The World Awaits: How to Travel Far and Well

I've read the reviews for this book and can help but notice they are all 5 stars or 2/1 stars. Clearly there is a disconnect. I read this book a few months before I packed up my life and hit the road to travel for a year (I thought). Up until this point in my life my wildest travels had been traveling around Europe with my parents, a package trip to Tahiti, and many drunken nights in Mexico. Not the seasoned independent traveler. This book motivated me, and gave me a philosophy that just felt right for me. When I finished reading this I was super excited to hit the road - something that had been waning as the date approached. Well I left and my one year trip kept on getting extended. Almost five years and eighty countries later I finally arrived home again. And I still am a huge fan of this book. I carried the last chapter of the book (the ultra light guidebook) with me the entire time. I still have the mutilated original first edition sitting proudly on my book shelf (just last week I had to wrestle with my wife over my need to keep it.) I am eagerly waiting for the third edition when I will gladly re-read The World Awaits. Perhaps from the position of experience I will be disappointed, but I don't think so. In short if you have not traveled much (or have not traveled much in the developing world) and think that you might someday want to go on a trip - this book is for you. If you have no desire in traveling, and don't understand why anyone would want to put on a backpack and see what is out there - this book is also for you. If you have hitch-hiked through West Africa; gone to an airport to get on the next plane going someplace interesting; or keep your travel immunizations and passport up to date "just in case" - this book might not be for you, you've probably already developed your own philosophy and probably do not need to be encouraged to leave your house. But this book might still be a pleasant reminder that there are kindred souls out there... Peace and safe travels

This is a great book for how to travel in different situations. The advice applies at a global level - how to cope in situations which could be in any place in the world. It certainly made me consider getting up and about again. In that way it could be a dangerous book as it is very tempting to leave it all behind and set off around the world as the book infects the reader with the travel bug very effectively. If you need advice or travel tips specific to a country or city buy something else or you could visit a web site called TravelSlang which has all sorts of user added advice for thousands of cities world wide. A good buy nevertheless.

This book manages to speak to both the travel veteran and the uninitiated. Readers from either group (and in between) will find value in this enjoyable handbook. In a friendly tone, albeit occasionally repetitive, Otteson offers real, valuable, practical advice (how to bargain, what to pack, how to deal with bribery, etc). Some of this stuff you'll find tucked away in Lonely Planet guidebooks, but Otteson's editorial sense makes his advice easier to find, and it applies globally. Backpacker networks abound with "how to's" for various scenarios. It can be overwhelming. But Otteson has gleaned the gentlest, most useful, and most intelligent tips.The newest concept Otteson brings to the table is HOW to make a journey. This was very useful to me. He gets the reader to really think about what is important... do you want destinations only (sleep on trains as you go?) or do you want to get a feel for the whole of a region, and travel only in daylight hours (what he calls threading). You may opt for a combination of the two styles, but he makes an excellent argument for the latter. Within the pages are wonderful glimmers of enthusiasm for travel itself; reader will be bitten by the travel bug... So if you are not really sure you should get off your duff or if you are trying to convince a homebody to join you on a trip, this book will whet the appetite for the adventure of the open road. Now, more than ever, does the world need to see the face of the American traveler.

I'm about to embark on a 2+ year journey around the world and have read many books about travelling on both what to see and how. I thought I had read it all until I found this easy to read gem of a book.This book clearly describes multiple methods of traveland why you might decide to choose the method which he calls "threading." A method of travelling that many backpackers who have taken multi-week trips or longer might already be familiar with, but clearly outlined and compared with other methods. The author also describes route planning, and living on the road. While I have not read these latter two sections yet, the quality of writing and advice in the 1st section is good enough for me to warrant giving this book 5 stars.As an earlier reviewer stated, most will find many nuggets of information, save for the most seasoned of travelers. Even for those - it's nice to hear another voice. This book is how-to book, not what.

Paul Otteson writes this book for would-be IBATs: International Budget Adventure Travelers. He includes practical advice about planning travel routes, acquiring visas, managing money, packing, finding transportation and shelter, health concerns, mail, language barriers, bribery and black markets. Without descending into superficiality or sentimentality, he also discusses the motivations and lessons of traveling. I found this book incredibly helpful and sometimes inspiring, and I think everyone except the most experienced travelers would too. I very strongly recommend it to anyone planning their first extended overseas trip.