Lonely Planet India – August 2019

GERALD DURRELL
We love Gerard Durrell for bringing wildlife writing into mainstream
travel writing. The British naturalist and conservationist passed away
in 1995, but his passion for conservation remains unparalleled and
inspiring. Durrell wrote books such as My Family and Other Animals
about an idyllic little Greek island called Corfu. The writing is profound
yet true-to-life and it really made a gush of wind, the colour of a flower,
or the smell of the sea come alive for readers, while also making them
starkly aware of the role of the flora and fauna of the region. And, in
tr ying to travel like him, people became a good deal more conscious
about how we pollute our rivers and spray the air with chemicals and how
enjoying a beautiful location is possible in more sustainable ways.
His unmatched wit, along with his compassion for the earth and
the preservation of its beauty has, in a domino effect, changed
thewaywetraveltoday.

IAN WRIGHT

IANWRIGHTIS SYNONYMOUSWITHHISTELEVISION

SHOW,GLOBETREKKERS. ANDHEHASA UNIQUEKIND

OFFAVOURITEPLACEONEARTH:THEARCTICCIRCLE.

HEIS ALWAYSWILLINGTOGOTHROUGHANYKIND

OFCHALLENGETHATTRAVELLINGTOEXTREME

LOCATIONSMIGHTPOSE– INCLUDINGNOTHAVING

ALCOHOLON-BOARDA FIVE-DAYSEAJOURNEY.

ALWAYSTHETROUBLEMAKERATSCHOOL,ANAVID

PAINTER,ANDCONSTANTLYONHISTOESWITHA LOT

ONHISPLATE,IANLIKESHOLIDAYSWHEREHEHASTO

DOABSOLUTELYNOTHING.AND,WHILEHEDOESWRITE

TRAVELGUIDES,HEENCOURAGESTRAVELLERSTOGO

WHERETHEIRGUTTAKESTHEM– BECAUSEONCEYOU’RE

SOMEWHERE,YOUCAN’TEVERGOWRONGWITH

A DESTINATION.WRIGHTIS ANALL-TIMEADRENALINE

JUNKIEWHOHASMADEHISFANSWANTTOCLIMB

RIGHT UP TO VOLCANOES LIKE HIM – AND, MOST

IMPORTANTLY, ALWAYS KEEP AN OPEN MIND

BECAUSE EXPERIENCES ARE EVERYWHERE!

BILLBRYSON

Ifyoucouldpickjustaboutanyonetobeyourtravel

buddy,werecommendBillBryson.Thisguycanget

a heartychuckleoutofyou,hedefinitelyknowshowto

party,andhewillsurpriseyouwiththedistanceshecan

walk.Hisfirstbook, The Palace Under The Alps, was how

hesor tofstumbled upon travel writing – although the

publishingcompany went under almost immediately after

itsprinting.Bryson, however, prides himself on his sunny

outlook,andhisother books went on to become reader

favourites.He’sbeen a steady guide for travel writers

acrosstheworldwith books such as Notes From A Small

Island, andconstantly emphasises the power of storytelling

tomakeeventhemost commonplace experiences feel

extraordinary.While he’s self-admittedly hesitant about

theeventualtrend of space travel, we believe Bryson would

beathomewherever in the universe he find himself.

EXPLORE:THETRAVELPUSHERS

18 August 2019