Our Story

A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Franklin, London, Melbourne, Oakland, Dublin, Beijing and Delhi, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

OUR WRITERS

Ashley Harrell

Central Pacific Coast, Southern Costa Rica & Peninsula de Osa, San José

After a brief stint selling day spa coupons door-to-door in South Florida, Ashley decided she’d rather be a writer. She went to journalism grad school, convinced a newspaper to hire her, and starting covering wildlife, crime and tourism, sometimes all in the same story. Fueling her zest for storytelling and the unknown, she traveled widely and moved often, from a tiny NYC apartment to a vast California ranch to a jungle cabin in Costa Rica, where she started writing for Lonely Planet. From there her travels became farther flung, and she still laughs when paychecks arrive.

Jade Bremner

Caribbean Coast, Central Valley & Highlands

Jade has been a journalist for more than a decade. She has lived in and reported on four different regions. Wherever she goes she finds action sports to try, the weirder the better, and it’s no coincidence many of her favorite places have some of the best waves in the world. Jade has edited travel magazines and sections for Time Out and Radio Times and has contributed to The Times, CNN and The Independent. She feels privileged to share tales from this wonderful planet we call home and is always looking for the next adventure. Jade also wrote the Understand and Survival Guide chapters.

Brian Kluepfel

Peninsula de Nicoya, Northwestern Costa Rica, Arenal & Northern Lowlands

Brian has lived in Berkeley, Bolivia, the Bronx and the ‘burbs, among other places. His journalistic work across the Americas has ranged from the Copa America soccer tournament in Paraguay to an accordion festival in Quebec. His titles for LP include Venezuela, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Bolivia and Ecuador. An avid birder and musician, he blogs at www.brianbirdwatching.blogspot.com. Brian also wrote the Plan section.

Published by Lonely Planet Global Limited

CRN 554153

13th edition – Oct 2018

ISBN 978 1 78868 149 0

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