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11 replies to this topic
Posted 2012-09-14 17:46:49
Travel experiences shall never be the same again! Lonely Planet, the world’s number 1 travel content provider, is making its entry into the Indian market with the launch of ‘Lonely Planet for the Indian Traveller’. A first of its kind product for the Indian market, Lonely Planet’s first locally produced outbound travel guides have been customized as per the Indian travellers’ needs and sensibilities. The collection consists of travel guides for 10 outbound destinations namely Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Dubai, Bhutan, China, Great Britain, London, France and Italy. ‘Lonely Planet for the Indian Traveller’ guides have been anchored by Indian authors living in respective countries, sensitive to the Indian traveller’s needs. Re-counting his experience of founding the world’s most trusted travel content provider, Tony Wheeler, Co-Founder of Lonely Planet said “In 1972, Maureen (Wheeler) and I started off this journey with only a beat up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure resulting in our first book Across Asia on the Cheap. Today, one hundred million travel guides later, Lonely Planet is the global market leader with over 500 titles available in 9 languages. It’s great to see the heights of success Lonely Planet has achieved in the past 40 years and it’s fantastic to be visiting India again, since that first journey took us through India and our first India guidebook in 1981 is still the single book I am most proud of.” http://www.bestmedia...dian-traveller/
Posted 2012-09-14 17:58:40
Tony, who I met on his first trip before he wrote the book sold the lot to the BBC last year. He does not have the involvement he used to and I think it shows in the product.
Posted 2012-09-14 18:21:44
Tony is a legend. The original LP writers are getting older so its going to show in the product. It may not be quite as edgy as it once was but I think they have successfully matured along with their earlier demographic.
Posted 2012-09-15 00:21:05
I should be a shareholder based on how many LP books I own!
Posted 2012-09-16 03:03:06
Lonely Planet has its detractors but the first LP India book was a godsend, really nothing on the market to compare with it. LOS was always relatively easy travel but India was a trial. Having said that, I know I am now part of the older demographic but can't help thinking that travel in the pre-internet, mobile phone era was more exciting and infinitely more interesting, or is that just me ? Not saying I would like to go back to it, but stumbling over fishing boat moorings on Chaweng beach in the pitch dark as you tried to find your bungalow had its moments  . Finding your way around Ankor Wat without a souvenir seller in sight, blissful. And the prices.... 
Posted 2012-09-16 04:23:13
Hope it includes something on not trying to buy 1 drink between 5 people when in a girly bar.
Posted 2012-09-16 05:31:20
Lonely Planet has its detractors but the first LP India book was a godsend, really nothing on the market to compare with it. LOS was always relatively easy travel but India was a trial. Having said that, I know I am now part of the older demographic but can't help thinking that travel in the pre-internet, mobile phone era was more exciting and infinitely more interesting, or is that just me ? Not saying I would like to go back to it, but stumbling over fishing boat moorings on Chaweng beach in the pitch dark as you tried to find your bungalow had its moments . Finding your way around Ankor Wat without a souvenir seller in sight, blissful. And the prices....
Funny you should mention that. I do think it was more interesting. Crazy to see all these young travelers with their faces stuck to their smart phones...or sitting for hours in internet cafes rather than being out exploring. But it is nice to have an ATM nearby. Nice not to have to deal with travelers checks!!
Posted 2012-09-16 05:35:40
Hope it includes something on not trying to buy 1 drink between 5 people when in a girly bar.
You might find that in the Scottish edition 
Posted 2012-09-16 06:49:38
Lonely Planet has its detractors but the first LP India book was a godsend, really nothing on the market to compare with it. LOS was always relatively easy travel but India was a trial. Having said that, I know I am now part of the older demographic but can't help thinking that travel in the pre-internet, mobile phone era was more exciting and infinitely more interesting, or is that just me ? Not saying I would like to go back to it, but stumbling over fishing boat moorings on Chaweng beach in the pitch dark as you tried to find your bungalow had its moments . Finding your way around Ankor Wat without a souvenir seller in sight, blissful. And the prices....
Funny you should mention that. I do think it was more interesting. Crazy to see all these young travelers with their faces stuck to their smart phones...or sitting for hours in internet cafes rather than being out exploring.
But it is nice to have an ATM nearby. Nice not to have to deal with travelers checks!!
Oh for sure, every time I step on the Skytrain and cross town its with a wry smile as I remember how it was before. I really appreciate the modern conveniences that make life easier and I would probably be as bewildered as any young traveller if you took my smart phone away from me, at least for a while. Was it fun to trek over to the GPO to make a phone call or pick up a letter ? Maybe not but educational. And there was always the sense that you had switched off, left the West and the pressures behind, and you had, you were more or less uncontactable, it was a very alien environment, for me at least that was always what I had sought. It also had its rewards, pristine beaches, smiling locals. The girl at the beach bar on Samui that would yawn, tell you she was off to bed now and tell you to just write down what you had and just wander off. However, I think that more than anything the modern era has bought about people who would never have normally considered travelling anywhere like Thailand. They have no "connection" to it, ignore local sensibilities and just treat it as an extension of " home" and then complain when it all goes wrong, certainly see enough of it on this forum. On the other hand I've stumbled across youngsters in deepest Issan, way off the beaten track trying to find exactly what I have been rambling on about
Posted 2012-09-16 10:54:30
Lonely Planet has its detractors but the first LP India book was a godsend, really nothing on the market to compare with it. LOS was always relatively easy travel but India was a trial. Having said that, I know I am now part of the older demographic but can't help thinking that travel in the pre-internet, mobile phone era was more exciting and infinitely more interesting, or is that just me ? Not saying I would like to go back to it, but stumbling over fishing boat moorings on Chaweng beach in the pitch dark as you tried to find your bungalow had its moments . Finding your way around Ankor Wat without a souvenir seller in sight, blissful. And the prices....
Funny you should mention that. I do think it was more interesting. Crazy to see all these young travelers with their faces stuck to their smart phones...or sitting for hours in internet cafes rather than being out exploring.
But it is nice to have an ATM nearby. Nice not to have to deal with travelers checks!!
Oh for sure, every time I step on the Skytrain and cross town its with a wry smile as I remember how it was before. I really appreciate the modern conveniences that make life easier and I would probably be as bewildered as any young traveller if you took my smart phone away from me, at least for a while. Was it fun to trek over to the GPO to make a phone call or pick up a letter ?
Maybe not but educational.
And there was always the sense that you had switched off, left the West and the pressures behind, and you had, you were more or less uncontactable, it was a very alien environment, for me at least that was always what I had sought. It also had its rewards, pristine beaches, smiling locals. The girl at the beach bar on Samui that would yawn, tell you she was off to bed now and tell you to just write down what you had and just wander off.
However, I think that more than anything the modern era has bought about people who would never have normally considered travelling anywhere like Thailand. They have no "connection" to it, ignore local sensibilities and just treat it as an extension of " home" and then complain when it all goes wrong, certainly see enough of it on this forum.
On the other hand I've stumbled across youngsters in deepest Issan, way off the beaten track trying to find exactly what I have been rambling on about
Having to go to the post office at least forced you to walk down streets bumping your head on low awnings on the footpaths (you could use footpaths then the street cart food hawkers came later) and interact with countless people doing so. Now it is on the airconditioned skytrain to an airfcondititioned taxi to an aorconditioned hotel whos only good point is it has wifi free.
Edited by harrry, 2012-09-16 10:55:03.
Posted 2012-09-18 07:40:55
Tony and Maureen Wheeler sold LP, it was said that they lost interest in the world. I think.tbey got out at a perfect time.
Could not agree more with the rumour, most destinations from an adventure point of view are a waste of money.
The world is more a shopping mall than an adventure.
I met Tony and Maureen many years ago in WDC. Tony provided myinspirational shove into Asia.
For years I carried the bible, then I simply copied pages, then I copied maps - now I just wing it no matter where I go.
A little Internet research and DL a few maps.
Posted 2012-09-18 07:45:29
Incidently, I understandthe writers are paid poorly or not at all. The idiots do it for the gloryof having their namd in the guide and maybe even their photos. Much of the guidebooks have info dating back years and years. There is slso lots of fake filler info andheresay. Many of the info collectors are only doing just that. Funnh when you read their bios, so full of themselves but the new lot is just baby travellers.
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