It's day two on Aruba and you've kept yourself busy windsurfing, sailing and butterfly watching on Palm Beach--by far the island's finest stretch of sand. And even though you'd love to spend another day sipping cocktails in the sun, there's much more to be seen.
Consider an off-road adventure to the Aruban outback--part of an arid coastal desert on the island's northwestern tip--and home to the island's best drive.
You'll have to wait until mid-July to see the outrageous waterfalls/public art installation of artist Olafur Eliasson, but tour operator Circle Line Downtown is already running this season's batch of New York Harbor tours. This month, boats sail on Fridays and weekends, and daily cruises start in April.
We know, we know, it seems soooo touristy. It sorta is. But when we took a Circle Line cruise last year, we were surprised by how cool it was. Besides, tours only last an hour, so you can quickly head to some kind of hipster party to re-up your street cred once you're back on terra firma.
As for those waterfall cruises, Circle Line will offer special 30-minute floats out to see the art, narrated by Eliasson himself. Tickets are $10, and it's the only way to see the falls up close short of chartering your own boat.
Related Stories:
· Circle Line Downtown Waterfall Tours [Official Site]
· NYC Waterfalls [Official Site]
· Public Art coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: The New York City Waterfalls (artist rendering), 2008 © Olafur Eliasson, 2008]
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by pbb
The explosion of low cost carrier routes throughout the Asia Pacific region of late has been good for some, but not for others. In particular, the tiny nation of Brunei, which used to receive quite a lot of through-traffic with passengers taking advantage of pretty cheap Royal Brunei Airlines flights, has noticed its airport getting a bit emptier recently.
But never fear, the airline has a plan! A recent agreement between Royal Brunei Airlines and the Brunei Tourism Board means that passengers transiting in Brunei, with a minimum four-hour wait for their ongoing flight, will be offered a free city tour of Brunei.
Included on the city tour will be sights like the historical water village of Kampong Ayer, several main mosques and the royal palace. If you've "been there and done that," you can swap your free tour for a free meal at the airport departure hall's Coffee Garden. Whether or not a whirlwind city tour can be enough to tempt you to fly Royal Brunei remains to be seen, but we just like that such a cool idea is out there.
Related Stories:
· Tour to Showcase Sultanate's Best [Brunei Times]
· Brunei Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: ctsnow]
Not only is the Hermitage in St. Petersburg home to silver stealers and other intrigues, it's also easily one of the most fascinating collections of art in the world.
Every guide at the museum will tell you a different tale of how many lifetimes you'd need to see the entire collection if you stood before every piece for just 10 seconds, but fuzzy math aside, the point is clear. It's no wonder that a large proportion of the paintings and sculptures owned by the gallery are actually just stored in a warehouse waiting their turn to be on display.
For those who want to fit more into their lifetime, specialist tour agencies are now offering "privileged access tours"which will take you--for a price, of course--out to the Hermitage storerooms, into the Gold Treasure Rooms at the Winter Palace and on private viewings in other areas, too. You just have to lack an appreciation for art or you'll never get through the tour in time.
Related Stories:
· Take a Private Tour of the Hermitage [UK Times]
· Espionage, Elton John and Forks at the Hermitage [Jaunted]
· St. Petersburg Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: marie-II]
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by amandak
New Orleans probably has more stories about drinking than any other place in the world. And the man to tell you about them is Joe Gendusa, a Gray Line tour guide who's been leading cocktail tours of the French Quarter for five years. (He's so expert that the reality show Blind Date asked him to ferry some young lovers on a pub crawl for an episode.)
Not to worry, though. Joe's tour isn't all history. After detailing famous locations and buildings, he'll also tell you which bars make the best hurricanes (Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop), mint juleps (Court of the Two Sisters) and Pimm's cups (Napoleon House Bar & Cafe). In other words, make sure you go on the tour with a full stomach.
With all the drink stops and hiking, the tour takes just under three hours, so wear some comfortable shoes. And if you want to remember anything that Joe tells you by the time the walk ends, maybe you should take a notebook, too.
More New Orleans Travel Map.
Related Stories:
· New Orleans Field Trip [Jaunted]
· New Orleans Hotels [HotelChatter]
· Gray Line Tours [Official Site]
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Lucky superheroes -- they never have to worry about whether their actions are illegal. Marvel Comics superhero the Silver Surfer, as featured in the forthcoming sequel "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," found planets for his boss Galactus to consume until he turned to the good side. To promote the movie, 20th Century Fox got the Franklin Mint to "consume" 40,000 U.S. quarters and add a promotional image of the Surfer on the back. (If you found a quarter, you would be eligible to win a trip to the world premiere of "Silver Surfer" in London).
Cool? Debatable. Legal tender? Not so much. Actually, we were relieved that the U.S. Mint said Fox broke the law because it confirmed what we learned on our tour of the U.S. Mint. You can't take the tour in Washington D.C. like we did lo these many years ago (read: before 9/11), but the Philadelphia and Denver mints are open to visitors year-round. (If you're in D.C. already, you could see the U.S. Treasury Building, but they don't actually make the money there.) Maybe the execs at Fox, who claim they had no idea altering currency is something only the government can do, ought to treat themselves to a tour.
[Photo: Javno.com]
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by egw
Wine Guru Dr. Vino has put together a great "36 hours in New York for Wine Lovers" guide.
He takes you from your airport arrival in NYC all the way through a final pre-flight brunch, with plenty of booze options along the way of course.
Stops include top wine bars, wine shops, restaurants and even a "vinotherapy" spa.
Moss design in SoHo, a cool store for original and hard-to-find stemware and decanters. However, unless in on the Google IPO, it may be more window shopping than shopping shopping. Purchases can be shipped for your hands-free attack on the evening.
Damn. No wonder Dr. Vino sends you directly to Centovini for some wine directly after you hit up Moss--do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Related Stories:
· Wine [Jaunted]
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by markj
What movie used this Boston backdrop? Answer here.
Not that there is anything wrong with the ubiquitous Duck Boats, but it is nice to see another tour gaining steam in Boston, especially since the summer tourist season is approaching.
Boston Movie Tours, a tour of famous locations from movie and television shows filmed in Boston, will take you on a two and a half hour tour of the Hub's finest.
The tour rolls through South Boston, the Seaport district, Charlestown, Mystic River, Boston Common, and other famous locations.
Tickets can be procured online and it will run you $33.00 for adults.
Another perk? You get to drink at the L Street Tavern, so bring your I.D.
Now locals just have to figure out something to yell at Boston Movie Tour buses.
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