Travelers Tales India – There’s nothing like reading other people’s true stories about their travels to a given destination. It really helps to envision yourself at that locale (for better and worse!). This collection from Travelers Tales is a wonderful compilation from well-known and little-known travel writers. With nearly 50 stories in all, it will get you excited either prior to your trip or will help to put things into perspective once you’ve returned. Available on Amazon.

*****

Shantarm by Gregory David Roberts – One of the most thrilling books ever written about India, this takes place mostly in Mumbai. It is based on the true tales of an Australian on the run who plunks himself down in the middle of a slum and becomes the local doctor to the community. You’ll learn all about the seedy underworld of the Indian mafia as well as how their broken system of government and corruption works – or doesn’t work as the case may be. You’ll be kept on the edge of your seat for the vast majority of this book until, toward the end, the book gets a little unbelievable. Available on Amazon.

*****

Holy Cow by Sarah MacDonald – This is one wild and funny memoir about an expat’s time living in India when her sig’o gets posted in Delhi as a journalist. Her observations are spot-on and are both painful and hilarious. Listen to the audio book and you’ll feel like a friend is telling you an intimate story. Highly recommended before your adventure to the subcontinent! Available on Amazon.

*****

White Tiger by Aravind Adiga – A fictional tale about a poor villager who believes he’s at the pinnacle of life when he becomes the chauffer for a wealthy family in Delhi. It’s a twisted tale and through the narrative, you might find yourself having compassion for the main character, as despicable as he becomes. Available on Amazon.

*****

May You be the Mother of a Hundred Sons by Elisabeth Bumiller – The author spent 3.5 years in India as a reporter for the Washington Post. In addition to her reporting, she made good use of her time but pulling together stories of India’s women. There’s a big dose of tragedy in this book but also many stories of hope and inspiration about some very strong women. It’s a bit painful to read at times but an excellent read if you want to know what India is like for the average woman. Available on Amazon.

*****

Wanderlust and Lipstick: For Women Traveling to India by Beth Whitman – If you’re looking for a primer to get you started in your journey to India, look no further than this book. Filled with information specifically for the woman traveler, in addition to the author’s own suggestions, it includes anecdotes and tips from dozens of women who’ve traveled extensively throughout the country. Signed copies available on this website

*****

Lonely Planet Guide to India – Long considered the Bible for anyone traveling to India, this book covers a huge amount of ground in its more than 1,200 pages. It’s got nearly everything you’d need to know about the country to prepare for a trip. A word of caution is that once a hotel or restaurant is listed in the Bible, prices go up and it’s often hard to get a room or table at the establishment. Available on Amazon.

*****

Rough Guide to India – If you’re looking for something that’s just a bit more off the beaten path, try the Rough Guide. These folks tend to include some excellent alternatives to LP, including restaurants that usually only the locals know about. It’s still packed with valuable info such as history, culture and all the other practicalities you’ll need to plan a trip. Available on Amazon.

*****

Interested in a tour to India? Check out our women-only tours to both North India and South India.

Travel Well,

Beth

Related links:
Tours to India
Photo of the Day: Varanasi
South India’s People

Ironically, there’s no other country that I think is more important to educate yourself about prior to a trip there. (And if you are interested in such a trip, see the WanderTours site for tours to Papua New Guinea.)

Despite the lack of books, I’ve discovered a handful in the last year that I find to be completely captivating. If you have even an inking of interest in this half island nation, I bet you’ll enjoy these as well!

*****

Lonely Planet Guide to Papua New Guinea – All research into Papua New Guinea should start with the Lonely Planet guide. In my humble opinion, however, these folks don’t do enough to warn travelers of the potential dangers that come with traveling in the country though it is filled with easy to understand and well-written historical information. And it is crucial to understand the history of PNG in order to understand its present. That might sound cliche but because so much of the population lives as they have for thousands of year, you could say it’s true of PNG like no other country. Available on Amazon.

*****

The Last Men: Journey Among the Tribes of New Guinea by Iago Corazzo and Greta Roba – Hands down the best book ever on Papua New Guinea. It would be natural to think that a coffee table book filled with images would not offer much value in terms of insight into a country (I have a shelf filled with such books) but this one has the best written information about PNG than any book I’ve read, including the LP guide. You must have this book – as a matter of fact, sign up for one of my tours and I’ll SEND you a copy Available on Amazon.

*****

Four Corners: A Journey into the Heart of Papua New Guinea by Kira Salak –
I’m going to gush here. Kira is my hero. She’s done some crazy S#!@ in her travels and this memoir of her time in Papua New Guinea chronicles her adventures there. I would not travel the way she does, nor should anyone else try, but it’s an incredible read – probably the best adventure book I’ve ever read and one that will definitely keep you hanging on the edge of your seat. Available on Amazon.

*****

Village on the Edge: Changing Times in Papua New Guinea by Michael French Smith – Over many years, the author spent time in a tiny village on a small island near Wewak in the north. In this book, he includes his observations about how the country and culture is changing due to outside influences. I most enjoyed his quotes from the locals about what they think of the changes and how they are trying to hang on to their culture while accepting more modern ways of life. Available on Amazon.

*****

Under the Mountain Wall: A Chronicle of Two Seasons in Stone Age New Guinea by Peter Matthiesen – This book is a bit dense in terms of the content, but it is still an interesting read from an anthropological point of view. It chronicles Peter’s two seasons of living with a remote tribe near the Irian Jaya border. It falls under the category of being a bit too heady for me, but you might like it if you enjoy a more scientific approach to the culture and country. Available on Amazon.

Interested in travel to Papua New Guinea yourself? Check out our co-ed tours to Papua New Guinea.

Travel Well,

Beth

Related links:
Papua New Guinea Tours
Papua New Guinea Coastline
Remote Travel Destinations and First Contact
Women’s Travel Tips

Tipping my hat to these happy peeps, I thought I’d do a little roundup of my favorite books about Bhutan.

Lonely Planet Guide to Bhutan – There are few guidebooks to Bhutan and Lonely Planet is one of the best. though you likely won’t use this book for hotel and restaurant recommendations like you might with other guidebooks (because your tour operator will be making your hotel reservations on your behalf), there is plenty of other great historical, religious, cultural and other info in this guide to keep you reading up to, during and long after your journey to the Kingdom. Available on Amazon.

*****

Bhutan: Himalayan Mountain Kingdom by Francoise Pommaret – Francoise is an ethno-historian who has lived in Bhutan for 30 years and knows Bhutan like few outsiders. This book is a comprehensive study of all facets of Bhutan and its people. Not a guidebook in the Lonely Planet sense, but a must for anyone traveling to the country. Available on Amazon.

*****

Beyond the Sky and Earth by Jamie Zeppa – One of the best memoirs about Bhutan, this chronicles the story of the author who spent a couple of years in Bhutan working as a teacher in a remove village. It’s reflective, insightful and a romance all at once. Available on Amazon.

*****

Buttertea at Sunrise by Britta Das – Though this book isn’t quite as well known as Beyond the Earth and Sky, I actually enjoyed this book a bit more (perhaps, simply, because I read it after a couple of a visits to Bhutan). Similar to Jamie’s story, this chronicles Britta’s 2 year stint in Bhutan as a physical therapist in a remote region. It, too, is insightful and a love story. Available on Amazon.

*****

Bhutan, a Trekker’s Guide – A very detailed guide to Bhutan’s many (but not all) treks. If you’re considering one of the more popular routes, this guide will help you plan and prepare. Times and distances are pretty much on target but realize that new paths on the same routes are often developed, cutting down times (while rain/bad weather can increase times by quite a bit). Available on Amazon.

*****

Dreams of the Peaceful Dragon by Katie Hickman – Probably my very favorite memoir about Bhutan written by a foreigner. This follows Katie and her boyfriend’s travels across the country by foot and by horseback. She was one of the first travelers to be allowed entrance into Eastern Bhutan and provides insight into this region that was/is so untouched by the outside world. Available on Amazon.

*****

Under the Holy Lake by Ken Haigh – Though this book is based on Ken’s experiences in the late 80′s, it’s likely that little has changed in Eastern Bhutan since his work as a teacher in a small village. Equally as well written as the other memoirs about Bhutan, Ken writes with a fresh perspective and interesting insights.  Available on Amazon.

*****

Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan by Queen Ashi Dori Wangmo Wangchuk – Who’da thunk that the Queen of a country would spend so much time trekking the mountains of the Himalayas to meet the locals and to find out what their needs were. This Queen does (one of 4 sisters married to the 4th king) and writes about her experiences in this really interesting perspective of the country from a true insider. Available on Amazon.

*****

Bhutan: The Land of Serenity by Matthieu Ricard – This coffee table book was written and photographed by Matthieu, who is both a professional photographer and the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama. It’s filled with images of the Kingdom and includes accompanying written details about the culture and religion. Available on Amazon.

*****

Married to Bhutan by Linda Leaming – This is a precious book that provides a big picture overview of the country and its people. Linda has lived in Bhutan for 10 years and is married to a Bhutanese artist. I really enjoyed reading about her sometimes very funny insights and perspective as someone very steeped in the culture, yet very much an outsider. Available on Amazon.

*****

Radio Shangri-la by Lisa Napoli – I have to admit that I haven’t yet read this book but have high hopes for it. Lisa is a former NPR reporter in the LA area who jets off to Bhutan to volunteer as a consultant in 2006 for a youth radio station. Available on Amazon.

*****

Beneath the Blossom Rain by Kevin Grange – I haven’t yet read this yet but it is on my nightstand and I can’t wait to start it. This is Kevin’s story of doing the Snowman Trek, notoriously known as the hardest trek in the world. Available on Amazon.

Every month, I join a group of independent travel bloggers and we virtually converge on a single topic. This month our topic is National Smile Month (perfect for Bhutan – eh?). Visit these other Mobsters for their take on National Smile Month:

Wandering Educators – It’s a Fact: Moving Overseas will Make You Smile
Traveling with MJ – Travel Makes Me Smile
Spot Cool Stuff – Best Chocolate Shops
The Vacation Gals – Happy Hawaii, Happy Travels
Ciao Bambino – Hunting for the Best Ice Cream

For my time in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, I not only researched using the individual country guides but was delighted to find that they publish a complete guide to the area called Southeast Asia on a Budget. This guide includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, plus Hong Kong and Macau.

A comprehensive guide like this has 2 huge benefits. The bennie of most value to me is that if I’m visiting more than one of the included destinations, I don’t have to carry around more than one guide. But, the other great bennie is that the budget traveler won’t have to pay for multiple guides. Backpacker heaven!

In addition to the great ideas for budget travel, the SE Asia guide also includes highlighted boxes for treating yourself to a night out. A nice little perk if you find yourself with a little extra cash.

The country guides, such as the Rough Guide to Vietnam, are less about budget travel but provide a great overview of the area including a wide range of restaurants, cafes, hotels and bars. There’s also loads of information on culture and history.

The Rough Guides are all available on Amazon.

Travel Well!

Beth

Related links:
Ahoy Hoi An (Vietnam)
Trekking in Mau Chau
Vietnam: Same Same but Different
Photo of the Day: North Vietnam
Preparing for 5 Weeks of Travel

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I now have the second generation Kindle and will be bringing this with me when I leave today for Asia. I’m actually pretty excited that I’ve been able to cut down on the number of books that I’ll have with me. On a 5-week journey, this can be substantial, ya know? Now I’ve got a couple of books that will definitely keep me entertained in the coming weeks and if, by some miracle, I find enough time to read through them (I won’t), I can always tap into Amazon’s international service, and simply download more.

I’m sure I’ll have additional remarks about the Kindle once I actually have this baby in action, but in the meantime, I’ll tell you what I think are a few of the pluses and minuses on the Kindle.

Available on Amazon for $260

The Good

• Instant accessibility to downloads, without having to connect to a computer
• Thin design, slips right into my daybag and takes up little room
• Ability to log in to my Amazon account through a computer and easily search and order books that get downloaded directly to the Kindle
• The obvious is that I can leave that stack of books at home and just carry this little reader

The Annoying

• Somewhat slow over the Amazon connection when searching around
• The buttons are not quite as intuitive as they could be. I have found myself hitting the “Back” button, thinking I’ll go back to a previous page and it brings me back to a main menu. (There IS a “Previous page” button, by the way.)
• Keypad is awkward to use – buttons have no depth and they are tiny!
• Not enough books are available on the Kindle yet (not Amazon’s fault, but annoying none-the-less)

Over all, I’m thrilled to be bringing the Kindle with me. Especially considering I was able to load it with a couple of free books that I’ve wanted to read for a long time including Autobiography of a Yogi.

If you’re a Kindle owner, you’ve absolutely got to protect it with some sort of cover or holder. I have an M-Edge GO! leather cover. While it’s slightly on the heavy side, I feel like the Kindle is really well protected in this. It’s got hinges that allow the reader to slip right into the spine of the cover as well as two corner elastic straps that keep the Kindle in place should it become dislodged from the hinges.

Another little advantage of having a cover like the M-Edge is that it makes you feel like you’re reading the physical version of the book. This isn’t a big deal to me, but it might be a better experience for some.

Oh, and it comes in PURPLE!

Available on Amazon for $35.

Travel Well!

Beth

Related links:
Creature Comforts
Washing and Drying Travel Options
Tom Bihn Gear
Gear from XShot
Otterbox and Vemayca Cosmetic Bag
Ameribag Carry-all

Join other Wanderlusters and stay updated on travel-related items by subscribing via email or RSS feed.