1000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List

We've had this sitting around for a while, so after I catalogued it, I decided to actually read it.

I was surprised by it, as apparently some of the other reviewers here were. A very significant proportion of the entries aren't really "places" as I think of them, but ultraluxurious hotels. I grant

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you that there are "places" where hotels and location are wound tightly together or synonymous. Say, the Wawona in Yosemite or the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone. But I say that because you can go and "see" these hotels and find it interesting without having to stay in them. Whereas many of the hotel "places" mentioned in this volume are there just as grand, luxurious accomodations, not as general experiences.

Along with this is a lack of "small special" places, or really any quirky sensibility at all. I'm not saying this should be "1,000 Gritty, Low-Cost, Culturally Authentic Lonely-Planetesque Places to See Before You Die", but this is more like a kind of guide to travel as a grand fashion accessory, a way to keep ahead of the Joneses.

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What places belong in this book is a matter for endless debate. I think some gems are overlooked, but this book is for making dreams. Don't treat it as comprehensive, even though it does a remarkable job.

Not the best travel guide I've ever read. It seems to be aimed primarily at the American traveller, especially the rich American traveller. While there are nearly 200 pages dedicated to the USA alone, there are less than 100 for the whole of Asia, and only 20 for the Middle East.

An indication of

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the 1,000 places is given by the very first one. Clivedon House is a country house hotel in Berkshire, England which costs from $320 per night to stay in. It seems to me a good third of the places recommended are expensive hotels or restaurants.

In future I'll be sticking to Lonely Planet or Rough Guide travel books.

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Alright, so I'm a little late getting to my seat on this bandwagon. Late or not, I'm glad I made it. I love this book.

First, the relatively brief entries are perfect for someone with the attention span of a caffeinated gerbil (me). However, this aspect also left me wanting to know more.

The downside

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to this book is that it can leave you feeling a little depressed. Because, honestly, what are the odds you'll get to see each and every place?

Nonetheless, it does leave you with very high hopes and plenty of vicarious excitement.

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Okay, so I'll never go anywhere near most of these place. But it's sooooo much fun to read about them. One wish for any future editions -- more photos for armchair travelers like me.

The author had a lot of information on places I'd never heard of, even after living 4 years in Germany (and traveling extensively), but she lists entirely too many (IMO) 5 star hotels, which are mostly noted just for great service and beauty, and tend to be outrageously over-priced. When I travel,

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I'm more interested in the sites, and my interest in hotels is only how much they will cost.

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We bought this just before embarking upon our first Semester at Sea to help us create a "must see" list for each port. It covers all seven continents and has great sections for U.S. travel. What I really like about the book is that it doesn't just hit the touristy spots or the swanky restaurants.

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It led us to a hole-in-the-wall Pho restaurant in Ho Chi Minh city, where I had one of my top five best meals of all time (and this girl eats a lot of meals!)

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I've only browsed this book, but since I'm an info-head, I've liked what I've read. I do own the companion video, but I'm afraid to view it for fear that I may die if I do...

As a travel lover, the idea of this list really appealed to me, but in applying it, the book has fallen short. For three years, when I traveled I looked up the places I was going to see what made the list in that spot. The actual recommendations were very disappointing. They mostly focused on

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insanely expensive accommodations and restaurants. I ended up being able to visit only a few. But somehow I had great trips without these supposed gems, and it seemed to me that many of the great, cheaper things I did see and do should have appeared on the list over a fancy hotel. Yes, a book like this is bound to inspire controversy; any top 10 list will. At least it gets you thinking about your real travel priorities.

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As others have noted, this book is missing important places to see, yet it does a great service in getting our wanderlust up and in a locale to see wonders not mentioned.

We love this book! When we are going on vacation to a new destination, we always pull this book out to see if there are any other recommendations in the area that we should consider as a side-trip or activity. Excellent adidtional reference to have on hand!

This is the kind of book that inspires you to travel more, see more of the world we live in. At the very least it's a book of dreams - one you can pick up at any time (it's packed full and huge) and find something new.

I tend to echo what other have said. To be honest my problem with the hotel entries is not so much that they cannot be afforded. Let's be honest, anyone intending to travel to all 1000 destinations is going to spend a million doing it. I just don't see luxury hotels as being a "must see" item.

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Maybe a few very famous ones that are steeped in history like the Savoy in London or Raffles in Singapore but I don't travel somewhere to a see a hotel.

The Asia section is far too small as well. I'm not sure I can believe there are 8 places worth seeing in Japan compared to 190 in the USA.

It's still an interesting guide and fun to dip into but probably doesn't really live up to the title.

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While this book offers truly tantalizing ideas of places to visit, the majority of the items on the list seem to be very difficult to fit into a typical price-range. It is clear, however, that the author has done her research and is well-acquainted with every suggestion she makes. The descriptions

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are enticing and exciting, but the organization of the book could be a bit more helpful. Also, some of the things listed aren't as much "places to see" as "events to go to in particular places". While this is useful, it would be more helpful to have those items in their own section.

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Fun to rifle through and dream of travel. The biggest drawback to the book is that it's so US-centric. I know there was a follow-up book on places in the US and Canada, so a lot of these should have been reserved for that volume, giving more focus to other countries for this one. While I am a

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foodie and definitely interested in restaurants, that's not really what I thought should be included in this book. I would love to see separate volumes for restaurants/resorts, as they're not really what I would consider a "place to see".

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The one that started it all. Yes, right now there are scores about books around that list just about any place, train journey, island, golf course, late night diner you have to see before you die, but this is the mother of it all and as such has my full respects even though some of the books that

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followed it have actually done a better job. This is a very handy compilation of places to visit. So when you're going somewhere just for a day or two there really is little need to purchase yet another guide book, but just have a quick look into this book for some inspiration and then follow your instincts for the rest of the time.
Yes, list books are by its very nature subjective, so I am not going to argue as to what else should have been included, but I do feel that the emphasis here is far too much on hotel and restaurant experience.
Still a great book to have around.

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A straighforward account of geographic history. Informative and well-written.

Slowly checking off places as I visit.

I have always had a bit of wanderlust, so I was very excited when I purchased this book. I thought that it would have a few more 'adventurous' places to visit, but it does touch on several places that I would like to go. Not an awful travel guide at all, but it may be a bit boring for those looking

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for something more exciting.

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This book tended to focus a lot on resorts and hotels. While I appreciate the greatness of luxury, I am more interested in seeing things a country has to offer, not what type of view I can get from my hotel room. For being what it is, it was a good, brief intro to certain countries and a good

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starting book to peak interest into a region.

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While the book describes locations millions would like to see, most can never afford to do it. It's a nice dream to visit all 1000, but highly unlikely to ever be accomplished. I'm also disturbed by the lack of American places.

If you are a fellow travel junkie like I am, this book absolutely belongs in your library. It gives you in-depth reviews on places that you probably have never even thought to discover and now, after reading through it, I feel like I have to visit them all.