A review of 1000 Ultimate Travel Experiences: Make the Most of Your Time on Earth

Reviewed by Karen Wilson

Most of us will chalk up just a few of the 1000 travel experiences in this book, but it will undoubtedly inspire those wanting to create new travel memories. If you prefer armchair travel, you’ll find the mini write-ups fascinating.

The book is divided into geographical sections and numbered experiences that are first-hand accounts from various travel writers. Some options are not for the unfit or faint-hearted, but if zip-lining across the Spain-Portugal border, hiking up Peru’s multi-coloured Rainbow Mountain, or facing off with Komodo dragons in Indonesia is not for you, there are plenty of alternatives!

History enthusiasts can consider a stay at Hever Castle in Kent, the childhood home of the ill-fated Anne Boleyn, and a therapeutic visit to the Thermae Bath Spa in the World Heritage town of Bath, England. In Italy, outdoor concerts, from opera to contemporary music, are held in the Roman-era Verona arena.

If history and hiking are your preferred pairing, the path of the old Berlin Wall is now a 160-kilometre (divided into 14 sections that can be tackled individually) hiking and cycling trail. Several much longer hikes are featured if Machu Picchu or a Camino are on your bucket list.

Plane, train or automobile? Train choices include the Beijing – Shanghai Express, Eastern & Oriental Express between Singapore and Bangkok, and the Australian Ghan, which travels across the vast Outback from Adelaide – Darwin.

For some, the highlight of any trip is sampling a region’s food and beverage. The book notes Belgium’s claim to beer and chocolate fame and will tell you where in the world to find the best coffee, bourbon, and local speciality dishes.

Those who don’t mind the cold and the dark may enjoy a December visit to Kiruna in Sweden to see the Northern Lights and sleep in an Ice Hotel.

The list of natural wonders and cultural experiences is long, and South Africa also gets several mentions – from Bo-Kaap architecture and Cape Malay cuisine to Table Mountain. Whilst whale-watching in Hermanus didn’t make the pages, did you know that the Dominican Republic and Mexico are whale-watching hubs?

Rough Guides publishes 1000 Ultimate Travel Experiences. The font size is reasonably small, so good reading light is essential! The 2007 copy in our Chartered Client Library has been replaced with 2022’s fifth edition.