Anne Howard

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Ultimate Journeys for Two: Extraordinary Destinations on Every Continent by Mike Howard and Anne Howard is a book consisting of short entries to places around the globe, focusing on couple activities. The authors are the founders of HoneyTrek.com, a jealousy inducing, and very long honeymoon trip.

Full disclosure: I thought this when getting the book, as my wife and I are always on the lookout for places.

I enjoyed the format of this book very much. Lots of fantastic pictures, which I would expect nothing less of a National Geographic book, and also informative essays.

This is not a romantic, couples gateways as one might think. The couple experiences the sights, places, cultures, and sometimes hardships (finding peanut butter in South America) which distinguishes traveling from just “going places”

Ultimate Journeys for Two: Extraordinary Destinations on Every Continent by Mike Howard and Anne Howard is undoubtedly not a traditional travel guide, actually it’s not a travel guide at all. This book allows the reader to skip in sections, and choose whatever trip or adventure they’d like to experience.

The authors’ travels are not written about in detail, quite the opposite. We really don’t read about much of their experiences, but more about recommendations for you and your significant other.

I love to travel, not just go places, and been to approximately ten of the many destinations in the book (and many not included). So… by all means there’s more to see and experience around the world.

The Howards are from my home state in New Jersey, and I especially loved the little sidebars of their anecdotes, those are what makes a trip memorable. I also appreciated the spotlights, also as sidebars, of fellow travel bloggers, an unexpected and wonderful homage to their circle.

The book does touch on topics which, as a couple, you should certainly think about ahead of time. Not only how to pick a destination, packing, saving, and airline points, but also how to find a bit of privacy when needed. On the bright side, if you survived a trip where both of you spend every waking moment together there’s a good chance you’re a good fit for each other.

This book certainly is meant to inspire couples find a destination. It is by no means a checklist (as much as I’d like it to be for myself), but a guide for young, childless couples, who are not bogged down by careers and domestication.… (mais)

If you know a couple who love to travel to exciting places and do extraordinary things, the new National Geographic book, Ultimate Journeys for Two is a perfect gift. Mike and Ann Howard, along with other travel-adventurous couples, take us along as they travel the world.

The book is divided into chapters like Mountains, Lakes, Rivers & Falls, On Safari, and seven others. Each location has two pages devoted to it, with tips on the best time of year to visit, places to stay (both inexpensive and luxurious), ideas for romantic rendevous, and "honeytek tips". There are gorgeous photos and ideas for Couples Adventures for each location.

Besides Mike and Ann, who have traveled the world and share their ventures on their blog, HoneyTrek- The World's Longest Honeymoon, other couples share some of their favorite trips and advice. (Most of them also have blogs too.) The advice they share is interesting, and many have recurring items: dividing up responsibilities, communicating clearly, and taking time away for each other came up frequently. When traveling for long periods of time with just one other person, it's important to do that.

Many of them were able to travel by housesitting, an idea I found intriguing. There are communities out there where people look for housesitters, and doing this enables people to see other parts of the world inexpensively.

The couples also enjoyed getting to know people from other parts of the world. Mike and Ann love sports, so they would try to get involved in a volleyball game they ran across. Instead of using public transportation, they would catch a ride with a local who would often show them more interesting sights and invite to dine with the local's family.

I loved learning fun facts from their travels:
You can cruise the canals in the Mekong Delta in your own floating hotel with a captain, chef, maid, barman and bikes and a rowboat for excursions
Giant tortoises in the Galápagos nap for 16 hours a day
The mating rituals of ostriches (the males dance for females' attention)
There is a resort in Vietnam that is known as "Little Moscow" because Russians can visit visa-free via cheap flights
You can enjoy a spa session in a rain forest waterfall in Daintree, Australia
If you're not ready to travel just yet, you can still enjoy reading all about the beautiful, exotic places across this planet. And if you are planning on trying out for Jeopardy!, this book is an excellent resource for all the geography questions. The Howards and company take us to places I have never heard of, and what a journey it is.… (mais)

There is an airline based here that has a market slogan built around the idea “want to get away?” If you do, Ultimate Journeys for Two: Extraordinary Destinations on Every Continent might be the way to plan. Written by Mike and Anne Howard, creators of honeytrek.com, experienced a honeymoon to blow your mind and subsequently have led an incredible travel journey for over five years.

Their book isn’t a romantic getaway book featuring a few nights in a fancy motel, candle lit dinners, and all that as they make clear in the intro. Their book is about experiencing the sights, the places, the culture, the people, and more in locations all around the globe. Over 500 destinations are in this book. Also included are stories and tips from eleven of their favorite couples who share their passion to see and experience it all.

After a chapter on figuring out where you and your partner are with regards to travel, traveling as a couple, as well as other issues including and how to get some space to need it because no matter how much you love and care about your partner being with him or her 24/7 will make you a little crazy at some point, the book moves on to the traveling with each chapter based on natural features. If you want to experience mountains, you are in luck with the first chapter. Titled “Mountains” and starting on page 23 with a stunning picture of the mountain Torres del Paine in Chile, the book tells you all sorts of important information about this location.

Chapter One continues for nearly a dozen pages as it features other multiple travel destinations featuring mountains around the world. Each location has bullet points with “when to go” and “where to stay” and suggested “couple adventures” while there among other helpful suggestions. The pictures are impressive and give you an idea of what you are in for should you go to these locations. Chapter One concludes with “Top 10 Unbelievable Day Hikes” which are places you can hike to, have an incredible experience, and be back before dinner.

This same format continues throughout the rest of the book as chapters cover “Beaches & Islands” (Chapter Three), “Deserts & Dunes” (Chapter Seven), and “Road Trips” (Chapter Ten), among other types of natural features. For those who want an out of this world experience check out Chapter 11 titled, “Supernatural.” Mud pools, volcanoes, and the like are the focus of this chapter that starts on page 219 with Koh Ker, Cambodia.

Now that you are inspired and have some ideas, you need to plan. That is the goal of the “travel smart” section beginning on page 239 along with a chart telling you the best month for different places. For example, the artic peninsula is good this time of year. The authors offer a lot of advice and tips regarding matters such as what you need in your travel fund, making the most of your currency as well as airline points, and how to do the land travel portion of your trip. Packing for your trip is important as is lodging at the destination. They decipher the code words and explain how to set everything up.

An eight page “resources” list that spans the globe, a two page acknowledgements section, and a three page index brings this visually stunning and informative book to a close.

Ultimate Journeys for Two: Extraordinary Destinations On Every Continent is geared towards those of a young age that can go out there and do stuff. Advice about travel issues with kids, the disabled, etc. won’t be found in this book as it was not designed for such situations. It was designed for those who have the funds and the energy to go far beyond staying in a nice hotel to see London or Paris for a few days. This is a book designed for those who want to get to a place and really experience the people and culture. For folks that can and want to do that, Ultimate Journeys for Two: Extraordinary Destinations on Every Continent by Mike and Anne Howard is a very good book to begin the journey.

Ultimate Journeys for Two: Extraordinary Destinations On Every Continent
Mike and Anne Howard
https://www.honeytrek.com
National Geographic
http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2017/09/05/ultimate-journeys-for-two-extraor...
September 2017
ISBN# 978-1-4262-1839-2
272 Pages
$26.99

Material was picked up to read and review during a recent trip to the Lochwood Branch of the Dallas Public Library.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2018

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