1,000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives Off the Tourist Trail

 
Off the Tourist Trail: 1,000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (ISBN: 978-0-7566-5399-6) is an elegant DK Eyewitness Travel book distilling the most captivating places to visit on every continent, from ancient and historical sites, festivals and architectural marvels to natural wonders, art, beaches and vibrant cities.

Published in 2009 with the thoughtful contributions of 45 expert travel writers, this 336-page volume puts the well-worn tourist haunts firmly in the shade with its fresh and fascinating alternatives. However, there is also plenty of practical information and useful locator maps to help readers consider the realities of visiting any of the suggested sites.

If you liked Petra in Jordan, you’ll love the amazing rock-hewn churches at Lalibela in Ethiopia. If World Music has appeal and you’re looking for something different, try Essaouira’s Gnawa and World Music Festival in Morocco. Diving at Australia’s Christmas Island makes a great alternative to the better-known and busier Great Barrier Reef, and breathtaking Borobudur in Java certainly gives touristy Angkor Wat a run for its money.

These are the type of “travel alternatives” you may expect to find in this one-of-kind book. As globetrotter, Bill Bryson, sums up in his Forward to Off the Tourist Trail, “Thanks to this estimable tome, I have discovered that there are even more eye-popping, life-enhancing sights and experiences out there than I had ever dreamed existed …. that is why this book is more valuable to the serious traveler than any book I have seen in a long time.”