BOOK REVIEW – LONELY PLANET: THE BIG TRIP, 3RD EDITION

**GIVEAWAY–We’ve partnered with Lonely Planet to give away two copies of The Big Trip to two lucky winners! To enter, just click here to like our Instagram photo. Giveaway ends Sunday, June 14.**

One of the best travel resources for planning a gap year just hit the shelves this month! Everything you need to know is in the third edition of Lonely Planet’s The Big Trip: Your Ultimate Guide to Gap Years and Overseas Adventures, which is loaded with all the best travel advice anyone would need to take the trip of a lifetime.

When Mark and I were gearing up for our round-the-world trip we had an earlier edition of this book that helped us plan our route and know what to expect while on the road. It also covered all the travel basics such as packing tips, health and safety, money and budget, and visa information. The newest edition of The Big Trip continues to have the same plethora of useful information as well as some updates from the previous versions.

The Big Trip is full of sections that share travel smarts, ideas of where to go, and directories of overseas job and volunteer organizations. My favorite part about the book is the variety of maps showing itinerary and efficient route examples as well as a list of sample costs in most major destinations.

• Hiking to jaw-dropping Iguazú Falls, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil
• Getting historic at the Acropolis, Greece
• Coming to the chilled oasis of the Taj Mahal, India
• Donkey trekking into the Grand Canyon, U.S.
• Marveling at the limestone karsts of Halong Bay, Vietnam
• Taking the plunge, diving at Ko Phi Phi, Thailand
• Making a French connection in the romantic capital of Paris, France
• Exploring the artsy Treasure House of the Hermitage, Russia
• Climbing to the top of Angkor Wat, Cambodia
• Wildlife-spotting on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Checking out the list made me want to go out and explore again, even though I just finished my own “big trip!” My favorites on the list include Angkor Wat in Cambodia, (definitely a must-see for those who like ancient temple ruins), and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, (for art lovers). There’s still plenty on the list I haven’t done and would like to do on future trips, such as visiting the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador and Iguazú Falls in Brazil.

VISUALS

Like I said, my favorite part of the book are the maps that provide sample route ideas around the world. The destinations are divided into 10 different sections starting with “Round-the-World” routes and continuing with specific regional routes such as Europe, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Africa and the Middle East. These maps are helpful for those who need ideas on how to connect any of these regions together for their own big trip. Beautiful photos also fill the pages creating enough wanderlust to want to pack up and go immediately!

READABILITY

The Big Trip is organized with lots of colorful photos, maps, and spreadsheets that make the book easy to read. It offers so much valuable information and doesn’t waste any space in its 336 pages. The book is divided into several sections to easily find specific topics or destinations, and also provides an index to help pinpoint information.

PACKABILITY

In my opinion, The Big Trip isn’t necessarily a guide book to carry along while traveling. I found it most useful at home as I was planning my own trip and needed more information on overall traveling basics. It’s a great book to get inspired, listing many possibilities overseas whether traveling, volunteering or working. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who is in the process of planning their own big trip!

BUY IT NOW:

The Big Trip: Your Ultimate Guide to Gap Years and Overseas Adventures

(Lonely Planet / $21.99 / June 1, 2015)

OR WIN IT FOR FREE:

Check our our Instagram to enter to win a copy of The Big Trip! Winners will be announced on Sunday, June 14, 2015.