Do you have a travel bucket list of specific places you want to visit and experience? To bring your travel dreams to life, it’s helpful to get some inspiration. Patricia Schultz has created an excellent book to inspire you: 1,000 Places To See Before You Die (Deluxe Edition).
Find out if this 500+ page wonderfully illustrated travel coffee table book is right for you or the travel enthusiast in your life.
What I Loved About The Book
Reading this book throughout the fall of 2021, I was inspired by nearly every page. Here are some of the specific points I enjoyed about the book.
- Travel Photography
The book has outstanding travel photography, including full-page photos of cities like New York and Washington DC. As someone interested in improving my travel photography, this book was excellent. You get everything from landscapes to city views and much more.
- Global Coverage.
The book covers every continent in the world and almost every place you might like to visit. As the title suggests, it is intended to be a selective view of the world. Therefore, don’t be surprised to see that some countries are missing. You’re not going to see North Korea or some countries in Africa listed. However, you will see good coverage of every continent.
- Practical Travel Tips.
While photos take up most of every page, the book is not just a feast for the eyes. You will also find plenty of practical travel advice in the book. For example, the book covers some remote wilderness areas that are difficult to visit. In many cases, Schultz recommends transportation methods (e.g., certain areas like Churchill, Manitoba are only accessible by plane and train) and when it makes sense to seek out local guides.
- Variety of Travel Activities.
Travelers vary widely in the type of experiences they are looking for. Some people want to experience the world of cuisine and fine dining. You might be on this website because you are interested in wine travel. Or you might be excited to see history, museums, and the wonders of the natural world. To the author’s credit, the book covers a wide variety of travel experiences. You’re bound to find something that covers your interests.
Where The Book Could Be Better
There are a few areas where the book could have been better.
- Historical Accuracy.
I found two historical errors in the text of the book. That was disappointing to see. For example, there was a Christian church described as being more than two thousand years old. There was also another error later in the book. Given the broad coverage of the book and incredible photos, a few errors like this might be understandable.
- Further Resources.
The book was curiously lacking in terms of further reading recommendations and resources. It would have been nice to see a few recommended books and references from the author.
- US Heavy Coverage.
The book has hefty US coverage. Out of 509 pages, there are 89 pages dedicated to the US. In contrast, all East Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan, Mongolia, and South Korea) gets 28 pages. This emphasis is probably because the author has published previous books covering the US and Canada in-depth.
15 Travel Ideas I Loved In The Book
To give you a sense of what to expect from the book, the following list illustrates some of the travel experiences covered. I’ve organized these themes into three simple categories: wine, history, and the outdoors. This is just a tiny taste of what you can expect in the book.
Inspiration For Wine Lovers
There is plenty of wine travel ideas covered in the book. To inspire your next wine travel themed trip, take a look at these ideas. According to the book’s index, more than 20 places are in the “wineries, breweries and distilleries” category.
- France. Bordeaux, the Alsace Wine Road and Beaujolais.
- Canada. Okanagan Valley.
- New Zealand. Hawke’s Bay.
- South Africa. Cape Winelands.
- Australia. Hunter Valley, Margaret River, and Barossa Valley.
Inspiration for History Fans
The book offers excellent coverage of historical sites, ruins, and related places to visit. I could easily create another review post on the book’s recommended historical sites.
- China. Xi’an and the Terra Cotta Warriors.
- UK. Hadrian’s Wall and the Tower of London.
- Germany. Heidelberg Castle.
- Silk Router – multiple countries.
- Italy. Naples.
- France. Mont St-Michel
Inspiration For Outdoor Enthusiasts.
The book has a whole section in the index called “Mountains and Landscapes” and an index section called “Adventure Travel,” so there is plenty to add to your travel bucket list.
- Canada. Banff, Jasper, and Yoho National Park.
- USA. The Great Smoky Mountains.
- UK. Lake District.
- Italy. Tuscany.
3 Reasons To Buy 1000 Places To See Before You Die Right Now
The book makes a great gift for readers and travel enthusiasts alike. If you love to take photos and videos while traveling, the book’s visual delights will inspire you to take even more photos! If you feel like you’ve “been there and done that” to all of the world’s travel destinations, this book will give you more ideas. Finally, if you want to rekindle a passion for travel after the long years of the plague, then this book is just the ticket.
