The travel book - a journey through every country in the world

@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
May 3, 2012 3:04pm CST
I am very interested the different countries in the world (as some of you might have noticed ) and today I got a new book about travelling. It is called "The travel book" and there are pictures from every country in the world and a short description of each country for instanse the top things to see and do in that country. I like to read the descriptions of the places where I have been and compare them with my own opinions and experiences. I also like to read the descriptions of places where I have never been. Some of those places I am never going to visit for instanse North Korea, but I still like to read the descriptions and learn more about those countries. Are you interested in learning more about the different countries around the world? Which country or countries are you especially interested in and why? Do you prefer to read about countries where you have been or countries where you haven't been? Why?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@welkin (106)
• China
5 May 12
Hi,friend,have you really planned to come to Asia this year?Which countries are in your plan?And which country in Asia do you want to visit most? I haven't been abroad till now.But going abroad for further study or sightseeing is also in my plan.Denmark is one of the countries I want to visit most.Besides,England,Germany,France,Italy,these countries are all on my where-to-go list.I plan to learn German these days and are checking the information about studying there.Honestly speaking,Europe is a place I really look forward to visiting. I am quite interested in learning more about different cultures in the world,though China itself already has many,and a lot of them are among the parts which I don't know much about.BTW,if China is in your plan,I can also offer some information you want to know.I am really glad to do that! Hope you can have a nice trip then!
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
5 May 12
Yes, I plan on visiting Asia this year. I am going to visit Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. It will be my first visit to Asia and I am really excited about it. I would like to visit China, too, but unfortunately it is a bit complicated, because I can't get into China without a visa. I haven't given up the idea of visiting China one day, but I plan on visiting some of the other countries first, because I can visit them without a visa (if I only stay there for a short time) or buy a visa at the border. Where in China are you from? I hope that you will get the chance to visit Europe. I am happy to hear that you are interested in visiting Denmark. If you need any information about Denmark I will be happy to help you. The other European countries that you mentioned are also interesting places to visit. I especially like Italy, but the other countries are interesting, too.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
6 May 12
Thanks for the information about China. I hope that I will be able to visit your country one day. Like I said the visa situation in China is a bit complicated, but I still hope it will be possible one day There are 5 universities in Denmark. One of them is pretty close to my island and it is called "Syddansk universitet" (= university of southern Denmark) They have a website with English information for international students: www.sdu.dk/en/Uddannelse/Practical_information On that website that website you read about the practical things, how to apply and things like that. Some majors are very popular for instanse medicine and psychology, and you need a very high grade point average to get in. Other majors are less popular and everyone or almost everyone gets admitted. I think it would be best to apply at every university if you are interested, because that would your increase your chances. The other universities are called University of Copenhagen, Aarhus university, Aalborg university and Roskilde university.
@welkin (106)
• China
6 May 12
My parents are working and living in Qingdao,Shandong province.But I am studying in Sichuan University in Chengdu,Sichuan province. It's a pity to hear that it is a bit more complicated to visit China than other countries.I've never known that before.In China,Denmark is regarded as the kingdom of fairy tales.It's a country a lot of people want to visit.The countries in your list are all very near to China.If you come to China someday,Chengdu may be one of the places you would like to see,with a totally different culture and a lot of places of interest.Actually,coming to Chengdu for a visit is a pretty good choice,though living here may be boring,for the constant drizzly weather.Sunshine,which I love so much,is luxury here. Also,I would like to recommend my hometown,Qingdao.I think you'll never regret to see this city.That's one of the best cities in China,I think. What's more,I am quite interested in the education system in Denmark.What's the situation of universities there?And do you think it's a good choice to receive higher education for a Chinese?Would you like to offer me some information about it?Thanks a lot!
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@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
3 May 12
sounds like a great book--I am going to have to check it out! I prefer reading about places before I go, so that I get a sense of what to visit (or not to visit) but then make up my own mind when I get there. Once I return I prefer to write about my own experiences LOL. I recently completed a survey about worldwide travel and discovered I have only been to 22 countries--I better get moving! Although I want to see as many as possible, I agree with you--there are a few I will never visit, like North Korea.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
4 May 12
I think it is an interesting book and I like the combinations of photos and short country descriptions. I started reading it from the beginning and so far I only got to Angola I look forward to reading about the rest of the countries. I also read about places before I go. I bought the Southeast Asia guide book from Lonely planet, and I use the information from that book when I plan my itinerary. Like you I want to see as many countries as possible, and I have a long, long travel wish list.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
5 May 12
Angola is not on top of my list. I would like to visit Africa, but I think that Angola is a relatively difficult country to visit, because I would need a visa as well a letter of invitation. I prefer to visit countries where there aren't too many visa restrictions. I am very interested in Southeast Asia, I have never been there, but I really look forward to our trip to Thaland, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. I am still trying to save up the rest of money for the trip and I have taken an extra job. I hope that we will be able to travel this year. I think that there are many interesting places in visit in Europe. I don't know the Frommer's or Fodor's guides that you mentioned. In my country we can only buy Lonely Planet and some local guidebooks called "Turen gaar til". I don't like the local guidebooks, so I stick to Lonely Planet.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
4 May 12
Is Angola on your list? Probably not that high up. . .lol! I like Lonely Planet, too, at least for some places. Most of Southeast Asia is pretty high on my list although it is a bit cost-prohibitive to get there at the moment. I believe our next oversea excursion is going to be somewhere in Europe. Probably will get a Frommer's or Fodor's guide for that, rather than a Lonely Planet.
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@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
3 May 12
I got given that book and it is a gold book, very large, very heavy and extremely tall. I have it on the top shelf of my Mexican style glass door book case. That shelf is taller than the other two shelves. If it was any taller I wouldn't be able to have it in my bookcase. I have another book from Lonely Planet that is called The Cities Book and has a black cover. It is also very interesting and enjoyable to read. I enjoy reading old favorite books like Lonely Planet Central America on Shoestring that I had bought in 2005. In it I look at details regarding the destinations I visited on my best ever trip in 2006 to Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. I also love First Time Around the World from Rough Guides even though I bought it years after my trip around the world which happened in 1993 and 1994. I can't ever imagine getting rid of those lovely books. I am never going to be able to visit Sao Tome and Principe but I like reading about it. It is unlikely that I will ever be able to afford to visit the Galapagos Islands but it is my dream destination that is perhaps out of my reach. I read about North Korea the other day and that is another perhaps not sot of destination. It was my response after reading about Graham Hughes the explorer using land and sea transport to every country in the world. This year I have been reading up about Argentina and Chile for my trip that I have recently come back home from. I am totally uncertain about where I will go in 2013. It will be one of the destinations on my travel wish list. I am reading about lots of different countries on that list at the moment.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
4 May 12
Yes, the book is huge - and heavy. I made a reservation at my local library and I was very surpriced when I picked up the book. It was much bigger than I imagined, but seems like an interesting book. At the library I also found the Cities book from Lonely planet. I have it in my home, but I didn't read it yet. I look forward to reading it because sounds very interesting. Some of the cities that I want to visit in Asia are mentioned in the that book, and I think that it will be especially interesting to read about those places. I don't know much about Sao Tom and Principe. You wrote that you would never be able to visit that place, is it a very expensive place? The Galapagos islands would definately be an interesting place to visit, but I don't think that I will manage to go there. It will be interesting to hear which place you choose to visit in 2013. I don't think that we are going to travel in 2013, because we will spend our savings on the trip to Asia in November and December this year.
@jricky1 (6800)
• China
4 May 12
Hey,my friend.I know a book which is really worth buying while you are traveling the world.It's called"lonely planet".And also there are many sharings that people has given in that book.Honestly,i would really read the countries that i'm really interested in.However,that makes me more crazy about the country.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
5 May 12
I love the guidebooks from Lonely Planet. They are much better than the local guidebooks that we can buy in my country. Yes, when we read about the countries that we are intested in, we want to visit them even more than before. I experience that when I read about the countries in book that I mentioned when I started the discussion. There is a short description of every countty and some photos from every country, when I read the description and look at the photos I get even more interested in visiting that country I constantly add new countries to my travel wish list, because I read about some interesting countries that I didn't know much about before.
@ryanong (9665)
• Vietnam
4 May 12
I love traveling and i used to travel abroad many times. I love to discover cultures as well as life style in where i visit. I often find out information on internet and print it out before i go because buying a travel book is expensive for me. I just read information related to places i will visit soon, normally i don't read about it..because after 6 months or 1 year i may forget whole information of it. However, after i spent my time in that place i never forgot.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
5 May 12
I also love travelling, and I think it is really interesting to learn more about other cultures and lifestyles. Guidebooks are relatively expensive, and that is one of the reasons why I have chosen to buy one guidebook that covers every country in Southeast Asia instead of buying a guidebook for every country that I want to visit. Of course there is more information in the guidebooks that only cover one country, but we don't plan on the spending that much time in every country, so we only need information about the the most important places. The internet is a great source of information. Like you I use the internet when I want to find information about the different places and I usually combine that information with the information in the guidebooks.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
5 May 12
Yes, the guidebook that covers Southeast Asia is pretty thick (about 1000 pages) There are relatively few details about each country compared the guidebooks that only covers one country. I don't think that a guidebook that covers every country would be a good choice for tourists who want to visit many different parts of each country, because there aren't enough details. For a tourist like me that kind of guidebook a good choice, because I only plan on visiting the most popular places, and I get the information that I need. I will be able to use the same guidebook when I visit Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, and that is nice. I plan on combining the information in the guidebook with information from the internet.
@ryanong (9665)
• Vietnam
5 May 12
My friend often buy a guidebook of the country that he plan to visit, and i see it is really useful. If i have money, i wish i do the same...If you buy a guidebook for Southeast Asia, i am afraid that that book will be so thick and may be not in details as a guidebook for every country. How do you think?
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@Iynna12 (67)
4 May 12
I have never been abroad. my mother says that there is nothing much you will see. it's better to have a book written for the country you are interested in then to go there and to wander aimlessly on without a goal.there should be some plan,some sightseenig based on historical events and monuments and guided tour. nowadays it's rather expensive. one could not afford to have them all. it's better to have a book with pictures and stories about the tradition of the country written.I think am not curious at all about airline trips and train journeys
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
5 May 12
I disagree with your mother, because I love travelling. I love to read books about other countries, but nothing beats the experience that I get when I visit those places in person. I find it very interesting to visit the places that I have read or heard about, and I get really excited when I get the chance to explore them in person I think that we can learn a lot of things from books but in my opinion books can't replace the personal experience.
@MandaLee (3758)
• United States
3 May 12
I have never traveled overseas. I love to read about all countries. In order to understand each other better, it is important that we take the time to learn about various cultures. In doing so, in a small way we are helping to encourage peace and understanding.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
3 May 12
I agree with that. I also think that it is important to learn more about other cultures. It is a way to understand eachother better and at the same time I find it very interesting to explore other countries and cultures. I look forward to reading that book. There are lot of countries that I don't know much about, and I think that it will be interesting to get more information about those countries.