Lonely Planet The Big Trip (General Reference) [Paperback]

Lonely Planet (Author)

Book Description

Series: General Reference | Publication Date: November 1, 2008

The Big Trip

So, you know you want to experience that ultimate overseas adventure - but where do you start? Right here, with the one-stop guide to planning the trip of a lifetime. Try these ideas on for size:

Swim with dolphins off the coast of New Zealand
Learn Spanish in Guatemala
Hike your own pioneer route through Canada
Teach Children English in Ghana
Work your way around the UK's best bars
Tend orphan elephants in Sri Lanka
Get a soaking at Thailand's Songkran water festival
Be the first in your family to go around the world

The Big Trip is your ticket to all this and more!

Also Includes

Essential pre-trip planning: health, safety, kit, costs, tickets, etc
Volunteering and working abroad - from fruit-picking to teaching, yacht-crewing and au pairing
Regional overviews, maps and a diverse range of road tested itineraries
Tips and stories from travelers and experts
Comprehensive directory of essential resources

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 1st edition (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741790808
• ISBN-13: 978-1741790801
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,578 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Growing up in regional NSW, Australia, George Dunford hitched a ride to the big smoke of Canberra to go to the Australian National University. The smoke wasn't quite big enough, so he took off overseas to do the Australian rite of passage that is backpacking in Europe in between working in the UK. He worked at Raasay House off the Isle of Skye, which remains one of his favourite places in the world (though it's in stiff competition with Singapore's long Bar). He lived and worked (illegally ? shhhh!) in the United States, and travelled to countries from Finland to Thailand with few other lands in between.

After returning from overseas, George worked in pubs and libraries before settling on the compromise of both that was Lonely Planet's Trade and reference area. He lurched sideways into a unit that changed its name from New Media to Digital Publishing Unit before finally settling on Those Web Guys, where he rose to a title that nobody knew what it was. After patenting the word "solutioneering" George jumped the fence to research Australian and New Zealand on a Shoestring. While on this trip he kept the first blog for Lonely Planet.

As a freelancer web producer/writer/editor/information leafblower he's worked on projects for seek.com.au (Australia's largest job site) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth site www.rollercoaster.com.au, as well as doing reviews for Melbourne's Cheap Eats and Good Food Guides, and writing freelance articles for the likes of Meanjin, The Age, Australian Traveller Magazine and The Big Issue. He contributed to the Rough Guide to Melbourne. For Lonely Planet he's worked on various freelance projects including bestseller The Travel Book, The City Book and The Big Trip.

He writes fiction with publications in Going Down Swinging (www.goingdownswinging.org.au), Verandah and SBS' Cornerfold site. He's a founding member of the short fiction collective Cardigan Press (www.renewal.org.au/cardigan), which published new short fiction by Australia's freshest writers.

He blogs at www.georgedunford.com
And has written two apps for Sutro Media - a guide to Melbourne (http://sutromedia.com/apps/Melbourne_Essential_Guide) and a guide to Sydney's Harbourside Walks (http://sutromedia.com/apps/Sydney_Harborside_Walk).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a gap year/ travel adventure book for everyone, December 20, 2008

By 

Jennifer (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet The Big Trip (General Reference) (Paperback)

I bought this book last week and haven't been able to put it down since. Everything that they mention and suggest comes with another idea I haven't thought of, and I am a very seasoned traveler. It is also amazing because I have felt like every gap year book I have picked up has been geared towards the UK. This book is finally geard towards everyone and it is the first time that as an American I haven't had to just dismiss many of the things in the book because well, I don't have a UK passport and I can't go find the consulate in London. Etc. Amazing book, definitely worth a read if you are planning on taking a grand adventure!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book, December 26, 2008

By 

Tina "Tina" (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet The Big Trip (General Reference) (Paperback)

The Big Trip is an absolute gem of a travelling book. Although it is mainly geared at YA who have recently graduated and have not travelled all that much or at College or University students who are planning on taking a year off and just "see the world", this book is also a wealth of information on the topic of travelling itself with the added bonus of being original in the destinations that it covers.

The Big Trip is also LOADED with absolutely beautiful pictures, I found myself oohiinng and ahhhing at some of the shots in this book - makes me want to hop the next plane and go explore the big beautiful world that is out there.

While these are the more "dreamy" aspects of this book, there is also a very practical look at travelling and many, many great suggestions that most people would never really think of. Some of the chapter includde:

A very in-depth overview of many innovative destinations (and why they are of interest to YA);

Valuable advice on budgeting, volunteering and overall travelling as a whole.

As I was reading (devouring this book) it made me wish that I had all these travel opportunities when I was at an age where travelling and exploring where my biggest goals in life!!!

This book is a wealth of information and, if like me, you are not really in a position to explore the world right now, it is also a great book to daydream by.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I was looking for!, December 1, 2009

By 

Adam Groffman "travelsofadam" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet The Big Trip (General Reference) (Paperback)

Shortly after a trip I took to Iceland (Sept. 2009), I decided I wanted to take a gap year and travel around the world for a year (or two!). I picked this one up and instantly realized it had all the information I wanted and needed.

I love the story excerpts from other RTW travellers--whether it's tips on how to convince your parents this will be a good idea, or a story about being afraid of the locals in Sicily. It also provides a TON of online resources for learning about working and volunteering abroad, organized by region.

This book convinced me I could do this and that it would be easier than I thought. Only time will tell, but I'm definitely optimistic.