Make the Most of Your Time on Earth: a Rough Guide to the World: 1000 Ultimate Travel Experiences - Rough Guide

I'm a sucker for this kind of book - the "ultimate travel list" genre. Based on looks alone this "1000 Ultimate Travel Experiences" stands out from the rest. Part of that is due to the size - it's at least twice as thick as the Bluelist/ "Unforgettable ...to do before you die" series (though it's not quite A4 size). The gorgeous photo of the island with the lone kayaker on the front cover draws you in. At 608 pages, it's a bit weighty for taking with you on your holidays though!

The book is laid out in regional chapters, starting with Britain and Ireland and finishing with the Polar Regions. Within these sections it flits between countries, which is a little confusing at times (e.g. in Western Europe the German entries are scattered around among those of Austria, Switzerland and others). However, there is an index at the back to find entries by country.

Each page (except for the chapter openings and the "miscellany" pages - see later) has at least one photo per double page, so there are a number of stunning photos throughout the book. There are some brilliant landscape shots but also good urban photography as well as some great food shots.

There's a wide range of experiences listed, some more active than others, from festivals to white-watr rafting to wildlife-spotting. While some of these are classic "must-dos", e.g. the Milford Track in New Zealand, the Eiffel Tower and many others, there are a number of less well known places described. Among these are Krak de Chevaliers - "the finest castle in the world" in Syria, and the ruins of Djado in Niger.

The UK and Ireland are well represented with 59 entries, with some random experiences such as a Dorset survival course, and drinking whisky by a roaring fire in Scotland when it's raining! While there is a major focus on Europe which nearly dominates the book, there are also 22 entries for West Africa and 9 for the polar regions.

With 1000 different ideas, there's obviously a limited amount of space for each one, and each section contains only 2-4 paragraphs. However, the writers manage to squeeze a good overview into this, with descriptions of the smells and sounds as well as the sights. There's also a separate index at the back for info such as websites or contact details, as well as some timetables and costs. It doesn't replace a guidebook, but it could aid in basic travel planning so you don't decide to head off at the wrong time of year. At the end of each chapter there's a miscellany double page with a few random facts and lists about the region.

For anyone who travels this shold be an essential addition to your bookshelf. I've picked up loads of facts I never knew and have had to add a number of places to my travel wish-list. With an RRP of £18.99 it's good value anyway, but it's available for less than that online and well worth the money.