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Foreword ABOUT LONELY PLANET GUIDEBOOKS The story begins with a classic travel adventure: Tony and Maureen Wheeler's 1972 journey across Europe and Asia to Australia. Useful information about the overland trail did not exist at that time, so Tony and Maureen published the first Lonely Planet guidebool< to meet a growing need. From a kitchen table, then from a tiny office in Melbourne (Australia), Lonely Planet has become the largest independent travel publisher in the world, an international company with offices in Melbourne, Oakland (USA), London (UK) and Paris (France). Today Lonely Planet guidebooks cover the globe. There is an ever-growing list of books, and there's information in a variety of forms and media. Some things haven't changed. The main aim is still to help make it possible for adventurous travelers to get out there - to explore and better understand the world. At Lonely Planet we believe travelers can make a positive contribution to the countries they visit - if they respect their host communities and spend their money wisely. Since 1986 a percentage of the income from each book has been donated to aid projects and human-rights campaigns. Updates Lonely Planet thoroughly updates each guidebook as often as possible. This usually means there are around two years between editions, although for more unusual or more stable destinations the gap can be longer. Check the imprint page (following the color map at the beginning of the book) for publication dates. Between editions, up-to-date information is available in two free newsletters - the paper Planet Talk and email Comet (to subscribe, contact any Lonely Planet office) - and on our website at www.lonelyplanet.com. The Upgrades section of the website covers a number of important and volatile destinations and is regularly updated by Lonely Planet authors. Scoop covers news and current affairs relevant to travelers. And, lastly, the Thorn Tree bulletin board and Postcards section of the site carry unverified, but fascinating, reports from travelers. Correspondence The process of creating new editions begins with the letters, postcards and emails received from travelers. This correspondence often includes suggestions, criticisms and comments about the current editions. Interesting excerpts are immediately passed on via newsletters and the website, and everything goes to our authors to be verified when they're researching on the road. We're keen to get more feedback from organizations or individuals who represent communities visited by travelers. Lonely Planet gathers information for everyone who's curious about the planet - and especially for those who explore it firsthand. Through guidebooks, phrase-books, activity guides, maps, literature, newsletters, image library, TV series and website, we act as an information exchange for a worldwide community of travelers.