IF we could sum up in one sentence what we found most agreeable about the annual Lonely Planet Bluelist books, it would be this:
"Sometimes the best travel adventures are the ones experienced from home, in your chair, with a nice cuppa steaming tableside and a plump pillow propping up your feet."
A short excerpt from this year's Bluelist book actually - found under the definition of "Armchair Tourism" in the "Know Your Travel" section - the one liner best describes what the Bluelist experience is about: traversing the globe from the pages of a well put-together book.
Lonely Planet Bluelist: The Best in Travel 2008, the 225-page third-edition, follows in the same thread of delivering the 'inimitable experience of travel', in a no-frills, highly readable summary of the hottest places to visit and the wackiest travel ideas to boot.
Venture vicariously or first hand
The book kicks off with the "Golists" - 30 cities, countries and regions to visit in 2008.
Those hampering for a blow-by-blow account of what to do, see or eat ala travel guidebook style may be sorely disappointed.
Instead Bluelist provides bite-sized nuggets of interesting facts about each destination - "defining experiences", "recent fad", "most bizarre sights" to name a few - enough information to whet the appetite but never overwhelming.
For the armchair tourist, it serves as the perfect vicarious escape for a lazy afternoon read, and for the intrepid traveller, a serious launching pad to coming up with their own itineraries and 'to-dos'.
Unsafe and unwelcome?
The 2nd edition focused on "Dark Tourism" as an emerging traveller theme, and this year's book turns the spotlight on a no-less interesting topic - "Travel Islam".
Travel is a "great way to debunk myths and stereotypes", says the writer, and this feature challenges the reader to re-look the 'skewed' image which Islamic regions have been given by traditional media, as unsafe and unwelcome to the tourist.
The section is a well-balanced mix of places to visit and things to do in Islamic countries, with a healthy dosage of historical, religious and cultural background thrown in.
What would sometimes be hard-to-discuss issues like acceptable dressing is cleverly captured in chapters like "a question of cover" - a "guide to how much skin is in". Another chapter, "Stop the bad-mouthing", asks the reader to rethink destinations like Saudi Arabia, which is often deemed unforgiving for its harsh judicial system.
It was with initial apprehension that I approached the "Travel Islam" section, fearing it would be a glaring polarisation of the Islamic/non-Islamic world, but the holistic and respectful treatment given by the Lonely Planet writers is worthy of commendation.
Eye candy
If praise is often heaped on the quirky yet highly informative style of writing in the Lonely Planet books, then the complementary pictorials in Bluelist: The Best in Travel 2008 deserve a worthy mention too.
A large proportion of the photos in the book are featured in a landscape, panoramic format, which offers a 'sweeping' feel and entices the reader to 'explore' the picture - a concept not foreign to the rest of the book - which is to explore and experience.
Photo submissions from ten lucky folks who took part in a Lonely Planet online photo competition are captured in the "Bluelist Moments" section - visually captivating stills accompanied by an anecdotal-style write-up.
A personal favourite: Pete Cheshire's "Breakfast at Lake Louise, Canada", which depicts a picturesque turquoise lake and a majestic glacial backdrop, comically accompanied by a little box of Rice Krispies cereals in the corner of the foreground.
It never fails to elicit a grin when the particular page is stumbled upon.
Saving the best for last
The book caps off with its famed Bluelists - ranging from the conventional, like "Best-value Destinations", to the interesting, like "Friendliest Countries", and to the downright wacky, like "Sleep Behind Bars", which offers a list of 10 former prisons where travellers can spend a night in.
To round things off, Lonely Planet Bluelist: The Best in Travel 2008 makes for a delightful read and it goes beyond just satisfying the armchair tourist - the listings contained within are a treasure trove for coming up with new ideas for your next escapade.
