Off the Tourist Trail in 2010

Making plans to travel in 2010? "Off the Tourist Trail" is a fabulous new travel book that is here to assist you! The new guidebook is hands-down the best travel resource I've seen in years. Even Bill Bryson, who wrote the introduction, agrees. This is not a book to be missed if you have a serious case of the travel bug.

What makes "Off the Tourist Trail" so special is the unique premise of the book. Instead of advising the traveler on the old stand-by destinations of Rome, Machu Picchu, and the Great Wall of China, this book offers lesser-known alternatives to consider in lieu of each more famous destination. Along with landmarks, the book provides alternatives to festivals, museums, cultural and religious sites, and even cities that are off the radar. Each section also provides practical information like how to get there, when to go, where to stay, and an official tourist website. With suggestions like Luang Prabang, Laos; Tartu, Estonia; Sidi Ifni, Morocco; and Riga, Latvia in the mix, only the seriously adventurous traveler need apply. These destinations are not for the faint of heart!

Instead of Stonehenge, how about Avebury? Or the Ring O'Brodgar in the Orkney Islands or even the Wassu Stone Circles in Gambia? Already visited the Acropolis? Why not observe those in Agrigento and Selinunte in Sicily or Assos in Turkey. Been to Petra? How about Lalibela, Ethiopia instead? Have you been awe-struck by the Basilica San Marco in Venice? Head to the Haghia Sophia in Istanbul then.

The recommendations on exploring the lesser-known parts of cities and regions are top-notch too. "Off the Tourist Trail" provides information for those who have already explored London, Paris, NYC, China, and India to the fullest and now what to see some of the more hidden gems of each respective locale. If you have already sampled the cuisine in Paris, why not head to Lyon? Already stayed under the Tuscan sun? Head to Umbria for a more unique experience. Already queued at the MOMA? Check out some of Manhattan's smaller galleries. Bathed in the Greek Islands? Head to Croatia's islands or the Azores off Portugal.

Though the alternatives suggested in the book are (for the most part) not too off the beaten path that they compromise the traveler's safety, a few of the recommendations were a little suspect. For the traveler who has already marveled at the Pyramids in Giza, the book recommends observing those of Meroe in Sudan. The pyramids may be north of Khartoum and very far north from the current strife in Darfur, but Sudan is still a place to be avoided. The same goes for Sana'a, Yemen which was recommended as a delightful alternative to the Arab city of Marrakesh (along with Aleppo and Tunis). If you've been following the news over the past couple weeks, you know what's been going on over in Yemen and, more important, you know that it is definitely a place to be avoided right now. It's safe to say that if a destination is on the State Department's list, it should not be on your list.

With that being said, this is still a book worth reading and owning. Bill Bryson said it best in his introduction: "There is good news and bad news to report. The bad news is that there are more fantastic things in the world to see than you can ever possibly hope to get to. You're just not going to live long enough. The good news is that there are more fantastic things in the world to see than you can ever possibly hope to get to."

The world is out there just waiting to be discovered, and "Off the Tourist Trail" is happy to provide the map. I, for one, plan on seeing as many of those destinations in 2010 as I can. I hope you'll do the same.

Happy travels, friends!