Flip to back
Flip to front
100 Countries, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do Paperback – February 15, 2011
$19.48
FREE Shipping on orders over $35.
Only 8 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Gift-wrap available.
NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
I'd like to read this book on Kindle
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Want to know our Editors' picks for the best books of the month? Browse Best Books of the Month, featuring our favorite new books in more than a dozen categories.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?.
|
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
From 100 Countries, 5,000 Ideas
Click on the images below to open larger versions.
 |  |  |
| This is the mythical Sahara, the desert of the Azalai trail and the Ténéré Tree. (Frans Lemmens/Getty Images, p. 246-247) | The rugged Dolomites characterize the Alto Adige region. (Gavin Hellier/Getty Images, p. 182) | A tour group from Cape Horn in Chile reaches the Antarctic Peninsula on the world's most remote continent. (Stewart Cohen/Getty Images, p. 28-29) |
 |  |  |
| Bridging Florence's Arno River, the Ponte Vecchio has sheltered goldsmiths' stores and workshops since the 16th century. (Gary Yeowell/Getty Images, p. 181) | Prague's picturesque Charles Bridge, flanked by statues, is one of Europe's landmarks. (Neil Emmerson/Getty Images, p. 100) | Rickshaws, porters, bicycles--the streets of Kolkata are in perpetual motion. (Stefano Torrion/Hemis.Fr, p. 152) |
Review
“For those who don’t have time to read all the guidebooks or visit all the websites, the staff of National Geographic has put together an elaborate list of 5,000 destination ideas of where and when to go, what to see and what to do in 100 countries.” –Chicago Tribune
“Packed with ideas for major cities and rural areas alike.” –The Midwest Book Review
“Packed with ideas for major cities and rural areas alike.” –The Midwest Book Review
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By
Shelley Seale
on June 2, 2011
Format: Paperback
1 Comment
Sending feedback...
I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book, when I heard of its upcoming release. As a travel writer and contributor myself to National Geographic's Central Cascades GeoTourism MapGuide, as well as lifelong NatGeo publications fan, I had high expectations.
I wasn't disappointed. True to NatGeo form and what the organization is famous for, one of the main appeals of this book is its incredible photography. If a quick flip through the richly illustrated pages doesn't make you want to go somewhere - anywhere - then I'm not sure anything will.
But beyond the visualization and dreaming, the real strength of 100 Countries, 5000 Ideas lies in its inspiration and direction for what you want to do in those destinations, that will make travel more meaningful, enjoyable and enriching for the individual traveler. As Rudy Maxa's introduction points out, there is no lack of travel information out there these days. Beyond the thousands of published guidebooks, we now have iPhone apps, downloadable Kindle or mobile guides, podcasts and more. The Internet alone will return millions of results, often leading to information overload. When planning a trip, it's no longer about finding information as it is making sense of the massive amounts available.
Once you have tickets and accommodations booked and are finalizing details of an itinerary, it's easy enough to find out the opening hours and prices of attractions, the location of a restaurant or a local tour. What isn't so easy is figuring out what to do in a destination that will really resonate with you - what will create an experience that will ultimately define that place in your soul, so that rather than simply passing through you are really able to connect on your travels.
This is the beauty of 100 Countries, 5000 Ideas.Read more ›
I wasn't disappointed. True to NatGeo form and what the organization is famous for, one of the main appeals of this book is its incredible photography. If a quick flip through the richly illustrated pages doesn't make you want to go somewhere - anywhere - then I'm not sure anything will.
But beyond the visualization and dreaming, the real strength of 100 Countries, 5000 Ideas lies in its inspiration and direction for what you want to do in those destinations, that will make travel more meaningful, enjoyable and enriching for the individual traveler. As Rudy Maxa's introduction points out, there is no lack of travel information out there these days. Beyond the thousands of published guidebooks, we now have iPhone apps, downloadable Kindle or mobile guides, podcasts and more. The Internet alone will return millions of results, often leading to information overload. When planning a trip, it's no longer about finding information as it is making sense of the massive amounts available.
Once you have tickets and accommodations booked and are finalizing details of an itinerary, it's easy enough to find out the opening hours and prices of attractions, the location of a restaurant or a local tour. What isn't so easy is figuring out what to do in a destination that will really resonate with you - what will create an experience that will ultimately define that place in your soul, so that rather than simply passing through you are really able to connect on your travels.
This is the beauty of 100 Countries, 5000 Ideas.Read more ›
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By
irv1n88
on December 15, 2011
Format: Paperback
Verified Purchase
Comment
Sending feedback...
When it comes to travelling I am an avid planner. Once I decide what country I'm going to I buy the Eyewitness Travel book, read it cover to cover, and then plan out my entire trip. I bought this book to supplement my collection mainly to help with my initial decision-making (which country to visit and when). This book met my needs and at a great price (it was $10 when I purchased it). I have already read the book and I loaned it to one of my friends who wanted to plan a large family trip in a few years. He wasn't sure what his options were or where he wanted to go so this book was perfect for him.
Advantages: this book provides a great jump start for planning a vacation. I love that there are 100 countries across all 7 continents (I didn't even know trips to Antarctica were possible) described within the book. Travel time to each destination is provided from different cities, I remember NY and London, although I'm not sure if there were any others. Since I live in DC, knowing the travel time from NY was very beneficial. There is also information on travel documents needed (passport, visa), required / recommended vaccinations, the best months to travel, pros and cons of each destination, safety information, and some great pictures.
Disadvantages: this book obviously won't serve as a single source for your travel planning. Most countries only have two pages of information on each destination although some have much more. The United States, for instance, had at least a dozen pages. For someone that doesn't live in the US that may be useful information, for me it wasn't. You can't get a good feel for what sites are available in each country, but to be fair, that wasn't my reason for purchasing the book.
If you are looking for a high-level travel book that provides enough information for you to choose what country or countries you are interested in visiting then this book is perfect for you.
Advantages: this book provides a great jump start for planning a vacation. I love that there are 100 countries across all 7 continents (I didn't even know trips to Antarctica were possible) described within the book. Travel time to each destination is provided from different cities, I remember NY and London, although I'm not sure if there were any others. Since I live in DC, knowing the travel time from NY was very beneficial. There is also information on travel documents needed (passport, visa), required / recommended vaccinations, the best months to travel, pros and cons of each destination, safety information, and some great pictures.
Disadvantages: this book obviously won't serve as a single source for your travel planning. Most countries only have two pages of information on each destination although some have much more. The United States, for instance, had at least a dozen pages. For someone that doesn't live in the US that may be useful information, for me it wasn't. You can't get a good feel for what sites are available in each country, but to be fair, that wasn't my reason for purchasing the book.
If you are looking for a high-level travel book that provides enough information for you to choose what country or countries you are interested in visiting then this book is perfect for you.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
16 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By
Mohammed Syed
on April 5, 2011
Format: Paperback
Verified Purchase
Comment
Sending feedback...
National Geographic has been my favourite magazine publishers since childhood. I decided to buy this book based on my heavy travelling. It was quite useful and informative, however, I believe there was some misunderstanding towards the expectations of this book. I was expecting more travel-portable ideas, hence, details on; hotels, transportation, must-visit cities & locations and the nightlife. The book is more like a mini-encylopedia on close to every country, giving summaries on each country, again very informative but just lacking exciting & innovative 'Ideas'.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
Percy
on February 12, 2013
Format: Paperback
Verified Purchase
Comment
Sending feedback...
As my wife and I make plans for travel in our retirement, we have found this book to be an excellent resource.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
A Reader
on August 21, 2012
Format: Paperback
Verified Purchase
Comment
Sending feedback...
I recently moved to Asia and was looking for a travel book that would give me a broad overview of things to do and places to see in many different countries. I was very happy with the quality and content of the this book. It has great full color photographs, fits a lot of information on the page without being overwhelming, and has great helpful tools. The layout is easy to follow for each country and you can find and compare the same features on each page - which I found wonderfully useful. It also shows where each country is on the world map on the country page, so that is very helpful as well. I love the bright and unique pictures, and found myself dreaming about places to go - many that I hadn't heard of before the book.
My only complaints were that a few countries that seemed obvious choices were left out (Panama for one) and the amount of space dedicated to each country was variant (US has many pages and a brief section for each state, China and Australia less by comparison, Spain overrepresented based on its size....) but all of that is the preference of the author. I was for the most part completely happy with how the book fit my needs. I learned a lot about many different pages, was inspired by the pictures, and found out basic information about the places I wanted to go. It is not meant to be a comprehensive destination guide, so if looked at in that light it would fail - but as for what it is, it's about perfect.
My only complaints were that a few countries that seemed obvious choices were left out (Panama for one) and the amount of space dedicated to each country was variant (US has many pages and a brief section for each state, China and Australia less by comparison, Spain overrepresented based on its size....) but all of that is the preference of the author. I was for the most part completely happy with how the book fit my needs. I learned a lot about many different pages, was inspired by the pictures, and found out basic information about the places I wanted to go. It is not meant to be a comprehensive destination guide, so if looked at in that light it would fail - but as for what it is, it's about perfect.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Most Recent Customer Reviews
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
