I'm a coffee snob when I can afford to be. But sometimes it's just not possible to get great coffee where ou travel too....
shawn_low
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About me
I’m Lonely Planet’s Asia Pacific Travel Editor .
My bio (aka where I speak about myself in third-person):
After many hot, sticky and sweaty years in Singapore, Shawn made for the cooler but more temperamental climes of Melbourne in 2001. He found his way into Lonely Planet as a book editor in 2006. Since then, he’s done two stints as a commissioning editor and has constantly (sometimes successfully) flirted with the Lonely Planet TV department.
Having started his writing career as a hack for Singapore magazines such as Marie Claire, authoring was naturally next on his ‘to do’ list. Again, Lonely Planet came to the rescue with an offer to research and write up on Singapore.
In 2009, Lonely Planet TV offered him a chance to visit China for Roads Less Travelled, he jumped at it faster than it would take a ‘made in China’ bootlegged DVD to hit the street vendors. Though his grandparents were from Fujian in China, the country has always felt like Singapore’s poor cousin… a place where locals were eager to ditch the teeming masses and agricultural life to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Maturity brought about a renewed sense of ‘belonging’ to his grandparents’ ‘homeland’ and with it, a desire to revisit the language and the people. The show was a perfect way to get stuck into life in China.
Post Roads Less Travelled: visiting the Middle Country has rekindled his desire to seek out long-lost family and the house his grandfather built. So one trip ends and plans for another begins. And through it all is his constant mantra while on the road, ’I’ll try anything and eat anything, at least once.’
You can find out more about Roads Less Travelled: China and also view a trailer at http://www.lonelyplanet.com/roadslesstravelled/china.cfm.
Books Authored:
Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei 11
SEA on a Shoestring 15
China 12
Recent activity
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replied to a Thorn Tree thread called Travelling with a caffeine addiction in the Health Branch
about 2 years ago -
replied to a Thorn Tree thread called Been to Mozambique? Wanna see your name in the next edition of Mozambique? in the Africa Branch
Kira, Stokeygirl:...
over 2 years ago -
replied to a Thorn Tree thread called Been to Mozambique? Wanna see your name in the next edition of Mozambique? in the Africa Branch
Kira, I find it quite alarming that you claim that travellers have done the work of authors. All our authors are paid to visit the...
over 2 years ago -
replied to a Thorn Tree thread called Been to Mozambique? Wanna see your name in the next edition of Mozambique? in the Africa Branch
Just to clarify, the Mozambique Highlight section is a full-colour section at the front of many of our guides. Some of the more astute...
over 2 years ago -
posted a new Thorn Tree thread called Been to Mozambique? Wanna see your name in the next edition of Mozambique? in the Africa Branch
Hi all,...
over 2 years ago

- Full Name Shawn Low
- Country Australia
- Gender Male
- Website Shawn's Travel Blog. Words, Pictures, Stuff.
- Languages English, Chinese (Mandarin)
- Favourite Places Anywhere the wind blows. Actually, anywhere LP sends me.
- Interests Coffee, audio, boardgaming, cycling, soccer, technology, stuff







