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Talking About Viking Homeland Cruise on Amateur Traveler.

It’s only been a couple of weeks since we’ve returned from my 15-day, 8 country, Viking Homelands cruise on the Viking Sea. This is one of the top highlights of my year of travel (if not the very top). and it was my pleasure to talk about the ship, the itinerary, and why I’m impressed with the cruise product delivered by Viking (both River and Ocean cruising). In this episode of the Amateur Traveler, Chris Christensen (blogger, podcaster, friend) and I talk about the ship, the itinerary, and why we’re impressed with the cruise product delivered by Viking (both River and Ocean cruising). You might also be interested in my review of the Viking Sea. Press the green arrow below to listen to the episode. Amateur Traveler Episode 525 – Baltic Cruise with Viking Ocean

Weekend Getaway: Gig Harbor, Washington

The Pacific Northwest town of Gig Harbor, Washington, is located across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge from Tacoma and is about a 45-minute drive from Sea-Tac Airport. The town has taken its rich history of commercial fishing and boat building and turned its downtown area into a historic waterfront community that attracts visitors with its galleries, parks, public and private docks and marinas, shopping, and dining. It is also one of the many small towns that promote itself as the gateway to Olympic Peninsula. It’s easy to think of Gig Harbor as a summer destination, and it is a great one, but don’t overlook the value that can be found in the shoulder or offseason. Fall is a beautiful time in the area, sunny and crisp days, but the rainy season means fewer people and lower prices. Things to Do Enjoy a […]

New Countries New Map

On my Viking Homelands cruise with Viking Ocean, I visited FIVE new countries! I’ve never collected countries, just for the sake of collecting, however I do like keeping track of where I’ve been (ah, the memories) and updating my map every time I’ve been somewhere new. Here’s what the map looks like after this most recent cruise, adding in Finland, Russia, Estonia, Poland, Denmark, and Norway. (I’d already been to Sweden and Germany.) Create your own travel map – TravBuddy

Life Onboard the Viking Sea

The Viking Sea set sail from Stockholm on a 15 day Viking Homelands itinerary, visiting eight countries: Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Poland, Germany, Denmark, and Norway. Since I was already in Sweden, and the itinerary included mainly places that I had never been, it was easy to get excited about the trip. “What will 15 days at sea be like?” friends wanted to know. “Won’t you get bored when you’re not in port? What will you do?” The Viking Sea is one of Viking Cruises newest ships in its ocean cruising division. The ship is big enough – 930 passengers with a crew of 550 – to travel the waters where river ships cannot go without sacrificing the service standards that loyal Viking cruisers expect. That loyalty is a good place to start when talking about shipboard life. Although I’m […]

Getaway to Awaji Island

Whether Japan’s Kansai region is your primary destination, or an add-on while visiting the rest of the country, planning a getaway to Awaji Island rates high on my recommendation list. Folklore says that Awaji Island is the birthplace of Japan, created when the gods Izanagi and Izanami mixed up the sea with a spear. When they lifted the spear, a small drop of brine fell off the blade, hardening on top of the waves. That hardened drop became Awaji Island. Things to Do Take a boat trip through the Naruta Whirlpools – The Inland Seto Sea meets the Kii Channel in the Naruta Straits. The meeting of these waters creates dramatic whirlpools seen in only a couple of other places in the world (Sicily and Vancouver, British Columbia). The whirlpools can reach a diameter of 65 feet. You can take […]

Visiting China: A New Country

I spent a long weekend in China. That’s an unusually short amount of time to spend in a country, especially one that requires a 12-hour transpacific flight to get to. My overnight flight got me in the evening before I was a speaker at the International Tourism Communication forum in Beijing, sponsored by the Communications University of China. The University offers undergraduate, masters, and Ph.D. programs in a variety to television, journalisms, advertising, and realted programs. The forum was an attempt to create high level discussion on ways to improve communication within the tourism industry, and between the tourism industry and travelers. I did have one day for touring and will have a future post about that. Till then, though, I was able to update my countries visited map. Create your own travel map – TravBuddy

Guest on This Week in Travel

This morning I was a guest on This Week in Travel, a podcast broadcast in both video (on Google Hangouts and then uploaded to YouTube) and audio (subscribe on iTunes), with a few of my favorite travel people: Gary Arndt, Chris Christensen, and Jen Leo. We talked about travel news and current events, where we’ve been and where we’re going, TBEX, and my new podcast. Which, as Gary told me, I’m supposed to remind you to subscribe in iTunes and leave a rating and review. You can listen to the episode here:

Where Else to Go Podcast Features Venice

Venice might not seem like a “where else to go” destination, but if you’ve heard people complain about the city being crowded, smelly, or hot, maybe you’re just not seeing the right side of Venice. In episode #8 of my podcast, Jennifer Dombrowski talks about the island of Venice. Some that she recommends include: Burano: famous for its fisherman and lacemakers. Jennifer wrote a guide to Burano that’s worth checking out. Mazzorbo: connected to Burano by a small wooden footbridge, most visitors never set foot on the sleep island home to the only winery and vineyard in the Venetian Lagoon Murano: famous for its glassblowers Lido: home to the only beach in the Venetian Lagoon and perfect for exploring on a bicycle Poveglia: the haunted and abandoned island Giudecca: once home to grand palaces, its now mostly residential but has great […]

Where Else to Go Podcast: Galapagos (Episode #8)

This week on the Where Else to Go podcast we’re off to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands with Cheryl and Lisa of What Boundaries Travel Media. The Galapagos Islands recently made the top of their favorite travel destination list after a recent trip to the islands. You might think that getting to the Galapagos Islands is too great of a challenge to get to and to see the islands because of the restrictions. However, it’s an amazing experience to see the animals up close since they have no fear of humans. You will see some amazing land animals like the land iguana or Galapagos Tortoise, land birds like the Blue Footed Booby, and in the water you will swim with seals and an occasional penguin at the Equator! There are many options on how to experience the Galapagos. You can fly into one […]

Where Else to Go Podcast: Heidi Siefkas Talks About Lihue, Kauai

In this episode, Heidi Siefkas talks about why she loves living on Kauai, and recommends things to do on the Lihue side of the island. Some of those recommendations include: Sunday Brunch at Gaylord’s Kauai Beer Company on Rice Street – Food Truck Night on Thursday Rob’s Good Times Grill on Rice Street Sunshine Market at Lihue Vidinha Stadium on Fridays Sunset at Lihue Lighthouse or Poipu Beach House Kayak to Kipu Kai (only one on the secluded beach seen in The Descendants) or Wailua River (kayak and hike to secret falls) Hike Nualolo Trail in Waimea Canyon + Picnic Sunset at Kalalau Lookout Surf lesson at Black Pot in Hanalei Bay and Barracuda for Tapas Rent bike and do Kapa’a bike path Take a listen. If you like what you hear, you can head over to iTunes and subscribe […]