Discover our new guidebooks!
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

It’s pretty buzzy around Lonely Planet HQ. We’ve got some big news, and we’re all so excited we’re in danger of behaving badly.

Our new colour country guide series, Discover, is about to hit the shelves. These beauties are full of colour photos and they look amazing – but even more importantly, they’re seriously smart.

We’re almost nerdishly obsessed with making great products that work for travellers – just ask our friends and families! So when people told us they’d like a colour country guide for short trips – one that covered all the iconic sights as well as the most incredible local experiences – we decided to make one. And gosh it’s good.

Discover guides are packed with incredible photos and great planning tools to help you make the most of your trip, before you go and when you’re on the road. All the chapters are colour-coded, so it’s super-easy to find what you’re looking for.

We’ve included lots of itineraries organised by region, theme and length of trip. And we’ve packed in lots of ‘best’ lists so you can tailor your trip to fit your interests. (Looking for the best places to wander in Bangkok? Have a look at Discover Thailand). In a new special feature, local experts tell you all about the secrets behind the best-known attractions. (Who better to tell you about the Tower of London than the Chief Beefeater?)

Sigh…beauty, brains and colour maps, too.

Yes. I did say we get nerdishly excited.

Jane is Lonely Planet’s regional publisher for Australia, Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.

So which places do you want to discover?  Discover Thailand, Japan, France, Spain, Great Britain, Italy, Ireland and France.

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76-Second Travel Show: ‘Spring Break is 50, kinda’
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

There is absolutely nothing more embarrassing about Americans than how many act during Spring Break. Well, it at least makes the Top 5.

The traditional week-off from school in March can be measured in the misty rainbows seen in the spray of ‘Girls Gone Wild’ wet t-shirt contests, or still pools of puke dotting the beaches of Panama City, Florida, or South Padre Island, Texas.

Actually this rowdy tradition sort of turns 50 years old this year — as we reach the half-centennial of the film ‘Where the Boys Are’ that set off the boom of bad behavior and boy-seekers to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

For this show, I’ve tracked down one of the original ‘Where the Boys Are‘ pilgrims — who is still in Fort Lauderdale 50 years later (with her ‘boy’ she found in Boston actually) — and offer Spring Break Flash Cards on ‘how to meet people.’ Wherever you go.

Be good, y’all.

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The world’s greatest travel stories… yours!
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

LONELY PLANET/WALL STREET JOURNAL CONTEST
Ever want to be published in the Wall Street Journal? You can be. Lonely Planet has teamed up with WSJ to search out the world’s greatest travel stories – and print the best in WSJ’s Travel Report this May.

What to do? Think about the travel moment that changed you, places where you met a future spouse, made a big goof, or did that thing you’re finally willing to share. It can be near or far, short or long: from 100 words to 1000 per submission.

Make your submission here or email it to TravelStories [at] WSJ [dot] com. Submissions are accepted throughout March. The best ones will appear in WSJ’s print/online report in May, and you’ll receive a WSJ luggage tag and your pick of Lonely Planet’s new full-color Discover series to destinations like Italy, France, Great Britain, Spain, Ireland, Australia, Japan and Thailand.

Great travel stories happen anywhere. Researching Lonely Planet books, I’ve traveled to Transylvania Alps, Andean and Mekong villages, and Mayan pyramids. But it was in the middle of ‘are we there yet?’ America, where I learned one of my most valuable travel lessons: ask things.

Crossing Kansas, you’ll see ‘skyscraper of the plains’ (aka grain elevators) announcing towns long before you reach them. While on a zig-zagging curly-fry route along the Sunflower State’s ‘blue highways’ a decade ago, I finally stopped at a grain elevator outside Dodge City to see if I could get a ‘tour.’

A beefy guy with Terminator sunglasses and a jumpsuit stood arms-at-side, watching me tentatively park in his gravel lot. I got out of my car and asked about seeing inside, halfway resigned to drive on in dejection, when he quickly waved me in. ‘Why not?’

I squeezed into a one-man elevator with Glen, a Texas ex-pat, and headed up to the building’s dark walkway above a dozen or so silos. Glen’s like folks in most places, proud of his work and happy to share a bit of it. If you ask. He told me about ‘harvest yields’ and  ‘croppers’ (still not sure what he meant) as we stepped over rusted conveyor belts and peeked through windows looking out onto the Kansan plains. He pointed down into the empty silos – ‘at harvest these can overflow’ – then wagged his finger – ‘it’s dangerous work, one guy lost an arm.’

I don’t know how many grain elevators I passed before I asked to go in one, but I won’t pass one again without thinking of Glen.

What are your favorite tales from the road?

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Eat well on the move in Europe
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

The sniff of Spring is in the air in Europe, which means planning for summer journeys can begin. One overlooked detail of riding the rails in Europe is the food, glorious food that you may or may not end up enjoying. Here are some suggestions for those planning a trip, short or long, around Europe this summer.

1. Walk out the station. You’ll probably think that European railway stations consist of one bland chain after another if all you do is grab something at the concessions inside stations. Leave Sbarro and Caffe Ritazza to those in a hurry and take a few steps outside. You’ll save some money and might just happen upon somewhere with a little character. Sometimes it’s closer than you think. One of the best slices of pizza in Italy awaits you in an innocuous-looking subterranean cafe beneath Milan’s Centrale station.
2. Walk further than the immediate environs of the station. If you’re familiar with Rome’s Termini or Brussels’ Midi stations you’re probably wondering which characterful, good-value options I’m talking about. But there is a street market and several unreconstructed Roman cafes within ten minutes walk of Termini. Go a little further – you’ve probably got time. I’m off to Brussels next week – I’ll come back to you on that one.
3. Self-cater to save cash. A picnic is a cheap way to eat well and can keep you going for days. My brother filled a baguette with delicious cheeses and meats and ate it over the course of a week on one Inter Rail trip we took together, though I did have to leave him after a few days because of the smell. Buy enough to share for maximum popularity points with fellow travellers.
4. Don’t rely on buffet cars. The food served here is rarely fresh, tasty or distinctive. It will also not be cheap – you are literally a captive audience. Do go and hang out in the restaurant or buffet car, however, these are great places to meet people and sometimes people will offer to share their food or drink with you (see point 3, above).
5. Know when to try something. If you can see it being cooked, give it a go. This goes for fish freshly hooked out of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, sizzling sausages in German city markets and still-warm Spanish churros.
6. There may be an excuse for eating in international food chains when hopping around Europe but I haven’t found it yet. Even the thought of using a clean toilet isn’t the line it used to be – door codes for access, provided when you buy something are now commonplace.  Hangovers often drive weary wanderers into the arms of familiar fast-food friends. Any of the alternatives above are better and cheaper.
7. Stand up and save. You’ll often pay more to sit down in cafes and bars. If your legs are dog-tired, grab a take-out and find a view or a patch of green space.
8. Inspiration comes in strange places. Last summer I happened upon a young American lady who was asking a newspaper-seller in London’s Kings Cross station where she could get great fish and chips nearby. I ventured an opinion and was soon joined by several others, arguing the toss for our local favourites.* Taxi drivers and cycle couriers tend to know where quick, good, cheap eats nearby are.

* The winners, after a lengthy squabble:

1. Golden Fish Bar, Farringdon Road
2. North Sea Fish Restaurant, Leigh St
3. Fryer’s Delight, Theobalds Road

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76-Second Travel Show: ‘What travel teaches’
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

At the New York Times Travel Show last weekend, I learned that Lonely Planet’s Guide to Travel Writing author Don George is a failed poet, Sree Sreenivasan of Columbia University believes it’s impossible to be a ‘thought leader’ in social media YET, the New Yorker’s Susan Orlean doesn’t prepare before traveling, you can hire a sleeper boat to go down the Erie Canal at 7mph (I really want to do this), Quebec-bound cruises from New York City now stop at Îles de Madeleine, and that Intourist — Russia’s tourism board — still doesn’t seem to care much for travelers or travel writers.

I also learned if you leave your favorite pen by the free muffins, Nina of the Javits Center will find it and return it to you with a smile when you ask.

In the company of so many travel experts, I thought I’d ask a few what travel teaches us.

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Twities competition – Tweet the city of the week
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

Can you get to the heart of a place in 140 characters?

Each week our Twitter team will choose a city, and the tweet that best captures the essence of the place will win a free Lonely Planet guidebook. All you need to do is tag your tweets with #twities and you’ll be entered into the competition. More details and a few examples can be found in the previous post.

On this page we’ll post the winning entries as well as the challenge city for the current week. Are you up for the challenge?

Tokyo

Week 2 – February 25-31, 2010

Tweet your entries now!

Vancouver

Week 1 – February 18-24, 2010

Vancouver is a confluence of cultures, classes and terrains. Pirates in luxury cars could lurk at any corner.
Winning Entry by @van_tho — Retweet:

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76-Second Travel Show: ‘Here come the Siberians’
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

The 5663-mile ride from Moscow to Vladivostok — aka the Trans-Siberian Railway — may be the world’s most legendary ride. It takes over six days, passing through seven time zones and connects you from Europe to the Far East, just past North Korea.

It’s essential travel, but — some don ‘t realize — not always for the scenery. Often monotonous taiga forest stretches like seascapes out the window. Those who choose for a private cabin or to go without stopping — and showering — are missing out on the real attraction: access to bizarre Soviet left-over cities and, most importantly, access to real-live Russians (like those I met in the video on trips in 2005 and 2008).

I always stop off for a day at least every 30 hours, and happily bunk a bed in the four-berth kupe class to see who my fellow passengers are. As chances go, it’s a far lesser risk than Russian roulette. Nearly everyone — grandparents, science professors, gymnasts, drunk truck drivers — have instantly welcomed me as part of the family.

Off-train invitations come too. Usually I don’t know why/where I’m going, I just go — and end up at a dramatically moustached bee-keeper’s place outside Khabarovsk or on a wild two-hour driving tour of Novosibirsk.

Last week, the 76-Second Travel Show found a Chester A Arthur sandwich in New York City.

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For more on how to ride the train, get Lonely Planet’s Trans-Siberian Railway.

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Ten things you can learn from Lonely Planet’s Best Ever Travel Tips
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet’s Best Ever Travel Tips has just hit the Shop and bookshelves around the world.  As the author of this book I had a lot of fun putting it together and learnt a lot from the experts in their field who contributed to it. So, with a respectful nod to those who shared their secrets here are ten tasters from the hundreds in the book to make your travel that little bit better.

If you’re in London I’ll be talking about this book while you drink wine at the Travel Bookshop in Notting Hill on Tuesday 2 March at 6.30pm. Yes, the Hugh Grant Travel Bookshop.

That will need to go in the hold, Sir

That carry-on bag might not get carried on, depending on who you fly with
Some airlines, especially budget airlines, restrict hand baggage size to less than what is specified in the International Air Transport Association regulations. Check before you travel, as many airlines now charge to check a bag into the hold. In some cases this fee is higher if you haven’t prebooked. This may mean deciding how many suitcases to take when you’re booking your flight.

There’s only one real secret to travelling light
The development and use of a proper personal packing list. By that, I don’t mean the sort of ‘packing list’ that one can find at travel accessory shops, or all over the internet. Rather, a unique, well-considered, carefully refined document that becomes a blueprint for how you travel, a sort of contract you make with yourself – a personal pledge that you will never put anything in your bag that isn’t on your list. See Doug Dyment’s essential packing site One Bag

Best taken standing

Why everyone’s standing up in that cafe you’re in
In many cafes and bars in Europe you’ll pay extra if you sit down. Take your morning coffee and croissant at the bar like locals do and you’ll save big-time. When you need a long sit-down, grab a picnic from a local market and head to the nearest park. Putting a picnic together saves money on a sit-down meal and lets you experience markets that are at the heart of local life. The eateries situated in markets usually offer excellent local food on a budget and are often open early – great if you’re jet lagged.

Ignore ‘commission free’
It’s nonsense! All it means is you don’t pay a separate fee, yet often the cost is just loaded on a poor exchange rate. Forget the spin; the only way to compare is to ask, ‘For 200 of mine, how much of yours will I get after all charges?’ More tips at Travel Money Max – best for UK readers but the suggestions work worldwide.

The best way to avoid getting sick when on the road
Keep a small bottle of hand cleanser in your pocket. It’s hugely effective in preventing the spread of bacteria and can be used before and after meals – as well as if you’re ever away from a shower for slightly longer than you’d like.

Fly early, get delayed less

How to maximise the chances of your flight leaving on time
The first flight of the day to your destination is often the most punctual one, as your plane is already there waiting for you. Delays build up throughout the day. This is especially true is flying short-haul, where your plan may buzz around a continent for a day before stopping by to service the route you’re flying.

Look closely at the cost of your rail or bus pass
Cover-all passes may not represent the good deal they once did. Point-to-point tickets can now often be had for so little that, provided you know where you want to go and aren’t travelling at peak times, a few hours online is the best way to book a cheap journey. However, for an old-fashioned, go-where-you-please rail adventure, a travel pass is still your best friend – not least for the discounts on useful services that usually come with it.

A different way to get suggestions when you’re new in town
A better way to get recommendations than asking for somewhere that will suit you is to ask concierge or bartender where they like to go in town. You’ll end up somewhere off the main tourist scene and might just get somewhere that’s of-the-moment you’d otherwise have missed. And if you like where you end up you can ask the staff at that place for another tip, and move on in a gloriously unpredictable manner. Don’t have a concierge? You could, if very bold, use one at another hotel – but you should certainly tip them as if you were a guest.

How to do a long weekend better
Make it a long midweek instead. Not only will you find flights easier to come by – provided you avoid key business flights – you’ll avoid the Friday-night and Sunday-night crushes at the airport. You’ll also find museums and galleries open, missing the dreaded Monday closures, plus it’ll be easier to get into restaurants. Bear in mind, though, that business hotels will be busier midweek.

How to find a twist on a safari that helps local people
Locally owned and operated lodges on the fringes of safari parks can be an affordable and excellent alternative to remote, fly-in bush camps. And a walking safari led by a trained local guide is a thrilling way to get close to big animals.

Anyone got a tip to share? Copies of Best Ever Travel Tips for the best five.

- Tom Hall

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Your favourite city… in 140 characters
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

Travel loving twitterers out there, we’ve got a challenge for you. Let’s call it, twourism.

At Lonely Planet we tend to use a lot of words and images to capture the heart of destination, but a few humble words can often do the job. Those who use Twitter understand the power of 140 characters to tell a story.  It’s harder than it looks.

We want to test your skills by having you tweet a description of your favourite city that will inspire others to discover it.

Can you get to the heart of a place in a few words?

Tag your tweets with #lp and we’ll pick them up and review them. Each week our Twitter team will choose the best and award a free guidebook. We’ll pick the city each week. If you love it and think you’re up to the challenge, tweet the name of a city you love and your 140 guide to that place.

First up, Vancouver (while the rest of the world is looking on for the Olympics). For the next seven days, we’ll be looking out for Vancouver in 140 characters from you.

Here’s an example: Vancouver: green mountains rise through rain, while clouds kiss highrises #lp

You might want to check out 140 Characters (a new book about making the most of the short form) for inspiration.

Follow us on Twitter @lonelyplanet, watch each week for the city theme and show us your best twities!

[Photo: Alex Castella/Flickr]

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This week in travel…
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

A view of the Trans-Siberian

What we learned the week of February 15, 2010:

Haiti voluntourism opportunities are starting.

Some observers are worried a ’spring break in Haiti’ (to volunteer) is too early to visit, but some volunteer groups are getting ready to rebuild the devastated country as early as April. Erin Courtenay of the New Zealand-based Global Volunteer Network told me they’ve already received 7000 applications for their upcoming volunteer programs to go rebuild homes, set up small businesses and educate children. ‘It’s the hugest outburst of interest we’ve seen for anything.’

Deals! Think post-Olympics Vancouver.

Canada’s likely to see a boost of visitors all year generated from the gorgeous views we’re seeing from the Winter Olympics on the telly. If you want a slice of Van for yourself, check out these hot hotel deals.

You can take the Trans-Siberian Railway from home.

The new, crazy Google/Russian Railways project shows the view from the Moscow-Vladivostok, along the entire six-plus day ride. Via the map, you can jump ahead to Lake Baikal to see the sea-sized lake (at a maddening 25-degree angle). It’s great fun for a quick peek, but even if you watch all six days you don’t get to see the real highlight behind the camera.

Lonely Planet, at 37, is still ‘young.’

This  interesting New York Times article on guidebooks vs user-generated travel sites as trip planners still sees LP as youthful. Exactly what anyone about to turn 40 wants to hear.

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Surviving super-cold travel
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

Northern Europe is still shivering in the this winter’s formidably icy grip. And with no end in sight  it felt like high time to wrap up and get out there.

If not polar then really quite chilly bear, National Museum, Helsinki

I pondered the wisdom of this as my flight from London to Helsinki, the capital of Finland and the European Union’s north-eastern outpost. The runway was a sheet of snow, distinguishable from the rest of the airport only by the level of snow. Once in the city centre exploring, it quickly became apparent that after more than twenty minutes in the frozen air a retreat to the handsome cafes of Helsinki was obligatory. The mercury plunged to minus twenty-four celcius at night.

And yet I not only got through my two days in Helsinki, I loved it. Here are a few suggestions for making the most of visiting a very cold place:

One way to deal with wild weather is to be out in it. Helsinki’s harbour was frozen, and the ice-choked waterfront made for a spectacular walk and very exhilarating run. You’ll find plenty of places to warm up.

Helsinki's frozen harbour

Cyclists and climbers will tell you that layers of clothing beat enormous puffer jackets – tourists on the streets of London impersonating the Michelin Man, take note – so stack on the stratum to best keep cosy.

In many places local people have excellent alternatives to being out in the cold. The sauna is part of life in Finland and many other European countries and as well as being good places to warm up open a window into Finnish culture and manners. At the Yrjönkatu sauna and swimming hall there’s plenty of steaming, sweating and clothes-optional swimming. As it’s open to men and women only on alternate days leaving the trunks off is straightforward. The sight of naked men donning a swimming hat and goggles for a few laps was incongruous. Tremendous fun and good value at €4.40 for the swimming and sauna.

Take a trip out of town. If things are looking spectacular in a city park then a journey to a nearby town should take you through some even better snowy scenery. From Helsinki the historic town of Porvoo is an easy half-day outing.

Travelling at this time is usually much cheaper than heading out in high summer. Hotels are emptier and flights easier to come by. You might even be able haggle your way to a bargain night in a better hotel than you’d normally stay in.

Any winter travel tips you’d care to share?

Tom Hall

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76-Second Travel Show: ‘President’s pants-shaped sandwich’
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

Chester A Arthur, the USA’s 21st president, is rarely thought of. Those that usually dwell at all on the Vermont-born, New York City-lawyer, focus on his remarkable facial hair: a chuffy puff of sideburn connected tenderly by a slightly curled moustache. Chin bare. Nice work CA.

Apparently Arthur saw himself as a real gentleman-type, pronouncing his middle name ‘Alan’ the French way (’al-AN’) and changing pants a few times a day (seriously). He only became president because a goofball shot President James Garfield in 1881, then a series of doctor goofballs probed in non-serious wound with oily fingers.

Two months later he was dead, and Arthur was awakened in his New York City home, where he took the oath as president.

His home, though historic, has been the site of New York’s favorite Indian spice shop Kalustyan’s since 1944. If you go, take the stairs to Arthur’s old bedroom, more or less, and order a ‘Charles A Arthur’ sandwich. You’ll like what you get.

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Last week, the 76-Second Travel Show found $10 luge lessons in Michigan, USA.

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Where to find romance around the world
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

In a series of articles this week leading up to Valentine’s Day, Lonely Planet authors covered multiple destinations where one might find romance around the world, including Iceland, the steamy jungles of Malaysian Borneo, the surprisingly romantic Detroit, Japanese love hotels, and, the old romantic standby, Paris.

Do travelers today really find Paris to be romantic, or is that just a tired cliché? When we posed the question on the Lonely Planet Facebook page there were a few that thought Paris was overrated as a romantic destination (in fact one said “[I] broke up with my fiancé on my first visit – you do the maths!”), but the overwhelming majority loved Paris and found the romance to be quite real, no matter how many times it has been said before. In fact when we asked  “Where’s the most romantic place in the world?” France came out as the 4th most popular country, and only one France supporter didn’t mention Paris specifically.

But when Lonely Planet readers think romance, one country holds the key to their hearts: Italy. Whether it’s dramatic marriage proposals at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, gondola rides through the canals of Venice, or watching the sunset on the island of Capri, Italy is often the first place people associate with romantic travel.

Of course Italy isn’t the only place to find romance, travelers find it everywhere, sometimes in the least likely places. Andi U. suggested Sengkang Cemetery in Sulawesi, which probably not the most popular pick, but definitely a discerning choice. Instead of the typical combination of boredom and bad food, Shelley B. managed to find romance in an airport: “In Sea-Tac Airport, Seattle, remeeting an old friend for a holiday in the Emerald City, after 28 years apart! Seattle to Vancouver then Whistler by car…and it snowed! Just the two of us…on the sweetest, romantic adventure of my lifetime.”

Certain keywords appeared in the suggestions and seem to be correlated with romance, so if you’re hoping for a little romance on your next holiday, try to include the following elements:

• Boats
• Islands/Beaches
• Moonlight/Stars/Night
• Sunsets/Sunrises
• Bedrooms
• Gelato

However, as several wise travelers pointed out, there’s more to finding romance than a boat, a nice view and some gelato:

“Depending on the circumstances and the person you’re with, almost any place can be romantic. I’ve had quite a few romantic moments in quite a few places, but looking back, it was always the person and the circumstances that made the moment romantic, not the actual setting.” - Csaba B.

“The most romantic place in the world is right at the spot where you are with your beloved.” - Tehsin B.

“Romance is a state of mind. Anywhere is possible.” - Harvey C.

Happy Valentine’s Day, and may you find romance wherever you go!

[Top photo: Sunset, by William Butler Yeats]

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What’s the buzz?
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

We like to keep on top of things, and we like to do so on your behalf. So we thought we’d bring you a few highlights from our Facebook and Twitter communities this week.

On Twitter, there was a lot of chatter about the launch of our Lonely Planet Magazine in India. An appearance from movie star Kareena Kapor certainly helped stir up excitement! Kareena tweeted to show off these pics from the gala launch event.

Tweeters also liked the latest podcast from our travel editors Tom Hall and Robert Reid, focusing on the floods in Peru and the implications for locals and visitors to the region.

You can now follow 40 + of our authors on Twitter. We’ve put together a Twitter list so you can easily add them and stay in touch. Here’s just a handful of their recent posts:

Paul Clammer in Haiti: In PAP this AM people singing “Preval is sleeping & the people are getting wet” & “We have rice, we don’t have tents.” #Haiti about 5 hours ago…

johnleewriter in Vancouver: Older SkyTrain lines coping with Olympics; Canada Line trains can’t be lengthened – expect queues  #LPatthegames about 5 hours ago…

radioceleste on the road: Just exchanged a bag of limes from my tree for a stalk of plantains – love the Tahitian barter system & don’t need to shop today!

John Vlahides in San Francisco: Hundreds of elephant seals sprawled on the sand, barking and braying. Mating season, Año Nuevo Reserve. Look! http://yfrog.com/4eqi3tj

On Facebook, travellers shared their favourite places to enjoy Carnevale (the Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan, India an unexpected performer) and, as the Olympics gear up in Vancouver, offered tips on the ultimate spots to enjoy some skiing.

Scott Smith says his single best ski rush was too hard to pick: “Sunday River Maine, the skiing, cut the Christmas tree down, saw George Bush Senior by surprise coming out of a small white church. The Canyons, Utah, with all the in bounds hiking and untouched powder skiing… Having the whole mountain to yourself at Big Sky Christmas day. Skied my brains out at Whistler Blackcomb with hired camera man following. The ski train to Winter Park, hot tub with the Hooters girls, then concert in Denver that night.”

Currently, the conversation has turned to Valentine’s Day, the holiday for lovers that many love to hate, and that icon of romance, Paris. So is it worth the hype? Most agree it is.

Says Don Haslam: “Every time you turn a corner you are presented with another spectacular vista. It can be romantic, melancholic, breathtaking, spiritual and inspiring all at the same time… And it’s not just the sights, it is the sounds and the smell of fresh butter croissants. I could go on… just visit. It is definitely worth every bit of the reputation. I could live there in a second. In fact, it is on the top of my list.”

Follow us on Twitter and fan us Facebook to join the conversation.

[Photo: cormend/Flickr Lonely Planet]

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Can you picture that?
Category: Travel>Lonely Planet

One of the best parts of travelling is capturing the memories to share with those who couldn’t be there, making them all terribly envious in the process. It’s part of our nomadic narrative – proving we were there and prolonging the pleasure as we play it back for the people in our lives.

Our community often share images with each other on the Picture This branch of the Thorn Tree forum. Most photo sharing happens via social networks like Facebook and Flickr. It’s never been easier to upload evidence of your adventures. Applications like Picasa  and Twitpic mean you can snap, edit and share from your phone, in the moment.

If you’re a particularly good photographer, or just luck out with some amazing shots,  you might decide you’d like to sell your photos. Sites like Red Bubble and Etsy make it easy to set up an online store for your creations. But don’t think it’s not hard work. If you’re thinking of turning pro, our seasoned snappers have some advice.

Our Travel Tech-philes also have the goods on which camera is best, what to do if you drop your camera, how to manage backpacking with film, how to insure your equipment and much more.

If you’re in the mood to share, be sure to explore our Flickr group and add your travel photo to our interactive world mosaic (you could win a trip for 2 around the world valued at $10,000).

To help mark the printing of our 100 millionth guidebook we’re collecting images from the road, across the globe. It’s part of our journey. We’d love to see yours.

[Photo: Hamed Saber/Flickr]

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