Dark tourism, tours and DIY how-to guides

The term 'dark tourism' is generally thought to have first been coined by UK academics John Lennon and Malcolm Foley in the mid-1990s. They were the first to publish a book on the subject, 'Dark Tourism: The Attraction of Death and Disaster' in 2000, which explores the rise of this phenomenon in the late 20th century. Lennon claimed in 'Tourists who yield to the lure of the macabre' (The Independent, 2001) that it was actually a Schindler's List tour that inspired their research. For those averse to organized tours, sites such as eHow provide step-by-step do-it-yourself 'dark tour' guides, such as How to Take a JFK Assassination Tour, while wikiHow gives advice on How to Plan a Dark Tour or Halloween Vacation, with links to Find a Grave (so you can locate famous burial sites) and the Dark Destinations database, where you can get more ideas - or add your own.

Putting context back into travel, OR why contextualizing travel is cool

Now, you know I'm not a fan of guides (see this post) and my recent observation of a tour guide who stopped at each key sight at the Roman Forum to read passages from a guidebook to her bored tour group only reaffirmed many of my beliefs on guides and guided tours. Yet Context Travel is on an altogether different level. For starters, they prefer to call their guides 'docents', an American term for university professors or lecturers, reflecting the qualifications and expertise of their guides, many of whom are scholars who moved to Italy to complete doctorates on the subjects they're leading tours on. And they come from a wide variety of disciplines, including archaeologists, chefs, architects, artists, authors, and historians. While some of their walks involve stimulating strolls through Rome's long history, other offerings range from a literary discussion about Dante as you wander Florence's streets to an introduction to Roman cuisine while exploring lively local markets, along with lighter activities from drawing workshops at Castel Sant' Angelo to jogging tours through Rome's city streets. We did an inspiring and enlightening Italian language workshop in a buzzy local enoteca, an engaging walk through ancient Rome, a fun bar-hopping introduction to Italian wine, and an exclusive private shopping tour to visit some of Rome's best bespoke artisans. Context's owner Paul Bennett says: "Our walking seminars are, on some levels, love songs, paeans, and odes to a place that fascinates us day by day. Like Cupid with his arrows, Context events are designed to make you fall in love with Rome." We certainly came away from each and every engaging and eye-opening experience feeling like somehow had helped us gently scrape away a layer or two of the city so that we knew and loved it better than we had before. Don't you love it when that happens?

Enriching the experience of travel: it's all about context

I have a secret: despite writing and contributing to some 25 Lonely Planet guidebooks, I have to admit I've always preferred Rough Guides - primarily for their fantastic Contexts chapters at the back of the books. While many guidebook publishers have been cutting back on word counts in the history, politics and culture chapters of their guides over recent years (yes, I'm talking about you, Lonely Planet!), Rough Guides have maintained their compelling Contexts chapters. These comprehensive sections sometimes stretch to 50 pages or more, demonstrating an appreciation that this is the kind of fascinating stuff that really enriches a traveller's experience of a place, helping us to understand a culture and get beneath the skin of a destination. Context is therefore a fitting name for the first-rate organization with whom we recently did a number of very cool workshops and walking tours in Rome. More on Context and context soon!

The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel after hours: the only way to go

If you've visited the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel in Rome, then you probably did so with thousands of other people - or, to be more precise, tens of thousands. The attraction is a magnet for a mindbogglingly 25,000 people a day. The hours of waiting in the inconceivably long line that stretches around the huge block that's home to the Vatican and St Peter's Basilica, all the way to the square itself, is a major deterrence for many. It was for us on our first trip to Rome ten years ago. And even if you're smart enough to book tickets in advance, or desperate enough to join a tour group, once inside the experience can be tremendously disappointing. You're swept up in a sea of sweaty people and the feeling is akin to drowning. There's little room to move to stop to appreciate something that might catch your eye. You can't hear yourself think to even begin to reflect upon the exquisite art for the constant hum of thousands of voices and the interminable irritating lectures shouted out by guides to their groups in an attempt to be heard above the drone. The hundreds of little flags in the air waved about by guides so they don't lose any sheep from the flock obstructs your vision. Movement through the galleries is at a snail's pace simply because there is nowhere to move so everyone shuffles slowly along. Descending the stairs was a suffocating experience, and not one for claustrophobics. Once inside the Sistine Chapel, where entry is measured and numbers restricted, we were whisked through so swiftly (so the other 24,998 people could have their turn!) that there was little time to enjoy what must be at one and the same time the world's most sublime religious monument and one of the most breathtakingly beautiful art galleries on the planet. My memory of the chapel as a result was hazy, so when Viator, whom we occasionally write for (see our Top things to do in Dubai and our Dubai Guide: Top 10 off the beaten path experiences), invited us to join a private after hours tour we jumped at the chance. The experience was the complete opposite of that first visit four years ago. The corridors were so quiet you could hear a pin drop on the marble floor. Our expert guide - an art historian with a PhD who spent 3 years in the Vatican libraries researching her thesis! - was able to take her time pointing out important works, and she explained them with an infectious enthusiasm and such passion that she had tears in her eyes at times. We got to dawdle through the galleries and stop wherever we wanted to admire the work. And as for our visit to the Sistine Chapel itself, we had so much time to take in the sublime space that each painting is so firmly imprinted in my mind that if I was an artist I could sketch out the entire interior for you. A private tour is the only way to go. And if you don't believe me, do it both ways and then let me know what you think. I'll let you know when our post about the experience is up on the Viator blog.