101 Countries: Discovering the World Through Fast Travel

by P.J. Parmar

With an inability to sit still, a knack for handling uncomfortable travel, and a mission to see most of the world with as little time and money as possible, the author embarks on a whirlwind tour of five continents. His style of travel often incurs unexpected adventures, including sleeping with bums in Tokyo, Rome and Krakow; getting sick from street food in Amman and Shanghai; and being detained in small rooms by authorities in Cambodia, Siberia, Grenada and the United States. His travels take him from the beauty of Scandinavia, Tierra del Fuego and the Caribbean, to the shadier sides of Guyana, Pakistan and Kenya. In addition to the travelogue, "101 Countries" includes background information on places visited, discussions of different standards of living, and tips for independent travel.

336 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

Reviews

[Erica]

An informative view of many countries in a short time. Although I don't know if I could travel this fast paced way, I appreciate the brief glimpses into many countries. I enjoyed the mini histories of many of the countries he traveled and wonder how much different the experiences and prices would be 20 years later.

[Ryan]

Local Coloradoan P.J. Parmar's book is a fun narrative through his extensive world travels. This book was a big inspiration for my own long-term trip around the world, and I'm really glad I read it before I left. Parmar weaves travel advice and lessons learned into his stories, which added a lot of value for me. My big criticism of this book is the "fast travel" that Parmar advocates, often staying in cities or countries for less only a day or two, which is not nearly enough to experience much of anything, in my opinion. Although interesting, this book spends a lot of time inside public transportation or with painfully brief glimpses of the places to which he travels. With that said, P.J. seems to have a lot of fun going at his preferred breakneck pace, and it's fun to go along for the ride with him.

[Matt]

I learned that moss grows on the north side of trees and when stepping out of a subway station which way to orient myself so I always know which way I'm going.

Did you know that orographic cloud formations form above mountains?

[Diane Scanzaroli]

Quit a manic traveler! I think I prefer to slow down and absorb more, but a great read! And he's my boss. Very cool