Tour Guys - Toronto and Vancouver Student Tours

Okay, this is another shameless plug - the last one was about Voluntraveler. I've started a side project with a good friend and fellow travel expert, Steve Woodall, in Vancouver. Together we are offering free walking tours of Toronto and Vancouver. "Free?" you ask? Yes, the tours are free, but we ask for a tip based on what you think the tour was worth to you.

We are also available for hire by school groups and individuals who want a private tour. We can also do trips from Toronto or Vancouver to any city in Canada and the USA. Steve and I are very well traveled and are familiar with all of the most popular destinations. For information on what we offer, our free tour schedule, and the rates to hire us on an hourly or daily basis, check out our website: www.tourguys.ca

You can also find us on facebook and become a fan!

Oh, and the tours start on May 1st!

ROM Free Teacher Night - Fail!

As someone who usually gets paid to visit museums (while leading tour groups albeit) I have a hard time forking over $22 admission to get into the newly rennovated Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, so my sweetheart and I waited until tonight to visit. She's a teacher and the ROM opened its doors from 6:30pm - 8:00pm tonight for educators and their families. 

We had this date marked on our calendar for weeks, and were looking forward to the opportunity to learn about the ROM's educational programs - her for a potential class trip, and me for something to wite about here - and see inside the new crystal-like facade that has been both hailed as an artistic masterpiece and an extravagant eyesore.

So, despite the rainy weather and our low energy levels, we made off for the museum...

Upon arrival, entered through the new crystal lobby, checked our jackets and umbrella and went into the entrance atrium where there was self-serve coffee and cookies. We waited around for a little while sipping and snacking, thinking that the ROM would have organized a presentation or intro talk to sell teachers on their educational programs and lead us through to see the museum highlights. Instead, there were three rooms open (Earths Treasures, Chinese Temple Art, and Ancient Egypt) and a handful of museum educators and security to inform guests. The closest they had to a presentation was an info table with the kindly head of ROM Education explaining that the educational programs involve hands-on activities. Great. Now show us! There is a saying we have in improv: "Don't say, show!" Showing something is so much better than talking about something, and here the ROM had a chance to really delight and impress teachers but chose not to. Instead, they let us wander around three rooms that I don't think were really highlights of the museum - at least not for children. Too much pottery and rocks - not enough dinosaurs! I think they were really relying on the fact that it's the only museum of its kind in Ontario, it's one of the biggest museums in Canada and they have no trouble booking visits from school groups simply because of that. However, as a tour guide and great fan of museums of all kinds, I was really disappointed in this free teacher night.

I'll be contacting the ROM directly about this, with some suggestions to improve their event for next year - starting with the date. Shouldn't they be hosting this sort of thing earlier in the school year when teachers are planning their field trips instead of at the end of the year when teachers are planning their summer vacations?

More on this soon...

Passport Tours - Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a hot destination for school groups for several reasons. For a Central  American country it is remarkably safe and their economy is stable. Tourism is BIG business there, so English is commonly spoken and travelers are welcome and accommodated. The biodiversity is incredible, which makes Costa Rica a popular place for science classes to visit. There are many NGOs (Non-government Organizations) operating in Costa Rica on development projects and volunteer tourism is on the rise.

Susan Godfrey from Passport Tours sent in this bit of info on their programs:

Description: Passport Costa Rica Tours provides educational and cultural tours to Central America for teachers, students, professors and others in the field of education at both the high school and college levels.

Passport Costa Rica Tours specializes in Costa Rica and Central America. It’s the only destination we do. We are the experts in this region and this allows us to plan unique and adventurous customized trips for all of our student groups and extend special benefits to our teachers.

Location (office): Mount Laurel, NJ USA
tel: (856) 222-9880
www.passportcostarica.com