 | To celebrate the launch of Tony Wheeler's Bad Lands: A Tourist on the Axis of Evil, we've given this month's Comet a theme to match. This issue's been hanging around on the wrong side of the tracks - so take the road less comfy, go for a spin on the 'axis of evil' and find out what these misunderstood nations are really all about. | 
Travel tough or in the lap of luxury? Check out Australia's top end and win a piece of indigenous art. Go on » | 
 |  » Who's Bad?The big news here at Lonely Planet is the launch of Tony Wheeler's Bad Lands: A Tourist on the Axis of Evil. This book follows Tony as he ventures into the countries that have become newsworthy - and not always in a good way. It's one insightful and myth-busting road-trip. Check out the bad book, then download the free screensaver. » We're Bad! Lonelyplanet.com loves hanging around the rough edges of travel too, and we have a bunch of fascinating features on the world's more complex destinations. Discover the origins of Afghanistan's Minaret of Jam or grab the mike for some Baghdad karaoke. Check out vivid photo features on Afghanistan's national sport, Buzkashi or our man in Havana, then read about Tyler MacNiven's run across Iran. » LPTV - Don't Get Shot, Shoot it!LPTV goes to the Bad Lands! We've got videos from the frontlines and we're not afraid to watch 'em. Have a look at Tony Wheeler in Havana, take a speedy tour of Korea or see Lonely Planet author Miriam Raphael unleash her inner child on the dunes of Iran. So, have you been to the crunch and back? Recorded it on tape? Then share it on lonelyplanet.tv. Hurry, upload your video by 8pm (Pacific time) 15 May 2007 and you could win all you need to make your next video. Get to it » | Books from the Bad Lands LibyaStars over the Sahara  Discover travel that can change you with Code Green - yours free with minimum purchase. | back to top |  | Looking for a place to Stay?
Lonely Planet authors aren't afraid to beat their way off the tourist trail to bring you the chunkiest hotel reviews. Check out our recommendations in: And remember, you'll receive a 20% discount on your next order at our online shop when you book one of these out-of-the-way beds. Here's just one example of the great pads listed: Hostel Celica, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Our Review by author Fionn Davenport
Art, architecture and aesthetics The best hostel in Europe? This converted military prison is certainly a contender. The cells (now rooms) have been redesigned by several architects in different styles. The hotel has become a tourist attraction in its own right: there are guided tours every day at 14:00. Absolutely brilliant. More »  | | back to top | 
| » Hot Off the Traveller's Tongue
Here are some of the travel questions being asked this week. This information comes directly from travellers but remember, it's not always verified, so check with the relevant embassy for further details, and go to the Thorn Tree to hear travellers' views. How do you go about getting an internship in Afghanistan/Tajikistan? Click here for ground-level advice. If you're travelling in Iran and running low on cash, here are some handy suggestions for transfers and banking. | | back to top | 
| Korea
North Korea gets a fair whack dedicated to it in Bad Lands, but our new guide covers both North and South and brings to life its densely forested mountains, colourful Buddhist temples, sleek modern cities and incomparable cuisine. And speaking of cuisine, here's an excerpt from our latest guide that should get your tastebuds tingling. Korea's Food and Drink Korea has one of Asia's richest culinary traditions, and sampling all the quirky delights of the local food and drink is one of the joys of visiting the country. Listings in this chapter focus on Korean food, but Western fodder is nearly always available in bakeries, convenience stores and pizza and fast food outlets, which are numerous and easy to spot.  A typical Korean meal is based around boiled rice, soups and as many as a dozen side dishes, called banchan, which normally include Korea's national dish, kimchi (pickled or fermented vegetables). Diners in Korea are not expected to finish everything - in fact if you do, the side dishes will probably be refilled until you burst! Read More » | | back to top | 
| FEATURED BLUELIST » Taste the Fear
By: kimba111 Kidnapped! Goreme, Turkey
Myself and two companions were duped into a dangerous situation that started with a friendly local and ended with guns flashed, stern insistence we cross over the greek border and a cross country escape. 8 days of pure fear and lessons learnt. Raging Cow - Pushkar, India
I felt one with my surroundings. Floating along I felt I was but a daisy seed blowing in the breeze. Enter huge angry cow from stage left, thundering towards this hapless fluff brained fool. I was barely saved by local firmly in the 'now.' Machete Kids - Tha Ton, ThailandRomantic thoughts of peering into the lives of ancient hill-tribes quickly morphed into a frantic dash up a mountain-side, as two plucky youths came charging down from the village with shiny machetes in hand. Reached the top, vomited, lesson learnt. Read More » | | back to top | 
|  » Planet Blog
Frances Linzee Gordon went on an unprecedented research assignment in Saudi Arabia for Lonely Planet's forthcoming guide to the Arabian Peninsula. As the first person ever to be granted a visa to visit the Kingdom as an independent tourist, she kept a diary of her adventures. Here's a taste: 'A guest is a gift from God' goes the popular Arab saying. The hospitality of the Middle East is legendary, and Saudi Arabia had proved no exception. During our weeks on the road and over the course of the 11,250km we clocked up, our car had become so stuffed full with presents that I now called it 'Abdullah's mobile bazaar'. We stocked everything from the choicest dates and most luxuriously packaged boxes of chocolates to lavish coffee-table books, the finest coffee beans and even a pearl necklace. Saudi generosity was overwhelming, and it did not seem in any danger of dwindling. The Red Sea port of Jeddah was our final destination. Considered the most cosmopolitan town in the Kingdom - and somewhat wild, degenerate and dangerous by the country's more conservative kinsmen - Jeddah had a palpably relaxed, seen-it-all air. On the private beaches outside town, we even came across bikini-clad girls on jet skis. Read More » | Quote of the Month Travel was an antidote to an overdose of stability - Bill Barich, Traveling Light  Compass Competition To win one of five copies of Tony Wheeler's Bad Lands, tell us where you would find: Et'hem Bey Mosque Band-e-Amir Persepolis Arch of Ctesiphon Madain Saleh Email your answers here by 30 May 2007. | back to top | 
|  » Sure-fire Insurance
If you're heading into a Bad Land, insurance should probably be the first box you tick before you hit the road. We've got partners who will be there with the Band-Aids when things go pear-shaped. Find a policy to protect you here. | | back to top | Your privacy is important to us. Read our privacy policy to find out what we do and don't do with your personal details. If you no longer wish to hear from us please click here or contact us at Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 90 Maribyrnong Street Footscray VIC 3011 Australia / tel: + 61 3 8379 8000. copyright © 2007 Lonely Planet Publications | Locked Bag 1, Footscray, Victoria, Australia 3011 | |
