exotic locations make this book a winner
354975
Salerno's knowledge and experience of Tunis, Pakistan, Egypt, and the Mediterranean, along with explanations about shipping make this debut thriller come to life with sights and sounds in places unfamiliar to so many of us.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Pakistan Conspiracy. I recommend it to other thriller readers.
159804
I enjoyed  the book very much.  I especially liked the pictures.  You have an opportunity to visit places without leaving your living room.  You can also, learn somethings about another culture.
4410317
I live in Tel Aviv,Israel,and this book was entertaining,to say the least. The author gave a sense of being there in the moment,and gave Dubai a sense of adventure,as well as a luxurious haven for the wealthy. It teaches us of many aspects of the Arab world,and their views,fascinating the reader with a mysterious plot. Definitely an enjoyable,enlightening book!
2346166
National Geographic has a reputation when it comes to travel. This book isn't an in depth step by step review of the islands of Hawaii. Instead, it has a lot of large, glossy photos as well as cultural background on the items you will see.

This is a gorgeous armchair book to sit and page through, to get you excited about your trip to Hawaii or to dream about going. The photos are well done and really capture the beauty of these islands. Every island has its own charm and atmosphere. You get a great sense of that in the book.

Where other travel books talk about "go to mile marker X and turn right to see Y", the National Geographic book goes into the background of why the location is important, what its cultural significance is, and it makes the visit much more memorable and meaningful. On the down side, if you had ONLY this book, you might not find the locations :) It is very short on the how-to-get-there information. Their entire section on the Volcano National Park - a *huge* park with a plethora of fascinating locations - is maybe two pages of text long. They miss out on critical pieces of information that are important to really enjoying this part of the trip, too.

There are few maps in here, and none are really helpful. Again, this is where other books do a better job for practical visit information.

Still, it's true that no one book can really meet all the needs of a location. I found this to be a perfect supplement to the other books on Hawaii that I already had. When we took our Pride of America cruise to the islands, National Geographic Traveler Hawaii was definitely on our cabin bookshelf the entire time, so I could reference it each evening before we hit our next destination. It was easy to scan, provided helpful background information and got me ready for the next day.

A great book whether you're going to Hawaii sometime soon, or just dreaming about it! Even if you just get the book to admire the photos of the area, and to learn more about the culture of this fascinating region, it really is quite an interesting read.
2754151
So anyone reading this review understands, I purchased the book at an author event. I was interested in the presentation that the author was giving on Africa. The book cleverly depicts and describes Brandon's travels around China. What I found interesting was the author's choices of photos and text; he really gets you into the places he visited without necessarily making overt conclusions. Translate: he's a master of inductive teaching, guiding the reader into new experiences and showing instead of tellingthe hallmark of any good author. I gave another copy of the book as a gift to a friend. She found the photos off-putting at first, but this was not my experience. Instead, Brandon serves as a guide and the photos serve as a well-placed props to depict topics as varied as sexual norms to strange delicacies at dinnertime. I recommend this book without hesitation to anyone interested in China, but more particularly to anyone interested in viewing life from a different angle.
3057286
As I write, this book appears to be not available except through resellers.  Presumably there will be a new edition.  Unlike every other contemporary travel guide that I have seen, this book does not attempt to put a happy face on everything but is often quite critical.  In fact the negativity sometimes seems excessive.  However the author seems to have an opinion about every beach and every taverna, and, in my experience on five of the islands he reviews, his recommendations are quite reliable.  There is a lot of useful information in addition to the reviews.  There is an extensive history section and a lot interesting reading in quirky appendices ranging over everything from 17th century Ikarian bedding to the tuning of violins on Kos.
3262345
I'm familiar with many of the Lonely Planet books and find them wonderful for gathering information about various destinations across the world. This one has some unique qualities, making it well worth adding to a traveler's bookshelf. At nearly 1000 pages, it is an incredible resource.

At the same time, if you want a close-up look at a particular country, complete with extra details and itineraries for that specific area of the world, you may want to add a Lonely Planet book which focuses on those areas. But the Lonely Planet:the World book is still an excellent reference for planning a vacation. It might even simplify the process.

In the beginning section of the book, there is a checklist of cities and countries which might have extra appeal for people with specific interests. Like beach vacations? Australia, Spain, and the Seychelles are recommended destinations  (with page numbers to indicate where to find more info on these areas). If you prefer to see natural wonders, this guidebook advises travelers to visit the Great Barrier Reef in Australia or Lake Balkal in Russia. With these general suggestions, readers can decide whether to gather more information and plan their trip.

There are also some general itineraries included, with stopping points and a basic map for each area (very basic). Examples of some itineraries: A mighty Asian Junket (Tokyo, Halong Bay, Hanoi, etc), The Hippy Trail (London to
Melbourne), Road Trippin' the Americas (Philadelphia to San Francisco and beyond).

Plenty of intriguing trivia abounds among the book's pages, too, from the best movies of the Philippines the tradition of giving Thai babies nicknames (other names are reserved for bureaucratic forms). There are 221 countries covered, 228 maps, 700 images, including many breathtaking photos, and 1595 highlights.

Whether you're an armchair traveler or like to take off for frequent excursions across the world, this makes for some fascinating and very informative reading. And of course you can read it in any order you want, perhaps browsing through a single section or spending longer periods of time enjoying the wonders contained within.
3413777
David Page may have invented a new genre -  the literary travel guide. His book starts with natural and cultural history - "Contexts" - the back-stories to the remarkable places he describes in graceful language.

Page has skied, climbed, walked or driven to all of these places and this shows in the how-to-get-there chapter called "Into the Hills".

Each area chapter, Death Valley, Owens Valley and the Eastern Sierra, Mammoth Lakes, Sequoia Kings Canyon and Yosemite, has more context stories and exhaustive listing of places to eat and stay, and things to see and do. The book is crammed with details: you can get rattlesnake empanasas at the Furnace Creek Inn, the location of the only Indian restaurant between LA and Carson City in Nevada, where to check the white-water flows on the Kaweah River, the temperature of Keogh Hot Springs and much more.

Describing the highest, lowest, snowiest, driest, sunniest, and arguably some of the most beautiful places in the US, this book is a splendid resource for exploring a remarkable land. This is a book worth reading, even if you never get to visit these places. But I hope you do.
- Bill Becher
3432236
I get a LOT of travel books to review. This one stands out - it's not a travel guide, per se - more a meander through a year in provence. With lovely stories, history, food, culture, geography, and more, Simons fills a niche I didn't even know existed - a book that moves me to come visit, learn, and EAT! The recipes at the back are a welcome addition to a fantastic read.
2681070
Exciting adventures all over the world make this a must-read for people who consider themselves travelers and not tourists
528806
This is an interesting personal travel book about Thailand. If you are looking for a travel book that deals with hotel, restaurant cost info, this is not the book to buy. For that, you can buy the conventional Lonely Planet or Foders guides.

This is not a "mainstream" book and was published in the 90s from one of those ""non mainstream" publishing company. If this book was published today, it would of been self published but it is still a very fascinating book worth buying.

One warning:Some may be offended about the chapter on the sex trade in Thailand. Read it with an open mind. Thumbs up for this entertaining and enlightening book!
219596
Great book! This is not a typical Lonely Planet guide book. It does not provide lists of hotels or restaurants or exchange rates. It provides ideas for travel. There are 250 pages of wonders to see. Each of the fifty wonders gets four to six pages of photographic images, making for an easy read. There are twenty natural wonders, followed by thirty man-made wonders.

The descriptions are necessarily sketchy. For complete travel information more detailed guidebooks are needed. On the other hand, the book is a great guide for arm-chair travel.

I was pleased to see that I had actually been to some of the wonders: the Grand Canyon, the Leaning Tower of Pizza, and Stonehenge. Others are on my list.  What physicist could resist a book of wonders, which includes the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.
251678
If your idea of a Caribbean vacation is to tan yourself beside the pool and beach in a walled-in compound, this book is not for you, However, if you are bored after a couple of days on the beach and want to climb a mountain, explore great biodiversity on a twisting trail, or bathe beneath a hidden waterfall deep in a forest, this will tell you where to go.  You'll also find less-popular islands to often be more interesting and diverse from a naturalist's perspective, such as with the mountainous terrain and the rain forests of Dominica and Guadaloupe taking  precedence over the resorts of the more-commonly-visited tourist destinations.  I just re-cracked the covers of my copy while planning my next trip, wherein I wanted the warm beaches, but also something more to do.  Though the book has been out-of-print for awhile, most of the natural wonders remain as described.  Get out there!
2775980
Darrin DuFord's tales of wanderlust provide an invigorating read as he explores untamed lands and weaves in historical details to give context. Curiosity leads him to new discoveries in this travelogue filled with stories of hunting and fishing in a wild terrain. As he paints a vivid picture of life in Panama, his writing reveals an exotic tour of culinary feasts.

He drinks a lemongrass tea, quenches his thirst with sea grapes and samples exotic fruit shakes. The villagers' love of music gives him opportunity to exchange his band's CD for a boat ride and he learns how to barter and survive through creative means. The stories of fishing tilapia made me hungry as he describes everything from the boat ride to the final preparation and delicious feast.

Many of the most intriguing stories include details of the lives of the villagers and how they survive, even in places where they must find creative means to obtain water. A journey to find a fresh palm heart from a tree becomes as much an adventure as stories of medicine men, ancient curses, celebrations and trips to a famous hermit's beach hideout. Villagers must travel to the city to check their email and they seem to face their life challenges with a sense of humor and patience.

Darrin DuFord's powers of description glow with a precision that creates flashes of images in the mind's eye making this as visually stunning and creatively intoxicating. As an extremely talented travel writer, his articles have also appeared in The Panama News and Transitions Abroad. His latest recipes and articles can also be found on his website "Omnivorous Traveler."  I can highly recommend this to you if you enjoy culinary adventures and vivid descriptions of exotic locales.

~The Rebecca Review
2698503
After reading this Silver "nugget", I thought of an alternative title for it! In his usual unique and compulsive style, Ken describes and illustrates with his own great photos, the magic to be found in this Malaysian island city. Georgetown (Penang) is around an hour's flight from either the capital Kuala Lumpur (itself a similar distance north of Singapore) or southern Thailand's famous island resort Phuket, all on the Andaman Sea/Malacca Straits.

Penang is an island province (as is Indonesia's Bali  with its own "arty" Ubud). However, Georgetown, Malaysia is unique, a blend of different cultures and architecture (Malay, Chinese, Indian and British colonial) from both the old past and modern-day Malaysia. It's there for everyone to experience not only live, but also reflected in the (professionally commissioned, not graffiti) "street art" comprising colorful painted murals and wire sculptures that adorn parts of the town. This is definitely a "must see" for visitors to Southeast Asia.

Ken has captured the whole wonderful scenery and atmosphere of Georgetown with his descriptions and accompanying photos. This should so be a "coffee table" book as an electronic screen simply doesn't do it justice. Nevertheless, it should inspire those traveling in the area to include Penang in their itineraries, with its pristine beaches, wide range of accommodation and various styles of cuisine and eateries as added bonuses.

Another small masterpiece from Ken Silver.
165206
Dr. Kinman serves up a cornucopia of locations and storytelling styles that are a treat for any mystery fan.  As a real-life world traveler, she gives readers a fascinating inside look at events unique to specific locations (such as the Polo World Cup on Snow in St. Moritz), and employs a variety of entertaining styles.  A ghost story, a Western set in 1882, and several clever psychological "twist" stories are all part of the fun as we're transported to European cities including London and Amsterdam, then to such diverse U.S. locations as Boston, Las Vegas and San Gabriel.  A complete delight, and the centerpiece novella, "Death in Hamburg", is not to be missed.
165534
If you like to travel you will live the stories in this book.