Atlantica - 01.06.2006, Page 25

24 AT L A N T I CA
Who says you need to re-read The
DaVinci Code on your holiday?
Atlantica comes to the rescue with a
taster of delicious travel reads.
THE “GUIDE BOOK”:
Phaic Tan, A Jetlag Travel Guide
From the authors of the best-selling
guidebook to the elusive country
Molvania comes the authoritative
story on that South-East Asian gem,
Phaic Tan. Yes, everything you need
to know about Phaic Tan, birthplace
of the trouser press and irritable
bowel syndrome, can be found in this
irreverent book.
The minor detail that Phaic Tan
does not exist should not distract the
reader from learning all about the
country, including its cuisine (“a fiery
combination of chili, garlic and pepper
to which food is occasionally added”),
road rules (“Remember to always sound
your horn before overtaking, turning,
pulling out, pulling in, changing
lanes or stopping. It’s also obligatory
to sound your horn before sounding
your horn and stiff fines apply to those
who fail to do so”) and the national
sport, kick boxing (“Ticket prices vary –
expect to pay extra for anywhere close
enough to be showered in blood”).
Everything you expect from your
guidebook and more.
THE HISTORICAL TRAVELOGUE:
Strangerland, by Helena Drysdale
Lonely Planet Publications
Strangerland is the tale of Isabella
Gascoyne, who married a dashing
British officer in India and bore him
nine children, only to fall ill and return
to Britain for health reasons. When
she recovered and returned to her
husband, now in far-off New Zealand,
she found children and a husband who
were distant and a governess who had
supplanted her role in the family.
In the midst of this personal turmoil
is the equally dramatic political
backdrop. The dominance of the
British East India Company begins to
wane in the sub-continent, and on
the other side of the world, the British
fight increasingly vicious battles with
the native Maori over land claims in
New Zealand.
Drysdale’s fascinating book is all the
more captivating because the entire
story is real and based on journals and
documents uncovered by the author, a
relative of Isabella.
THE ETHICAL CHOICE:
The Ethical Travel Guide, Polly
Pattullo and Orely Minelli for Tourism
Concern
To u r i s m Co n c e r n , a U K- b a s e d
organization which raises awareness
about the negative effects of tourism
and takes steps to counteract them,
has produced this helpful and
thought-provoking book on “ethical”
travel. In an extended essay, “Under
an Ethical Sky”, the authors raise many
of the issues the world’s increasingly
numerous travelers should consider
when planning trips, including where
their money will be going, cultural
sensitivities and environmental
impact.
The second half of the book is a
directory of experiences from around
the world, from homestays to day
trips, which put many of this group’s
principles into practice.
THE MAGAZINE:
Wanderlust
The name says it all. Wanderlust is
a British magazine aimed at those
who just can’t tame those itchy feet.
Published 10 times a year, each issue
has several features on destinations
around the globe. There are also
regular sections on books, world
music and health, plus job listings
for positions in the travel industry.
Extensive in its coverage but geared
to regular, and not luxury, travelers,
Wanderlust is great for planning your
own trip or just enjoying the view from
the armchair.
www.wanderlust.co.uk
GETTING AROUND
Travel reading to take you from A to Z. Compiled by Eliza Reid.
on the fly
009 airmail Atlantica 406 .indd 24 23.6.2006 11:30:04