Road comes calling in Epic Drives
Back in July, when we were complaining about the heat instead of the cold, I set off on a long road trip across North America in a van that’s a little home. It was a dream I’d cherished for three years and I was full of that tingling restlessness the Swedish call “resfeber.”
Man, I wish I’d had a copy of Lonely Planet’s Epic Drives of the World when I was planning my itinerary.
This enticingly illustrated book offers 200 trip ideas across the world.
There’s a journey for everyone: Route 66 for the nostalgic nomad, a trek through Bhutan and the Himalayas for the more intrepid, a wine-tasting mosey through Argentina and even a motorcycle cruise from Abu Dhabi to Jebel Hafeet on “what many have called the world’s best motorcycle (and driving) road.”
There are weekend trips, weeklong sojourns and months-long, soul-cleansing odysseys. And the pictures are ravishing.
Fifty vivid essays by a stable of Lonely Planet writers recount journeys across Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
The book abounds with advice, such as this for a safari through South Luangwa National Park in Zambia: “When attempting a three-point turn on a riverbank, you should check the rear-view mirror for oncoming hippos.” Good to know.
At the end of each essay, Lonely Planet offers three “more like this” trips, including escapes from the city, mountain drives and watery routes.
“The most important role of these tales from the road is to inspire you to pack an overnight bag and hop behind the wheel to explore something new,” the editors note in their introduction.