Build your own Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet's Pick & Mix trial allows travellers with short attention spans to download individual guidebook chapters as PDFs.
Visit any tourist attraction worldwide and you'll likely see a weary-faced traveller toting a ten-tonne backpack and a tome-like Lonely Planet guidebook.
These backpackers' bibles allow you to find the best places to dine and sleep, and feature a fair chunk of supplementary stuff such as historical information. All very useful and comprehensive, but what if you care not a jot for history and just want to find out the best places to party?
Well, hedonists, your whims are being catered to with the launch of Lonely Planet's Pick & Mix trial. This cunning scheme allows travellers to select individual chapters from guidebooks and download them in PDF format. Chapters are divided into categories such as Shopping, Excursions and Maps, and the sections cost from AU$3 to AU$7 depending on length.
The selection currently consists of guidebooks, phrasebooks and walking guides for Latin American locations, but plans are afoot to digitise much more, should the initial response be promising.
Pick & Mix chapters are available from the shop section of Lonely Planet's Web site.