
No one does romance in the Rockies better than Dunton Hot Springs, a former ghost town transformed into a luxurious Relais & Chateaux enclave, situated just across the mountain from Telluride. Steve Whiston - Fallen Log Photography Getty Images Its three villas can be rented separately, or for complete privacy, honeymooners can lease the entire island. Or try Motu Nao Nao in the lagoon of nearby Raiatea-the mecca of Polynesian tradition-which is poised to flex its eco-chic muscles, both in its nature-inspired design and tasty local menu. Regis, and InterContinental are well represented on idyllic Bora Bora The Brando-a private paradise once owned by the eponymous actor-is a worthy competitor with, perhaps, the single most beautiful beach on the planet.įor complete privacy, try renting a villa from Tahiti Homes, which easily bests accommodation marketplaces like Airbnb or VRBO by offering friendly concierge service. Major hospitality stalwarts like Four Seasons, St. Today, the archipelago that surrounds it remains a markedly more pristine option than nearby Hawaii, with thousands of sandy atolls and islets to explore. No Turning Back.’Ĭurrently shortlisted for The Queensland People's Choice Book of the Year 2015.Tahiti has been a byword for paradise since the 18th century when European sailors first dropped anchor in the island’s turquoise lagoon. I may even read them.īy John Ahern - Author of ‘On The Road…With Kids. Let's see an App do that! Nope, for me and Lonely Planet, it's paperback all the way.
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But if I used eBooks for the above purposes, I would have a sore neck, smashed screens, knife-slashed books, and I dread imagining how to use a Kindle or smartphone as toilet paper. The only problem was that after this stress and exertion, I was so mentally and physically lethargic for days, I was certain I had the sleeping sickness.įor recent travels, most of my literature has gone digital. This is because I spent a sunny Tanzanian afternoon pounding the book with all my force into the dash and windscreen of a jeep, killing over a hundred tsetse flies. This particular guide book now rests on my shelf with a busted seam and pages hanging out of it like sailors clinging to a rock-smashed ship. If infected, its bite and resultant disease can cause fevers, abscesses, gland inflammation and mental and physical lethargy.’ The LP book goes on: ‘The tsetse is about twice the size of the normal house fly. I was south of the Sahara in an old four wheel drive, when monster flies swarmed our windowless vehicle. These insects are only found south of the Sahara but are responsible for the absence of horses and cattle in large tracts of Central Africa. My 1992 LP Africa guide states that Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness) is transmitted by the tsetse fly. And of course they were places the traveller would eventually visit. Out came their pages, used as God did not intend them. And so began a hasty search for cities the traveller was most unlikely to visit. Clearly the cardboard cover lacked fluffiness. Important decisions were made on the run (literally) the index and admin bits had to stay. Pages had to be torn out, yes, a literary sin up there with book burning, but I figured the Wheeler’s wouldn’t mind. When the writer found himself in this scenario, the only paper he had nearby was the Lonely Planet guide. But sometimes the forgetful mind can leave you sitting in a sweaty Indian toilet, regretting what a few moments earlier had been declared as the world’s best curry. Well-tread travellers know it is essential to carry spare bum-wipes everywhere. The Lonely Planet Emergency Toilet Paper. These smaller volumes are perfect for their ease of flight, but are still sturdy enough to stop the perpetrator in his volcanic wake.
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After yelling and throwing everything possible at the offender, I suggest tossing a single-city LP manual such as Paris or Venice into the person’s midriff. Hostels may be cheap but it is inevitable that when you are wedged in a bunk room with ten other travellers, half of them pissed, there is sure to be a snorer – one that cannot be stopped by polite intervention. I recommend the meaty guides of Africa, South America, or for those who like higher head-rests, the double hardcover volumes of the Caribbean and Mexico. When forced to spend time in a grotty airport in Tel Aviv, Athens or Nairobi, there is nothing like kipping down on the floor with a multi-country brick-sized guide supporting your head. But even so, I have found other great uses for a Lonely Planet guide than just reading it here is my Top five: Having romped my way across over 85 countries, it is my primary travel guide of choice. You may glean from the photo of the bookshelf above my desk that that I am a bit of a Lonely Planet fan.
