Lonely Planet blog Category: Shared Experiences

Smile! Lonely Planet’s guide to Happy travelling

Javier Panero Lonely Planet author

We travel for many reasons. Some people do it for strict business needs, others to see their loved ones and most of us for the sheer pleasure of getting away from the mundane and discovering new sights and adventures. The Lonely Planet offices, unsurprisingly, are full of people with hundreds of travel stories to share,…

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Personal boundaries at the border

Venessa Paech Lonely Planet author

Enduring long queues in airports and crossing borders are par for the traveller’s course. But how about having a customs officer shuffle through personal photos of your partner, in a compromising state no less? A new Australian customs requirement asks that all travellers entering the country (including returning residents) declare any pornorgraphy in their possession.  Trouble is, pornography isn’t illegal in…

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Chile open for business

Venessa Paech Lonely Planet author

Thorn Tree member and Chilean resident vnrose is well known in our community for providing helpful advice to travellers.  We asked vnrose how Chile is faring post-earthquake, from a local viewpoint. It isn’t easy when your two claims to fame as a country are General Pinochet and a couple of the largest earthquakes on record. Although, on…

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Photos: Mysterious island dwellers

Andy Murdock Lonely Planet author

Islands in literature have long been used by authors to create an aura of mystery: The Odyssey, The Tempest, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Mysterious Island. This device has been used so persistently that it has become a predictable cliché in nearly every medium: if Prince Valiant washes up on an uncharted island after getting…

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What makes a great restaurant?

Venessa Paech Lonely Planet author

In late April, San Pellegrino announced its list of the 50 Best Restaurants of the World. The rankings had some foodies holding their breath and others rolling their eyes. Like Michelin stars and Zagat votes, San Pellegrino nods can make an eatery’s reputation. But are they worth their salt? Copenhagen’s Noma is the heir ascendant, taking…

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Volcano travel buzz

Andy Murdock Lonely Planet author

With all of the disruptions to travel caused by the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano over the past week, online forums and social networking sites have been buzzing with news updates, many stunning photos, and tales of closed airports, separated families, vacations plans gone awry, and generous strangers coming to the aid of stranded travelers.…

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Traveller interview – Peter Berende

trentatlp Lonely Planet author

Shortly after Tony and Maureen Wheeler sold their first guidebook, letters and postcards began flooding into Lonely Planet HQ from appreciative travellers, telling us everything from a new bus route in Afghanistan, to corrections for our Istanbul map or letting us in on where to get the best lassi in Kerala. Today, Lonely Planet’s Talk2Us…

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Best of the forum

Venessa Paech Lonely Planet author

There’s so much great discussion on the Thorn Tree forum, it’s often hard to know where to start. Here are some recent twigs we’ve clipped to get you in the community spirit.   Everything you need to know about replacing your mosquito net iPad: would you travel with it? Best spots to star gaze in…

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A shared history of backpacking

Venessa Paech Lonely Planet author

Backpacker Bob’s letter to Tony Wheeler, sharing his memories of trekking over the years inspired another Bob to do the same. Bob number two and his partner Carol, who hail from Australia, sent us the following morsels about their decades on the road, with some photos to illustrate how times have – or haven’t – changed. Cue Bob…

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Your favourite city… in 140 characters

Venessa Paech Lonely Planet author

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…

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