RSSSep|19|2009
Out Of The Books Into The World
Posted by Noemi as Around The World, Arts & Culture, Books, Destinations, Family, Trends
The Da Vinci Code. Harry Potter. Angels and Demons. These are some of the most famous books in the recent years, and more than inspiring people to bury their noses in their pages, the stories have urged people to get out of their homes to go discover the real world behind the books. You’ve probably heard of people actually going on a trip with the places in the Da Vinci Code as part of their itinerary.
I remember meeting a French woman who used her vacation time to visit every single place mentioned in the Da Vinci Code. The Louvre was, of course, easy for her to visit, but she also went out of her way to travel to Scotland and the United States, just to see for herself what the places were actually like. Statistics …
Dec|04|2008
Gift Ideas: Best Travel Books
Posted by Noemi as Books
Still thinking of what to give your friends this Christmas? You can never go wrong with books, especially if your friends love to travel. The Guardian has a feature article today about the best travel books according to some of the leading travel authors today. You can’t get any better than that, can you? Here are some of the books in the list.
Empires of the Indus by Alice Albini
Chosen by William Dalrymple, this book is described as “a fabulously thoughtful, learned, perceptive and stereotype-breaking book which follows the Indus from its delta on the coast of Sindh up to its source in Chinese-occupied Tibet.” He got me at “stereotype-breaking.”
The Man in Seat 61 by Mark Smith
This was chosen by the author of the first book on the list, Alice Albini. Why did she choose …
Nov|16|2008
Good Reads That Make It Ok To Stay Home
Posted by Noemi as Books, Reading Room
I have not had a trip in 3 months and I have been feeling really bad about it. We were supposed to go to the beach last week but our circumstances prevented us from doing so and we had to cancel flights that we had booked in advance. The next trip we are planning isn’t due till the end of the year – not really too far in the future but far enough for me. Anyway, in order to find some solace, I looked up some books that would help me cope. To my delight, I discovered a couple that have great potential.
One is Don’t Go There! Written by Peter Greenberg, the book’s full title is “Don’t Go There! The Travel Detective’s Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World.” He lists “which …
May|14|2008
Gutsy Mamas: Travel Tips and Wisdom for Mothers on the Road
Posted by Noemi as Books, Family
“It has always taken courage, stamina, and self-sacrifice to be a mother, and this is especially true in our hectic modern world. Indeed, bearing a child and giving birth are the very definition of gutsy. As a woman, it also takes guts to travel boldly…”
These are the opening sentences of the book by Marybeth Bond, with the same title as this post. I ran across a preview of the book on Google Book Search and before I knew it, I had spent a considerable time reading it. In celebration of Mother’s Day – albeit a late one – I thought of featuring the book in this blog so as to give you a peek into its pages.
The book talks about traveling from the eyes of a mother. More than that, it details the unique experience of …
Apr|07|2008
The Farther You Go, The Closer You’ll Get
Posted by Noemi as Around The World, Books, Family, Travelogger
Sounds like a movie or book title, doesn’t it? Well, in fact, it is the title of book which contains a collection of written work by well known authors. It is edited by Laura Manske. So why I am writing about this book?
To be honest, I have never really read a book that focuses on family trips or vacations. Of course, I have books (fiction) which may talk about a family going on a trip but nothing like this one. Another confession – I don’t have my own copy of this book yet so I have not read the whole thing but the preview offered by Google Book Search is enough to convince me to get my own.
One thing that particularly struck me while I was reading the preview are the following lines from the Introduction:
At …
Dec|10|2007
Great Christmas Reads
Posted by Noemi as Books, Family
One of the greatest treasures that our parents have imparted to us is the love for reading. My earliest memories include bed time stories and reading through the weekend. I still recall going on trips and making sure that I had my favorite books packed. This Christmas, why don’t you make sure that your children have their own mini-library of books to choose from while on the road? Here are some of the best children’s books that you can choose from.
The Night Before Christmas
Every child should read this classic Christmas story. It dates back to 1823.
The Polar Express
We just talked about train rides in my last post – need I say more? If your children have not read this classic, then it is about time you got them a copy.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Dr. Seuss is …
Aug|14|2007
Traveling Da Vinci
Posted by Jen as Adventure, Books, Education, Travelogger
Planning an unforgettable adventure can be pretty difficult, especially when we’re not exactly willing to put our lives on the line or risk injuring ourselves. However, we all want to go home with silent smiles and a sense of incomparable fulfillment as if we had just cracked the greatest mystery in the history of humankind. Well, thanks to the erupting trend of theme tours and travel, having such an experience is possible.
I am a huge Dan Brown fan. Perhaps it’s because he appeals to the conspiracy theorist in me. Along with millions, I enjoyed every chapter of The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons immensely. For those who wish to relive the whole thrill and excitement of the chase tenfold, I suggest giving the Da Vinci Code Tours a try.
Like all theme tours, the guide will take you to significant locations mentioned in the novels. …
Jun|29|2007
Great Gifts, Small Packages Part 01
Posted by Jen as Books, Tips, Travelogger
Here’s the problem: Your friend’s birthday is coming soon. Said friend is a travel enthusiast like you. Unfortunately, you don’t exactly have the budget to send him or her off to the exciting jungles of Africa or the royal deserts of Egypt. What will you do?
There’s no need to fret. Times like this create opportunities to think creatively. If you can’t send your fellow traveler to his or her dream vacation, then why don’t you just help him or her prepare for it?
Nowadays, there are more than a thousand, different books on traveling. Reading guides and browsing through coffee table books are sure to tickle your friend’s imagination. Who knows, a page or two from your gift could prompt him or her to take on a new adventure!And if your friend is the type who doesn’t really like to read, make sure to …
Dec|07|2006
Travellers: Tintin and Snowy
Posted by Zahir as Adventure, Around The World, Books, People
Ok, so Tintin is fictional, and a comic book for that matter, but in terms of the sheer adventure in exotic locales around the world, the fearless, young Belgian reporter definitely makes my list of top travellers.
I first discovered Tintin in my childhood, when I was around 10 years old, and devoured each one of his adventures in hours, excitedly going through the entire collection in no time at all. Favourites of mine included Cigars of the Pharoah, Red Rackham’s Treasure and Flight 714 – (remember Captain Haddock feeling sorry for Lazlo Carriedas and putting cash in his hat?). Now, I’ve just started reading “The Blue Lotus” to my 4 year old, who seems to be as enthralled as I was.
Tintin’s Travels Around The Globe and Beyond
The settings within Tintin have also added depth to the story Herg mingles real and fictional lands …
Comments Off
Oct|21|2006
Eric Newby, The Original Travelogger
Posted by Zahir as Books, News, People, Reading Room
Eric Newby, the thinking man’s travel writer and perhaps one of the best of the 20th century had died at the age of 86. The British writer was known for his keen eye for detail and entertaining style of writing about his travels around the world, the most famous of which was “A Short Walk in The Hindu Kush”.
Prior to writing the 1958 classic in which he recounts his thrilling and funny journey while climbing Mir Samir in Afghatistan, Newby was in the fashion industry, with nearly no experience in mountaineering when set off on his Hindu Kush adventure.
Born and raised in Hammersmith, London, Newby’s first adventure in travel was in 1938 when he gave up his job in advertising to set sail from Australia on the Finnish grain ship Moshulu by way of Cape Horn . He later told the story of this voyage in …
Comments Off
