Are you a guidebook person? I know some people’s shelves are an A-Z of Lonely Planets and Rough Guides but we don’t fit into that camp. In fact, until a month or so ago, we had never owned a guidebook of any description.
We’ve not travelled a lot but any trips we’ve been on we have planned using recommendations and a selection of the many travel blogs the internet has to offer. Plus a decent helping of making it up as we go along!
But when we decided to go to India, I thought we should bring in the professionals! I am so excited but also a little apprehensive, India is a big, intimidating country – where do we start?
So we’ve armed ourselves with a shiny new Lonely Planet and have been pouring over it and annotating the maps.
It’s great to have something you know you can rely on and that we can pack it in our bags and whip out whenever we need. It’s given me some piece of mind for what will be our biggest adventure so far.
But you still can’t keep me away from the blogs! I’ve been sending Matt link after link to places I want to go, delicious dishes I’m desperate to try and countless articles on ‘things to know before you go to India’!
Because as useful as guidebooks are, they don’t get me excited about visiting a new city or country in the same way that a blog does. The photos and the anecdotes allow you to visualise the possibilities of your trip. Everyone is different and reading a variety blogs is a great way to figure out what might make the best trip for your style and tastes.
Of course it’s not a case of choosing just one and I’ve found that they complement each other very well. So I’ve pack my Lonely Planet in my bag and read yet another blog post…..
What’s your opinion on guide books and travel blogs? How do you plan your trips? WE’d love to hear from you!
