Secret Wonders of the World: 385 Extraordinary Places You Never Knew Existed

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

I am kind of a sucker for these sorts of books: books about interesting places in general (Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the Worlds’ Hidden Wonders  and Atlas Obscura: Wild Life: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders) or books about specific topics (Street Cats & Where to Find Them: The Most Feline-Friendly Cities and Attractions Around the World by Jeff Bogle or Novel Destinations:  Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West by Shannon McKenna Schmidt.) Sometimes I want to see if I actually know any of the places; other times I find places I would like to visit.  Or want to avoid at all costs.

This compilation by Lonely Planet is divided up roughly by continent. Each section has a table of contents and then lists by topic and a suggested itinerary.  Entries are brief, and accompanied by a photo. Occasionally, warnings are attached (“At the time of this writing, travel was not advised...”) or hints about difficulty (the nearest airport or you’re going to need 4WD.)

This is a fascinating collection of things that are definitely off the beaten path.  From ancient footprints to a Fete du Vodun to Bay Islands Underwater Museum, there is truly something for everyone here.  A few (very few!) things I had heard of, such as the Nazca Lines, Winchester Mystery House, Assateague Islands’ wild horses, Cat Island, and (shudder) Snake Island, but the vast majority of places were new to me.  I particularly enjoyed some of the itineraries, such as the best places in the Pacific Northwest to see trolls or the best places to hunt vampires (New Orleans is number 1; Forks, Washington is on the list because of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.)

One of my favorite entries is Castell de Pubol in Spain, one of the places I’d never heard of before.  It’s the castle home of Gala Dali, wife of artist Salvador Dali. Gala was quite a character, apparently, and adored by her husband who bought her this medieval castle and decorated it as she wished.  When she died, she was buried in the basement.

The drawbacks are that the entries are brief.  There is an index but it’s not a thorough one.  Still, for armchair travelers and lovers of trivia, this book is good to while away some hours, and maybe inspire more research.