Travel Books You Need for 2020

Get your fix of inspiration to travel next year. We have always been fans of Lonely Planet. Their books offer inspiration and tips to destinations popular as well as off the beaten track ones you probably wouldn’t have thought of.

Pick up one of the many recently published Lonely Planet travel guides.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020 (US$17.99) explores destinations that you should visit in 2020. The book covers the top 10 countries, cities, regions and best value destinations. We won’t surprise that Bhutan was the top country and Salzburg is the Top city. This book also gives recommendations of best new openings, new places to stay, new food experiences and sustainable trips for families with tips on travelling well. The top 10 cities can also be explored with Lonely Planet’s Guides app.

Travel Goals – Inspiring Experiences to Transform Your Life (US$25) invites readers to think of travel as an opportunity for positive change and new experiences. Learn about yourself, other cultures or give back in some way and get inspirations to set your own goals that are personal to you. This hardcover book covers topics of community, culture, wellness, sustainability, local life and self-discovery. I particularly like this book because it opens my eyes to different reasons for travelling while recommending new places that I never knew could help me achieve those reasons. You can join the circus in New York City, or go on a snake safari in Kenya or go on a foot train in Jordan or Te Araroa in New Zealand.

If you prefer trips to nearby destinations from your travel destination or home, then Three Hours From (US$22.99) is perfect for you. 894 amazing short trips from your favourite cities to choose from. As expected of books published by Lonely Planet, the illustrations and photos in this book are amazing. They pop out to you inviting you to visit these destinations. This book is a great resource when you need to figure out nearby attractions or cities to visit should you decide to extend your time from a business trip. Also read about easy-to-reach African wildlife watching, Asia’s best brushes with history, Japan’s best onsen retreats, The UK’s most fascinating Roman sites, Luxurious boltholes in Europe, underrated art museums of Europe, Europe’s finest off-the-beaten-track wineries, North America’s culture and history hubs or wildlife getaways, amongst other topics by continents or regions.

Lonely Planet’s The Universe (US$29.99) is a guide to the universe that was developed with the latest data from NASA. There are 608 pages of detailed planetary guides with local highlights and facts, 553 photos and covers 124 planets. Get the low-down on space travel, physics and NASA’s research. A great book for those who want to increase their general knowledge of the universe, the solar system, outer space and the science of space.

And if astrotourism is your thing, the 288 page hardcover Dark Skies, A Practical Guide to Astrotourism (US$19.99) by Valerie Stimac is a must get. Get an introduction to stars and stargazing. Discover destinations that are dark places such as Uluru, Mount Bromo, Natural Bridges National Monument in US and more. Learn about the different types of Meteor showers, Eclipses, Launches and Space Flight and see astronomy in action at 12 observatories across the globe.

Lonely Planet has different guides for different types of traveller. The Epic Runs of the World (US$35) offers a recommendation of destinations for the avid runners. Check out which marathons or running routes are suitable for you. This book is split up by regions in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The 50 featured runs are first-hand accounts written by people who are passionate in running, with some doing it for a living. Running in another city while travelling is another way to see a place while curing jetlag for some.

You can purchase these books from lonelyplanet.com.

Taiwan Dairies

Singapore writer Ng Kong Ling (黄匡宁) has published a travel book entitled 台湾笔记 (Taiwan Dairies). Previously a journalist with Lianhe Zaobao and My Paper amongst others, Kong Ling has over 20 years of writing experience and continues to be a freelance writer today. She runs her own blog at eatzasmallworld.blogspot.com.

Her new book is a collection of 30 travel articles compiled of 10 years when she wrote for the local papers and magazines. Kong Ling made her first trip to Taiwan in 1979. Her mother came from Taiwan and it was in 1979 that she visited relatives and got to know her mother’s birthplace. From then on, her interest in Taiwan grew.

See Taiwan in the eyes of Kong Ling where she recounts her personal experiences and observations over numerous trips to a favourite destination.

Get a copy for a friend who can read Mandarin from Kinokuniya and Union Book Store in Bras Basah Complex at S$20. Or drop Kong Ling a note on her Facebook page to buy directly.