Lonely Planet Review

Review: Lonely Planet. Green?

When I led a group to Turkey, I planned the trip with help of the Lonely Planet Guide.  In that book, I found directions to the most gorgeous small mosque with absolutely exquisite tiling and mosaics.

It was well off the beaten path, and though we enjoyed the magnificence of the much-better-known Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque, it was that tiny little room, so peaceful and quiet (and impossible to find without Lonely Planet’s detailed directions) that was a real highlight of the trip.

When I led another group to China, of course we walked the Great Wall – but at a quiet spot recommended by Lonely Planet. It was magnificent. History in every stone, no crowds, and not a vendor in sight!

Viewing the Terracotta Warriors was the experience of a lifetime (I still get goose bumps just thinking about it, and I’ve got goose bumps as I write this). Reading the extra background details from their China Guide made it all the more meaningful.

And travelling the ancient Silk Route up to the Mongolian border to view the total solar eclipse from the middle of the Gobi Desert, wouldn’t have been possible without the guide book, because that area is definitely not a tourist trap!

Why Lonely Planet specifically?

Most guide books all over the world do a great job of researching places.  In  this Lonely Planet review, however, I can tell you that to my mind, the beauty of their books is that there is no hype.  They don’t scream “you MUST see this”.  They tell you about what’s to see, they find the little hidden secrets, and then leave it to you to choose.

The founders Tony and Maureen are still actively involved with Lonely Planet and spend their time travelling in between their charitable projects.

Don’t buy Lonely Planet books if you want a guide book that tells you exactly what you must see (along with all the other tourists).

If you want to see the main sights as well as the off-the-beaten-path experiences, choosing what you fancy and what you don’t, then the Lonely Planet guide books are for you.  They are aimed squarely at the independent traveller, offering trustworthy advice with editorial independence.

Yes, but Are They Green?

Because this website is all about eco friendly matters, it wouldn’t be a proper Lonely Planet review if I didn’t cover what makes them green.

• Guide books in general are reasonably green because they are mostly kept and re-used and shared, rather than being discarded into landfill.
• Lonely Planet tend to suggest more things to see that are interesting, quirky, unusual and off-the-beaten-track, rather than flashy and up-market, so their suggestions are more green.  And the founders do an awful lot for charity.
• All staff and author travel is fully carbon offset.
• They have an app for the iPhone that lets you download city guides, guide previews, phrasebooks and audio walking tours – no more wasted paper!
• But most of all, they are green because Lonely Planet offer what I consider to be a great service – you can download just specific chapters of guide books.  How green is that?  Instead of buying a printed book, you simply pay for and download only what you want.  So no wasted book or ink.  I think this is such a super idea!

The conclusion of my Lonely Planet review, therefore, is that Lonely Planet is indeed a green way of adding value to your travel.