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Feature photo by aussiegall.

What This Book Is

As Matt says early on, this book is not meant to motivate you or allay all possible fears you may have.

It is intended to provide you with the blueprint for making your trip possible.

He begins with all the details you need to know for initial planning, takes you through the day to day of your travel and finally follows you safely back home where you will need to readjust to life after travel.

The World Travel Guide is indeed comprehensive, covering everything from how much money you should bring with you to travel routes to finding cheap flights and how-to choose and pack your backpack. With each section, you’ll find options, vendors and tips to steer you in the right direction.

Much of the information contained within can be found by scouring the internet and reading the thousands of travel websites and blogs, but you’re unlikely to find it all in one place, laid out in such an easily digestible and manageable format.

In addition to basic planning and ways to manage your life on the road, Matt includes much useful information on how to support yourself and other work you can do while on the road.

These include WWOOF-ing, Peace Corps, volunteering and a particularly extensive guide to teaching ESL overseas.

What This Book Isn’t

While much of the book would be useful for anyone wanting to backpack travel, it seems most well suited for people like Matt.

That is, males in their twenties or thirties traveling alone.

Women, families, older travelers or those with physical disabilities will need to look elsewhere for additional information.

Photo by TheGiantVermin

A few examples:  He covers student discounts but not senior discounts. The Health & Safety section covers travel insurance but doesn’t address particular safety concerns for women.

Not that women should be afraid, not at all, but there are certain cultural and religious guidelines that women would benefit from knowing.

And aside from links to family travel websites, there’s really nothing in here to prepare you for long term travel with children.

My Reactions As A Long Time Traveler

I’ve learned much of what’s in this e-book from my own experiences and mistakes as did Matt. And yes, I’m all for trial-and-error learning, but some things, like how to avoid paying international bank fees, are better addressed prior to your first flight or bus.

Matt’s take on volunteering makes a lot of sense. Never pay to work for free, he advises. “I’d rather give my money [directly to the people in the place you’re volunteering] then hand it over to some company who will take a fee.”

The section on coming home also resonates strongly with me. Here, Matt writes eloquently on the nature of and reasons why after traveling the world, you can’t ever really go home again.

Instead, home becomes a place you visit to rejuvenate when you’re burned out on travel.

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