Presents in print

Presents in print

With Christmas and New Year just days away, we look at some gifts that promise to inspire travellers to hit the road over the next year

Published on December 22, 2007

CODE GREEN

Travel will become much greener and sustainable in the years to come, as many of us on the roads respond to the need to reduce our carbon footprints. "Lonely Planet Code Green: Experiences of a Lifetime" is an alert to change the ways we travel. It draws together almost 100 responsible travel experiences from across the planet, from budget backpacking to serious luxury, all linked by three defining principles: tread lightly on the environment, immerse yourself in the culture and have a positive economic effect on the local community. The guide helps you connect with places of beauty, and people who lead very different lives from you. And it's about making connections in a sustainable way, so that the same opportunities will be there for the future.

SECRET HOTELS

There are beautiful hotels everywhere. The problem is that most of us cannot afford to pay for so much as a cappuccino never mind an overnight stay in these expensive places. This is where "Secret Hotels" comes in. Compiled by the editors of Budget Travel magazine, this guidebook acquaints you with an enticing array of stylish places - from beachside cottages to hilltop villas to family-run guesthouses - where you can vacation in comfort and style without having to worry about breaking the bank. Setting its sights on eight of the world's top travel destinations - Provence, Tuscany, Tahiti, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Cornwall, Bali and the French Riviera - "Secret Hotels" scopes out the hidden treasures that, till now, have mostly been known only to the locals.

THE LOST HORIZON

Sometime in the early 20th century, a group of four - English diplomats Conway and Mallinson, an American trader on the run and a French missionary - are kidnapped and taken to a mysterious monastery known as Shangri-La high in the Tibetan mountains. There, far from war and troublesome society, they find an inner peace, love and unheard-of longevity. But both diplomats fall in love with a young, beautiful harpsichordist and with her leave Shangri-La. Conway makes it to a Chinese outpost, but then tries to retrace his steps to Shangri-La.

James Hilton wrote "The Lost Horizon" in 1933, and his classic novel still inspires many modern nomads to search for their own Shangri-La.

THE TRAVEL BOOK

If one picture can tell a thousand words, coffee-table book "The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World" must be worth a million or more with its fabulous collection of travel photos.

It is huge and heavy but reasonably priced and vastly informative. All the writers who contribute to the Lonely Planet travel guide series have put heads, knowledge, and experience together and come up with an A-to-Z series of capsule profiles of 230 countries. Each country gets a two-page spread, on which are spread out, like luscious dishes at a feast, illustrations that are typical of Lonely Planet's unique, non-picture-postcard brand of shots.

The accompanying text presents a cogent rundown of the best experiences for gaining the essence of the place; books to read beforehand; music to listen to before you go; food and drink to consume once you are there; and a few brief but pithy closing comments on the essential things to do, buy and see. Finally, there's an insight into the best surprise awaiting travellers at each destination.

THE TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO

While many continue to board their American Express in search of Shangri-La chic and their own Valley of Blue Moon as described in James Hilton's

classic, other, more realistic travellers are following Marco Polo's footstep to the Silk Road. "The Travels of Marco Polo" tells the story of the Venetian merchant's journeys from Europe to Asia in the mid-13th century. The book recounts Polo's expedition to the eastern court of Kublai Khan, the chieftain of Mongol empire, and his travels in service to the Great Khan from Beijing to northern India. It ends with the remarkable story of Polo's return voyage from the Chinese port of Amoy to thePersian Gulf.

Weaving together fact and fantasy, "The Travels" is considered one of the first great travel books of Western literature.