Fastcheck Arrival Guides: Excellent, Free City Guides

by Willy Volk on

Tired of paying for bound travel guides? Maybe you’re planning on hitting several cities in several different countries and travel guides don’t make sense? Just like getting stuff for free? No matter what your rationale, you should check out Fastcheck Arrival Guides.

Available in several languages and written by local journalists, Arrival Guides are city-specific guidebooks available in PDF-form for dozens of destinations, from Aarhus to Zurich. Complete with detailed maps and useful contact information, each Arrival Guide provides key information about eating, sleeping, drinking, and shopping. Moreover, the Guides detail cool events occurring throughout the year, to help you plan your trip.

I checked out the Miami guide, and I was impressed with the content. Of the 14 pages, 2 were full-page ads (don’t print ’em!), but the remaining 12 were full of good information. Bookmarked!

[Via Backpackers]

Borat To Write Travel Book Called “Borat: Touristic Guidings To Minor Nation of U.S. and A”

by Willy Volk on

Though this news story ridiculously refers to Borat Sagdiyev as a “fictional Kazakh television reporter,” I still think it’s worth a mention.

Evidently, the articulate, suave, and uber-sophisticated Borat has just agreed to share his eminient knowledge and produce a book of travel advice. Two books in one, the first half is a guide to the United States for Kazakhs; the second half is a guide to Kazakhstan for Westerners. Wisely, the book will have a dual title: “Borat: Touristic Guidings To Minor Nation of U.S. and A.” and “Borat: Touristic Guidings To Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.” Who needs The Smart Traveler’s Passport?

Evidently, Borat’s book will be filled with images, illustrations, and practical advice. We’ll do our best to get him in for a Talking Travel.

One for the Road Review: Rough Guides 25

by Kelly Amabile on

The nice folks at Rough Guides sent me a few titles from their about-to-be-released Rough Guides 25 series. The collection of 25 “Ultimate Experiences” travel books will be officially released in the US on Friday, to commemorate the company’s 25th anniversary. I’ve got a sneak peek at the books today, and an interview with founder Mark Ellingham coming up tomorrow — which will feature a chance for one lucky Gadling reader to win a complete set of the 25 anniversary guides! Here’s the scoop on this special limited-edition set:

Just a few moments spent flipping through these bite-size books had me hankering for a sudden journey real bad. These little guys are bursting with colorful photos and graphics of adventures that scream “Try Me!” Each mini-guide suggests 25 ultimate travel experiences for a particular region or theme. There are destination guides for places like India, Spain, Canada and China, and thematic guides like Adventure Travel, World Food and Ethical Travel.
While thumbing through my copy of 25: Europe, I discovered that despite my extended travels around the continent, I’ve only completed three of Rough Guides suggested ultimate experiences for European travels — portrait viewing at the Prado, bargain shopping in Krakow and exploring Sintra’s magical castle. There are several others that I’ve “sort-of” done, and readers will probably notice the same — enhanced or modified versions of trips previously taken. For example, I’ve been to the Louvre before, but never in the evening, as RG editors suggest. So now gazing at art after dark has been added to my ever-growing list of reasons to return to Europe.

I was bummed, however, not to find mention of two of my favorite European cities, Budapest and Ljubljana, in the Europe guide. But later on I found both incorporated nicely into 25: Places to Stay, which highlights unique accommodations around the world. Buda’s Hotel Gellert and Ljubljana’s Celica Hostel are both featured. (These cities might also be mentioned in the 25: Eastern Europe edition. In my interview with Mark Ellingham tomorrow you can learn more about how Rough Guides narrowed down which experiences to include in the books.)

In all, the complete set of 25 books features 625 travel experiences, a collection that is sure to offer ideas that appeal to every type of traveler. These suggestions go beyond the typical “top” travel experiences. Most have a unique twist to them — the point is not just to visit a certain city or landmark, but to experience it through a specific lens, be that time of year, hour of day or some other special element. Often the experiences are linked to seasonal festivals, cuisines, sporting events or outdoor activities. For example, try visiting the Colosseum in winter, instead of during the hot crowded summer. Or visit Sydney specifically to experience Mardi Gras, which takes place every March.

The books themselves are 80 glossy pages, lightweight and soft-bound. The flexible inside front cover folds out with a map that pinpoints each of the 25 experiences featured in the book. And the inside back cover folds out with a “Taking the Next Step” section that lists logistics and links to aid trip planning. Each of the 25 experiences gets its own two-page spread with fantastically fun photos and a “Need to Know” section. There is a bonus “Miscellany” section too, containing a random smattering of additional trip ideas like “The Top Five Bird Sanctuaries in New Zealand” or the “Five Best Dive Sites in Australia.”

Rough Guides has created a clever commemoration to their 25 successful years. And with this special anniversary series they have gathered together enough classic experiences to easily keep folks well stocked with travel ideas for at least another 25!

Check back tomorrow morning for Gadling’s interview with Mark Ellingham, Rough Guides founder; and news on how you can win a complete set of these anniversary guides.

One for the Road: Afganistan to Zimbabwe

by Kelly Amabile on

Here’s another study aid that can be used to increase your geographic IQ — a collection of winning tips from a former Bee champion. Sure, this book is written for kids ages 8-14, but if my score on the GeoBee Challenge is any indication, then I surely could start with some help from a geo whiz kid. Break it down for me, plain and simple — what does it take to be a Bee brainiac?

2004 National Geographic Bee Champion Andrew Wojtanik clues us in a little bit — His book has gathered essential facts about each of the world’s 192 independent countries. For each country from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe there is a map with major cities, mountains, rivers and the names of bordering countries. Other facts that are crucial for Bee participants to know are also included: population stats, physical facts, language, currency, political info, current leader and date of independence.

That’s a lot more detail than the basic facts about physical location of a country, but it all falls under the realm of what may be asked at the Bee. The study of place stretches far beyond just latitude and longitude. So Bee sure to check this one if you want to Bee prepared.

One for the Road: Soaring with Fidel

by Kelly Amabile on

I’m always so fascinated to learn about the reasons why people embark on certain journeys. For me, travel is very often a whim — I simply set out for a particular destination when the spirits move me. But some folks have very specific whims that they follow — clearly defined goals or agendas that mark their course.

Today’s One for the Road pick is a perfect example of this. Soaring with Fidel is the story of David Gessner’s 7,000-mile journey from Cape Cod to Cuba, as he followed the osprey migration. Gessner has studied ospreys for years and in 2004 he decided to set out and follow the birds during their annual migration across two continents.

Now don’t be scared off if birds are not your thing — Gessner begins by telling readers that “this is not a bird book” and goes on to emphasize how embarking on this odyssey led him to discover the “joy in reducing life to one thing.” His book is all about the migration and the characters he encounters along the way, but it also makes some deeper commentary on happiness and the small delights that come with following what you love.
The guy’s got a sense of humor too, so I’m guessing this could be a really enjoyable read. On his website OspreyWorld, Gessner writes: “This site is about the book but it is also about ospreys and how you can find inner peace and be happy (and thin and famous) by following ospreys…..”

Gessner is also editor of the literary journal Ecotone, which emphasizes the deep importance of place in contemporary writing. He will be appearing tomorrow, May 21, in New York City at Chelsea’s Half King at 7 pm as part of their ongoing reading series and has a bunch of other events slated for the summer.