As always, virtual tourism posts come with our strong disclaimer that real travel is infinitely preferable to virtual travel. But not all destinations are accessible to all tourists, which is why programmers have developed tools to take you to faraway places or even back in time. The newest entrant into the virtual tourism is Croatian company Vizerra, which is developing software models of World Heritage Sites and architectural treasures.

Their site currently offers downloadable models of Macchu Picchu, Angkor Vat, the Taj Mahal, and the Tatev Monastery. They're working on more locations, with Swayambhunath Stupa, the Kiev Cave Monastery, and Prague's Old Town Square slated for the next release wave. ]]> Omri 2009-06-23T17:12:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/4/93527/66061

Dan Gould wouldn't be caught dead in front of a virtual Louvre. Here, he explains why.

I know you're here because, in some way, you love travel, either as a globe trotter yourself or as a voyeur, enjoying others' adventures.

So I feel it's my duty to warn you about Journeys. The "virtual world" is supposed to be a travel guide that duplicates the real world, providing travel advice within the fake world for the real world. Confused yet? Using the internet as a tool to guide your travels makes sense. But wasting time in a virtual copy? Why bother?

All the posts on Jaunted every day make it pretty clear to me that IRL is pretty damn interesting. Forget anyone who says there is nothing left to explore, and that virtual worlds are the next frontier. The world is dynamic and changing, and new secrets and wonders always abound.

So if you're going to spend time in virtual worlds, fly to places that are completely different than the real world. Go pwn n00bs in World of Warcraft, or turn yourself into a cartoon in Second Life, but when it comes time to actually, you know, go somewhere, do me a favor and try meatspace for a change.

Related Stories:
· Journeys [Official Site]
· A Virtual World Mashup with Real-World [Trendbird]
· IRL Paris Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> Dan Gould 2008-09-04T11:30:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/4/28/13710/8193

Maybe Lonely Planet has been feeling a little isolated lately. The travel guide publisher just launched its own video site, Lonelyplanet.tv, and is looking for your videos of excursions far and near.

Of course, to be featured on the Lonely Planet YouTube channel you'll have to compete with a bikini'd man swimming in Antarctica, a "Hills"-worthy tour of Paris and (above) a belly-dancing, ghost-riding cabdriver who confidently declares, "I am not normal."

One bit of advice: Videos of you guzzling cachaça and popping pills in a Brazilian hostel while on assignment, we'd imagine, won't earn you a five-star YouTube rating from LP.

Related Stories:
· Travel Videos coverage [Jaunted]]]> egw 2008-04-28T14:00:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/