A few months ago, I interviewed Panama Guidebook author William Friar. Moon Guidebooks liked it so much they asked me if I wanted to review their Thailand guidebook and interview the author. Since I am always interested in what people write about my favorite country, I agreed. I found the book to be a lot like the Panama book and other Moon Guidebooks I have read. Lots of history and story but short on detailed practical information. There is information [...]
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted an interview. In the past, I’ve interviewed guidebook writers, authors, movie producers, and other travel notables. But I thought to begin a new string of interviews, I’d focus more on regular travelers. My experience as a traveler is shaped by the fact I travel alone. My thoughts, my experiences, my interactions with people are different than other people’s because of that. People who travel with children travel differently. As do people who are married. [...]
A few weeks ago, a new website launched. Its aim was to connect the travel bloggers on the web. Despite being part of a large industry, online travel websites and travel blogs are relatively dispersed. There are plenty of travel sites but we are all over the web and there’s no one place for us to meet. Travel Blog Exchange was created to give as a niche place where we can all interact. Kim Mance, founder of Go Galavanting, is [...]
Rolf Potts is one of the most famous modern travelers writers out there. He burst onto the scene with his book, Vagabonding, and since then, the book has become a must travel for first time travelers. Rolf has, in many ways, become the face of modern backpacking. He recently took time out of his busyschedule to sit down and discuss backpacking. Nomadic Matt: You are sort of considered the godfather of backpacking. Every long-term traveler knows about you. How do [...]
This month’s interview is from Moon Guidebook author William Friar. He is their Panama author and shares his insights on this rapidly developing country and what he thinks is in store in the future. Nomadic Matt: How did you end up as a guidebook writer? William Friar: This will really annoy anyone who’s trying to break into guidebook writing, but I’d never even thought about it until a publisher found me and offered a contract for an adventure-travel guide to [...]
Continuing our interview with writer Lara Dunston, this week with discussing the future of travel writing, online tools, the nitty gritty of the business, and whether or not travel writing is actually any fun. Nomadic Matt: Chuck Thompson said last month that he thought travel writing was great but that you couldn’t make a living doing it unless you were someone like Bill Bryson. Do you think that is true? Or do you find that you can be just travel [...]
Lara Dunston, author of many Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, and Eyewitness travel guides, is this month’s travel interview. Lara provided such a depth of answers that this interview will be spread out over two posts and will cover a wide range of topics, including addressing some of the issues Thomas Khonstamm and Chuck Thompson brought up in previous interviews. Nomadic Matt: For starters, what gave you the travel bug? Lara Dunston: I blame the travel bug on this pivotal event [...]
Writer Chuck Thompson highlighted his troubles with the travel industry in his recent book, Smile When You’re Lying. I read the book while traveling Europe and loved its sharp commentary and funny anecdotes. Some people felt the same. Others did not. Intrigued by his opinions, I recently spoke with him about them in more detail: Nomadic Matt: As someone so critical of the travel writing industry, why have you stayed in it for so long? Chuck Thompson: I’ve been critical [...]
A few months ago, a book came out came out that swept the travel writing world. Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? caused a lot of controversy with its depiction of guidebook writing. Lonely Planet had to issue special statements to reassure users that its books were accurate. Now, with the issue having died down, writer Thomas Kohnstamm reflects on the controversy, guidebooks, and writing. Nomadic Matt: Your book created a lot of controversy when it came out this year. [...]
A few weeks ago, I reviewed the movie A Map for Saturday .As you know, I loved the movie. I got in contact with the director/star, Brook Silva-Braga, and fresh from his trip in Africa, he was kind of enough to give me an interview. NM: You took your trip in 2005. What made you decide to video tape it? What kind of reactions did you get on the road? BSB: Well I had been working at HBO for a [...]
