Lavatory, loo, restroom, bog, khazi, thunderbox, dunny, washroom, cludgie, privy, trap, public convenience, john, can, throne, potty, commode, urinal, latrine, porcelain, WC... so many words for the humble but essential toilet.
Brits do love a loo – we practically wrote the script for toilet humour and, after all, we invented the flushing version.
Sadly, Yorkshire’s aptly named Thomas Crapper did not come up with the idea – instead he patented several improvements in previous designs from Scotsman Alexander Cumming.
Lonely Planet celebrates the call of nature in a book, Toilets: A Spotter’s Guide, which showcases more than 100 of the best WCs around the world – from the beautiful to the bizarre and from the Arctic to the tropics.
Among the bounty of bogs there’s a fruity number in Israel, desert comfort stops in Tunisia, lonely outhouses in the Canadian wilds, and the ornateness befitting Austria’s classy capital Vienna.
The book’s introduction says: “As any experienced traveller knows, you can tell a whole lot about a place by its bathrooms.
“It’s not just how well they’re looked after that’s revealing, but where they are positioned and the way they’ve been conceptualised, designed and decorated.
“Toilets so often transcend their primary function of being a convenience to become a work of art in their own right, or to make a cultural statement about the priorities, traditions and values of the venues, locations and communities they serve.’’
Here’s our pick of the prize porcelain – from loos with views to lavish latrines via the wonderfully weird. None of them are bog standard!
- Toilets: A Spotter’s Guide by Lonely Planet (£7.99), lonelyplanet.com
Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland
The seat should always be warm at this terrific triangular toilet – it’s on the edge of Laugahraun lava field, with geothermal hot springs rising from below. Hot bot, anyone?
Gaudí-style toilets, Bahia, Brazil
A touch of Catalan Modernism at Praia do Forte, a sprawling beach resort northeast of Salvador. You may spot nesting leatherback turtles (not actually in the loo, obvs).
Ancient public lavatories, Carthage, Tunisia
The capital of the Carthaginian Empire had 400,000 residents, multi-storey buildings, sewers and dozens of public toilets like this. What it did not have in 146 BC was an army to stop the invading Romans from destroying much of the city.
Eco-toilet, British Columbia, Canada
Do bears do you-know-what in the woods? Well, yes they do. And you can release your inner grizzly at this planet-friendly composting machine in Taylor Arm Provincial Park on lovely Vancouver Island.
Barafu Camp, Tanzania
If the clouds clear, there’s quite a vista from the traps at Barafu. You’ll be availing yourself of the facilities a giddying 15,092ft up the flanks of mighty Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain.
Art Deco restrooms, Miami Beach, USA
Like a submarine conning tower, the WC comes up for air by legendary beaches. Contemplate the joys of 1930s Streamline Moderne architecture while you use them.
Desert toilet, the Siloli, Bolivia
There’s no hiding the fact that there’s no hiding place at this pitstop on the continuation of the Atacama Desert in neighbouring Chile. Gentlemen to the left, ladies to the right and no looking.
Prototype space toilet
Zero gravity could cause chaos on a cosmic commode, so a suction system draws those unspeakable things in the appropriate direction. There’s a bonus - in space, no-one can hear you fart.
Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar
It looks like an Imperial Cruiser from Star Wars, but is really for any Rebels or Stormtroopers who are caught short outside this galactic-class museum. Thought: do they have hot air Han driers?
Kyzyl Kum desert, Uzbekistan
So why do the locals build their bogs raised from the ground in this vast, parched land in the ‘stans’? Because there are 5ft long lizards roaming wild around here, that’s why.
Krafla, Iceland
No-one seems to know who installed these al-fresco ablutions by a geothermal generating station, but it’s a popular spot for hikers to grab a selfie on the seat of power.
Mr Toilet House, Suwon, South Korea
A theme park totally devoted to toilets? Indeed. This eccentric attraction revolves around a loo-shaped museum, the former home of Sim Jae-duck (the said Mr Toilet - surely he should be Mr Toilet Duck?!) who was first president of the World Toilet Association, which aims to improve sanitation in developing countries. Hopefully they are flushed with success.
Tonto Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, USA
With views like this, you won’t mind the limited privacy of these composting lavs on the 70 mile-long Tonto Trail through Arizona’s natural wonder. You may spot mesas..and butts!
