Lonely Planet Secret Marvels of the World 1: 360 Extraordinary Places You Never Knew Existed and Where to Find Them
Featuring communist bunkers, burning gas craters and at least one sponge-rock fluorescent grotto built by Polish monks, this book reveals weird and wonderful sights the crowds don't reach.
- We've all heard of India's Taj Mahal, but what about Karna Mata Temple? It's a building teeming with rats so revered they enjoy A-list treatment with daily offerings of milk and fruit.
- It's no secret that visitors to Berlin can see parts of its infamous Wall still standing in the city. Not so many people know that segments of the wall have travelled all around the world and can be found in places including Los Angeles, Japan and Iceland.
- Stonehenge is one of the UK's most popular tourist sites. So why not beat the crowds and head to Nebraska instead, where you can marvel at a Carhenge - a replica of the great monolith site constructed entirely from vintage cars.
This packed and fascinating title takes its readers on a journey through the world's lesser known marvels. Dive into an underworld of the planet's most surprising, fun, perplexing, kitsch and downright bizarre sights - and explore human stories and mysterious happenings that you won't find inside a regular guidebook.
From eerie natural wonders to historical oddities and bizarre architecture, this is a travel companion for the incurably curious.
About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves. The world awaits!
Lonely Planet guides have won the TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Award in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media
'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times
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"These hidden gems still pack an awe-inspiring punch, but with a fraction of the tourists. Luckily, Lonely Planet -- whose trusty guidebooks have informed the journeys of countless travelers for decades -- is shining a light on under-the-radar places with its latest book...Featuring 360 unusual destinations around the world, this book will challenge even the most intrepid travelers, no matter how long they've been on the road."--Today.com
"Latitude and longitude coordinates will be your guide to finding "Secret Marvels of the World," published by Lonely Planet. More than 50 authors reveal "360 extraordinary places you never knew existed."...Architecture and library connoisseurs may want to visit the diamond-shaped National Library of Belarus in Minsk that contains 3.5 million documents, is more than 236 feet tall and glitters like a diamond with light at night."--Redlands Daily Facts
"This is a good resource for browsing at will, referencing specific locations via the handy index, and letting readers' dream-trip imaginations run wild."--Booklist Starred Review
"It's baffling why cities and countries spend so much effort promoting their features that are, well, nice -- and pleasant and predictable. Far more captivating are the attractions that are bizarre, unexpected, unexplainable and unthinkable. It is the latter group that make up the bulk of Lonely Planet's Secret Marvels of the World (304 pages, $25), a bathroom reader packed with the planet's least likely features, both natural and made by humans. Editors have organized the 360 extraordinary places you never knew existed into individual sites (based on bands of longitude), as well as Top 10 lists -- top ossuaries, top micronations, top unsettling hotels (including Karosta Prison in Liepaja, Latvia, where guests are locked up) -- and a handful of itineraries that cover a group of marvels in a single region. (One unpredictable touch: black-and-white sketches throughout that add whimsy.) Readers learn something new with each page."--San Francisco Chronicle
"The world is a big place, full of hidden gems and weird wonders. If you're looking for something off the beaten path -- way off the beaten path -- check out Lonely Planet's new book."--Brit + Co
"Satisfying for armchair travelers and seasoned explorers alike."--Library Journal
