The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
It?s 20 years since Bill Bryson published Notes From A Small Island, his observations collected during a tour of Britain that became one of the biggest-selling travel books ever. In this follow-up, Bryson, who arrived in the UK from America in 1973 and married an Englishwoman, is back on his old beat, casting his outsider?s eye over British idiosyncrasies with his trademark dry wit. He zigzags from Bognor Regis to Cape Wrath, grumbling ? sometimes growling ? about slow service in pubs, iffy hotels, litter-bugs, green-belt development, Heathrow expansion and HS2. He?s grouchy, but he doesn?t care.
Doubleday, 384pp; ?20. To buy this book for ?16.50, visitthetimes.co.uk/bookshop or call 0845 2712134

Deep South by Paul Theroux
In this offbeat travel book, Paul Theroux avoids the ?obstacle course? of airports by driving from his home in New England to North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas to cover remote places where America?s ?submerged 20 per cent? live. He?s interested in existence on the edge, so he goes to small, huddled towns with Baptist churches, cheap motels, gun shops and diners. His driving instinct is to report the unreported, rather than be ?voyeuristically stimulated by travel?. Despite the many hardships he sees, local ?kindness [and] generosity? shine through.
Hamish Hamilton, 441pp; ?20. To buy this book for ?16.00, visit thetimes.co.uk/bookshop or call 0845 2712134

Elephant Complex: Travels in Sri Lanka by John Gimlette
Intrigued by the large Sri Lankan community living in Tooting near his south London home, the travel writer John Gimlette takes three months off to explore the Indian Ocean nation. He is fascinated by politics in the aftermath of the Tamil Tigers? 2009 defeat in the civil war, and by the British colonial past. The ?elephant complex? of the title refers to ancient paths that the creatures have always followed on the island. Gimlette believes he must trace similar historical paths to get beneath the skin of Sri Lanka. He does so with wit and the occasional scrape with authorities.
Quercus, 478pp; ?25. To buy this book for ?22.50, visitthetimes.co.uk/bookshop or call 0845 2712134

Heat: Extreme Adventures at the Highest Temperatures on Earth by Ranulph Fiennes
Veteran explorer Ranulph Fiennes captured the imagination withCold, his book about his exploits in the polar regions. Now he?s back with tales of derring-do in some of the world?s hottest places, told in a memoir beginning with his early childhood in South Africa. With heat in his blood, he becomes a soldier in the Persian Gulf before travelling up the Nile (dodging ?green-eyed crocodiles?) and visiting Timbuktu. His latest feat is to have become, aged 71, the oldest Briton to complete earlier this year the Marathon des Sables over 156 miles in the Saharadesert.
Simon & Schuster, 394pp; ?20. To buy this book for ?16.00, visit thetimes.co.uk/bookshop or call 0845 2712134

A Traveller?s Year: 365 Days of Travel Writing in Diaries, Journals and Letters compiled by Travis Elborough and Nick Rennison
Concentrating on the ?classic era of European exploration and diary-writing? of 1750-1950, although allowing some later entries, Travis Elborough and Nick Rennison have scoured the pages of travel literature to bring snippets of stories and descriptions to cover each day of the year. More than 200 writers include Graham Greene, Mary Shelley, Mungo Park, Jack Kerouac, Wilfred Thesiger, Dervla Murphy, Samuel Pepys, George Orwell, Gustave Flaubert, Charles Dickens and George Eliot. The ?natural beauties? of Biarritz are ?transcendent?, says Eliot in an 1867 letter, with ?spray on the horizon like a suddenly rising cloud?.

Family

1. Active adventure in America
Take in five national parks in America on this trip. The 16-day adventure takes in Yosemite, Death Valley, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon, as well as the cities of San Francisco and Las Vegas. The icing on the cake is a three-night ranch stay. Theres guided hiking, cycling, riding and rafting, but children must be aged eight and above.

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Aside from the facts that London is the home of the royal family and many renowned great actors and actresses in the world, this city is considered as one of the world?s top destination today. However, exactly what sets London apart from the other cities and why should it be your next travel destination? [Read more…]

Whenever Las Vegas comes to mind or is mentioned in a conversation I think about Elvis Presley and a song called, ?Viva Las Vegas? and I have never forgotten it. Everything is a bit over the top and when you think that about 60 years ago it was nothing but desert, you would marvel at the structures that have gone up. Mainly casinos and hotels, although there are other things to do there.

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If you are looking for a perfect place to spend your vacation then considering a flight to Paris should be one of the options. It is the capital city of France and is considered as one of the major attractions of Europe. The best time to travel to Paris is during the summer months from May until September when the temperature is moderate and the crowds are not that thick. The next peak season is from October until March, when summer is just about to end and the crowds are swelled considerably due to the approaching winter season. So, from May till September or even from October to March, it is the best time to travel to Paris.

The best time to travel to Paris, in fact any part of the world is from Tuesday to Sunday inclusive of public holidays. The Paris flights are very cheap and affordable and can be easily booked online. You have many options of travel to Paris from different parts of the world and one can choose the best travel packages for themselves depending on their budget and requirements. In fact, some of the travel sites offer flight tickets for Paris direct to their clients if they want to book cheap flight tickets.

There are many options of places to stay while traveling to Paris. You can stay at the old neighborhoods like the arrondissements, which are located all over the city. These are the historic streets and buildings that are all located in the outskirts of Paris. The prices are slightly high but you get to see Paris side by side with your own eyes. Some of the popular places to stay are Leoir which are a neighborhood which is famous for its houses and historic buildings; Comptiaux, which are a fashionable area of Paris and is known for its high-rise buildings and the Pays de la Loire, a village which was the birthplace of the writer Marois Fontaine; and, finally, La Dauphine, which is a stylish neighborhood.

While planning to visit Paris, it is very important to keep in mind the best time to visit the city according to the weather. The best time to visit Paris is during the high season because the weather is pleasant and relaxing during this period of the year. During the high season, there are lots of attractions available for visitors in and around Paris. For instance, Paris sees a lot of tourists especially during the summer months. The summer is the best time to visit Paris because the weather is pleasant and comfortable.

There are many options for lodging when traveling to Paris. When traveling with your family, you can go for the Eiffel Tower, which is among the most famous attractions in Paris and is well worth a visit. There are a number of hotels in Paris, which are of very high quality and offer comfortable accommodation to travelers. When traveling with your entire family, you can choose to stay at any of the hotels in Paris which are of excellent quality and provide all the amenities required by you and your family.

When planning to travel to Paris, it is essential to keep the items that you wish to carry with you in mind. When planning to travel to Paris, you have a wide variety of options to choose from. You can travel by air, train or taxi to reach Paris. In order to save time, money and energy, it is advisable to travel to Paris by means of an economical means – the Eiffel Tower. Once there, visit the Louvre and see the masterpiece that inspired Picasso, or take a train from Orly Airport to Paris and visit the Eiffel Tower, one of the wonders of the world.