index
Sunday, 01 January 2017
Omo by Lynne Doran: Photos of Ethiopia's Vanishing Tribes
Written by Christina Bolton
Omo by Lynne Doran is a book of photographs highlighting the various indigenous tribes of Ethiopia's Omo Valley. She is able to witness some rare celebrations like weddings and coming of age ceremonies and portrays close ups of some of the most fascinating cultures left in the world. Doran travels with Steve Turner, owner and guide of Origins Safaris, to these remote areas which are extremely difficult to reach. On his website, he says “The Omo River of south western Ethiopia is nothing less than the last great tribal land left in the world today, a real kaleidoscope of vanishing cultures.” In her short introduction some of the more interesting customs are mentioned, though many are not and the stories are just told through the pictures. The portraits themselves are excellent and compelling, and though some people are smiling, many more are staring intently right at the camera. One interesting…
The Cubans by Jay Seldin is a book of atmospheric portraits of the Cuban people taken while they're going about their daily lives. Though outsiders expect Cuba to be a colorful place, surprisingly, the book is all in black and white and this lends to the moodiness of the photos. It also gives the feeling that Cuba is perhaps stuck in a different era. This is supported by the old kitchens, cars and cameras in the photos. The people look surprisingly resilient amidst the fraying buildings. Boxers, ballerinas and believers are all captured by Seldin, who traveled to Cuba many times over 10 years. From tobacco workers to May Day celebrants to schoolchildren he gives us a rounded look at the Cubans. Even though I've known about the embargo my whole life, I was alarmed by the amount of squalor in the photos. In some, people's homes are crumbling around…
DK Eyewitness Travel Top 10 series offers invaluable guides that are easy to fit in your carry on. I used the Paris guide a month ago on my latest adventure and it proved helpful and extremely readable. Its the kind of book you can open to any page and find something of interest like Top 10 Cafe's & Bars, 'Off the Beaten Track', or 'Paris for Free'. It begins with the Top 10 Paris Highlights, and though everyone seems to have differing opinions about what must be done in Paris, their list is comprehensive, and the top four, at least, are must-see's: Musee du Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Notre-Dame, and the Eiffel Tower. They then mention the top 10 things to see at each, which seems like another big task - especially to chose ten of the Louvre's 35,000 pieces of the world's best art! Still, it does give you a…
In When all the Lands Were Sea Tor Eigeland tells us the story of his 1967 mission as a photojournalist to chronicle the lives of the Ma’dan people, also known as the Marsh Arabs. They lived between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in traditional Mesopotamia where the ‘Garden of Eden’ was said to have been. Their 5,000 year old culture was seldom seen by foreigners and he explains all the red tape he had to go through to eventually get the permit. When he finally does hire a boat and get out to the marshes the people treat him as an honored guest and he gets to really see their culture and way of life. Water buffalos are an integral part of life for the Marsh Arabs - they use their dung as fuel for their fires and they make dairy products from their milk. The Ma’dan spend much time…
What a fabulously written book. As soon as I opened to the first page I was hooked by his words. John Waters has a nature ability to bring the written page to life. He begins by telling the reader why he wants to hitchhike from his home in Baltimore, Maryland to the other side of the country. He seems to be trying to convince himself of his adventure as much as the reader and succeeds. The story begins with him on the highway, thumb out, waiting for someone to pick him up and someone definitely does. The man begins by asking John about his movies (he recognizes him) and why he isn’t making one now. John explains the recession killed his last project and can’t find someone to back him. The ride gets better as Harris, the man who picked John up, tells him he’s a drug dealer and will…
From the moment you start to read this book you will be transported to another place, The Winchester Hotel, but that’s pretty much where the traveling ends. The rich details of suite of 702 come alive, but that is only the beginning. The author has flawlessly weaved together characters that stay a night or a weekend at the Winchester Hotel. You will meet a famous basketball player who is seeing a shrink because he can’t control his anger on court and can’t seem to get it together in his marriage; a couple who are trying to have a baby and another couple going to prom and lose their virginity at the hotel. Life and death are created in these four walls. A man who faces suicide gets an important phone call, to a movie star that has an overdose and the insensitive world around him that wants to take advantage…
Just as it says on its book cover, On the Trail of Genghis Khan, An Epic Journey through the Land of the Nomads by Tim Cope is indeed precisely that, epic. From the very first sentence one is swept into Tim Cope’s journey to walk 6,000 miles, the same miles Genghis Khan walked many years before. This proves not to be the easiest task yet it becomes a rewarding experience, one he and the reader will not forget. He will take you from Mongolia to Russia all the way to Hungary. Each land and the lands in between bring its own challenge. He did this on the back of a horse and his dog for three years. And he did this alone. By alone he started this with just his dog, that’s not to say he didn’t meet interesting and unforgettable people along the way. By the end of his…
Ever wondered what it would be like to walk The Camino or as it’s also called “The Way?” David Downie, the author of Paris to the Pyrenees asked the same question. Travelers from all over the world trek The Camino for different reasons seeking answers. While his reason was not of a spiritual nature he still asked the age old question before his hike of “what is life all about.” Before his walk across France to the Pyrenees David was diagnosed with viral hepatitis; he was undergoing liver failure. He had had his life touched with other health scares in the past but this time he took pause to his diagnosis and questioned his health habits and lifestyle of being a travel and food writer. He had eaten delicious food over the years and not headed the warning it would one day harm him until now. And this is where…
A poet, Simon Armitage, decides to take on the Pennine Way in Britain and hike all 260 miles in one stretch. It took him almost three weeks to do so. Unlike Cheryl Strayed in “Wild” he isn’t doing this to escape one life and find a new one waiting for him. He does this to see if he has the ability and if he can do it without a penny to his name. Each night he reads poetry to the locals, passing around a hat (or a sock) and waits to see if there is enough money to carry him until the next night which includes a place to sleep. When he first set out, he wanted to write a memoir filled with poetry but instead he writes about his experiences on the Pennine Way. How people started to come from different places to hear him read his poetry and…
Sunday, 28 October 2012
Up: A Mother and Daughter’s Peak Bagging Adventure
Written by Antoinette Marie
This gem of a book will warm your heart and have you packing a backpack to climb the nearest mountain. “Up” takes you on a delightful journey of a little girl who, with her mother, does the impossible: climbs forty-eight of New Hampshire’s tallest mountains. At only four years old she has the spirit of an adult and the energy of many more. We travel with mother and daughter as they spend their weekends bonding by climbing mountains and camping outside. They go it alone most of the time, but along the way they meet lifelong friends. Fellow climbers read about their weekly adventures and during the last 4k climb they show up to watch this little girl reach the summit and receive her 4k badge. Full of emotion, this book is loaded with candid shots of Alex standing at summits, trudging through forests and giving us her biggest smiles. We accompany…
More...
There are books you read and never think about again and then there are books like Wild. After the first few pages you know this is the kind of book that’s going to change how you view yourself, the world around you and your future. I had no idea the adventure I was about to embark on when I picked up this book and it never stopped until the very last word. Growing up in the country I have a certain love for trees and mountains but never have I wanted to spend over a thousand miles hiking and camping with bears, mountain lions and rattlesnakes. Cheryl Strayed does just that. Does she know what she’s doing? No, but that’s the beauty of it. She learns with each step of the way. In the beginning the steps are small as her backpack is large – so large in fact…
For those of us not familiar with the ins and outs of Paris, this book will take you on one small adventure at a time, making sure you don’t miss the little things. It’s a small pocket-size book, but what it offers within its pages is invaluable. The book is in two parts. The first being maps or walks around the city; there are twenty-five in total. Most consist of five places you will visit all within the same area. The only thing required are good shoes and the desire to spend a leisurely day walking the neighborhood. Each map is based on a person and where they visited on their own adventure in Paris. As you travel to each destination you can read a small anecdote about the place you’re visiting. It could be a burial site, a secret rendezvous or the author might suggest coming back in the evening…
The World’s Must-See Places is a compilation of 103 sights not to miss. All the places mentioned are human-made – from famous spots such as the Taj Mahal and Versailles to less widely known places such as Krak des Chevaliers in Syria and Pura Ulun Danu Batur in Bali. If you’re interested in natural wonders this is not the book for you, but if you’re inspired by architectural wonders and human history these places are great choices to visit. Many traditional castles and cathedrals in Europe are highlighted as well as modern designs such as the Guggenheim. All of the recently voted ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’ such as Machu Picchu, Petra, and the Great Wall of China are included with the notable exception of Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue.This coffee table book is loaded with pictures and has 3-D drawings of each building or monument and a brief…
Cyclist’s Britain in a Box is one of the coolest formats for a guidebook that I’ve seen. Perfect for our mobile culture that loves things that fit in the palm of your hand – these cards cover some of the best rides in the UK. From the Dales Circuit to Land’s End to the Isle of Wight there are 50+ options that take in breathtaking scenery and local culture throughout England, Wales, and Scotland. Even if you just intend to go to London there are some rides around the green spaces and the reservoirs that could be good day trips.Whether you’re interested in a strenuous weekend challenge, an easy day trip, or a week-long journey, you can just grab a fold out card and go. Each tour has detailed maps of both on and off road sections, and all the points of interest along the way, as well as information…
Friday, 01 July 2011
Everything that follows is based on recent real-life experience that has been proven to work
Written by Christina K Bolton
Everything that follows is based on recent real-life experience that has been proven to work: Professional Survival Situations by James Shepherd-Barron is a real-life survival book for almost every conceivable situation whether you’re faced with flying a plane without a pilot because the pilot just had a heart attack or you’ve been kidnapped by bandits this is your guide to every extreme situation you could think of. That being said there are probably not a huge number of people who need to read this book. If you are an aid worker or peacekeeper with the UN it should be required reading, and if you’re going off to serve in the Peace Corps some of the info will be helpful, but even then much of it is probably extraneous, and travelers and backpackers shouldn’t need this info unless they are traveling to an extremely dangerous country. But if you are a…
700 Places to Volunteer Before you Die by Nola Lee Kelsey outlines many ways to make a difference in the world from working in an orphanage in Nepal to saving architecture in Albania to small business development in Ghana. Kelsey is clearly passionate about volunteering abroad and one gets the feeling that she’d like to personally volunteer at each of the 700 places mentioned in the book.The book is a fabulous resource for planning a trip as it is divided by both country and interest, so if you are going to Liberia, Honduras, or Mongolia you can search by country, and if you’re interested in working with elephants, building houses, or doing public health education you may find opportunities in a country you’ve never even thought of visiting.The programs have a wide range in costs from many which are completely free such as teaching English to the disadvantaged in Peru…
The Lunatic Express, by Carl Hoffman, is the story of a journey on some of the world’s most dangerous trains, buses, boats, and airlines. Hoffman travels over mountain passes and through jungles in Peru, journeys on the notoriously bad ferries of Bangladesh, and rides the local train in Mumbai that takes the lives of over 4,000 people a year. Despite these death defying feats, it wasn’t until I read of his flight into Afghanistan in the midst of the war that I truly thought ‘maybe he really is insane.’The book is well written and compelling. I read it quickly, both to find out what would happen to him next, and also in an effort to try to understand him. When someone undertakes a project like this, there is a tendency to think they have a death wish. However, it seemed as though when Hoffman lives on the edge, he becomes…
On the Other Guy’s Dime: A Professional’s Guide to Traveling Without Paying by G. Michael Schneider is a how-to guide written by a professor who arranges working holidays in ten different countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. If you are an educator interested in traveling the world, this is the book for you. Schneider explores in detail how he got each of his trips paid for: from cold-calling various colleges and asking for a plane ticket and a modest stipend to applying for Fulbright grants which offer a significant increase in pay and better accommodation, though the application process can be quite long. In each place they end up he teaches a class or consults on curriculum while his wife volunteers in various capacities such as teaching English or helping out in a school. Being a visiting professor in a university overseas also offers many more opportunities…
Somewhere South of Tuscany, by Diana Armstrong, is the story of an American buying a home in Lubriano— a small Italian village near Umbria; and restoring the house while being slowly integrated into the community. Armstrong and her husband rented houses in the area for several years before deciding to take the plunge into homeownership when they found a place with a stunning view. In buying a place from a local baroness, they were surprised when she stripped the house of everything before they closed on the sale. Restoration was quite a process involving learning to understand the Italian way of doing things and making many discoveries such as finding a well inside one of their walls. Armstrong is a chef and includes many recipes— from classics to her own creations. Though rambling at times, this book is often funny, with likeable personas who are just as concerned with having…
Buddhist Temples of Thailand written by Joe Cummings with stunning photography by Dan White is the ultimate guide to Thailand’s most important temples. With the rich history of each temple outlined and interesting facts about the influence of Buddhism across Thailand today, this is one of the most comprehensive and accessible books on the subject.
The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz offers anecdotes about living in the city of lights as well as recipes to inspire your inner chef. Lebowitz, a pastry chef from San Francisco moves to Paris and while settling in experiences a series of humorous adjustments to Parisians and their lifestyle. .
Monday, 22 March 2010
Off the Tourist Trail: 1,000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives
Written by Christina Bolton
Off the Tourist Trail: 1,000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives by Eyewitness Travel (with a foreword by Bill Bryson) is an inspiring book offering a plethora of choices for the traveler who feels beleaguered by crowds of tourists and the hawks they spawn.
Friday, 22 January 2010
Kilimanjaro: A Photographic Journey to the Roof of Africa
Written by Christina Kay Bolton
Kilimanjaro: A Photographic Journey to the Roof of Africa by Michel Moushabeck and Hiltrud Schulz is the compelling story expressed largely through photographs of an impromptu journey to the top of Kilimanjaro. The trip was planned in only two months, making one feel that if the spirit moved them, they too could climb Africa’s highest peak.
Georgina Carr’s novel Upside Down reads like a diary – an intimate collection of her thoughts, feelings, and experiences as she seeks (and finds) adventure throughout Australia. In her humorous and informal style, Georgina offers an inspiring story about daring to leave behind a monotonous desk job and start anew in completely unfamiliar, exciting, sometimes dangerous surroundings.
While the majority of Americans wither away their vacation days on Arizona golf courses or in Florida theme parks, seasoned journalist and adventurer Robert Downes’ new book, Planet Backpacker, proves that some Americans yearn for more. Born out of his travel blogs, Downes’ narrative is an honest, no-nonsense account of a regular “Joe” tramping the “global highway” through Europe, Egypt, India, and Southeast Asia.
Good Night and God Bless by Trish Clark is a guide to the best monastery and convent accommodations in Italy, Austria, and the Czech Republic. The book begins with the author’s tale of how she stumbled upon staying in a convent guesthouse in Rome when the hostel she normally stayed at was overbooked. Seeing that it was a fine place for a traveler to stay and it required no religious affiliation or attendance, she began seeking these places out.
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is one of the most inspirational books I’ve read in years. It is a must-read for every adventure traveler who has ever wondered if they could make a difference in the lives of the people they meet.
Don’t Go There: the Travel Detective’s Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World by Peter Greenberg is packed with useful information about the places you want to avoid on your next cross-country road trip or international adventure. From tourist traps to environmental wastelands such as Centralia, Pennsylvania and Bhopal, India these sound like real losers.
Friday, 06 February 2009
Frommers 500 Places to See before they Disappear
Written by Christina Kay Bolton
Frommer’s 500 Places to See before they Disappear by Holly Hughes is a compendium of the world’s natural and cultural wonders that sit on the edge of being compromised by various forms of encroachment. Whether it is the endangered species whose habitat is being destroyed, glaciers melting and disappearing, or architectural gems being withered away by pollution or overuse, many of the places should be seen now if you want to experience them.
Sunday, 16 November 2008
I'll Never Be French (no matter what I do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany
Written by Eleanor Tetreau
I’ll Never Be French (no matter what I do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany by Mark Greenside is a memoir about an artistic couple who decide to spend the summer in Brittany, France.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Drifting Through the Sands of Time: A Saharan Adventure
Written by Christina Bolton
Drifting Through the Sands of Time: A Saharan Adventure by Ron Laikind is like a picture book for adults. The story recounts Laikind’s camel trek from Timbuktu, Mali through the vast desert north to Taoudenni, one of the most remote salt mining villages in Mali.
Saturday, 05 July 2008
Inca Trails: Journey through the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes
Written by Christina Kay Bolton
Inca Trails by Martin Li is the story of a unique journey through the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes. The author is on a quest for a deeper understanding of the Inca by traversing the lands they inhabited, conquered, and were eventually driven from by the Spanish conquistadors. The book is an interesting mix of travelogue and history book that begins near La Paz, Bolivia and traverses Peru to Vilcabamba the Old.
For those who are addicted to travel – who plan their next vacation as soon as they return; who look for a plane, train, boat, anything to move from A to B – one constant underlying question pervades: Why? Why do we love travel? Why do we feel the need to escape our comfort zone and dive into the foreign? Most importantly, what do we expect to get out of it?
In The Geography of Bliss author Eric Weiner maps an atlas of happiness. The former foreign correspondent for NPR visits countries slightly under the tourist radar, some of which have been ranked the happiest nations in the world, like Iceland, which is arguably in its Golden Age. He also experiences the most miserable place, Moldova, where even Peace Corps volunteers can’t wait to leave.
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
Smile When Youre Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer
Written by Christina Kay Bolton
Smile When You’re Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer by Chuck Thompson is an exposé of the travel writing industry. Thompson has been deeply involved in the travel writing industry and has had numerous experiences with editors not publishing his work because it was not flattering to the places he was visiting.
Sex in a Tent: A Wild Couple’s Guide to Getting Naughty in Nature by Michelle Waitzman is a unique guidebook – an interesting cross between a beginners’ camping guide and a manual on sexual positions. Peppered with stories of couples making love in idyllic coves and those getting caught in campgrounds, there is much useful advice here for those looking to increase the romance in the great outdoors.
Friday, 26 October 2007
The Long Walk: the True Story of a Trek to Freedom
Written by Christina Kay Bolton
The Long Walk: the True Story of a Trek to Freedom was one of the most inspiring, dramatic and compelling books that I’ve ever read. I was lucky to run across it in the bookstore, as it is a re-release of a book that originally came out in 1956, but a timeless true story of not only a very long walk, but also an unquenchable thirst for freedom. I was drawn to the title, as I’m drawn to all books that involve journeys, but quickly found that it was not a traveler’s tale, rather a survival story of a group of people with infallible spirits.
This past year, I was lucky enough to be in Ireland for Saint Patrick’s Day. Having had the time of my life – I thought I had satisfied my international partying desires. That was until I read: Rough Guides World Party, a 2007 guide to World’s best festivals. Rough Guides are known for travel books on hundreds of worldwide destinations. Their latest guide has opened my eyes to festivals I never even knew existed!
Saturday, 23 June 2007
Secret Boston - The Unique Guidebook to Bostonâs Hidden Sites, Sounds, & Tastes
Written by Sasha Didier
Whether you are a seasoned Boston local or a weekend visitor, Laura Purdom’s Guidebook Secret Boston - The Unique Guidebook to Boston’s Hidden Sites, Sounds, & Tastes, is sure to open your eyes to new and interesting pieces of history and hidden gems of the city. From “Accent” to “Yoga,” she takes the reader on an alphabetical journey off the beaten track through elements of history, food, entertainment, and lifestyles.
Bluelist 2007 The Best in Travel by Lonely Planet Books covers an astounding variety of places and kinds of travel. Its publisher describes it as ‘a conversation about travel’ and it is always changing pace like a lively chat.
Friday, 16 February 2007
The Penny Pincherâs Passport to Luxury Travel
Written by Sasha Keeler Didier
“Provide me with good service—I’m a loyal customer. Treat me otherwise—you have competition.” As Joel L. Widzer expresses in his travel guide, The Penny Pincher’s Passport to Luxury Travel, anyone can indulge in a lifestyle of luxury with the right attitude and approach.
Make Your Travel Dollars worth a Fortune: the Contrarian Traveler’s Guide to Getting More for Less is a good beginner’s guide to finding deals to fit your own lifestyle and budget. Tim Leffel uses two imaginary families to make most of his points – a typical couple arranging a vacation – the Smith’s, and contrarian travelers extraordinaire – the Johnson’s.
Jeff Biggers illuminates the people of the Sierra Madre in his historic, yet personal book In the Sierra Madre. Biggers and his wife, Carla, rented a rustic cabin from a local woman, set up a solar panel, and settled in for 9 months while she worked on her thesis about the local attempt at multicultural education.
Thursday, 31 August 2006
Unforgettable journeys to take before you die
Written by Christina Kay Bolton
In Unforgettable journeys to take before you die veteran travel writers Steve Watkins and Claire Jones are asked to pick 30 of their favorite journeys worldwide. A tough task, no doubt, to pick the best from a stunning array of international options. What they offer is much more than the glimpse of a place as in the various ‘1,001 places’ books that have been popular recently. Each journey is described in its full flavor through both the alluring descriptions and the numerous photos.
Saturday, 01 July 2006
The Seasoned Traveler â A Guide for Baby-boomers and Beyond
Written by Sasha Keeler Didier
“Baby boomers consider travel a necessity,” according to George Bauer in his 13-part guidebook companion for the television series, The Seasoned Traveler -- A Guide for Baby-boomers and Beyond. In this edifying and in-depth guide, Bauer reflects upon the growing travel industry of “mature adventurers” over 50 years old.
Travelers, dreamers, adventure-seekers, nature lovers, even homebodies will all find inspiration in Michael Bright’s book, 1001 Natural Wonders You Must See Before You Die. With detailed descriptions of historical and cultural significance, geological and ecological statistics, this book is a useful reference even for experienced travelers. Complete with stunning photography, this 950 page compendium shows places in the world most would never have known existed. Not only does it bring the reader through a breathtaking journey around the world, but it serves as inspiration for travel and creates a thirst for the unknown.
Search Content by Map
Search
Subscribe
Latest Pins:
Travel Writer Contest
Submit your travel articles and travel photography to inTravel Magazine™. The article/photography showcase in each issue with the most votes (at least 10) wins our Travel Writer Contest and $100. All authors/photographers will receive a t-shirt, tote, mousepad, or custom luggage tags if your article is chosen for publication. Anyone can vote.
Read more ...