Why a Booktrail?
1990s: Probably the book that spawned a million trips to Thailand in the search for utopia and the locations. And that was before the DiCaprio film.
The Beach
What you need to know before your trail
Richard, a twenty something backpacker finds his way to Bangkok. Stopping off in a cheap and cheerful hostel on the Khao San Road, he meets a crazy guy called Daffy. Not sure if it’s just the drugs talking, when daffy talks about an amazing island, paradise that no tourist knows about, Richard is intrigued. When Daffy gives him a roughly drawn map, Richard decides to go.
A French couple also at the hostel go with him and they pass through the most spectacular scenery and difficult journeys to get to the island. And when they get there they find utopia – a family of people living there in perfect harmony with themselves and with nature.
Will the newcomers be welcome, blend in and can this utopia last?
Travel Guide
This is the ultimate backpacker story and as reader you are part of every single step of the journey. Everyone familiar with backpacking will recognise the small detail such as the way you chat to people in hostels, the deals you make along the way, the free and easy way of talking and the ways you negotiate travelling from one place to another.
The premise of the book is every travellers dream – finding a gem off the beaten track and being one of the first to find a real and magical location that hardly anyone else has seen. The suspense and excitement and anticipation is present on every page and the journey from one place to another part of the ultimate travelling journey. Living in a paradise utopia is something most of us have dreamed of and the way that things will change when newcomers arrive is what we all want to see. There are dangers of being in a strange environment, the local militia and other situations but the thrill of the adventure supersedes every thing else. Some parts (the pleasant ones thankfully) reminded us of trips we’ve taken over the years.
The Gulf of Thailand has never looked so inviting. The film version is also good for locations of course but the book can be taken with you in your sandy suitcase and flip flops.
Think Lord of the Flies and Animal farm on a paradise setting and be prepared for one heck of an adventure.
Where Next?
