Product Description

We only get one life so we owe it to ourselves to see as much of this beautiful world as possible. For many of us, lying on a beach for two weeks each year is just not enough any more. We want to see ancient monuments, extraordinary scenery, endangered wildlife, foreign cultures, architecture and art - places that give us the chance to grow and expand our horizons. Unforgettable Places to See Before You Die will help you search out some of these essential destinations and experiences. International travel writer and photographer Steve Davey has drawn on his years of experience in selecting forty of his favourite places. Some, such as the Taj Mahal and the Alhambra, are relatively well-known, but most, such as the incredible temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the amazing sand dunes of Dead Vlei in the Namib desert, are very much off the beaten track. Some, such as Venice or New York, involve relatively comfortable journeys, whilst others present more of a challenge - crossing the wilderness to see the rock-hewn churches at Lalibela in Ethiopia, for example, or trekking for nine days at altitude to see the stunning Himalayan scenery around Makalu in Nepal. Although there are plenty of tips for travellers, this is not a travel guide, and is certainly not definitive, but it will introduce you to a host of spectacular locations, all of which can be visited in a holiday of two weeks or less. Beautifully illustrated throughout with specially commissioned photographs, this is a book that will inspire you to think beyond the walls of your room and take time out to visit some of the world's truly unforgettable places.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #417907 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
A compelling list of 40 must-see places, lavishly embellished with spectacular photos... compact yet poignant essays. -- Library Journal 09/01/2004

Lush photographs and exotic locales... high-ticket laundry list for places that are still beautiful, and in some ways even pristine. -- Globe and Mail 08/14/2004

Review
An irresistible title with an challenge -- and the photographs -- to get your pulse racing... hidden gems. (Sunquest Magazine 200501)

A call to travel. (Laura Robin National Post 20041002)

Compact text and augmented by beautiful illustrations... a rich travelling life. (Brad Hooper Booklist 20040915)

You may become obsessed with trying to figure out how to see as many of these places as possible. (Millie Ball New Orleans Time-Picayune 20040912)

The 300 photographs in the book are mouth-watering... Davey's writing is opinionated and to the point. The dude's been around. (Dana McNairn Edmonton Journal 20041017)

A compelling list of 40 must-see places, lavishly embellished with spectacular photos... compact yet poignant essays. (Lee Arnold Library Journal 20040915)

40 wonders worldwide with, of course, great photographs is sure to be a conversation piece and a stimulus to travel. (TravelScoop 20040814)

Lush photographs and exotic locales... high-ticket laundry list for places that are still beautiful, and in some ways even pristine. (Globe and Mail 200501)

Those who enjoy... more leisurely pursuits will also be able to appreciate what's here... Gorgeous photographs add to the appeal. (Chicago Tribune 20041016)

A sumptuous volume for the tourist in all of us... the photographs are stunning. (Michael Hanlon Toronto Star 200511)

The photography is uniformly excellent... This book will transport the armchair traveler and excite the globetrotter. (Joy McDonell Canadian Camera 200812)

Personal and eclectic... some of the most photogenic locations on the globe. (Alex Good Kitchener-Waterloo Record )

An insider view of such mad adventures as chasing down white Spirit Bears in the rainforest and traveling by camel. (David Freed Hooters Magazine )

The first installment in what has become a beautifully photographed series... The subtitle says it all: 1,000 Ultimate Travel Experiences. (Westworld )

About the Author
Since graduating with a BA in Photography in 1988 Steve Davey has travelled extensively researching and illustrating features about places most of us only ever dream about, which is why he is ideally suited to write this book. Steve has been published In magazines, books and newspapers all over the world, including Wanderlust, Footprint Guides, Rough Guides, the Independent, Geographical Magazine, Insight Guides and Global Adventure Magazine. In addition, Steve has co-written and illustrated two books on digital photography and has contributed to four anthologies of travel writing. He is also a regular contributor to Total Digital Photography Magazine.

Customer Reviews

Inspirational
I was given this book recently and have to say it is probably the most inspirational travel book I have seen for many years. As a founder of an adventure travel company (Intrepid Travel) I see many books of this ilk - but this is altogether different and better. The pictures are fantastic and the copy very rreadable. It looks at 40 destinatiions - some mainstream, some off the beaten track. It makes you want to travel!

Ok at Amazon's price
The photography in this book matches the high standards set by similar books; although a couple of photographs of Petra were particularly good.

The information wasn't terribly important to me: if I really want information about Machu Picchu, for instance, there are several books filled with great information on that topic. But if you really don't know anything about Machu Picchu, this book will give you a bare idea of it.

My top 40 places would be different of course, and so would everyone else's. For instance, number one on my list would be Jerusalem, and number three would be Istanbul: neither got in here. Well, that's his perogative and I can't dis the book over it.

Some selections did surprise me. For instance, Shanghai is listed, but Xian isn't. I think most people would reverse that. Of all the great places in India, of course Varanasi (my number 2) and the Taj Mahal appear, and then the Jaisalmer Fort. Well, that's a reasonable choice, but I would have strongly preferred Mumbai or Amritsar.

Anyway, the real problem is choosing 40, rather than 80 or so. The world's a big, wonderful, interesting place after all. No mention here of the Amazon or the Congo, of Meteora or Mashhad, and so on.

The real reason that I bought this book is to inspire my girlfriend to travel with me: I think we all have that kind of thing in mind. For that, it'll do.

There are some other books that I'd recommend checking out before you spend your money. For instance, "The Spirit of Asia" by Michael Freeman is excellent for that part of the world; and Joe Cumming's book "Buddhist Stupas in Asia" will inspire a lot of travel throughout Asia. I own those two books, but a few others also look very good to me: "Sacred Places Around the World," "100 Things to do Before You Die," "The Travel Book," and, for pure photography, books by Art Wolfe or Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

Amid such company, I feel that this book is fine, and I don't regret buying it at all. But it's not exceptional in any regard, so I give it 4 stars. At Amazon's price ($13.50 as I write this), it is certainly a good deal, as some of the books I prefer are more expensive.

Striking Photographs Support One Man's Perspective on the World's Must-Sees
I guess I should count myself lucky for having been to 22 of the forty places that travel photographer Steve Davey has identified as essential stops before dying. Along with a similar Time-Life photo essay book ("Heaven on Earth: 100 Places to See in Your Lifetime") and the Lonely Planet coffee table books ("The Travel Book" and "The Cities Book"), there seems to be a sudden flurry of these types of dream destination books on the market now. Even Patricia Schultz provides 960 more places than Davey ("1,000 Places to See Before You Die"), but the benefit of his entry is that we get a singular perspective based on the notion that we have a two-week holiday to get to each one of them. The usual suspects are here - the Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Machu Picchu in Peru, the Alhambra in Granada, Petra in Jordan - but there are some choices that are not as high profile and seem more personal to Davey such as Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland and Lalibela in Ethiopia. I am certain he would be the first one to tell you that this is not meant to be a comprehensive list since one can easily itemize the glaring omissions, but none of the forty seem superfluous.

Perhaps a slight exception is the inclusion of Manhattan and the Bund in Shanghai, both of which brings to question why other top-ranked metropolises are not included. Alas, this is apparently the start of a series of books Davey plans to put out, in which future volumes may put such questions to rest. The photographs are superb, and that is inarguably the main reason to consider purchasing this book. In case you're wondering, the remaining destinations are St. Petersburg; the Grand Canyon; Aitutaki in the Cook Islands; Pyramid of Kukulchán in the Yucatan; Iguassu Falls; Rio de Janeiro; Taman Negara Rainforest in Malaysia; Havana; Wat Phra Keo in Bangkok; Venice; Dead Vlei in Namibia; College Fjord in Alaska; Jaiselmer Fort in Rajastan; Karnak Temple in Luxor; the Galapagos Islands; Lake Titicaca; Greece's Santorini; Drakensberg in South Africa; the Great Barrier Reef; Tibet's capital Lhasa; Ephesus in Turkey; Monet's Garden in Giverny; both Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar in Tanzania; Makalu in the Himalayas; Australia's Uluru (Ayers Rock); Varanasi in India; Guilin in China; Dubrovnik; Samarkand in Uzbekistan; and Killlary Harbour in Ireland.