meal is over, but we don’t want to move. There’s no rush to unpack, and just looking at our empty bowls is somehow satisfying. I just wish I could remember the name of this place, it’s somewhere near the Palazzo Vitturi Hotel…

Dinner at The Lido Cabaret, Paris

Either my memory is failing me or I’m just giving the Lido a plug, right? How could a meal served to 800 others at the same time as mine possibly be any good? Cabaret food has to be rubber chicken, doesn’t it? Well, that’s what I thought, and I had to keep checking with my fellow diners to ensure I wasn’t hallucinating… but the fact remains that of all the meals I had in Paris that week, the Lido’s three-course banquet stood out. It helps that Michelin-starred Paul Bocuse has consulted on the new menu, and that the Champagne was outstanding, but it was still a pleasant shock to encounter quality food in a “volume” environment.

House of Nanking, San Francisco

There’s a reason why a line forms outside House of Nanking every night of the year, no matter how thick the fog. It’s not the service, which is workmanlike at best; or the ambiance, which is minimalist to say the least; or the fact that most of the guide books list Nanking so that visitors just follow the advice blindly. No, it’s the food.

Everything on the menu is good, and of course it tastes even better if you have been standing outside in the fog and cold for 40 minutes. I’ve been to Hong Kong and China enough times to say with at least some confidence that you’ll go a long way to find better Chinese food than this. Just don’t go on the nights I go, OK? The lines are long enough already…

Breakfast at Bills, Sydney

I’m a great believer in a good breakfast to get your day started right. In Sydney, Australia, breakfast at some restaurants has become as famous as dinner at others, and Bills (in Surry Hills or Darlinghurst) is at the top of the pile. Once you’ve had Bills’ scrambled eggs you will give up making them yourself, unless you buy his cookbook in which case you will probably make them so often you’ll tire of it altogether, which would be an awful pity. Once again, I’m moved to say that words are not the right tools with which to describe Bills’ most famous dish: you need to go there and try it for yourself.

Roast Lamb Sandwich, Jet Blue flight, SFO to NYC

Really, when everyone around you is eating airplane food and you’re tucking into a home made organic lamb sandwich with roast vegetables and chutney… well, you get the great taste plus the satisfaction of knowing that for once, your forward planning worked. Leftovers always taste great, but they taste five times better at 36,000 feet!

–Rod Cuthbert

What was your most memorable meal in 2007? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Statue of Liberty, New York City

If you’re already following Viator’s ‘Top 25 Things to Do’ list mania, then no explanation is needed; this is the second-to-last installment in our series of Top Things to Do in 2007, this time focusing on the USA & Canada.

And there are a few surprises. Apparently New York City was and is all the rage in 2007. New York was our most popular North American destination this past year, as evidenced by the number of NYC tours and activities that made it on the Top 25 list below.

Nipping at New York’s heals was good ol’ Las Vegas, Sin City. It’s no surprise that Las Vegas is one of the top travel destinations in the USA. But what is a little surprising is how Las Vegas is evolving into a regional hub for travelers to visit the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, even Death Valley. We were also pleased to see San Francisco represented on this year’s list.

The other big surprise in the list? Helicopter tours. You love them. Whether in New York City or the Grand Canyon or Las Vegas, helicopter tours and 2007 went together like peanut butter / Marmite / Vegemite and jelly / butter (take your pick).

Top 25 Things To Do in USA & Canada: 2007

25. Empire State Building Observatory, New York City, New York

24. West Rim Indian Country Deluxe Air and Ground Tour, Las Vegas, Nevada

#23. Everglades National Park

23. Everglades National Park, Miami City Tour and Biscayne Bay by Boat, Miami, Florida

22. Teatro ZinZanni: Love, Chaos and Dinner, San Francisco, California

21. Grand Canyon West Rim Van Tour with Optional Skywalk, Las Vegas, Nevada

20. VISITicket: Power Pass, Las Vegas, Nevada

19. Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour, Las Vegas, Nevada

18. The Phantom of the Opera On Broadway, New York City, New York

17. New York, New York Helicopter Flight, New York City, New York

16. Old Town Trolley Tours, Washington, DC

#17. New York, New York Helicopter Flight

15. Overnight Swim with Dolphins and Everglades Airboat Adventure, Orlando, Florida

14. Grand Canyon West Rim Air Adventure, Las Vegas, Nevada

13. Vegas Night Strip Helicopter Flight, Las Vegas, Nevada

12. The Lion King On Broadway, New York City, New York

11. Mamma Mia! On Broadway, New York City, New York

10. Hop On Hop Off Tour, New York City, New York

9. Alcatraz and San Francisco City Tour, San Francisco, California

#1. Grand Canyon Helicopter Flight

8. Grand Canyon Helicopter and Ranch Adventure, Las Vegas, Nevada

7. New York Elegant Dining Cruise, New York City, New York

6. Grand Canyon Skywalk, West Rim and Hoover Dam Motorcoach Tour, Las Vegas, Nevada

5. The Big Apple Helicopter Flight, New York City, New York

4. The New York Pass, New York City, New York

3. Niagara Falls from New York by Air, New York City, New York

2. Ultimate Grand Canyon 4-in-1 Helicopter Adventure, Las Vegas, Nevada

1. Grand Canyon All American Helicopter Flight, Las Vegas, Nevada

Do you have your own list of favorite things to do in the USA & Canada? We’d love to hear about them. Simply leave us a reply below and we’ll add them to the list.

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 the USA & Canada, keep on reading…

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Are you planning a trip to Australia in 2008? If so you’ve come to the right place. Viator’s list of the Top 25 Things to Do in Australia will help kick-start your travel planning.

Australia’s Top 25 Things to Do: Ayers Rock Definitely Makes the List

This is all part of our end-of-the-year Top 25 Things to Do competitions, where we announce the most popular tours and activities around the world based on what was most popular with Viator’s globe-trotting travelers in 2007. So far we’ve covered the Top 25 in Asia, Central & South America, the Middle East & Africa and the Caribbean. Now it is time to shine the spotlight on Australia.

Australia’s Top 25 has a few surprises. And the biggest surprise of all is the sheer diversity of the list. Walking tours of the Opera House in Sydney… sailing on the Great Barrier Reef… Yarra Valley wine tasting… Melbourne dining… penguins, kangaroos, and wildlife…

Viator’s travelers covered a lot of ground in 2007. If you have your own favorite activity or thing to do in Australia, please leave us a comment, we’d love to hear about it. Now, without further ado, here are the top tours an activities in Australia from 2007.

Top 25 Things To Do in Australia: 2007

25. Yarra Valley Wineries and Puffing Billy Steam Train Day Tour, Melbourne, Australia

24. 360 Bar and Dining at Sydney Tower Restaurant, Sydney, Australia

23. Great Ocean Road High Adventure Day Tour, Melbourne, Australia

22. Blue Mountains and Australian Wildlife Day Tour, Sydney, Australia

21. Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise, Sydney, Australia

20. Kangaroo Island in a Day Tour, Adelaide, Australia

19. Sunrise Balloon Flight over Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

18. Sydney Opera House and Australian Ballet Dinner Package, Sydney, Australia

17. 24 Hour Uluru (Ayers Rock) Eco-Pass plus Sounds of Silence Dinner, Ayers Rock, Australia

16. Green Island Reef Catamaran Cruise, Cairns, Australia

15. Cairns in a Day - Kuranda, Cairns, Australia

14. Uluru and Kata Tjuta Helicopter Flight, Ayers Rock, Australia

13. Kuranda Rail, Rainforestation and Skyrail Tour, Cairns, Northern Beaches, Palm

12. Yarra Valley Wine Experience, Melbourne, Australia

11. Great Barrier Reef Cruise and Helicopter Flight, Cairns, Australia

Sounds of Silence Dinner, Ayers Rock Voted #1 in 2006 & 2007

10. Phillip Island: Penguins, Koalas and Kangaroos Day Tour, Melbourne, Australia

9. Great Ocean Road Small Group Eco Tour, Melbourne, Australia

8. Sunrise Breakfast Balloon Flight over the Yarra Valley, Melbourne, Australia

7. Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kings Canyon and Alice Springs 3-Day Tour, Ayers Rock, Australia

6. Sydney Harbour Dinner Cruise on the MV Sydney 2000, Sydney, Australia

5. See Sydney and Beyond Smartvisit Card, Sydney, Australia

4. Spirit of Melbourne Cruising Restaurant, Melbourne, Australia

3. Colonial Tramcar Restaurant, Melbourne, Australia

2. Blue Mountains Deluxe Eco Day Tour, Sydney, Australia

1. Sounds of Silence Restaurant, Ayers Rock, Northern Territory

There you have it. Viator’s list of the Top 25 tours and things to do in Australia in 2007. We’d like to extend a special ‘congratulatory’ note to the Sounds of Silence restaurant at Ayers Rock for winning the #1 spot on our list two years in a row! Well done, this is no easy feat to pull off.

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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Can’t get enough of Viator’s 2007 Top 25 lists? Neither can we.

We’ve been busy compiling the Top 25 Things to Do around the world, from Africa & the Middle East to Central & South America and the Caribbean (with more regions coming soon). These lists are based on tours and activities that actual Viator.com travelers participated in this year.

So what were the major travel trends in Asia in 2007? Surprisingly (given its dominance on our 2006 list), Singapore has slipped a few spots in overall popularity. What happened? Japan in general, and Tokyo in particular, skyrocketed in popularity this year with Viator travelers. (Speaking of which, check out some of the cool new traveler photos submitted by Viator’s travelers in Japan…) Ditto with Hong Kong, which remains one of the top destinations in Asia this year.

On the ‘notable exceptions’ list is China (check out Rod’s trip report to Beijing) and Vietnam (also see our recent blog post of suggested itineraries in Vietnam). Our guess is that China will come storming back thanks to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. And here’s hoping to Vietnam making a splash in 2008. n the meantime, without further ado, the top 25 things to do in Asia in 2007…

Top 25 Things to Do in Asia: 2007

#1 in 2007? A bullet-train trip to Mt Fuji from Tokyo

25. Malacca Malaysia Day Tour, Singapore

24. Half-day Safari around Phuket, Phuket, Thailand

23. Kuala Lumpur Grand Day Tour, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

22. Afternoon Till Sunset at Sentosa Island, Singapore

21. Lantau Island Tour including Giant Buddha at Po Lin Monastery, Hong Kong

20. Kyoto Day Tour - Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle, Sanjusangendo, Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan

19. Morning at the Singapore Zoo with optional Jungle Breakfast with Orangutans, Singapore

18. Island Tour - Victoria Peak, Aberdeen, Stanley Market, Hong Kong

17. Macau Full Day Tour by Catamaran, Hong Kong

16. Sunrise Sumo Wrestling Tour - Tournament, Tokyo, Japan

15. Mt Fuji, Hakone and Kyoto by Bullet Train, Tokyo, Japan

14. Panoramic Tokyo - Meiji, Asakusa, Tokyo Bay Cruise, Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan

13. Mt Fuji, Hakone and Onsen 2-Day Tour: Return by Bullet Train, Tokyo, Japan

12. Mt Fuji and Hakone Day Tour: Return By Motorcoach, Tokyo, Japan

11. Kyoto 1-Day Sunrise Express Tour By Bullet Train, Tokyo, Japan

10. Kyoto and Nara Day Tour - Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle, Todaiji, Kyoto, Japan

9. Singapore by Night including Dinner at Boat Quay, Night Market, Raffles Hotel, Singapore

8. Guangzhou (Canton) China including Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, Hong Kong

7. Tokyo Tower, Tea Ceremony, Sumida River Cruise, Tokyo, Japan

6. Mt Fuji, Hakone, Kyoto and Nara 3-Day Sunrise Highlights Tour by Bullet Train, Tokyo, Japan

5. Hong Kong by Night at Revolving 66 Restaurant and Junk Cruise, Hong Kong

4. Night Safari, Singapore

3. Nikko World Heritage, Toshogu Shrine, Lake Chuzenji, Kegon Waterfall, Tokyo, Japan

2. Kyoto and Nara 2 or 3-Day Sunrise Express Tour by Bullet Train, Tokyo, Japan

1. Mt Fuji and Hakone Day Tour: Return by Bullet Train, Tokyo, Japan

Do you have your own list of favorite things to do in Asia? We’d love to hear about them. Simply leave us a reply below and we’ll add them to the list.

And if you’re looking for more inspiration in Asia, Viator’s got you covered in: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia (including Bali), Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

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 Asia, keep on reading…

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Editor’s note: We asked Viator’s founder, Rod Cuthbert, to make a list of his top 5 travel destinations for 2008. Favorite, that is, when he’s not surfing and people-watching on his local beach, Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Sometimes Rod, you do make us a little jealous.

Gordon River, Tasmania

1. Tasmania, Australia

And not just because I am from Tasmania! Hobart, the capital, enjoys that slightly more relaxed pace of life that isn’t something you see so much as experience. Tasmania as a whole has a wonderful blend of natural beauty — the World Heritage Area centered around the Gordon River is worth the trip in its own right — and modern lifestyle, with superb wine, cheese and seafood making it an ideal destination for anyone who enjoys life’s finer things.

More info: Tasmania tours & things to do
Photos: Tasmania on Viator’s Flickr site

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Sunset on the canals of Venice

2. Venice, Italy

Before it sinks? No, that won’t be happening anytime soon. Anyway, I can’t possibly describe in words why you have to visit Venice. See it for yourself, but don’t go alone. Visit outside the high seasons, and don’t be afraid of the cold. Take a water taxi when you arrive (hang the expense); grab a red wine and some cheese, standing at the bar, in the mid afternoon; take photos at the Rialto as the sun is setting, and send them immediately to all the people you don’t like; take in a Vivaldi concert in one of the 150 churches around the city; and definitely buy pizza slices for lunch, to be eaten in the nearest square as you watch the world amble by. But don’t miss it, and don’t be scared by the fact that it’s all been done before.

More info: Venice tours & things to do
Photos: Venice on Viator’s Flickr site

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The London Eye at Night, London

3. London, England

OK, so you’ve been to London a dozen times. Well, OK, but this is a big city, and there’s parts you haven’t seen. Stay in Mayfair (yes, you can find well-priced hotels in Mayfair!) and walk the streets made famous in a thousand novels. Try the bike tour of East London, and go back to Brick Lane later on for the best markets and Indian food you’ll find anywhere. Ride the London Eye at night. Take a day trip to Stonehenge or Bath. Here’s the thing: even people who live in London haven’t seen it all. You certainly haven’t!

More info: London tours & things to do
Photos: London on Viator’s Flickr site

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Miss Van is all over Barcelona

4. Barcelona, Spain

There must be a reason why so many people list Barcelona as one of their favourite cities. I certainly do, but — typically, for me — I’m not quite sure why. I just know the food is great, the shopping is superb, great art is everywhere — even spray-painted onto the walls, and the city is compact enough that you can walk most everywhere comfortably. If you’re anything like me you’ll feel good in Barcelona the moment you arrive. If not: well, the rest of Europe is right next door.

More info: Barcelona tours & things to do
Photos: Barcelona on Viator’s Flickr site

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At the Forbidden City, with a fellow tourist from the provinces

5. Beijing, China

An Olympic year is always a good time to visit a host city: it’s all spruced up and everyone’s on their best behavior… at least that’s the theory. Beijing is one of those giant-scale destinations where everything is worth seeing: the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, the restaurants, the museums, the parks, the markets, the people, the dogs, the birds in cages that people take on a walk… Like it or not, China is going to take over as the world’s superpower any minute now, so it might be wise to discover just what makes this giant tick. You’ll enjoy the experience.

More info: Beijing tours & things to do
Photos: Beijing & the Great Wall on Viator’s Flickr site

Happy travels in 2008.

–Rod Cuthbert

Fellow travelers, it’s time for another installment of Viator’s Top Things to Do list. So far we’ve covered Central & South America and the Caribbean. That makes it three continents down, four more to go in our ‘top things to do in 2007′ series (based on the tours and activities most popular with actual travelers on Viator.com this year).

It’s time for us to shine a spotlight on Africa and the Middle East. There were some exciting regional developments for Viator this year; in January we launched a new destination on the site, safaris and tours in Kenya, and we’re pleased to see the private three-day safari to Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve taking Africa by storm and skyrocketing to #2 on our list.

We also got serious about making Viator the one-stop-shop for tours and things to do in Egypt (with props to Kerrie, who’s been inspiring all of us with her recent blogs about her trip to Egypt).

Rounding out our list of top things to do in Africa & the Middle East are Dubai and South Africa. We’ve been enjoying the dozens of fantastic reviews, photos and trip reports about Dubai over on the main Viator site; have a look. In South Africa it’s been all about Cape Town and Johannesburg. It’s all worth noting that the #20 top thing to do in 2007 was the scuba dive with Great White Sharks in Cape Town. How cool is that!

Finally, an extra helping of congratulations are in order to this year’s winner — the Dubai 4×4 Desert Wonder Safari — not just because it’s such a cool thing to do. But because this is the second year in a row it’s been voted the #1 thing to do in Africa & the Middle East.

Without further ado, the winners of our 2007 Top Things to Do polling…

Top 25 Things To Do in Africa & the Middle East: 2007

25. Private Dubai City Sightseeing Tour - The Golden City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

24. Private Tour: Abu Simbel by Minibus, Aswan, Egypt

23. Nile River Dinner Cruise on the Nile Maxim, Cairo, Egypt

22. Cape Peninsula Tour, Cape Town, South Africa

21. Sun City and Pilansberg Nature Reserve Safari, Johannesburg, South Africa

20. Scuba Dive or Snorkel with Great White Sharks, Cape Town, South Africa

19. 3-Day Classic Kruger Breakaway Tour, Johannesburg, South Africa

18. Private Full-Day Tour to Petra, Amman, Jordan

17. 4×4 Hatta Safari - Mountain Springs, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

16. Luxor Tour via Plane, Cairo, Egypt

15. Private Air Tour: Cairo, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

14. Private 4×4 Adventurer Safari - Sandboarding and Optional Dune Buggy Ride, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

13. Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo, Egypt

12. Private Tour: Alexandria, Cairo, Egypt

11. Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, Sakkara, Cairo, Egypt

10. Sightseeing Tour - The Golden City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

9. Dubai Big Bus Hop On Hop Off Tour, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

8. Aquila Game Reserve Wildlife Safari, Cape Town, South Africa

7. Private Abu Galum Tour: Jeep Safari, Snorkeling, Camel Ride and Bedouin Lunch, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

6. Private Air Tour: Abu Simbel, Aswan, Egypt

5. Private 4×4 Desert Wonder Safari - Sandboarding, BBQ Dinner and Bellydancer, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

4. 8-day Nile River Cruise on M/Y Mirage, Luxor, Egypt

3. Three Day “Zimbabwe” Victoria Falls Fly-In Tour, Johannesburg, South Africa

2. Private Three Day Safari to Maasai Mara National Reserve, Nairobi, Kenya

1. 4×4 Desert Wonder Safari - Sandboarding & BBQ Dinner, Dubai, United Arab Emirates