Travel News Round-Up: Week of January 28

What is the travel world buzzing about this week?

The New York Times travel section focuses in on ‘Hawaii on a Dime’. (Which is a good example of synchronicity in action: over on the Viator site we’ve just completed a review of our entire collection of Hawaii tours and things to do, including dozens of Oahu and Honolulu tours and sightseeing options that will not break your travel budget.) The NY Times also shines its spotlight on Vienna (no Strauss, please) and Cape Town, South Africa.

Somebody at the Sydney Morning Herald obviously won the lottery last week; features on Brunei (home to the world’s richest person, Bill Gates eat your heart out) and around-the-world private jet tours leave me feeling economically challenged in the travel department. Luckily the Herald keeps it real with tips on visiting NYC museums for less moolah. They also do a nice job profiling the Tokyo fish market (also check out Rod Cuthbert’s tips for visiting the Tokyo fish market).

Over at the LA Times travel section, they were having a wee technical problem when I visited, but a quick check of the print edition and the story that caught my eye was about Dubai. Dubai has been everywhere in the travel press recently, and it’s been on my own personal travel wishlist for a few years now. Why? Not least because you can snow ski in 120-degree heat or sandboard at sunset on the sweeping desert dunes. Very cool whichever you choose. The LA Times Travel Blog has eye-catching stories about sleeping in a Phoenix monastery during the Superbowl; and what to do if you have reservations at the Monte Carlo hotel in Las Vegas, which caught some bad publicity on Friday when it was damaged in a fire.

The San Francisco Chronicle travel section does a deep-dive into Oaxaca, Mexico; announces a new ‘Family Travel’ column; and opens the Pandora’s box that is ‘things to see before you die‘ (uh oh, here we go again…).

The Guardian keeps the focus on winter with a spotlight on Alaska adventures and Europe’s first “eco park” for snowboarders and skiers.

Finally, Bangkok’s The Nation newspaper has tips for bargain-hunting on the streets of Hong Kong plus a feature on sea, sand and souks in Dubai. There it is again. Dubai. I really must book a ticket.

–Scott McNeely

Viator links referenced in this post: Hawaii tours, things to do in Oahu & Honolulu; Vienna tours, concerts in Vienna; things to do & see in Cape Town; New York City tours & things to do; Tokyo tours & things to do, Tokyo walking tour including Tsukiji Fish Market; Dubai tours & things to do; Las Vegas tours; Phoenix tours & things to do; Mexico tours & things to do; Family Travel Tips on the Viator Blog; 1,000 Places to See Before You Die; Hong Kong tours & things to do.