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

Brendan Sainsbury

Curator, Juneau & the Southeast, Prince William Sound

Originally from Hampshire, England, Brendan has traveled all over Alaska from Ketchikan in the south to Deadhorse in the north by bus, train, kayak, bicycle, ferry, airplane and his own two feet. Memorable moments have included taking a bus up the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks to the Arctic Ocean, catching a ferry through the off-the-grid Alaskan peninsula to the Aleutian Islands, and running the Chilkoot trail in the footsteps of the Klondike ‘stampeders’ in a day. Now based in Vancouver, Canada, Brendan has contributed to over 50 Lonely Planet guides including six editions of LP Cuba. Brendan also wrote the Plan Your Trips chapters (with the exception of Outdoor Activities & Adventures) and Survival Guide.

Catherine Bodry

Anchorage & Around, Kenai Peninsula

Catherine is based in Anchorage, Alaska, but spends much of her time in Southeast Asia. As a writer, she’s covered Alaska, Thailand and China, among other destinations. A lover of mountains, she spends as much time as possible in or near hills, whether it’s running, hiking, camping, berry picking, rafting or just gazing at them. For Lonely Planet, she’s contributed to about a dozen guide and trade books including several editions of Alaska, as well as Canada, Thailand and Pacific Northwest Trips.

Alexander Howard

Kodiak, Katmai & Southwest Alaska

Alex is a Nashville-based editor, writer and photographer for Lonely Planet. Since joining Lonely Planet in 2014, he has commissioned, edited and managed 34 guidebooks covering Canada and the Western United States. His work frequently takes him into the field, most recently trekking into the lava fields of Hawai’i and scuba diving in Bali. He is the managing editor of the US edition of Lonely Planet magazine.

Adam Karlin

Denali & the Interior, The Bush

Adam has contributed to dozens of Lonely Planet guidebooks, covering an alphabetical spread that ranges from the Andaman Islands to the Zimbabwe border. As a journalist, he has written on travel, crime, politics, archaeology, and the Sri Lankan Civil War, among other topics. He has sent dispatches from every continent barring Antarctica (one day!) and his essays and articles have featured in the BBC, NPR, and multiple non-fiction anthologies. Adam is based out of New Orleans, which explains his love of wetlands, food and good music. Learn more at http://walkonfine.com or Instagram @adamwalkonfine. Adam also wrote the Outdoor Activities & Adventures chapter plus the Understand Alaska chapters.

Published by Lonely Planet Global Limited

CRN 554153

12th edition – May 2018

ISBN 978 1 78657 458 9

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