If you’re into travel then no doubt you’ve heard of, read or received as a gift my friend Patricia Schultz’s book “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” It was a bestseller on every book list, including the New York Times list. Just in time for the 2019 holidays, Patricia has come out with a new, beautiful, large hardcover edition of the classic book. It’s titled “1,000 Places to See Before You Die: The World as You’ve Never Seen It Before” ($50). It’s from Artisan Books, and it comes out on October 29, 2019 (you can pre-order it now). It’s way too big to travel with but it’s perfect for any traveler’s coffee table.
“1,000 Places to See Before You Die: The World as You’ve Never Seen It Before” by Patricia Schultz ($50 on Amazon)
Patricia and the publisher were kind enough to send over a few excerpts from the book, including these “5 Islands You Need to Visit Before You Die”:
1. Palawan, Philippines: A Last Frontier of Extraordinary Natural Beauty
A 270-mile-long sliver of island, Palawan is promoted as the Philippines’ Last Frontier. Off the northwest tip lies its showpiece: the Bacuit Archipelago—40 islands featuring see-through waters and deserted white sand beaches surrounding jagged limestone outcroppings that soar hundreds of feet into the air.
Must Do // Island-hop in a bangka (a traditional outrigger canoe) // Visit the town of El Nido for front-row access to the archipelago or a ferry to the nearby island of Coron // Tour Puerto Princesa’s Subterranean River National Park // Arrange for a live-aboard dive trip to the Tubbataha Reef
2. The Whitsundays, Queensland, Australia: A Dazzling Archipelago in the Heart of the Great Barrier Reef
Cradled by the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea, these 74 islands (only 8 are inhabited) are a sailor’s dream and offer deserted palm-fringed beaches, scenic bushwalks, and superb snorkeling and diving.
Must Do // Visit Whitsunday Island’s Whitehaven Beach, possibly Australia’s finest, and Hill Inlet at its northern end // Sail on luxury crafts or bareboats for DIY adventurers, or sign up for a half or full day of diving and snorkeling // Fly into Hamilton Island, the most developed of the Whitsundays // Golf the 18-hole championship Hamilton Island Golf Club
3. Block Island, Rhode Island, U.S.: Eleven Square Miles of Yankee Paradise
Block Island is a barefoot-and-bicycle kind of place, and a third of this New England gem is a wildlife refuge with more than 30 miles of hiking trails and cliffside biking paths.
Must Do // Explore the Great Salt Pond, which harbors hundreds of pleasure boats // Visit during the autumn migrations to see more than 150 species of birds pass through // View the collection of wooden buildings from the island’s Victorian heyday
4. Ilha Grande Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil: A Magical, Verdant Island
A pirate hideout during the colonial era, Ilha Grande is the largest in a constellation of 360 islands that dot the beautiful Angra dos Reis (Bay of Kings). It has become a favorite destination for Brazilian sun seekers and a handful of foreign beach cognoscenti drawn by the untamed island’s empty beaches and do-nothing vibe.
Must Do // Take the ferry from mainland Angra dos Reis to the village of Vila do Abraão, the gateway to Ilha Grande’s tropical seclusion // Hike the island’s miles of trails through a rain forest full of birds, sloths, and howler monkeys // Tour ruins from the island’s dark past of slavery // Catch a boat to the untouched beaches of Caxadaço and Saco do Céu // Snorkel among sea life and nearby shipwrecks in the Green and Blue lagoons
5. South Georgia Island, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands (British Overseas Territory): South Atlantic Bird Paradise
Windswept, largely unknown, and utterly isolated, South Georgia nevertheless delights intrepid visitors with impossibly high sea cliffs, dazzling fjords, and snowy Alpine peaks sloping down to wave-whipped beaches of fine-grained salt-and-pepper sand. Vestiges of the area’s whaling days remain at the “capital” of Grytviken, home to fewer than 20 seasonal souls. These seemingly desolate shorelines harbor one of the world’s largest and most important penguin colonies: more than a half million breeding pairs of king penguins and their fluffy brown chicks.
Must Do // Watch for 81 rare and wonderful bird species, including a million-plus macaroni penguins // Visit during the summer when fur seals and elephant seals breed on the shores of South Georgia // Tour the cozy museum and ring the bell of the wooden church in Grytviken, built in 1913 // Pause at the simple grave of legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton
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