VANCOUVER – For over a decade, bestselling author, TV host and travel expert Robin Esrock has sought out the extraordinary, visiting 110 countries on 7 continents in search of the adventures, destinations and cultural spectacles that make life worth living.

HarperCollins Canada is thrilled to announce the publication of The Great Global Bucket List, Esrock’s personal journey to discover the world’s very best experiences. Continuing Esrock’s trailblazing vision to re-invent the guidebook, this inspiring, fascinating, and frequently funny book is accompanied by rich digital media, including an up-to-date website, dozens of videos, galleries, a blog, and social channels for readers to share their own experiences.
​
 From cruising down the Amazon River to camping in Zanzibar, Robin’s bucket list is full of characters, trivia, history and humour, proving that modern travel is so much more than over-trafficked tourist attractions.
 “Bucket Listers are chasing unique, authentic experiences, along with real moments and meaningful connections to the world around them,” explains Robin, a former travel columnist for The Globe and Mail, MSN and Outpost, “That includes ancient wonders, but also swimming in mud volcanoes, tracking wildebeest, and sampling local dishes that don’t always taste like chicken.” 

The Great Global Bucket List will be on shelves nationwide in September 2016, shortly after the launch of the companion site, globalbucketlist.com. For more about Canada’s #1 selling travel author, visit www.robinesrock.com.

​For further information, please contact:
Kelsey Marshall, Publicist
HarperCollins Canada
Tel: 416.256.3383
Email: kelsey.marshall@harpercollins.com

Praise for Robin Esrock
 “When it comes to bucket lists, he’s kicked that travel bucket so many times it doesn’t know what hemisphere it’s in. Esrock has done it!”
– Canadian Traveller Magazine

 “One of Canada’s top travel writers and definitely one of our bigger personalities.”
– The Globe and Mail

 “Robin Esrock, hitherto known as the Evel Knievel of Travel, knows what’s he’s writing about.”
– Canadian Living
​
 “One crucial thing sets Robin Esrock’s book apart. It’s full of accounts written by someone who’s actually explored these places.”
– The Georgia Straight

THE GREAT GLOBAL BUCKET LIST BY Robin Esrock
Patrick Crean Editions | 9781443442367 | On Sale September 1, 2016 | $19.99 CAN | TPB

Having solo-travelled extensively on six continents, I’ve always maintained that travel is perfectly safe and more enjoyable if you use common sense, and aren’t afraid to be a little social.  In my experience, people would rather help you than hurt you.  

That being said,  sour apples that can spoil any cider, and some regions better suited to solo leisure travel than others.   Solo travellers might be picked out for all manner of mischief, like a stray animal who wanders from the safety of the pack.

I’ve met solo female travellers who have been harassed in taxis, although I’ve also met plenty of solo female travellers who have managed fine in some pretty challenging countries.  Some guys fall in with the wrong crowd, or might be targeted as oblivious drug mules.   I’ve been drugged a couple times (never accept a Flaming Lamborghini from pretty flight attendants in Hong Kong, let’s leave it at that) but once again, the kindness of strangers helped me emerge unscathed.   It might be safe to travel in parts of the countries and regions below, although it’s well worth doing your research about conflict zones, hot spots and the latest political turbulence. Hopefully, with improving political and economic stability, this list of volatile places to avoid will grow smaller, not longer.  

• Afghanistan
  
• Pakistan 
  
• Sudan
  
• Syria
  
• Eritrea
  
• Algeria
  
• Gaza 
  
• Democratic Republic of Congo
  
• Iraq
  
• The Colombia/Ecuador border
  
• Mali 
  
• Libya
  
• Sierra Leone

The reality is that, depending on the type of person you are, you shouldn’t travel alone anywhere OR it's best to travel alone everywhere.   While some travellers need a tour bus, others might be particularly resourceful in the event of conflict.  Some travellers might enjoy a little adventure, others less so. 

I can certainly testify that supposed hot spots like Johannesburg, Sao Paulo, New Delhi and Bogota are wonderful places to visit, provided you don’t end up in the wrong part of town, and especially with the wrong type of company.  Every year, thousands of solo travellers visit the countries above without any incident, amazed at the people and experiences they encounter.   Weigh up the risks, take precautions and use common sense.  When it comes down to it, paranoia is one of the worst weapons the modern traveller should worry about.  

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island - At the 2013 Canadian Tourism Commission annual Go Media Marketplace, I walked away with a prestigious award for Best Online Video.  
A few days after my wedding in 2011, I jetted off to Calgary with my genius filmmaker friend Ian Mackenzie to capture the essence of the Calgary Stampede for it's 100-year celebration. 

Together we produced a cutting edge series for the Matador Travel Network, showcasing the event, nightlife, culture, rodeo and people that make the Stampede "the Greatest Show on Earth".   The series encompassed videos, articles and galleries, unafraid to ask the big questions  - are animals being abused in the rodeo? - or to swallow the prairie oysters.   We were proud of our work, and thrilled that the judges agreed too.  

"The dynamic and exciting profile of the Calgary Stampede and the city of Calgary, AB, was a surefire winner for judge Jennifer Bell. 'I was drawn to the wealth of arts and culture that the city has to offer—and of course bull riding, beer drinking and country music,' Bell noted. 'Robin Esrock and the Matador Network brilliantly showcased one of the true jewels in Canada's tourism crown.'

I should also mention that I accepted the award in full drag, dressed in a platinum wig and slinky number for Tourism Winnipeg's shaken-not-stirred pre-Awards cocktail party. 
There must be an award for being able to pull that off!