I haven’t really recovered since I finished Bucket List of a Traveloholic by Sarika Pandit on Sunday.
I started this book on Saturday morning and even though this was one of the most hectic weekends of recent times, I still took breaks every now and then to squeeze in my reading of this book. It’s that addictive!
So what’s the book about?
Sarika Pandit is a bored MBA student when one day depressed at her lack of better grades, she makes a promise to herself to have every page of her passport stamped by the time she is 30.
The rest of the book is about how she goes about achieving her ambition, the places she goes to, and the experiences she gets.
My Review
The book is structured very systematically. Each chapter devoted to one country or trip. Her writing style is entertaining and readable. I also love how her enthusiasm for travel and the places she visits just leaps from the page.
A lot of Indians are terrible travelers – concerns about food, safety, clothing, value for money etc. She throws all those concerns into the dustbin and just enjoys every minute of her trip. Of course, there are a few moments when she panics or worries, but they are all treated very light-heartedly and impartially. For example, a troubling visa moment when she enters Israel could have blighted her entire trip but it was great how she shrugged it off and proceeded along with the rest of the journey with optimism and joie de vivre.
Yes, that’s the word I am looking for in this review. This book is the very essence of joie de vivre and reading it brought a little adventure and joy into my daily humdrum life as well.
If I have a complaint about the book, it is that it could have been better produced – it definitely deserved better design to do justice to all the photographs in it. Speaking of photographs, it would have also been better if they were placed close to the concerned section of the book, rather than tucked away at the back of the chapter.
However, apart from these nit-picks, I really enjoyed this read and highly recommend it for travel junkies and even timid travelers. It will really inspire you to plan your next journey.