by Chris Mitchell on April 28, 2009
Thai Banks have now imposed significant fees for tourists withdrawing foreign funds from ATMs while travelling in Thailand. Make sure you minimise your ATM use to avoid spending more than you bargained for. [click to continue…]
by Chris Mitchell on July 13, 2008
Well, almost. To celebrate their 5th birthday, the mighty Travelfish Asian backpackers site is doing a “buy one, get one free” offer on all of their excellent downloadable travel guides. [click to continue…]
by Chris Mitchell on July 3, 2008
There’s no shortage of interesting travel books out there – discovering they exist is the hardest part. Here’s some of my favourites from this year so far. [click to continue…]
by Chris Mitchell on June 30, 2008
The author of The Sex Lives Of Cannibals and Getting Stoned With Savages turns his attention to China in his forthcoming book [click to continue…]
by Greg Lowe on June 22, 2008
The Mekong River defines much of South East Asia, but it was only explored by Westerners for the first time in 1866. John Keay’s Mad About The Mekong charts the exploration that paved the way to South East Asia’s colonisation.
by Greg Lowe on June 19, 2008
Pascal Khoo Thwe’s autobiography is a classic “truth is stranger than fiction” tale, describing how a dirt poor Burmese mountain boy improbably fell in love with the writings of James Joyce and eventually found himself studying at Cambridge University in England
by Greg Lowe on April 7, 2008
Asia is home to half the world’s population and is already shaping up to be the crucible of change in the 21st century. Colin Mason’s book A Short History Of Asia offers a concise overview of how Asia became what it is today
by Chris Mitchell on October 1, 2007
JG Ballard is the author of Empire Of The Sun, a quasi-autobiographical novel about growing up in 1930s Shanghai and then living in an internment camp after the Japanese invaded during World War II. Rick McGrath discovered that Ballard’s childhood home still exists amongst the never-ending reconstruction of Shanghai and recently travelled halfway around the [...]
by Chris Mitchell on September 24, 2007
With current events in Myanmar moving towards a major confrontation between the military junta and the people, Thierry Falise’s French language biography of Aung San Suu Kyi is an important reminder of her role in the country’s hope for democracy to be restored
by Chris Mitchell on September 18, 2007
Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler goes travelling through Iran, Iraq, North Korea and numerous other places of dubious morality to see if they really are irredeemably evil. It’s a fast paced and fascinating take on these otherwise forbidden countries
by Chris Mitchell on May 27, 2007
As Myanmar’s military junta sentences Aung San Suu Kyi to another year of house arrest, the publication of her biography is an apt reminder of both her personal and political struggle
by Greg Lowe on May 18, 2007
Fan Wu’s debut novel February Flowers is a deeply compelling coming of age story, centred around two female university students in Guangzhou, China.
by Chris Mitchell on March 21, 2007
There are plenty of great books about Myanmar (formerly Burma) – here’s a few that I’ve enjoyed and inspired my recent visit
by Chris Mitchell on March 17, 2007
North Korea remains a truly enigmatic destination for a foreigner to visit, and there are some fascinating accounts and photographs of time spent in the Hermit Kingdom
by Greg Lowe on March 14, 2007
A firsthand account of the nightmarish reality endured by two Australian prisoners in a Laos communist gulag
by Chris Mitchell on March 4, 2007
“The Boys Of Everest: Chris Bonington and the Tragedy of Climbing’s Greatest Generation” is a gripping biography of the daring and dangerous attempts to climb Mount Everest by a group of some of Britain’s most celebrated climbers
by Chris Mitchell on March 3, 2007
Whether you’re looking for a trashy thriller to read on the beach or difficult-to-find history and culture volumes about South East Asia, Bangkok’s plethora of English language bookshops provide a fantastic selection of travel reading material
by Chris Mitchell on February 25, 2007
Peter Olszewski’s memoir of a year spent living in Myanmar is a fascinating, intimate personal account of day to day life in this politically tormented country
by Stephanie on February 20, 2007
No woman should feel like it’s too daunting to go travelling, whether on her own or with others. Stephanie Elizondo Griest gives 10 tips from her new book 100 Places Every Woman Should Go to help turn those travel dreams into reality
by Chris Mitchell on February 17, 2007
Becoming a travel guidebook writer for Lonely Planet is a job many dream of. Simon Sellars has researched sections of Lonely Planet Japan and Lonely Planet Micronesia and blogged about the whole process while he was on the road
by Chris Mitchell on February 12, 2007
Climbing is not perhaps the first thing you think of when you think about a holiday in Thailand, but the limestone karsts of Krabi – where James Bond: The Man With The Golden Gun was filmed – are ideal for memorable ascents
by Chris Mitchell on February 9, 2007
The founders of Lonely Planet have written their autobiography, reflecting on over 30 years spent travelling the world and writing guidebooks to help others follow in their footsteps
by Chris Mitchell on February 8, 2007
Rough Guides has just published a brand new edition of their Rough Guide to Laos, their first guidebook update for Laos for 4 years
by Chris Mitchell on January 19, 2007
A sort-of sequel to “Pyongyang”, “Shenzen” is another superb graphic novel from Guy Delisle, detailing the culture shock of his three months in one of China’s most rapidly growing cities
by Chris Mitchell on January 8, 2007
The world’s smallest country, Sealand, has just gone on sale. What better time to discover the scores of self-declared states around the world with Lonely Planet’s latest, off-the-wall, travel guide
by Chris Mitchell on November 16, 2006
James Gandolfini, the actor behind Tony Soprano, is planning his first big movie beyond The Sopranos to be set and shot in Bangkok. It’s going to be an adaptation of Jake Needham’s novel The Big Mango.
by Chris Mitchell on November 1, 2006
The newest addition to Thailand’s luxury hotels is the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi in Chiang Mai. This isn’t just a six star hotel however, but a conscious exercise in preserving Thailand’s historic Lanna architecture and handicrafts
by Chris Mitchell on October 7, 2006
There’s a plethora of books about Thailand – but which ones to read? Here’s some of my favourite books about Thailand that will provide fascinating reading and also provide you with invaluable information if you visit Thailand
by Chris Mitchell on October 7, 2006
What would possess a middle aged English businessman to give up his wealthy, comfortable lifestyle in London and become a Buddhist monk living in one of the poorest districts of Thailand? In Phra Farang (Thai for “Western monk”), Phra Peter Pannapadipo, formerly Mr Peter Robinson, tries to explain what led him to such a radical [...]
by Chris Mitchell on October 5, 2006
Publishing over 650 travel titles, Lonely Planet are responsible for a quarter of all travel guidebooks currently in print. The company came out about from Tony and Maureen Wheeler’s self-published handbook “Across Asia on the Cheap” over 20 years ago. Here they discuss the startling success of their company
