Unforgettable Things to Do Before You Die [Paperback]

Steve Watkins (Author), Clare Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2005

The world's best ways to spend your time.

There are a host of thrilling and exciting things to do in this world. For inspiration and help finding the best, turn to Unforgettable Things to Do Before You Die.

This splendidly illustrated book gives forty amazing locations and experiences. Each can be enjoyed in a regular two-week holiday or less.

International travel writers Steve Watkins and Clare Jones draw on years of experience and select forty personal favorite adventures:

• Pony trek through Patagonia
• Safari in the Serengeti
• Ride an elephant in Chitwan, Nepal
• Track spirit bears on Princess Royal Island
• Learn warrior skills in Naadom, Mongolia
• Taste wine in vineyards in Bordeaux
• Walk on the Great Wall of China
• And thirty-three more unforgettable journeys for the adventurous traveler looking for new experiences.

(20050428)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For adventurous travelers and those who are tired of the typical beach getaway, this unique guide, a follow-up to the first book in the series, Unforgettable Places to See Before You Die, presents 40 of the world's most exotic destinations and activities. Imagine chasing wild horses across the steppes of Mongolia, rafting down Africa's fourth largest river or exploring scenic Chitwan, Nepal, while riding on the back of an elephant. These are just a few of the adventures included in this beautifully illustrated book. Many of the excursions, however, can be pricey and some require an experienced guide, such as climbing the active Pacaya volcano in Guatemala, but Watkins and Jones also suggest a few more relaxing trips, like a surfside drive across California's Big Sur or a wine-tasting tour in Bordeaux, France. The awe-inspiring photographs and vibrant descriptions will leave readers dreaming of these fantastic experiences, but unfortunately, the volume lacks some basic information, like estimated costs. Still, with the variety offered in this book, readers will most likely find at least a few adventures within their physical and financial reach.
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Review

The authors... understand it takes more than an exotic landscape to make an unforgettable trip. (Christine Delsol San Francisco Chronicle 20050424)

Goes beyond couch potato and engages mind, body and spirit... dramatic photography. (CanWest News Service 20050425)

Beautifully illustrated... 40 destinations that offer unusual, exotic, and essential travel experiences. (Melissa Stearns Library Journal 20050605)

Color photos that make you want to be in the photo. (Millie Ball New Orleans Times-Picayune 20050609)

Unique guide... the awe-inspiring photographs and vibrant descriptions will leave readers dreaming of these fantastic experiences. (Publishers Weekly Annex 20050529)

40 activities -- and the more unforgettable the better... gorgeous photographs add to the appeal. (June Sawyers Chicago Tribune 20050406)

Richly illustrated travelogue describes 40 incredible world-wide destinations. (Larry Cox Tucson Citizen 20051201)

Some of the Earth's most remarkable, breathtaking sights and scenery... 300 stunning photographs, a map and travel information. (Jennifer Parks Edmonton Sun 20051210)

40 unique and inspiring adventures... 280,000 kilometers across five continents during a single year. (Ottawa Citizen )

Once-in-a-lifetime activities... Favor[s] photography over heavy text, making [it] perfect for dreaming or reminiscing. (Carolyn Ali Georgia Straight )

40 journeys that will blow your mind... photos are wonderfully tempting. (Rebecca Wigod CanWest News Service )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (April 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554070643
• ISBN-13: 978-1554070640
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #816,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steve Watkins thought practicing law was his destiny. Yet even while studying at Yale Law School, he couldn't quite shake the pull of making jokes through comic strips, as his class notes would reveal. Steve eventually passed the California bar exam and practiced law, but he always stuck with his cartooning. Housebroken, syndicated by Tribune Media Services, now appears in newspapers across the country.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Travel to Distant Lands for the Thrill of It., November 10, 2005

By 

Betty Burks "Betty Burks" (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unforgettable Things to Do Before You Die (Paperback)

This is a travel book in the form of coffeetable binding and photographs. It is the second in a series, a continuation of UNFORGETTABLE PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE by Steve Davey. Published by a British firm, the U.S.A. is of nominal interest to their project.

In the first book, the Grand Canyon in Arizona represented America; in this one, it is Las Vegas and New Orleans (prior to Katrina's destruction), and driving down Route 1 on the California coast. There is the Wall of China, volcano in Guatemala, the rainforest in Belize, hiking the Himalayas and riding elephants in Nepal, and discovering a medieval city in Estonia.

For those of us who don't have the resources to travel to these far away places, we can do it vicariously by looking at these beautiful pictures. None of it is even one thing I will do before I die.

35 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Forget the esoteric pretentiousness this is a good book!, September 25, 2005

By 

Steve D (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unforgettable Things to Do Before You Die (Paperback)

Rather than waffle on with some self-indulgent, up myself faux esoteric claptrap to try to make myself look and feel important, I will address the book in question. Its good, very good. There are some teriffic photos here and the authors have managed to convey the atmosphere of many of the places.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A bit too wordy, August 6, 2008

By 

J. Davis (Stanford CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Unforgettable Things to Do Before You Die (Paperback)

I love travel books. Descriptions in this one are about 3 pages of words per place, about 40 places in the book. I think I prefer about 1 page of words and 2 pages of pictures per place. Most of the things are in the category of 'that sounds like a very fun, but hard to arrange, vacation I will never take'. Nevertheless I enjoyed it. The focus is on things to do, not places to see. Pictures are so-so given the places that are being shown.