The Library’s newest, exclusive web-resource is AtoZ World Travel, a database that is easy to use and full of depth.  Delving into the going-onsof 202 cities, there is plenty for the new traveler.  Before you go somewhere, you would need to know what the city is like, something about its history, and some places to visit.  AtoZWorld Travel has these details, and plenty more.  There are recommendations of historical monuments, religious sites, architecturallandmarks, and museums.  The listings are thorough but standard for a first time visitor.  For the more seasoned or daring traveler, there is a section called the Insider’s Guide that contains things you might not see in the regular guidebooks.

For example, they list these 4 things for New Delhi, India:

• Agrasen Ki Baoli Stepwell(700 year old ruins)
• Lodi Gardens (a beautiful public park built around 500 year old tombs)
• The Museum of Toilets (this is really off the wall! And if you’ve “done it all” this is certainly a good place to head
• Street Children Walking Tour (a charity offers a view on the life of homeless children and an offer for you to help make their lives better)

There is a lot of information about survival, such as how to get around and if there are any tricks to dealing with cab drivers.  In Delhi, public transportation not only includes taxis, but also 3 wheeled covered scooters called auto-rickshaws, and cycle-rickshaws (and cycle here means someone pulls you around in a cart by bicycle!).

Other important information includes: travel warnings, a listing of emergency phone numbers, how phones work, and embassy and consulate contact information, images of electrical outlets and plugs.  And something that is really cool is in the money section.  There are complete full color images of the currency.

Traveling in the US? 

New York, Seattle, Houston, Dallas and Chicago are only some of our many cities.  The Baha’iTemple in Wilmette is listed as on the things to do for the insiders.  There are even directions on how to get to it: take the CTA Purple Line to Linden, its last stop, and then walk five minutes to the right of the station. 

All of these reports can be downloaded into PDFfiles for printing or transfer to your iPador tablet to take along with you.