Viator Travel Blog

Note to all would-be travellers: You need strong legs and a strong stomach for the Perfume Pagoda Tour from Hanoi, Vietnam. My legs were shaking when I got to the top of this mountain. My stomach was a bit shaky, too, when I saw what was hanging in the restaurants. I wasn’t expecting a day trip from Hanoi to feel so remote.

Rotorua sure packs a lot in. The Sulphur City on New Zealand‘s North Island is the place to head to for bizarre adrenalin rushes, introductions to farm life, geothermal activity and Maori cultural shows – as David Whitley discovers. Here are some of David’s top things to do on your next visit to Rotorua.

I go to a churches a lot. Rarely on a Sunday and never for the purposes of praying. I go to seek out hidden chapels and explore gaping cathedrals, it’s undeniably a favourite pastime, particularly when I travel. The reverent hush makes me walk with deliberation, and an inch of two taller. The inert chill [...]

Auckland is New Zealand‘s largest city, but it doesn’t have the best of reputations as far as tourism is concerned. It’s often seen as an arrival point on the North Island, to be got out of as soon as possible on the way to bigger and better things. In some respects, this reputation is fair. But look in the right places, and the city can be beautiful – and there are plenty of worthwhile things to do and see in Auckland. You just need to know where to look.

For most visitors to Fiji, Nadi is both their arrival point and major hub for activities and excursions. While there is little to see in Nadi itself, many of Fiji’s highlights are easily accessible from there. Here’s our pick for things to do in Nadi and beyond.

Arriving at my ryokan in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, a commotion of tourists near the hotel entrance erupted as maiko (apprentice geisha) stopped in front of a silvery-leafed tree to pose for a photographer. Given my location near Gion, famed for the ochaya, or teahouses, where geisha entertain affluent clientele, the sight of maiko became a common experience during the week I spent in Kyoto.

For many visitors to Australia, Darwin is little more than the departure point for other more exotic adventures east, west or south, but Darwin is an intriguing city in itself. Weathering cyclones (occasionally), hungry crocodiles (generally), and air raids (during WWII), Darwin is a city that takes these events and the often-horrendous humidity in its stride. So, set aside a couple of days to get over that jet-lag, and take in the museums, markets, multiculturalism and, of course, the odd refreshing ale, in the steamy capital of the Northern Territory.

I’m a proud Kiwi (even if I live in Sydney) and every time I head home to New Zealand I spend my time very enjoyably visiting friends and family. Which is great, but means I always go to the same parts of NZ. So this time I was visiting friends in Lake Hawea, outside Queenstown, and decided I would do some sightseeing.

Turin may not be on the classic Italian tourist route of Venice – Florence – Rome, but it is a hugely underrated city. The home of FIAT and Juventus Football Club has a genuine energy about it, an artsy streak, and is a wonderful place in which to wander around the side streets getting enjoyably lost.

Icelanders love to soak. And it’s no wonder given how well they do it. So inspired am I by the daily baptism in Iceland, I feel compelled to make an announcement. I have become a Bath Person. In Iceland baths are a necessity and bathing a right, not a privilege. Baths are simply part of daily life. So I have decided to cast aside my water guilt, dip my toe into a new cultural experience, and happily soak up to my neck in it. Next stop, the Blue Lagoon.