The Dark Tourist

Sightseeing in the World's Most Unlikely Holiday Destinations

By: Dom Joly

Narrated by: Dom Joly

Ever since he can remember, Dom Joly has been fascinated by travel to odd places. In part this stems from a childhood spent in war-torn Lebanon, where instead of swapping marbles in the schoolyard, he had a shrapnel collection - the schoolboy currency of Beirut. Dom's upbringing was interspersed with terrifying days and nights spent hunkered in the family basement under Syrian rocket attack or coming across a pile of severed heads from a sectarian execution in the pine forests near his home. 

These early experiences left Dom with a profound loathing for the sanitised experiences of the modern-day travel industry and a taste for the darkest of places. In this brilliantly odd and hilariously told travel memoir, Dom Joly sets out on a quest to visit those destinations from which the average tourist would, and should, run a mile. The more insalubrious the place, the more interesting is the journey, and so we follow Dom as he skis in Iran on segregated slopes, spends a weekend in Chernobyl, tours the assassination sites of America and becomes one of the few Westerners to be granted entry into North Korea. Eventually, Dom journeys back to his roots in Beirut only to discover he was at school with Osama Bin Laden. 

Funny and frightening in equal measure, this is a uniquely bizarre and compelling travelogue from one of the most fearless and innovative comedians around.

©2021 Dom Joly (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK

Really Enjoyed

I've come to really enjoy reading/listening to the travels of Dom Joly. He has travelled to some incredible places in general and certainly in this book, far outside the comfort zone of the average tourist. The book is written with good humor and made for a very interesting read. The North Korea section was fascinating, especially as I have watched some YouTube videos created by defectors who describe life on the inside. Very interesting to hear what it is like for an outsider to visit and what they are allowed to see.

As far as the audio book goes, I really enjoy the narration of the author, he's got a great voice for it and his multilingual abilities help add authenticity.

Having also read Scary Monsters and Super Freaks, The Downhill Hiking Club, and Such Miserable Weather, I think this may be my favorite of the bunch, although they are all good.

Humorous, but in very respectful and emotionally aware way

I wish there was at least one more place! Dom Joly’s perspective on the morbid locations in this book are both fascinating and intriguing.