Hmm.. couldn't resist inserting a plug here. But the site you mentioned is very close to what i'am building now http://www.kettik.com.

Like you i spend a lot of time before a trip researching on the kind of experiences i could have once i get there. And being an independent traveler i'am more interested in the kind of activities i could do by myself rather than having someone arrange it for me. So i designed the site along similar lines.

User experiences(blogs)/photos/attractions/activity/sleep/eat/

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Especially on the way how the content is presented, there's a lot of scope for improvement there.