Reviewed by Jeanne
I have to say I found the title of this book a bit misleading.
Some of the places recommended definitely require other people to be around—Antarctica,
for example. That quibble aside, this is
a most enjoyable book of interviews with different travel writers about places
they recommend. The opening essay by
Kate McCulley discusses why she likes to travel without friends or family
(makes it very easy to spend time on things that interest you) and how
empowering it can make one feel.
The suggested places are listed alphabetically, making it easy
to spot places of interest. While there
are plenty of international suggestions such as Havana or Prague or Ho Chi Minh
City, there are also a number of U.S. destinations. One delightful surprise was seeing Asheville
listed among New York City, New Orleans, and Palm Springs. The essays have comments and background
information about the person making the recommendation, highlights of the area
(Asheville is surrounded by ample opportunities for hiking, camping, etc., great
food scene, and of course Biltmore!), must-do suggestions, and ending up with
site specific tips for budget travel, best time to visit, and how to get
around. Most entries have a full color photo to give readers a sense of the
place.
This is a wonderful browsing book! I read the entries for places I knew first to
see someone else’s perspective, then moved on to I’ve heard about but never visited. There were also a number of places I’d never
heard of before but which sound very intriguing. One such is Pai, a small
village in Thailand which is not a tourist town and pretty much attracts people
because of that. It’s very rural but
with a lively village life featuring live music and locally crafted jewelry and
art.
For someone contemplating a trip or for the armchair traveler,
this is a fun and informative book.
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