As we’ve continued perusing “New Horizons: The World Guide to Travel,” a guidebook published by Pan American Airways in 1955, we couldn’t help but marvel at some of its descriptions.
Numerous locations detailed in the book have fallen into relative obscurity, and many favorite countries have since been ravaged by wars or revolutions. Below you can find fascinating and sobering descriptions of some former hot spots:
Lebanon (Characteristics): “This is a wonderful little country, which has within its boundaries some of the most magnificent ruins in the world, the famous Cedars of Lebanon, and modern cities and villages which turn the clock back hundreds of years. There are wonderful beaches; within a short distance there are high mountains on which skiing is excellent. It is the biblical ‘Land of Milk and Honey,’ with orange and olive groves, banana plantations, wonderful wild flowers and crystal clear rivers gushing from grottos. It is a fascinating mingling of the old and new, and off the beaten track.”
Bolivia (Where to Go – Sightseeing): “Cochabamba is the resort town to which Bolivians from La Paz and other spots go. It is located in a garden valley, one of the most fertile spots in the country. Indian traffic cops stand on raised platforms at street intersections, wearing bulging trousers and kepis. The old Spanish houses have overhanging tiled eaves.”
Brazil (Where to Go – Sightseeing): “Petropolis is the leading summer resort in Brazil. It is about an hour’s ride from the capital and boasts one of the finest resort hotels in the world, Hotel Quitandinha, decorated by Dorothy Draper. It is set in the middle of fantastic tropical scenery, including orchid-draped trees on the edge of a lake.”
India (Where to Go – Sightseeing): “Kashmir… A tourist’s paradise. The health resorts of Kashmir are among the most picturesque in the world. … Srinigar, the summer capital, like Venice, is built on the waterfront on which float quaint houseboats designed and furnished for comfort and rest. Shikaras (light taxiboats) convey tourists over the lakes and bring vendors of daily necessities, curios and handicrafts, for which Kashmir is famous, to the houseboats. The beautiful terraced gardens laid out in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by the great Mughals, are another attraction in this playground of the East.”
Pakistan (Night Clubs and Cabarets): “…all the leading hotels have Western-type bar-rooms and cabarets. The floor shows of the Beach Luxury, Metropole, Palace and others are considered to be of high standard.”
Belgian Congo (Where to Go – Sightseeing): “Principal places of interest include Lake Kivu, called the ‘Jewel of Africa,’ where at Usumbura to the south you can see the famous 7-foot-tall Watussi natives and to the north the still-active Nyamalagira volcano…the broad mountain-bordered plains of Albert National Park, where you can see a great variety of wildlife at farther range but in greater numbers than at Kruger. See the famous Ruwenzori Mountain range, called ‘Mountains of the Moon’…”
Union of South Africa (Where to Go – Sightseeing): “Johannesburg is quite naturally called the Golden City. You mustn’t miss a trip down a gold mine – a thrilling experience. … There are many interesting drives in and around the city and there are municipal busses which make ‘Round the Town’ tours. … Pretoria is known as the ‘Flower of the Transvaal.’ In the late spring thousands of jacaranda trees bloom. The avenues of purple flowers make a sight famous throughout the continent.”
I’ve been in the business long enough to remember Pan Am, and frequently sold tickets on this airline. Great Airline. Then the company was swallowed up by various airlines who wanted their routes. A lot of bad decisions were made.
I once aspired to be a flight attendant for Pan Am and travel worldwide.
I still have my father’s Western Airlines business card and related memorabilia. Ah, foe the days when airline travel was actually something to look forward to!