具体描述
From alternatives to the Carnival in Rio and the beaches of Thailand to substitutes for the most visited national parks and over-rated restaurants, "The Road Less Travelled" will help you find less crowded, sometimes less expensive and often more spectacular and rewarding places to visit. Presenting 1,000 fascinating alternatives to hundreds of well-known tourist destinations and sights, this compact edition of the bestselling guide brings vibrant cities, enchanting sights, breathtaking natural wonders and unforgettable experiences to life. Written by a team of travel experts and with a foreword by Bill Bryson, "The Road Less Travelled" is divided by theme to help you find what you're looking for - Ancient and Historical Sights, Festivals and Parties, Great Journeys, Architectural Marvels, Natural Wonders, Beaches, Sports and Activities, Art and Culture, and Cities. And it's packed with informative narrative and stunning photography, plus practical advice on where to stay, where to eat, when to go and useful 'need to Know' facts to ensure that you get the most out of your time away. Escape the everyday and embrace the new with "The Road Less Travelled".
作者简介
目录信息
Contents
Foreword 7
Ancient and Historical Sights 8
Festivals and Parties 48
Pyramids of Meroe, Sudan
vs Pyramids of Giza, Egypt .............................................10
Avebury, UK vs Stonehenge, UK .................................14
Agrigento and Selinunte, Sicily, Italy
vs The Acropolis, Athens, Greece ................................18
Pula Arena, Croatia
vs The Colosseum, Rome, Italy .....................................20
Herculaneum, Italy vs Pompeii, Italy .........................24
Lalibela, Ethiopia vs Petra, Jordan ..............................28
Isla del Sol, Bolivia vs Machu Picchu, Peru .............32
Borobudur, Java vs Angkor, Cambodia .....................36
Tikal, Guatemala
vs Chichén Itzá, Mexico ...................................................40
Krak des Chevaliers, Syria
vs The Tower of London, UK ........................................42
44 More Amazing Ancient and Historical Sights ....44
Salvador Carnival, Brazil vs Rio Carnival, Brazil ...50
Mamaia, Romania vs Ibiza, Spain ................................54
Gnawa and World Music Festival, Morocco
vs WOMAD, UK ................................................................56
New Year, Singapore
vs New Year, Hong Kong, China .................................58
Haro Wine Battle, Spain
vs La Tomatina, Buñol, Spain ........................................59
Esala Perahera, Kandy, Sri Lanka
vs St Patrick’s Day, New York City, USA .................60
Melbourne Arts Festival, Australia
vs The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, UK ......................62
Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, Australia
vs The Love Parade, Germany ........................................66
Montreal Jazz Festival, Canada
vs Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland ......................68
Goa’s Full Moon Parties
vs Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand ...............................................70
Semana Santa, Cusco, Peru
vs Semana Santa, Seville, Spain .....................................71
Asti Palio, Italy vs Siena Palio, Italy ............................72
Bumbershoot, Seattle, USA
vs Lollapalooza, Chicago, USA ....................................74
44 More Intoxicating Festivals and Parties ..............76
Great Journeys 80
The Apolobamba Trek, Bolivia
vs The Inca Trail, Peru ........................................................ 82
Coastal Route 15, Mexico
vs Route 66, USA ................................................................. 86
Annapurna, Nepal
vs Everest Base Camp, Nepal ........................................... 90
The Palace on Wheels, Rajasthan, India
vs The Orient Express ......................................................... 92
Pilgrimage to Rome, Italy
vs Camino de Santiago, Spain ......................................... 96
Cruising Lake Nasser, Egypt
vs Cruising the Nile, Egypt .............................................100
Less-Travelled China ..........................................................102
Less-Travelled India ............................................................106
Corsica’s Northwest Coast, France
vs The Amalfi Coast, Italy ................................................110
44 More Great Journeys ...................................................112
Architectural Marvels 116
Haghia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
vs Basilica San Marco, Venice, Italy .............................118
Imam Mosque, Isfahan, Iran
vs St Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy..................................120
San Gimignano, Italy
vs The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy .............................124
Chicago, Illinois, USA
vs Manhattan, New York City, USA ..........................128
9 de Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
vs Champs-Elysées, Paris, France .................................129
Puning Temple, Chengde, China
vs Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China .........................130
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, USA
vs Sydney Opera House, Australia ..............................132
Ponte delle Torri, Italy
vs Pont du Gard, France....................................................136
Notre-Dame d’Amiens, France
vs Notre-Dame de Paris, France ....................................140
44 More Inspirational Architectural Marvels ........142
Natural Wonders 146
Devils Tower, Wyoming, USA
vs Uluru, Australia ...............................................................148
The Orinoco, Venezuela
vs The Amazon, Brazil .......................................................152
The Chilean Lakes
vs The Italian Lakes .............................................................154
Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA
vs The Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA .......................158
The Patagonian Fjords, Chile and Argentina
vs The Norwegian Fjords .................................................160
Fernando de Noronha Islands, Brazil
vs Galapagos Islands, Ecuador .......................................161
Western Uganda Reserves
vs Kruger National Park, South Africa ......................162
Cherry Blossoms in Japan
vs New England’s Fall, USA ...........................................166
Iceland vs Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA ..................168
Croatia’s Islands vs The Greek Islands .......................170
Iguaçu Falls, Brazil and Argentina
vs Niagara Falls, USA and Canada ..............................172
Mindo-Nambillo Cloud Forest, Ecuador
vs Costa Rican Rainforests ..............................................176
44 More Breathtaking Natural Wonders ..................180
Beaches 184
Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
vs Magens Bay, St Thomas, US Virgin Isles .............186
Cottesloe Beach, Perth, Australia
vs Miami Beach, Florida, USA ......................................188
Hulopo‘e, Lāna‘i, Hawai‘i
vs Waīkīki, Hawai‘i .............................................................192
Turtle Bay, Watamu, Kenya
vs Mombasa’s Beaches, Kenya ........................................194
Sabratha, Libya vs Tulum, Mexico...............................198
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
vs Montezuma Beach, Costa Rica ................................199
Ihuru, The Maldives
vs Ko Phi Phi, Thailand ....................................................200
Isle of Harris Beaches, Outer Hebrides, UK
vs Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, USA ..................202
Punta del Este, Uruguay
vs Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil .......................204
44 More Stunning Beaches .............................................206
Sports and Activities 210
Skiing: Kicking Horse, Canada
vs Whistler, Canada ............................................................212
The Paris Marathon, France
vs The London Marathon, UK ......................................216
Salsa in Havana, Cuba
vs Tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina .........................218
Hiking: Mount Stanley, Uganda
vs Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania ..................................220
Rejkyvík Golf Club, Iceland
vs St Andrews, UK ..............................................................224
Diving: Christmas Island, Australia
vs The Great Barrier Reef, Australia ...........................226
Cycling: Cappadocia, Turkey
vs The Slickrock Trail, Utah, USA ..............................230
Trekking in Bhutan
vs Trekking in Chiang Mai, Thailand .........................232
Motorcycle Races: Tandragee 100,
Northern Ireland, UK
vs TT Races, Isle of Man ..................................................234
Surfing: The Soup Bowl, Barbados
vs Bondi Beach, Australia ................................................236
44 More Exhilarating Sports and Activities ............238
Art and Culture 242
Smaller Parisian Museums vs Musée de Louvre ....244
Wine-Tasting in Mendoza, Argentina
vs Wine-Tasting in Napa Valley,
California, USA ...................................................................248
Crazy Horse, South Dakota, USA
vs Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, USA ..............250
Kröller-Müller, The Netherlands
vs Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam,
The Netherlands ...................................................................251
Rock Art of the Drakensberg, South Africa
vs The Cave Paintings of Lascaux, France ................252
Lyonnaise Cuisine vs Parisian Cuisine ......................256
Capitoline Museums, Italy
vs Vatican Museums, Italy ................................................258
Film Festivals: San Sebastián, Spain
vs Cannes Film Festival, France ....................................262
Umbria, Italy vs Tuscany, Italy .......................................264
Festival di Spoleto, Italy
vs The Proms, London, UK ............................................268
New York’s Independent Galleries
vs MoMA, New York, USA ............................................270
44 More Destinations for Art and Culture .............274
Cities 278
Delft, The Netherlands
vs Amsterdam, The Netherlands ..................................280
Less-Explored London ......................................................282
Alexandria, Egypt vs Cairo, Egypt ..............................286
Potosí, Bolivia vs Cusco, Peru ........................................287
Less-Explored New York ..................................................288
Reno, Nevada, USA
vs Las Vegas, Nevada, USA .............................................292
Gyeongju, South Korea vs Kyoto, Japan ...................293
Less-Explored Hong Kong ..............................................294
Fez, Morocco vs Marrakech, Morocco ......................298
Less-Explored Venice .........................................................300
Rīga, Latvia vs Prague, Czech Republic ....................304
Less-Explored San Francisco ..........................................308
Bath, UK vs Budapest, Hungary ..................................312
Zacatecas, Mexico vs Mexico City, Mexico .............313
Less-Explored Paris .............................................................314
Less-Explored Sydney ........................................................318
44 More Fantastic Cities ..................................................322
Geographical Index ............................................................326
Main Index ..............................................................................328
About our Authors ..............................................................334
Acknowledgments and Credits.....................................336
· · · · · · (收起)
读后感
用户评价
这本书的结构布局非常巧妙，它没有采用传统的章节划分，而是像一系列精心编排的论点，层层递进，最终指向一个统一的核心目标——心智的成熟。我非常欣赏作者对人类“边界意识”的细致描摹。在信息爆炸的时代，我们的注意力、情绪和时间都被无形地切割和侵占，这本书提供了一套强大的工具，来重新夺回对自己内在世界的控制权。它教会我的最重要一课是如何区分“我可以控制的”和“我不能控制的”，并把所有精力聚焦于前者。我曾花费大量时间去忧虑他人的看法或市场的不确定性，读完这本书后，我开始像一个外科医生一样，精准地切除那些徒劳无功的焦虑。此外，这本书在处理人际关系中的“界限冲突”时，提供了一种既坚定又不失尊重的沟通范式，这比市面上那些教人如何“讨好”或“强硬”的指南要高明得多。它鼓励的是一种基于自我清晰度的、温和而不可动摇的立场。总而言之，阅读此书并非一趟轻松的旅程，它更像是攀登一座陡峭的山峰，每一步都需要付出努力，但山顶上视野的开阔和心境的宁静，绝对是值得每一次攀登的艰辛的。
这本书简直是一面映照灵魂的镜子，每次翻开，都像是进行了一次深入的自我对话。它不是那种用华丽辞藻堆砌起来的畅销书，而更像一位睿智的长者，用最朴素却又直击人心的语言，引导你去看清自己内心深处的恐惧与渴望。我尤其欣赏作者对于“痛苦”的阐释，他没有将痛苦描绘成需要逃避的洪水猛兽，反而将其视为成长的必经之路，是通往更高维度自我认知的阶梯。这让我在面对生活中的挫折时，心态发生了根本性的转变。过去，我总是在抗拒那些不舒服的感觉，试图用各种外界的慰藉来麻痹自己，结果只会让问题积重难返。而这本书让我明白了，真正的力量来自于直面和接纳这些挑战。例如，书中关于“责任”的论述，让我对亲密关系有了全新的认识——爱不是索取，而是主动承担起自我成长的责任，同时也尊重伴侣的独立性。这种细腻的心理剖析，配上恰到好处的生活案例，使得理论不再是空洞的说教，而是可以立刻在日常生活中实践的智慧。我感觉自己仿佛被抽离了日常的琐碎，站在一个更高的视角重新审视自己过去的选择和未曾敢触碰的领域。这本书的阅读体验是持续性的，它不是读完就束之高阁的读物，而是需要反复咀嚼，并且会随着我人生阶段的不同而展现出新的意义，每一次重读，都会有不同的感悟涌现，这种深度和广度，在同类书籍中是极其罕见的。
说实话，这本书的切入点非常犀利，它直指现代人普遍的“逃避成熟”的倾向。我之前总以为自己对生活已经足够负责了，但读完这本书后才惊觉，我所承担的很多“责任”其实只是为了换取他人的认可，而非基于内在的自我驱动力。作者毫不留情地揭示了这种“伪成熟”的表象——比如过度讨好、恐惧冲突、或者将不快乐归咎于外界环境——这些都是灵魂不愿踏上独立征程的借口。给我震撼最大的是关于“爱与意志”的探讨，它将爱从一种浪漫的、被动的感受，提升到了一个主动的、需要意志力去维护的实践层面。这种转变，让我重新审视了过去那些“失败”的关系，发现问题的症结往往出在双方都未能真正运用意志力去建设，而是沉溺于寻找那个“完美契合”的幻想中。阅读过程中，我的情绪波动很大，有时会感到被冒犯，因为作者的观点过于直接和不妥协，但他提供的解决方案又是如此的切实可行，让人无法反驳。这种带着挑战性的阅读体验，正是我所追求的，它强迫我跳出舒适区，去直面那些我本能想要回避的真相。它更像是一本行动指南，而非单纯的哲学思辨，读完后感觉全身的精气神都被重新校准了一遍，目标感变得前所未有的清晰。
这本书的行文风格非常老派，带着一种沉稳的、近乎学术的严谨性，但其核心思想却又无比贴近当代人普遍存在的精神困境。它不像那些追求快餐式心灵鸡汤的书籍，一上来就给你速效药。相反，作者采取的是一种循序渐进、层层递进的论证方式，需要读者投入相当的专注力去跟随他的逻辑链条。我特别喜欢它处理“界限”问题的方式，它清晰地界定了个人成长与依赖性人格之间的微妙界限。在现代社会，我们被过度鼓励“连接”和“无私奉献”，但这往往导致许多人丧失了自我。这本书则坚定地告诉我们，划清健康的心理界限，保护自身的能量场，是实现真正有效连接的前提。我发现，当我开始有意识地运用书中提及的“分辨事实与解读”的技巧时，与同事和家人之间的冲突明显减少了，因为我不再轻易被别人的情绪所裹挟，能够更客观地判断问题的本质。文字密度相当高，你不能指望在通勤路上随便翻翻就能领会其精髓，它要求你停下来，深思，甚至需要拿出笔来做批注和反思。这种需要“用力”去阅读的体验，反而让我觉得物有所值，每一次理解到位，都像是在心智的迷宫中点亮了一盏灯。它不是在哄你开心，而是在帮你建立一个更坚固的内在支架。
这本书的价值，在于它提供了一种罕见的“超越性视角”。它没有过多纠缠于具体的行为技巧，而是着力于塑造读者的底层思维框架。我感觉作者像是将人类心灵运作的底层代码进行了清晰的梳理和标注。尤其是关于“非理性信念”如何操控我们日常决策的分析，简直是福尔摩斯式的解剖学。举个例子，书中对“受害者情结”的分析，不只是停留在心理学的名词解释上，而是深入探讨了这种情结如何巧妙地为逃避成长提供了道德高地。这种深入骨髓的洞察力，使得书中提出的每一点建议都具有强大的穿透力。阅读这本书的过程，就像是进行了一次彻底的思维除垢，那些长期以来影响我判断的偏见和惯性思维被一一剥离。更难能可贵的是，作者在保持深度批判的同时，始终维持着一种深沉的同理心。他理解人性的弱点，但同时又坚信人有能力超越这些弱点。这种既严格又充满希望的基调，让读者在被“诊断”的同时，也感受到了被深刻理解和赋能的力量。这本书让我意识到，真正的自由，不是为所欲为，而是能够自主选择自己要承担的限制和痛苦。
