Author Attempts Southeast Asia Trip Using Original Lonely Planet Guide From 1975
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As travelers all know, people gripe about the problem of the outdatedness of guidebooks enough, and that’s in reference to current guidebooks. Imagine heading out on the road with one pushing 40 years old.
That’s exactly what Brian Thacker attempted on a dare from friend and Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler. The result is the book Tell Them to Get Lost, a freewheeling narrative describing Brian’s journey through Southeast Asia using only the first LP guidebook, 1975’s South-East Asia on a Shoestring, as a guide.
Of course roads were missing, named guesthouses were long gone, and little known destinations were now bustling backpacker hangouts (Koh Samui for example) but all-in-all, the same spirit and sense of adventure endured as it did when Tony did the same trip — just more likely with more Full Moon Parties this time around.