The Literary Guide to the World

Filed in archive Travel Tips on December 7, 2006

Lonely Planet is my travel bestfriend. If you visit my house, you'd immediately notice that most walls are lined with bookshelves. And one bookshelf is like a shrine to everything about traveling, with Lonely Planet as the god.

For me, traveling and reading goes hand in hand. Never have I stepped foot in a new place without having read anything about its history, people and culture. Even my choice in hotels and activities are based on what I have read. If what I have read piques my interest, I would definitely be there.

With the fame of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code (and the tours which were inspired by it), I discovered yet another great way to learn about a destination...

The Literary Guide to the World can point out books which can offer the best virtual tours of certain places. There's the "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" to guide you around Louisiana; "In Patagonia" shows you Argentina and Chile; "In Praise of Folly" shows you around the Netherlands. There's a whole lot more in their website.

Interesting, don't you think? It's perfect for those who love to read and travel. A great way to somehow romanticize a certain destination and see things in a different way. Plus, the next time you go anywhere, you could actually match your destination with the book you plan to bring along while you lounge around at the pool.