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 Entertainment | Books | November 2007 
Resourceful Traveler: Guidebooks and Narrative Travel
 June Sawyers - Chicago Tribune
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Here's a quick look at some of the newest destination guides to help you plan getting the most out of the time you travel, and your hard-earned travel dollars.
"Fodor's Puerto Vallarta 2008," Fodor's, $17.95; ISBN: 978-1-4000-1856-7
The Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta is often associated with elegant spas and sandy beaches and endless warm nights drinking exotic drinks. That it might be, but the guidebook also emphasizes its natural beauty (cobblestone streets, green hills and a "sparkling" bay), its exceptional folk and fine art or the pleasure of just watching one of its spectacular sunsets. It includes a special section on the origins of mariachi ("the music of love and heartache") as well as the best places to hear the music.
"The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008," Wiley, $19.99; ISBN: 978-0-470-08963-7
The word "unofficial" appears in the title, and even in the introduction's first sentence the authors emphasize that the guide offers a completely independent perspective ("the first comprehensive critical appraisal of Walt Disney World"). Thus, if a restaurant serves bad food or a ride isn't worth waiting in line, they tell you about it. Some may wonder why readers even need an annual guide like this. Anticipating criticism, the authors even publish letters from readers accusing the guide of squelching spontaneity. But, of course, as the authors remind us, Walt Disney World is the ultimate in mass-produced entertainment, and at 43 square miles - an area twice as large as Manhattan - you better have some kind of strategy to get the most out of your time and hard-earned dollars. There is plenty of advice crammed into this nearly 850-page book, from choosing the best ticket options and allocating time (which park to see first?) to determining where to stay (whether inside Walt Disney World or outside). There are also sections on the Disney Cruise Line, Walt Disney World with kids, arriving and getting around, as well as comments on restaurants, shopping and night life. Packed with useful unofficial tips, charts and graphs, this guidebook is a must read for anyone navigating the often overwhelming number of choices at one of the most popular attractions in the world.
"Afghanistan," Lonely Planet, $25.99; ISBN: 978-1-74059-642-8
One could say that publishing a guidebook to Afghanistan is either a brave choice or a foolhardy one - maybe both. But Lonely Planet being Lonely Planet, they have forged right ahead. The key question for anyone considering a trip to one of the world's hot spots is, should you go? The biggest issue, of course, is safety. Thus, an entire chapter is devoted to safety issues in Afghanistan. Traveling as part of an organized tour is, the guide suggests, preferable to going it alone. Very informative are the sidebars and brief essays on important aspects of Afghan history and culture (such as a terrific piece by Lina Abirafeh on women in Afghanistan). The book is not all gloom and doom, however. On the contrary, it is quite often surprisingly light-hearted and entertaining with its discussion of, say, Afghan carpets (the country's most famous example of folk art), Afghan music (including a short sidebar on the late Ahmad Zahir, the so-called Afghan Elvis), architecture, cinema and kite flying (the latter the subject of Khaled Hosseini's popular novel "The Kite Runner"). Includes an eight - page color insert on "Life Along the Silk Road," an intriguing photo essay on Afghan street life, Afghan cities and the cultural landscape.
"Rum & Reggae's Puerto Rico, Including Culebra & Vieques," Rum & Reggae Guidebooks, $14.95; ISBN: 978-1893675-15-5
If you are planning a visit to Puerto Rico, and you want honest opinions delivered straight from both the hip and the heart, then this lively guide might be the perfect choice. Authors Jonathan Runge and Adam Carter recommend where to go and what to see as well as where not to go and what not to see - but also what not to miss. A refreshing antidote to travel writing blandness.
Narrative travel
"The Conde Nast Traveler Book of Unforgettable Journeys: Great Writers on Great Places," Penguin Books, $16; ISBN: 978-0-14-311261-7
Conde Nast Traveler was founded in 1987. Since then, it has been dedicated to the craft - and, yes, art - of travel journalism. Contributors report on what they see, feel, learn and experience - whether good or bad - with no restrictions or limitations, "no ulterior motives, no hidden agenda or allegiance." Thus, the magazine has attracted some of the best writers in the business. Here editor Klara Glowczewska has chosen 21 essays by 18 contributors. Some are art critics, some novelists while others are poets and political reporters. They include Francine Prose as she communes with the spirits of Kafka and Mozart in Prague (her piece concludes with a guide to landmarks associated with Kafka such as the Franz Kafka Museum or Kafka's grave); Edna O'Brien on the aesthetic and literary pleasures of Bath ("It is such a noble city ... crescent after crescent of pale buff houses ... "); Pico Iyer's spiritual journey into the heart of Ethiopia as well as his sublime essay on Iceland's otherworldly landscape and what he calls its "never-never quality"; Russell Banks on the animals of the Everglades (from wading birds to manatees to, yes, crocodiles); Nik Cohn on the "blissful indolence" of Savannah; Simon Winchester on volcanoes; and Philip Gourevitch on a safari trip in the bush country of Tanzania. Plus more. |
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