Category Archives: Ambassadors

5 Best Natural Highlights in New Zealand

Posted on by under Ambassadors, Explorer Perspectives

It seems like a week of introductions, and we are happy to introduce Artūras, our New Zealand Vayable Ambassador! He hails from Northern Europe and moved to Auckland after getting tired of really bad weather (eg horizontal rain). By day he works as an intellectual capital consultant and spends his time outside of work traveling, reading books, and listening to music on Spotify. He’s a tech geek who’s always on the lookout for the next new thing. As one of the first 50 users of Vayable, he’s excited to share his love for New Zealand and help build the community out there.

Here are his picks for the 5 best natural highlights in New Zealand!

Tongariro National Park

Grab your hiking shoes and equipment and go for Mt Ngauruhoe which served as “Mount Doom” in the Lord of the Rings movies. Though it’s currently resting, Mt Ngauruhoe is considered to New Zealand’s newest and historically most active volcano. The park also has Emerald Lakes, sulphurous pools formed by the park’s volcanic activity, glitter against the dark scree and boulders that surround them. Lakes is one of the park’s most famous sites and a popular place to stop along the Tongariro Crossing which is rated one of the best one-day hikes in New Zealand.

Doubtful Sound and Queenstown, the Adventure Capital of the World

Fiordland National Park is one of New Zealand’s most well-known and well-visited destinations for land and water-based activities. You will find a quiet serenity emanating from Doubtful Sound. As stunning as it is, the journey to get there is equally inspiring with wild waterfalls, forested valleys, granite peaks and crystal-clear lakes. Fiordland also contains one of the most renowned NZ’s tracks – Milford Track which takes four days to complete. If you like adrenaline, go for 43-metre plunge off the Kawerau bridge and later on enjoy late night drinks on top of Bob’s Peak in Queenstown.

Waitakeres Ranges National Park in Auckland

After a day of hiking and spending an afternoon by Kitekite Falls, go catch a sunset in Piha. This famous surf beach, with its rugged cliffs and crashing waves, is split in two by the impressive Lion Rock. The surf here is dangerous, even for experienced locals, be warned.

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

Despite the sulphurous stink that Rotorua has become known for, there are plenty of enjoyable sites to explore. There are spas, thermal parks, a golf course, museum and much more (heard about The Luge or Zorbing?) Also prepare to see the Champagne Pool hot spring, Lady Knox geyser in a place where visitors have enjoyed these sulphurous geothermal attractions for centuries. Unwind in country’s famous Polynesian Spa.

Cape Maria van Diemen

Cape Maria van Diemen holds the distinction of being the westernmost point of North Island. It was named by Abel Tasman after the wife of his patron, Anthony van Diemen. Later on head straight to Cape Reinga Lighthouse where Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet. Be prepared for some dramatic scenery!

Why Everybody Needs Some Vayable … and Italy More Than Most.

Posted on by under Ambassadors, Guest Posts

by Douglas, one of Vayable’s newest ambassadors hailing from the beautiful Cinque Terre region in Italy!

In a moment when everything seems to flit by us at the speed of a mouse-click, when information zooms past and relationships are sometimes reduced to nothing more than a “like” on Fb, the thing we all need to combat the sense of constant movement and uncertainty is passion … genuine interest and care in what you are doing, the spiritual activity of slowing down and really looking at what is going on around us.

Tourism is too often reduced to a checklist of things to see and places to visit, and once seen and visited, the experience they leave can be little more than a snapshot in a forgotten desktop folder. Paris: Eiffel Tower, Bateau-mouche, Notre-Dame, Louvre, Cafè les deux magots, Tuileries, shopping, home. New York: Empire State, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, MOMA, Times Square, Broadway, shopping, home.

What makes Vayable unique is its guides, who offer themselves and their passion as a new way to enter worlds that otherwise would be next-to-impossible for a tourist to find. It is precisely this passion that make Vayable experiences stay with you long after you have returned home. Vayable guides are not guides in the official sense of the word: they are people with other jobs and other pursuits who want to share their personal world with you. And as anyone knows, doing something for your boss and doing something for yourself are totally different things.

And now Vayable has come to Italy, a place that perhaps needs it more than others. Tourism in Italy, like much of contemporary Italian society, stagnates under the weight of history. Italy means old buildings, old paintings, old churches. The structure of Italian bureaucracy doesn’t help much either. Want to be a tour guide in Italy? First, go to the high school for tourism. Second, apply for your tourist license. Third, pass a test. Fourth, shell out fees and taxes to the state. Fifth, get registered in the Regional Registry. Sixth …. You can imagine how stultifying it all is.

But the relative anarchy of the internet, gently tamed by responsible sites like Vayable, throws out the rules. For all of the wonderfully inventive, creative, and vibrant young Italians who are going through a moment of social crisis as the older generation shows itself incapable of evolving for the future, sites like Vayable offer hope. It is an idea bound to grasp the imagination of young Italians.

And the winner of this is the tourist, who all of a sudden finds him or herself with a new choice, the choice of the genuine, true, authentic, passionate Italy, seen through the eyes of their Vayable guide. Benvenuti nel futuro.

After Dark, New Worlds. Jeffrey Orlick in the WSJ!

Posted on by under Ambassadors, Guide Stories, What Others are Saying

Our dear friend, Vayable Ambassador to New York City, and guide, Jeffrey Orlick‘s Queens Midnight Street Crawl was featured in the Wall Street Journal today! Love it!

The night began on a wary note: A bouncer relentlessly tried to kick an inebriated man out of a Mexican restaurant.

The group of eight cautiously eyed the man, patiently waiting for their al pastor tacos as two women worked the grill outside of Maravillas Restaurant. Inside, a man belted out songs in Spanish karaoke.

Most had never been to this part of Queens, where Jackson Heights blends into Elmhurst and the soundtrack is the consistent rumble of the elevated 7 train.

“For a minute I wondered if he was going to be our tour guide,” said Annie Maynard, somewhat jokingly, of the drunken man.

Ah, Roosevelt Avenue, a whole new world late at night when the streets awaken with immigrant workers, many returning home from shifts in the service industry.

Here’s a little secret: It’s at night when some of the best Mexican and Central American food is dished out, grilled and fried and sliced and diced in nocturnal food trucks and carts. The trucks are virtually full-service kitchens on wheels, with televisions blaring soccer games from back home.

Think you can’t get good Mexican food in New York? Think again.

“This is Mexican food made by Mexicans for Mexicans,” said Jeff Orlick, our real tour guide. “It’s the real thing.”

And so here we were: two Aussie tourists, six New Yorkers, a reporter, a Spanish translator and her 5-month-old baby and Mr. Orlick, a 29-year-old Woodside resident who has made it his mission to shed light on New York’s little-known culinary scene…. read more >>

“I want people to see something they’ve never even heard about,” he said, “to open their minds.”

Meet Our Vayable Ambassador to Paris, Johanna!

Posted on by under Ambassadors, Europe Tour

At Vayable, we’ve gotten the pleasure to get to know Johanna, one of our Vayable Ambassadors to Paris, during our Europe Tour and also with all those fancy tools you can use to communicate across the globe! She’s a friendly, passionate, and vibrant individual that absolutely loves our community and all things travel! She also offers a shopping tour in Paris! If you have any questions about creating an experience on Vayable, what to do in Paris, or just how to get involved with Vayable, please feel free to ask her!

What do you love most about Paris? What I love the most about Paris is getting lost and realizing once again that wherever you are in Paris it is still beautiful and full of lights (and love for the lucky ones). I love the Parisian passion that you can feel once you get to know the people who live there better.

What is your favorite restaurant in Paris (what’s good there)? Le Tribeca. It is great food and offers all types of meals (meat, fish, pasta, pizza, salads, deserts), plates are big and it is cheap. Last but not least, the service is fast and great, you can eat outside and it’s in a great area… I am very “too” often there!

You offer a shopping tour on Vayable. What is your favorite store at the moment? My favourite store of the year is a bag store. It offers super well designed and cut bags. They are all leather and of great quality and they cost from 10€ to 50€ at the most. On top of this all, this store has a range of bags of ALL colors and it is in Abbesses (close to Montmartre). Obviously, this store is a must-do, must-see, must-buy one and is part of my experience on Vayable.

How did you find out about Vayable? I guess I love traveling so much that I was looking for a blog on travels as always… and just loved Vayable at first sight!

Why do you think people should share their experiences on Vayable? To avoid people going to Paris and having a bad experience or just to help them make the most out of it through the eyes of a Parisian.

Why did you want to become a Vayable Ambassador? To travel, live and love without waiting and to share my Parisian craziness with others.

Vayable Ambassadors

Posted on by under Ambassadors, Announcements

What is the Vayable Ambassador Program?

The Vayable Ambassador Program is a unique opportunity for connectors, trend-spotters, and organizers in the community to be a part of the Vayable team. As an Ambassador, you will play a pivotal role in a global movement to change the way people experience the world, while representing Vayable in your hometown and enjoying unique privileges as a Vayable insider.

Can I become a Vayable Ambassador?

Um…YES! If you are are a passionate Vayable user, with a strong local network and demonstrated passion for leadership and organizing, then you would make a perfect Ambassador. You are also creative, proactive, and enjoy creating your own initiatives in your free time. If you want to help lead a global movement and be a part of a world-class team, then we want to hear from you!

As an Ambassador, what would I do?

Vayable Ambassadors are liaisons between the Vayable team and the community-at-large. Roles may vary, as we all have different strengths and interests, but here’s a general overview of what being a Vayable Ambassador looks like:


Discover unique, exclusive off-the-beaten-path experiences to list on Vayable and help on-board great new guides.

 

Spread the Vayable love. Share best practices with guides, represent Vayable at community events, maintain a dialogue with local users, connect with local bloggers and press, and help make Vayable the best it can be by sharing your insights with the Vayable team.

 

Go on Vayable experiences for free, take video and photographs for guides, and write official Vayable reviews.

 

Participate in exclusive monthly webinars with the Vayable founders, team, and global community. Enjoy discounts for friends and family, VIP status at Vayable events, free Vayable gear, profit-sharing, invitation to our annual San Francisco Vayable retreat, and more. Exclusive access to a strong network of world explorers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.

OK, awesome. Now how do I become a Vayable Ambassador?

If this all sounds good to you and you want to join us as an Ambassador in your city, just shoot us an email with your name, location, and why you want to be an ambassador to ambassadors@vayable.com and someone from our team will be in touch. We look forward to hearing from all of you!