planet lonely

Paul Clammer first visited Afghanistan a few weeks before the Twin Towers attack and later founded the website Kabul Caravan. He reminisces on writing the first edition of Lonely Planet Afghanistan, his life in Kabul and visiting Herat and the northern regions. A snapshot of an optimistic era before the return of the Taliban.  Best known for taking on challenging destinations, Paul has also author...

Andrew Burke has worked on Lonely Planet guides to Senegal and Gambia, South Africa and many Asian destinations including Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea and Thailand. He’s also been a journalist  for the FT, South China Morning Post and Australian Financial Review.  In this episode we focus on his numerous trips to Iran, a country he believes redefines traditions of hospitality. Expect tales of priva...

Author Mark Elliott needs little introduction in Lonely Planet circles. Always prepared to go the extra mile, his dedication has resulted in seven KGB arrests (and counting). He’s crossed Lake Baikal by truck, dropped his trousers at a travel expo talk to make a point (to wide acclaim) and pioneered ‘Treasure Maps’ while writing Asia Overland, recognised as one of the greatest guidebooks ever writ...

Celeste Brash has had an extraordinary life and writing career. She's worked on 100 or so titles for Lonely Planet, covering destinations including French Polynesia, Southeast Asia , Central and South America, Mexico and the USA, usually travelling solo. Her research trips have included negotiating the jungles and mangroves of the Mosquito Coast, hiking through tribal villages in the Luzon hig...

Nick Ray is a genuine LP  'ledge of over 20 years standing. He talks about life in Cambodia, dodging bullets on the border, researching Rwanda, working on Top Gear Vietnam with Jeremy Clarkson and other tall tales.  (01.25) Watford -  the sort of town that makes you want to travel (06:52) researching Lonely Planet Cambodia (18:50) around Vietnam (24:48) Myanmar (28:13) Indonesia: Gilis, Sumba,...

Stories from the road with Lonely Planet writer Adam Skolnick and his research trips which include Indonesia, Nicaragua and Mongolia. Adam recounts meeting Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert in Bali, the cocaine economy in Central America, his love of freediving and his new novel American Tiger. (0:00) whales in Southern California (07:54) Getting into Lonely Planet (11:45) Lonely Planet Ind...

I’m Iain Stewart, author of dozens of books for Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and other travel publishers. Over the years I’ve covered destinations including Indonesia and Ibiza, Guatemala and Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Turkey.    This series is partly a nostalgia trip back to those days when a hitting the road meant packing a blue-spined guidebook, sharpening your wits and trusting travel tips from ran...