” Kilometers are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in kilometers.” – George Carlin
I would like to start off by saying I’m a big fan of lonely Planet guide books. Perhaps the best resource for a backpacker in my humble opinion. Started by Maureen and Tony Wheeler 1973, the Wheeler’s saw a gap in the market for people who wanted to travel independently and penned their first book – Across Asia on the Cheap. The name lonely Planet comes from the Joe Crocker song Space Captain (The Lyrics actually say Lovely planet) The BBC bought over 75% of Lonely Planet in 2007.
One running joke is that the only thing a Lonely Planet guide is good for, Is to let the reader in on where to avoid. Which is largely due to an influx of tourists to specific restaurants, landmarks, tours, etc. listed within the books. I would go along with that to some extent, Certainly when it comes to accommodation a rule of thumb is to stay well away from anywhere Lonely Planet recommended. Too often once a hostel gets into a guidebook, especially one as widely circulated as lonely planet (6 Million books sold worldwide annually) They begin to rest on their laurels and that my friends, Is how you end up sleeping 2 metres from a fully operational freight train track with cockroaches on your face at 3am…but that’s a story for another blog. Once you start really looking though, your rewarded with these small, lovely, undiscovered places who don’t get the recognition they perhaps deserve, and these are the people who go out of their way to make your stay a pleasant one, and the ones I go out of my way to support and promote.
Lonely Planet’s guide to India was first published in 1981, we are now on the 12th Edition almost 30 years later. The first thing that strikes you upon seeing said guide is it’s size, it is, as far as guide books go clinically obese. I appreciate that all of the information in the guide is more than likely necessary and informative, But it’s a whopping 1235 pages! It literally weighs a kilo, that’s over 2lbs! In fact picking it up again now it’s laughably big, and whats worse none of the places I’m going to appear after page 427. What am I going to do with the other 800 odd pages?
The little maps and public transport guides I really do find indispensable. I guess I could cut the book in half and take only the half I need with me, But I’m unusually fond of my book collection – especially my travel section with tattered edges and notes scribbled in corners serving as a subtle reminder of adventures past, I’m not sure how half a pristine and half a battered copy of the same book would look on the shelf once I’m home. I also have this image if me vigorously wrapping the remaining half of the guide in sellotape as it falls apart on me mere hours into my trip. I think it’s safe to say that’s a ridiculous idea. I could buy a Rajasthan specific guide book but that come in at £15, add that to the guide I own already and its almost £35 on guide books! £35 and I’m not even off my sofa yet.
I’l report back once I figure something out.
