South America on a Shoestring

South America on a Shoestring - New Travel Guide

By Nick May 16, 2007

Lonely Planet recently released a new budget travel / backpacking travel guide for South America. The very popular travel guide series “on a shoestring” now creates a path through South America’s wonderful countries, and will undeniably be gobbled up by backpackers and budget travelers from all backgrounds. But here are a few thoughts concerning backpacking with this lonely planet guide.

Tim Leffel and his cheap destinations backpacking blog tipped me off on this new release and added a few interesting comments of his own on the Lonely Planet release. Leffel compliments the solid travel information that this book gives its readers.

As usual, it’s jam-packed with solid and updated information submitted by a grab bag of writers who worked on more focused books for the publisher. It’s not easy boiling any of these countries in South America down to the essentials while still being relevant, but they seem to have managed it well.

Then he points out the undesirable pheomena known as the “lonely planet trail.” This somewhat humorous happening is when all budget travelers and backpackers follow the Lonely Planet Guides too religiously. So everyone stays at the same bargain hostels and hotels, eats at the same restaurants, and visits the same off the beaten path attractions. It’s easy to forget that there are thousands of people just like yourself who are also reading the same travel guide.

So if you’re looking to travel to South America on a shoestring backpacking budget, this Lonely Planet South America is a great travel guide for your trip. However, try not to join the “Lonely planet trail,” but instead mix its hostel recommendations up with your own research, or even recommendations from other travel guides like Frommers and Fodors. Just try not to join the pack while trying to avoid the pack….if that makes sense.

Topics: Budget Travel Tips, South America |