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12th out of 766 books
—
1,210 voters
1,000 Places to See Before You Die
Around the World, continent by continent, here is the best the world has to offer: 1,000 places guaranteed to give travelers the shivers. Sacred ruins, grand hotels, wildlife preserves, hilltop villages, snack shacks, castles, festivals, reefs, restaurants, cathedrals, hidden islands, opera houses, museums, and more. Each entry tells exactly why it's essential to visit. Th...more
Paperback, 974 pages
Published
May 22nd 2003
by Workman Publishing
(first published January 1st 2003)
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I don't know why I ever thought that reading someone else's ideas about the 1000 best places in the world would be an enjoyable experience. It's of course totally biased & unsatisfying.
Do people really enjoy visiting historic hotels this much? Unf*ckingbelievable.
Do people really enjoy visiting historic hotels this much? Unf*ckingbelievable.
Mar 22, 2008
Jacob
added it
I want to write the opposite of this book or an alternative to this book or a thousand alternatives to this book: A thousand places to avoid before you die or a thousand places to die at or a thousand middle of the road, boring, corporate, manufactured experiences, exercises in tedium to have before you die or a thousand places to have sex in public before you die or a thousand places to shoplift from before you die or a thousand books to burn before you die or a thousand pages of unremarkable m...more
7 likes · like · see review
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If you love luxury hotels, you will love this book. Otherwise - if you are looking for the places in the world to see before you die, look at UNESCO's ever-growing list of heritage sites, which isn't quite to 1000 yet, but will be in just a few years. As a world traveler, I can tell you that Schultz misses the mark again and again regarding the most beautiful or most interesting or most historic places to see in any given country (when she doesn't skip entire countries!). Talk to any world trave...more
8 likes · like · see review
This was a really fun read. My mum has the latest version (with colour pictures) and hers has more pages and different 'must see' places. It certainly gave me some wanderlust and I used it to fill an otherwise uneventful stopover in Hanoi. However, you have to read it with a sense of humour - 1000 Places to See Before You Die should really be called 'Lots of Places to See in the USA and a Few Elsewhere'! The US bias is staggering. Angkor Wat and the Taj Mahal warrant less space than some islands...more
I bought this book, just like I always read travelogues and watch foreign movies, because I love to daydream about traveling all over the world and seeing all sorts of wonderful places. Daydreaming about travel is almost as good as actually traveling. Well...not really, but I enjoy it so much.
Anyway, this book features 1000 places in it, and you get to read about these cool places and dream about going there. What could go wrong?? It's a pretty foolproof idea, surely.
And yet if it was possible...more
Anyway, this book features 1000 places in it, and you get to read about these cool places and dream about going there. What could go wrong?? It's a pretty foolproof idea, surely.
And yet if it was possible...more
5 likes · like · see review
This is one of those books that can be used multiple ways. I've heard about people having competitions to see which of their friends can visit more of the places listed in this book. For me, I don't know that this is a book I would use to construct my "bucket list". After all, I tend to seek the out of the way, more unique, known only to "locals" places. One of my favorite memories in Europe was going to buy vegetables in a quaint little town in Holland with a local. That would never make a tour...more
An enjoyable read. I was excited that I had been to over 120+ of the places she mentions - I was also chagrined to find out that I'd missed some stuff in places I've been. I will definitely consult this next time I travel as I plan my trip.
HOWEVER, I would research a place and take with me a more detailed country specific guide (like Let's Go or Rick Steves) when actually travelling for other sites, hostel/hotel and food suggestions.
Secondly, as others have mentioned she spends WAY too much pre...more
HOWEVER, I would research a place and take with me a more detailed country specific guide (like Let's Go or Rick Steves) when actually travelling for other sites, hostel/hotel and food suggestions.
Secondly, as others have mentioned she spends WAY too much pre...more
This is one of those great books everyone should own, everyone with a passion or even just an interest in travel needs this book. I remember when I first saw it on the shelf in the book store. It was the type of book that literally leapt into my arms and said ‘buy me!”
At the front of the book there is a full page dedicated to this quote: “Life is not counted by the number of breaths you take but by the places and moments which take your breath away.” This describes rather aptly the philosophy of...more
At the front of the book there is a full page dedicated to this quote: “Life is not counted by the number of breaths you take but by the places and moments which take your breath away.” This describes rather aptly the philosophy of...more
The spirit of this book is well exemplified by a quotation from Mark Twain (Page xv): "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the tide winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." So, the author advances a listing of places throughout the world worth discovering. This is a companion piece to another volume of hers, in which she explores 1,000 places to see within...more
1,000 Places To See Before You Die.
What a great lil book. I have seen all that is listed in Texas being all native here. But oh to visit so many other places throughout the world. Wow! Actually I think this is a great lil book for anyone who is lucky enough to travel anywhere. They have websites, addresses and phone numbers listed for places everywhere. What have you seen of your home state? Do you play tourist sometimes? What would you show off to your friends? Do you have places you desire to...more
What a great lil book. I have seen all that is listed in Texas being all native here. But oh to visit so many other places throughout the world. Wow! Actually I think this is a great lil book for anyone who is lucky enough to travel anywhere. They have websites, addresses and phone numbers listed for places everywhere. What have you seen of your home state? Do you play tourist sometimes? What would you show off to your friends? Do you have places you desire to...more
I have been fortunate in my life to have traveled many places in the world (all continents except Antarctica) so I read this much-hyped book with pen in hand. Where, given enough time and money, would I hope to go? This book listed plenty of options, but I found a large percentage of the author's "best places" to simply be advertisements for fancy hotels and restaurants. I cannot fathom putting Boston's Legal Seafoods or a fancy Parisian restaurant in the same category as Iguazu Falls, the Grand...more
I love the idea of a book filled with all the places to see in the world. Especially given the idea that if you're taking a trip to multiple countries you can write down the couple of things most important to see there and then just wander about, getting to know the place. What I didn't like about this book was it wasn't my taste of things to see. Living in Virginia, I have a pretty good grasp on what tourist sights are well worth the visit throughout VA and in D.C., and I was disappointed at ho...more
I am very well travelled and I found this list incredibly US-biased and devoid, with listings spouting 'the obvious' as well as the comparably mundane. Australia and New Zealand have about three entries between them, which I find blindsiding, as these are two of the most diverse and breathtaking countries in the world. And don't even start me on her blithely superficial understanding of the Asian continent. So very much is missed and lacking in beauty and spirit, it's as though the author slappe...more
It's nice to dream and make plans of where to go next. For this the book is fun, but I am a little disappointed and disturbed at the unequal distribution of places between the countries and continents. Dozens of places in the USA (almost 200 pages out of 900) and Europe, but only 11 in Russia, 5 of them in Moscow and 5 in St. Petersburg plus the Transsiberian Railway (that's a total of 8 pages)? You'd think Russia was the smallest country on the planet and only consisted of those two towns conne...more
I most enjoyed this book as an easy-read flip-through reminder of where I've been and might wish to go one day. The Mark Twain House in Connecticut, the Ice Hotel in Sweden and, sure, Bora Bora in the South Pacific. But, I'm wondering if the author missed some of the true must-sees; I suggest this because much of the book reads like a hastily researched Conde Nast review. Also, what constitutes a "must-see" destination? The author seems to want for the book to serve primarily as a compilation of...more
It's an intriguing concept, and kinda fun to page through, but way too heavy on $300/night hotels, spas, etc. Let's say I'm going to Dublin (to open to a section at random). She recommends a festival, the Book of Kells and the pubs (possibly in conjunction with St. Patrick's Day). All good. But she also recommends a $65/plate restaurant and a $300/night hotel. I could forgive the restaurant if there was less of that kind of stuff.
I prefer to use the almost-1000-long World Heritage List. Maybe it...more
I prefer to use the almost-1000-long World Heritage List. Maybe it...more
I Always consult this before I travel to make sure I am planning to hit all key destinations. It is a good tool for discovery. I can't imagine anyone expecting a book of this breadth to be comprehensive (why the bad reviews?). You would not rely on this for travel planning. Use it instead as a place to start your list of experiences for a particular destination. Use it for inspiration for your bucket list. Use it to choose between destinations.
We have added items to our itinerary thanks to this...more
We have added items to our itinerary thanks to this...more
I'm trying to think who the ideal reader of this book would be. Maybe someone who has travelled extensively who wants to sit around exclaiming "aHa, I've been there!" with a turn of each page. Or maybe someone who is about to embark on a lengthy world tour.
I picked it up out of curiosity, but realized that the sheer amount of information contained within is overwhelming and unhelpful. I just can't believe someone was paid to visit all of these places and then write what ends up being one page on...more
I picked it up out of curiosity, but realized that the sheer amount of information contained within is overwhelming and unhelpful. I just can't believe someone was paid to visit all of these places and then write what ends up being one page on...more
Who doesn't love to fantasize about all the places around the word you'd like to see? This book certainly helps! My husband and I bought the book on a whim. We love flipping it open and reading about famous sites around the world that we could someday visit. This is the kind of book that is great to leave out on one's living room coffee table. The author does an excellent job of describing sites right here in my historic Hudson Valley or as far away as places on my "to see" list such as China, N...more
Aug 10, 2008
Susan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those wishing to jumpstart wanderlust
Shelves:
adult-nonfiction
This really sets the bar a bit high. A thousand places just assumes right off that you have time and money since the rest of us drones have trouble getting time off to go visit Aunt Ida in Des Moines. I mean, come on.
We were skimming through it at work - I cannot imagine anyone actually reading the whole thing unless they had a highlighter in hand and index cards 'cause that is how they roll. However, besides realizing I will not ever see 100 things at the rate I am going, it also made me realiz...more
We were skimming through it at work - I cannot imagine anyone actually reading the whole thing unless they had a highlighter in hand and index cards 'cause that is how they roll. However, besides realizing I will not ever see 100 things at the rate I am going, it also made me realiz...more
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Read
I like the book, may be it doesn't have everyone favorite places, and it may not meet everyone ethics approval for not including all historical places , we should be knowing, and who cares if someone recommend you expensive hotel where people live on $5 a day, you don’t have to stay there. Life is different everywhere, you don't have to live by someone else standards or take someone else advice, you have option to consider all the possible...more
I like the book, may be it doesn't have everyone favorite places, and it may not meet everyone ethics approval for not including all historical places , we should be knowing, and who cares if someone recommend you expensive hotel where people live on $5 a day, you don’t have to stay there. Life is different everywhere, you don't have to live by someone else standards or take someone else advice, you have option to consider all the possible...more
Dec 28, 2011
Heather
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
first-reads-giveaway-books
I won this book on the giveaways and was excited to receive it because I'm a relatively new traveler and I'm going to Ireland in June to get married and honeymoon.
This is one of those books that has a "little about a lot" but not a lot about anything specific. As some others have mentioned, the specifics it does have are very heavy on the expensive accommodations and expensive tours and meals. It has very little for us budget savvy travelers so don't expect to get many good ideas in regards to...more
This is one of those books that has a "little about a lot" but not a lot about anything specific. As some others have mentioned, the specifics it does have are very heavy on the expensive accommodations and expensive tours and meals. It has very little for us budget savvy travelers so don't expect to get many good ideas in regards to...more
Too many hotels, I thought. I'm not at all an expert traveler, or even really a traveler at all, but I thought it was more like "1,000 places to make a reservation and sip a cocktail before you die"- I didn't get the impression you'd become especially worldly if you were to strictly follow this book. Also, a lot of the websites it lists to contact hotels, transportation aren't up and running anymore.
It was well written, though. You could picture yourself wherever the author described.
It was well written, though. You could picture yourself wherever the author described.
Avrei dato 4 stelle come valutazione, ma sfortunatamente l'Autrice prende in considerazioni troppe località e amenità, forse per l'obiettivo di raggiungere il numero1000. Comunque è un libro interessante per chi desidera visitare un Paese e trovare una curiosità legata ad un luogo da visitare. Diverse sono le curiosità, dai parchi nazionali, ai ristoranti,allo street food, ai paesaggi indimenticabili. Dedicato ai Grandi viaggiatori e a quelli curiosi come me!
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Way too Americentric for my liking. More than half of these places are incredibly "blah", and they left out a bunch that I would much rather see.
Perhaps I'm just atypical, but I found the book frustrating. I found myself searching for places I want to visit so that I could learn more about them, only to not stumble across them.
To top it off, a bunch of the suggestions are obvious. Do we really need an inclusion of the Louvre? DUHHhhhh......
Perhaps I'm just atypical, but I found the book frustrating. I found myself searching for places I want to visit so that I could learn more about them, only to not stumble across them.
To top it off, a bunch of the suggestions are obvious. Do we really need an inclusion of the Louvre? DUHHhhhh......
this books sucks.. when i started this book i thought i was holding a treasure, i thought this book will have all of my future regarding seeing the world. i thought this would be my map to the world to the most mesmerizing landscapes and adventures
but i was wrong.
this book contains all the fancy looking hotels and all the extravagant places.. no adventure, no marvels.. seriously, im disappointed with this book. it is like an international directory. period
but i was wrong.
this book contains all the fancy looking hotels and all the extravagant places.. no adventure, no marvels.. seriously, im disappointed with this book. it is like an international directory. period
Underwhelmed by the book. I think it provides some good ideas if you are planning a trip somewhere and want a quick idea to run with without going out and buying Frommer's. But that's essentially what this is...a very general travel guide. There are a lot of great things left out...and some great things included. I consider it more of a coffee-table book. Not something you'd ever actually sit down and read cover to cover.
I feel the same way about this book as the US edition. If you are traveling to a new country/region, this gives you a great overview of what some of the best things to see in that particular country. Well organized and thoughtfully put together. I love to daydream about travel and often read parts of this book when I am dreaming of where I'll go to next. The first book I flip through when I start planning an actual vacation as well.
May 12, 2010
Grass_Roots Books and Music
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
_pamela
When I don't know where to go, or want to be inspired to find something new and exciting, I pick up this book. If you can't send your best friend or loved one on a trip around the world, you can at least hand them the inspiration to see the world in all its grandness and humility. It is also fantastic to learn a little bit about a lot of places, making it perfect for that person you know who dreams of being on Jeopardy (like me!).
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