Tag: Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson: Britain has Become ‘Self-Absorbed’

The travel writer was commenting at a recent literary festival on the changes he’s seen in his adopted country. The BBC quotes Bryson: “When I first came to Britain it really was all about fair play and queuing… Everybody is in a hurry now and there is a ‘the rules don’t apply to me’ sort of thing.” (Via The Book Bench)


Nine Travel Movies to Watch For in 2009

Nine Travel Movies to Watch For in 2009 Photo by ginnerobot via Flickr (Creative Commons)
Photo by ginnerobot via Flickr (Creative Commons)

If there’s one December fixture that I enjoy almost as much as the ubiquitous “Best of the Past Year” list, it’s the “Trends to Watch Next Year” list. What’s new and hot? What’s old but hot again? And what never goes out of style? (Trends to Watch lists, that’s what.)

So, with that in mind, here are nine travel-esque movies hitting theaters in 2009.

The Descent 2: Looks like one of our favorite travel horror movies has spawned a sequel. In the second round, the lone survivor of a caving trip gone horrifically wrong heads back below the surface—local sheriff in tow—to confirm the fate of her companions. Predictably, things don’t quite go as planned.

Point Break: Indo: Twenty years later, there’s a new band of surfing bandits on the loose—this time in Bali—and a new surfing cop on their trail, too. The producers are being coy about possible cameos from Patrick Swayze or Keanu Reeves, but hey, Swayze turned up in a Dirty Dancing re-hashing a few years back, so why not Point Break, too?

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Movies and Books That Inspired Travel Booms

Jon Krakauer’s book “Into the Wild”—and Sean Penn’s movie adaptation—have boosted tourism in parts of Alaska more than 100 percent, and the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy caused a 34 percent increase in travel to New Zealand during its run a few years back, according to a piece in the April issue of Outside by World Hum contributing editor Frank Bures. Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods” also inspired travelers, drawing 57 percent more through-hikers to the Appalachian Trail in the two years after his book’s 1998 debut.

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World Hum’s Top 30 Travel Books

We recently counted down the best travel books of all time. Here's the entire list -- and loads of picks from World Hum readers.

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