Off the Tourist Trail: 1,000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives

Contents......Page 8
Foreword......Page 11
Ancient and Historical Sights......Page 13
Pyramids of Meroe, Sudan vs Pyramids of Giza, Egypt......Page 14
Avebury, UK vs Stonehenge, UK......Page 18
Agrigento and Selinunte, Sicily, Italy vs The Acropolis, Athens, Greece......Page 22
Pula Arena, Croatia vs The Colosseum, Rome, Italy......Page 24
Herculaneum, Italy vs Pompeii, Italy......Page 28
Lalibela, Ethiopia vs Petra, Jordan......Page 32
Isla del Sol, Bolivia vs Machu Picchu, Peru......Page 36
Borobudur, Java vs Angkor, Cambodia......Page 40
Tikal, Guatemala vs Chichén Itzá, Mexico......Page 44
Krak des Chevaliers, Syria vs The Tower of London, UK......Page 46
44 More Amazing Ancient and Historical Sights......Page 48
Festivals and Parties......Page 53
Salvador Carnival, Brazil vs Rio Carnival, Brazil......Page 54
Mamaia, Romania vs Ibiza, Spain......Page 58
Gnawa and World Music Festival, Morocco vs WOMAD, UK......Page 61
New Year, Singapore vs New Year, Hong Kong, China......Page 62
Haro Wine Battle, Spain vs La Tomatina, Buñol, Spain......Page 63
Esala Perahera, Kandy, Sri Lanka vs St Patrick’s Day, New York City, USA......Page 64
Melbourne Arts Festival, Australia vs The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, UK......Page 67
Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, Australia vs The Love Parade, Germany......Page 70
Montreal Jazz Festival, Canada vs Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland......Page 73
Goa\'s Full Moon Parties vs Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand......Page 74
Semana Santa, Cusco, Peru vs Semana Santa, Seville, Spain......Page 75
Asti Palio, Italy vs Siena Palio, Italy......Page 76
Bumbershoot, Seattle, USA vs Lollapalooza, Chicago, USA......Page 79
44 More Exciting Festivals and Parties......Page 80
Great Journeys......Page 85
The Apolobamba Trek, Bolivia vs The Inca Trail, Peru......Page 86
Coastal Route 15, Mexico vs Route 66, USA......Page 90
Annapurna, Nepal vs Everest Base Camp, Nepal......Page 94
The Palace on Wheels, Rajasthan, India vs The Orient Express......Page 97
Pilgrimage to Rome, Italy vs Camino de Santiago, Spain......Page 101
Cruising Lake Nasser, Egypt vs Cruising the Nile, Egypt......Page 104
Less-Travelled China......Page 106
Less-Travelled India......Page 110
Corsica\'s Northwest Coast, France vs The Amalfi Coast, Italy......Page 114
44 More Great Journeys......Page 116
Architectural Marvels......Page 121
Haghia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey vs Basilica San Marco, Venice, Italy......Page 122
Imam Mosque, Isfahan, Iran vs St Peter\'s Basilica, Rome, Italy......Page 125
San Gimignano, Italy vs The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy......Page 129
Chicago, Illinois, USA vs Manhattan, New York City, USA......Page 132
9 de Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina vs Champs-Elysées, Paris, France......Page 133
Puning Temple, Chengde, China vs Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China......Page 134
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, USA vs Sydney Opera House, Australia......Page 136
Ponte delle Torri, Italy vs Pont du Gard, France......Page 140
Notre-Dame d\'Amiens, France vs Notre-Dame de Paris, France......Page 144
44 More Inspirational Architectural Marvels......Page 146
Natural Wonders......Page 151
Devils Tower, Wyoming, USA vs Uluru, Australia......Page 153
The Orinoco, Venezuela vs The Amazon, Brazil......Page 156
The Chilean Lakes vs The Italian Lakes......Page 159
Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA vs The Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA......Page 162
The Patagonian Fjords, Chile and Argentina vs The Norwegian Fjords......Page 164
Fernando de Noronha Islands, Brazil vs Galapagos Islands, Ecuador......Page 165
Western Uganda Reserves vs Kruger National Park, South Africa......Page 167
Cherry Blossoms in Japan vs New England\'s Fall, USA......Page 170
Iceland vs Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA......Page 172
Croatia\'s Islands vs The Greek Islands......Page 174
Iguaçu Falls, Brazil and Argentina vs Niagara Falls, USA and Canada......Page 177
Mindo-Nambillo Cloud Forest, Ecuadorvs Costa Rican Rain Forests......Page 180
44 More Breathtaking Natural Wonders......Page 184
Beaches......Page 189
Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos vs Magens Bay, St Thomas, US Virgin Isles......Page 190
Cottesloe Beach, Perth, Australia vs Miami Beach, Florida, USA......Page 192
Hulopo\'e, Lāna\'i, Hawai\'i vs Waīkīki, Hawai\'i......Page 196
Turtle Bay, Watamu, Kenya vs Mombasa\'s Beaches, Kenya......Page 199
Sabratha, Libya vs Tulum, Mexico......Page 202
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica vs Montezuma Beach, Costa Rica......Page 203
Ihuru, The Maldives vs Ko Phi Phi, Thailand......Page 204
Isle of Harris Beaches, Outer Hebrides, UK vs Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, USA......Page 206
Punta del Este, Uruguay vs Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil......Page 209
44 More Stunning Beaches......Page 210
Sports and Activities......Page 215
Skiing: Kicking Horse, Canada vs Whistler, Canada......Page 216
The Paris Marathon, France vs The London Marathon, UK......Page 220
Salsa in Havana, Cuba vs Tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina......Page 222
Hiking: Mount Stanley, Uganda vs Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania......Page 224
Rejkyvík Golf Club, Iceland vs St Andrews, UK......Page 228
Diving: Christmas Island, Australia vs The Great Barrier Reef, Australia......Page 231
Cycling: Cappadocia, Turkey vs The Slickrock Trail, Utah, USA......Page 234
Trekking in Bhutan vs Trekking in Chiang Mai, Thailand......Page 236
Motorcycle Races: Tandragee 100, Northern Ireland, UK vs TT Races, Isle of Man......Page 238
Surfing: The Soup Bowl, Barbados vs Bondi Beach, Australia......Page 240
44 More Exhilarating Sports and Activities......Page 242
Art and Culture......Page 247
Smaller Parisian Museums vs Musée de Louvre......Page 248
Wine-Tasting in Mendoza, Argentina vs Wine-Tasting in Napa Valley, California, USA......Page 253
Crazy Horse, South Dakota, USA vs Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, USA......Page 254
Kröller-Müller, The Netherlands vs Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands......Page 255
Rock Art of the Drakensberg, South Africa vs The Cave Paintings of Lascaux, France......Page 256
Lyonnaise Cuisine vs Parisian Cuisine......Page 261
Capitoline Museums, Italy vs Vatican Museums, Italy......Page 263
Film Festivals: San Sebastián, Spain vs Cannes Film Festival, France......Page 266
Umbria, Italy vs Tuscany, Italy......Page 269
Festival di Spoleto, Italy vs The Proms, London, UK......Page 272
New York\'s Independent Galleries vs MoMA, New York, USA......Page 274
44 More Destinations for Art and Culture......Page 278
Cities......Page 283
Delft, The Netherlands vs Amsterdam, The Netherlands......Page 284
Less-Explored London......Page 286
Alexandria, Egypt vs Cairo, Egypt......Page 290
Potosí, Bolivia vs Cusco, Peru......Page 291
Less-Explored New York......Page 292
Reno, Nevada, USA vs Las Vegas, Nevada, USA......Page 296
Gyeongju, South Korea vs Kyoto, Japan......Page 297
Less-Explored Hong Kong......Page 298
Fez, Morocco vs Marrakech, Morocco......Page 302
Less-Explored Venice......Page 304
Rīga, Latvia vs Prague, Czech Republic......Page 309
Less-Explored San Francisco......Page 312
Bath, UK vs Budapest, Hungary......Page 316
Zacatecas, Mexico vs Mexico City, Mexico......Page 317
Less-Explored Paris......Page 318
Less-Explored Sydney......Page 322
44 More Fantastic Cities......Page 326
Geographical Index......Page 330
C......Page 332
G......Page 333
L......Page 334
P......Page 335
S......Page 336
Z......Page 337
About our Authors......Page 338
Acknowledgments and Credits......Page 340