MANILA, Philippines, Nov. 17, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- It becomes obvious when reading this visual trilogy of books that the authors are not professional travel writers. This is not because the writing is amateurish -- far from it -- but rather the warmth and feelings that emanate from every page. The subtitles "Places with a Heart," should have been, "Written from the Heart," because this is what they all are. The two authors, Banking executive Dominique Grele and Lily Yousry-Jouve, a lawyer and artist, have both widely traveled in Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Not to just the well-known tourist centers of these countries, but often to remote and virtually unknown parts leading them to select and write about 100 hotels, guesthouses or resorts in each country that provided memorable experiences.
One might expect two such ladies to only choose accommodation of as close to five star quality and price as possible, and yet nothing could be further from the truth. Certainly, some five-star ranking establishments are included, but many are within the financial ability of the middle-income family. As they state in their introduction:
"To our minds, the best places to go to are not necessarily the most expensive or the plushest. We defined 'first-class' according to a set of criteria: the beauty of the site where the resort is located; the quality of the physical arrangements around it, the architecture and interior decor; the excursions possible in the area; the service; the warmth of welcome -- all of these elements that make a place appealing."
The three books follow the same format. The various countries are divided into regional areas, and each region is visited and experiences recorded. Their description of each place is not just factual, but emotional in that it reveals impressions. It is more as though a friend is making a word-of-mouth recommendation rather than the bland copy of a brochure.
The reader is educated on how to get there, usually from their expected entry point of Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, or Manila. Essential travel information is thumb-nailed including detailed directions of how to get there; types of accommodation offered; food and beverage outlets and the types of cuisine as well as an honest rating of the quality; and other services available such as sports and activities.
What makes these guides different is in the writing. It is not the soulless advertorial of most, but written with only the warmth that can be expressed by a genuine guest. One gets the feeling that the writers are all family-oriented as many times they pick up areas that would delight children such as animal parks and a natural rain forest.
It would be a travesty to call these books "Travel Guides," because even for those not contemplating a trip to Asia, they can provide dreams of doing so . . . someday.
100 resorts THAILAND, 100 resorts MALAYSIA, and 100 resorts in the PHILIPPINES are distributed to the trade by Biblio Distribution, Inc., an NBN Sister Company (800) 462-6420. Available from all fine retailers and wholesalers.