The Guidebook

I missed an important step in trip planning – buy a decent guidebook. The Internet definitely provides a wealth of information. It allows you to look up what activities are available, book your hostel and transportation in advance, communicate with people that live there locally. The guidebook still has its place, though.

I’ve found that the cheapest hostels often don’t have websites and are impossible to find outside a book. If you are looking for mid-range to high end establishments, the Internet works fine. Be sure to check your hotel out on sites like TripAdvisor as hotel websites can tell you anything – doesn’t mean it’s true.

A guidebook will give you a good overall picture of your destination and transportation options. There are many forums on the Internet that will give you local current information, for example – recent bombs or where the dodgy ATMs are located.

A good guide will have local maps and step by step instructions about important things like which bus do you need to get on to get to (fill in the blank) and how much should it cost. Be sure to look your prospective guidebook over closely to make sure it contains this type of information, some do it better than others.

Another advantage to the guidebook is that when you’re lost out on the street, it’s much easier to whip out a book and look at the map than track down an Internet connection.