Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.

At the age of twenty-six, Maarten Troost—who had been pushing the snooze button on the alarm clock of life by racking up useless graduate degrees and muddling through a series of temp jobs—decided to pack up his flip-flops and move to Tarawa, a remote South Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati. He was restless and lacked direction, and the idea of dropping everything and moving to the ends of the earth was irresistibly romantic. He should have known better.The Sex Lives of Cannibals tells the hilarious story of what happens when Troost discovers that Tarawa is not the island paradise he dreamed of. Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost struggles through relentless, stifling heat, a variety of deadly bacteria, polluted seas, toxic fish—all in a country where the only music to be heard for miles around is “La Macarena.” He and his stalwart girlfriend Sylvia spend the next two years battling incompetent government officials, alarmingly large critters, erratic electricity, and a paucity of food options (including the Great Beer Crisis); and contending with a bizarre cast of local characters, including “Half-Dead Fred” and the self-proclaimed Poet Laureate of Tarawa (a British drunkard who’s never written a poem in his life).With The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Maarten Troost has delivered one of the most original, rip-roaringly funny travelogues in years—one that will leave you thankful for staples of American civilization such as coffee, regular showers, and tabloid news, and that will provide the ultimate vicarious adventure.

Lonely Planet’s team of authors has island hopped the Bay of Islands, immersed themselves in Rotorua’s proud Maori culture, kayaked Abel Tasman’s pristine bays and cruised the magnificent Milford Sound – as well as exploring everything in between. With all that research and more, Lonely Planet New Zealand is your key to the best possible Kiwi experience.Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip.In This Guide:Full Coverage - hidden secrets plus all the don’t-miss attractionsActivities of every kind – from abseiling to zorbingUnique Green Index to help make your travels ecofriendly

Kon-Tiki is the record of an astonishing adventure -- a journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean by raft. Intrigued by Polynesian folklore, biologist Thor Heyerdahl suspected that the South Sea Islands had been settled by an ancient race from thousands of miles to the east, led by a mythical hero, Kon-Tiki. He decided to prove his theory by duplicating the legendary voyage. On April 28, 1947, Heyerdahl and five other adventurers sailed from Peru on a balsa log raft. After three months on the open sea, encountering raging storms, whales, and sharks, they sighted land -- the Polynesian island of Puka Puka. Translated into sixty-five languages, Kon-Tiki is a classic, inspiring tale of daring and courage -- a magnificent saga of men against the sea. Washington Square Press' Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. This edition of Kon-Tiki has been prepared by an editorial committee headed by Harry Shefter, professor of English at New York University. It includes a foreword by the author, a selection of critical excerpts, notes, an index, and a unique visual essay of the voyage.

Experience The Best of New ZealandMake the most of your trip abroad – Lonely Planet’s full color Discover guides highlight the best a country has to offer while still providing an authentic and memorable experience.Full Color ThroughoutFull of color images and maps – makes planning as inspiring as the journey itselfColor-coded navigationEasy-To-Use StructureEasy-to-use tools include: color-coded chapters, color thumb tabs, dynamic color spreads on major highlights andEasy-to-read planning sections throughoutHighlightsSpecial front-of-book chapter on the top 25 can’t-miss experiencesFeatures the must-see attractions and unbeatable experiencesFocuses on key cities and regionsItinerariesCountry-wide itineraries take you step by step though the country – broken out by interest, theme and length of tripRegion-specific itineraries help you plan more deeply for the regions you are most interested inLocal Experts Major attractions include insights from local experts on what not to miss

Freya Hoffmeister takes on sharks, crocs, and huge surf in the most audacious paddle adventure of the century.

Frommer's Australia is packed with all the facts, tips, and descriptions you need to have perfect vacation:Completely updated every year, Frommer?s Australia features gorgeous full-color photos of the Outback vistas, curious wildlife, and white-sand beaches that await you.Our authors have lived in and written about Australia for years, so they?re able to provide valuable insights and advice. They?ll steer you away from the touristy and the inauthentic and show you the real heart of the land Down Under. Let them take you to exciting cities, Aboriginal homesteads, Barossa Valley vineyards, and natural wonders, from the Wet Tropics Rainforest to Uluru to the Great Barrier Reef. You?ll travel Australia like a pro using their candid advice and in-depth knowledge of the culture.Also included are accurate regional and town maps, up-to-date advice on finding the best package deals, a free color fold-out map, and an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap!

Discover Bali&LombokScramble down rocky cliffs to find a private surf beach, then climb back up to your motorbike, tanned and supercharged.Flip yourself over the edge of a boat while diving the blue depths off the Gili Islands in Lombok.Dance the day's sand off your feet at Kuta's rowdy clubs or spruce up for Seminyak's sleek bars and restaurants.Sip honey-ginger tea in a rose-petal bath, drifting back to earth after a mandi lulur massage.In This Guide:Two great authors, 68 days of in-country research, 51 detailed maps, 133 bottles of Bintang. An all new outdoor activities section with detailed diving and surfing information. Features a Food&Drink chapter by renowned Ubud restaurateur and author Janet de Neefe.

Inspired by the examples of his heroes Herman Melville, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Joshua Slocum, Jack London determined to sail around the world. In April 1907 he sailed from San Francisco in the forty-five-foot ketch Snark, with his wife, Charmian, a skeleton crew, and his writing to keep him company. Beset by seasickness and tropical disease, London wrote incessantly—not only his major autobiographical novel Martin Eden and numerous short stories, but also a series of sketches recording the voyage itself. These entertaining pieces, collected together into the book he called The Cruise of the Snark, reveal London’s indefatigable spirit and love of adventure at sea and among the Pacific islands.