Apparently it isn't essential that a guidebook writer actually visit the country he writes about. A Lonely Planet author is claiming that he made up large portions of his books, and dealt drugs to subsidize his measly salary. Think twice before going to the titles on Brazil, Colombia, the Caribbean, Venezuela, Chile, and South America, for some first-hand advice.
These damning revelations came out in the writer's, Thomas Kohnstamm, new book Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? He says that he wrote about Colombia without visiting the country because they didn't pay him enough to go to Colombia. He says: "I wrote the book in San Francisco. I got the information from a chick I was dating — an intern in the Colombian Consulate."
This guy has the coolest job ever — traveling around the world and writing about it— and he does the arguably hard part while, ditching the fun of seeing the world. I know he's not making a lot of money, but he accepted the job knowing how much he was going to make. Do you think phony travel writers, like Kohnstamm, should go to hell?
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I think this is funny that he managed to convince people all these years that he had been to these countries speaks magnitudes about the gullibility of the masses. The fact that HE revealed it and no one ever saw any discrepancies is jut killing me right now. Tis the reason why i don't read travel books would much rather experience it for myself.
1Well he was getting the info from someone who was there, he just wasn't there himself... so I don't think people are that gullible.
Eh well, I like Rick Steves! His travel books are the best!
2Aw Rick Steves! I always said I wanted to be him when I grew up.
3maybe not go to hell, exactly. I say we ditch him in a regional airport somewhere overseas, like the nearest one to Chernobyl, Russia. Let him find his way out.
I love and use Lonely Planet guides for information so they have a lot of explaining to do, in my opinion!
4or wherever Chernobyl is. Ukraine? It just sounds appropriately bleak, and no one will speak English.
5It's Chernobyl UKRAINE! Not Russia Kris. (Sorry my husband gets really upset when people mistake the two)
I don't ever use travel guides... But I do watch Travel Channel to make myself feel better that I haven't been anywhere cool yet...
I live vicariously through Samantha Brown.
As for him going to hell, ah, who am I to judge? If it's between him and a child molester, then he can do 12 hail marys and repent.
6
you caught yourself before I did!
7cabaker non-fiction seems to be taking a hit these days cos it seems a lot of it is just plain fiction! Shouldn't these publishers get receipts for hotel stays and airlines?? I mean come now shouldn't you have to submit proof that your two feet actually touched the ground of the country you are writing about?? KrisSugar we should put him on Oprah and get her to tear him a new one a la James Frey.
8No I totally think he was wrong, I just don't think people are gullible for believing him because his info seems like it was factual since it was coming from someone there.
Samantha Brown has the best job ever, but I always wonder when she goes to those super nice hotels if she actually gets to stay there or not... I bet she doesn't!
9I never even thought of that cabaker! My husband and I always do this
when she says it
costs $600 a night.
10I'm pretty sure he must have made mistakes but no one ever looked and now everyone will go back and be like why didn't I notice that before, you can only rely so much on second hand info. Oh well he made his money and he's making even more from this but how do we know he's telling the truth this time and not inventing truths here and there.
11Oh I know! Like, Thanks Samantha, I'll keep that one under my bonnet for when I make my first million!
I'm gonna get my own travel show and it's going to be called Budget Travel for Real People and on the show we will do things such as compare and contrast continental breakfasts, see which places have lower crime rates the days inn or the red roof inn, and we will spend 1 entire episode on how to survive on gas station snacks alone!
12can you also include how to handle long waits at airports, how to handle rude airline staff and how to avoid indigestion from the airline meals cabaker?
13I am with you Nya, let Oprah tear into him. In a way, it's a little scary that he can get away with that. It's one thing to go to Europe with bad information. But when you're going to a country where wrong moves can really cost you, that guide needs to be something you can rely on.
I think Samantha probably gets to stay in those places. But if I were her I would be so sad that my hubby couldn't be there! Maybe he is, behind the scenes.
Thanks for confirming that Syako! I realized after I posted that didn't sound right.
14I totally love Samantha Brown. I love how silly she is. And I think they probably have to include some fancy digs on there to appeal to a fancier audience. Like when she takes the fancy train to Machu Pichu. I can't spell that to save my life.
15Nya I'm prolly the worst person to talk about that! I think my show would have to have a guest on. I hate the airlines and will do anything in my power to not fly. I honestly cannot think of anything that gets me as riled up as the airlines do... well, as far as business goes!
16lol cabaker i could go on about airlines since it takes between 26 to 72 hours to get home and a whole lot of airlines. Avoid Air Canada, it's crap.
17Sam is married? I always assumed she was single... wanna hear something funny? She's actually on my husband's list!!! LOL! I'm like, are you kidding? But he gets to pick.
18Oh nya I think the two of us should start a travel channel show called SCREW THE AIR! or something of that nature.
19My husband can't stand her, he will only watch her shows with me if its on mute!
20Yea pretty much all the airlines suck unless you can afford to go 1st class so they kiss your behind...
21Yeah I don't see the appeal, he says she reminds him of me, so whatever. And I think the fact that she travels for a living is another part of her appeal. But most of the time when we watch it he just says stuff like "stupid americans" when she's been really silly.
22we should syako. so many crappy airlines and airports, so little time.
23yeah, I googled her and she hasn't been married for long. she has the life!
I always wanted to be a travel writer. I would have small bits of practical advice. like for the college traveler, one thing would be to use febreeze. But when you go to a club that has a black light, your clothes will be covered with little tiny glowing white droplets. Everyone will know you are dirty! So much for sophistication.
24Can you imagine if Samantha Brown and Anthony Bourdain did a show together??
Now that I would watch!
25I love Anthony Bourdain, but I always want to just give him a bleach bath, and febreeze him.
26Kris has a thing for febreeze.
27Kris I think you need to step away from the Febreeze
28I would have to say anthony would be SUPER annoyed by Samantha. Because in some ways she has a similar personality to Rachael Ray and he despises RR!!
29I know thats why it would be awesome! I'm not a huge Bourdain fan, he's just too cocky and rough around the edges for me... but I'd watch those two duke it out!
30I can safely say I have never watched anything on the travel channel.
31yeah but he goes to really interesting places. I heard the Food Network finally picked him up (apparently there were some harsh feeling between the two). I think I'm going to be Samantha Brown when I "grow up"
32aw you're missing out!
33I heard about the Food Network thing too but it was an April Fools! I think it was on Yum...
34No I heard it somewhere else.
35Febreeze makes my world better. Sometimes I Febreeze the dog! she kind of enjoys it and it makes her fresh for another day.
I want to be Samantha when I grow up too. I don't care of Anthony hates me. Did you guys see his show on Romania? The one with the Merry Cemetery? It was hilarious!
36syako I don't know why I have never sat down to watch it because I love travelling but i just can't seem to get round to using my remote to change the cahnnel to travel. What's the best vacation you guys have taken?
37Yes I saw that one!! Was that the one where they wanted to charge him a certain amount of euros per square feet to film some government owned property??? My husband was like, see there still is communism.
38Best vacation - Estes Park, CO. I've been about 8 times now! LOVE IT! I got married there too.
Although I have to say I traveled to Kiev, Ukraine this christmas and it was so interesting and enlightening - I mean, the stuff there was all built in the 9th and 10th centuries and it's like "here in america we think something from 1850 is old!"
39I think Egypt was my all time favorite. But my last trip to Germany was like the Sound of Music. It was nothing but green grass, sunshine, cute cows, mountains... I even bought a dirndl and wore it to Oktoberfest. it was awesome!
40yes, syako, that's the episode. and his friend kept getting drunk, and their car broke down and they had to ride a hay wagon to wherever the middle of nowhere they were going.
41Great Zimbabwe, it was a surprise from my Dad and it was just awesome, seeing all the buildings and wondering how they got the stones to balance on top of each other like that. And Vicenza Italy, i loved it so much I am going back there next year.
42I think it speaks badly for Lonely Planet, if anyone. They better hope that book is FULL of mistakes. Otherwise, it's going to become common knowledge that *gasp* those books aren't all that useful. And, apparently, don't contain anything you cant learn from your couch anyway.
And I don't know about you, KrisSugar, but I wouldn't rely on an LP guide to get me through a (potentially) dangerous country. If so, you're really just asking for trouble to begin with. LP guides are good for some brief advice on a good restaurant or a hotel to stay, but I rely on my own independent research for most everything else when on the road.
43lol Kris I'm a German major and to graduate you have to go spend some time in Germany proving your fluency and I'll be going on the summer trip next year. I'm more excited about the clubs than anything else lol.
44Kris I went to Oktoberfest this year! I was so suprised at how many people wore the traditional outfits... I thought that was a stereotype! Hopefully we'll get to go again someday... man can those people DRINK!
We were in Prague and I asked our tour guide about this nice building and she was like "oh thats nothing special, it was built in like 1800, not old"
It def. puts how young this country is in perspective!
45You are right, Outtajo. I would definitely not rely just on a guidebook in a country like that! I had a Let's Go Egypt book when I went, but I was with an actual tour. I got the book because it was an Italian tour, and I could read along in English when we got to a site and I was tired of listening to Italian. I could not IMAGINE going to Egypt by myself, with no organized tour. I mean, this book listed all kinds of things you could do, coupled with warnings like "don't go to this area because it's notorious for terrorists" and "don't get off the path and wander off into the desert." It was like worlds colliding. Everything for tourists is 5 star, backed straight up to the 3rd world. Very eye-opening, if you've never seen anything like that.
46Yeah my mother in law went to Egypt recently and said she wasn't too impressed...
47Cabaker, you were at Oktoberfest? I was in the Paulaner tent, on the 2nd to last night. I LOVE my dirndl and it was just the BOMB. I was also surprised that the city was filled with people in traditional dress. I actually stayed in Garmisch, which was heaven.
I have a new affinity for men in lederhosen. You think they're not so hot, until you see 2000 25 year old men standing on tables in them! whew.
Nya, my German is terrible. My grandma spoke German at home, but it was a very old dialect unique to Texas, so it did not help me at all. I am going back in June to Munich, and then to Switzerland and Italy. I don't know whether to focus on improving my German or brusing up on Italian, which I can actually speak.
48OMG, I loved Egypt. It was incredible. The peopel were so nice. but then again, what are they going to do? Tourism is their only industry. Also, that was in 2000. Maybe it is different now? I just remember seeing so much amazing stuff. And they had all these funny signs translated to English.
"dear driver, do not forget the pedestrian's right to cross the road safely."
49Sorry guys, you get me talking about travel and I can't shut up.
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