Five things you didn’t know about Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet guidebooks have been printed since the early 1970s, with the first ever book produced in Paddington, Sydney.

In its 45-year existence, the guidebooks have travelled to almost every corner of the globe and have been translated into upwards of 10 languages.

Although, there are a few unknown facts about the famous blue books most people wouldn’t know.

Speaking at the Travel DAZE conference on Monday, Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler let the audience in on some stories that the Travel Weekly team feel need to be shared.

So, without any further ado, here’s five things you didn’t know about Lonely Planet.

While today the books are arguably the most profitable, popular guidebooks on this lonely planet, most would be forgiven for being unaware of Lonely Planet’s humble beginnings.

The first book, Across Asia on the Cheap – actually simple a booklet – was actually brainstormed, written and printed in Tony and Maurine Wheeler’s garage.

“The first book was written in the garage of our Paddington terrace, just across the road from Paddington Town Hall,” Wheeler said.

It was printed in black and white and was filled with hand-drawn graphics.

Paris-for-Her_Maureen-Wheeler

Tony and Maurine Wheeler with the first Lonely Planet guide

The name Lonely Planet originated from Tony’s appreciation of the song “Space Captain” by Matthew Moore.

Tony misheard the lyrics ‘lovely planet’ as ‘lonely planet’ and with that the guidebooks were named.

The song was later popularized by Joe Cocker and Leon Russell on the “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” tour of 1970.

A photo of celebrity personality Hamish Blake reading the Afghanistan Lonely Planet book while on an army plane went viral in mid-2000s.

The image shows him whimsically pondering the country’s guidebook and was widely circulated after it was taken.

soldier

While Hamish’s use of the Lonely Planet book was clearly a bit of comic relief in an incredibly tense setting, Tony spoke of a situation where the guide books were used to quite literally, change the course of history.

“There’s a story during the civil war in Ethiopia where a British journo, who was spending time with the rebels who were about to overthrow the country’s government, aided in the rebellion,” Tony said.

“As the story goes, as they got close to the capital, the rebels realised they had no idea how to cross the terrain or where the government buildings were actually located.”

“The head of rebels went up to the journo and asked to borrow his Lonely Planet book as a guide. As the they went in to overthrow government, the rebels were using our maps to guide them in,” he said.

Chinese travellers are some of the biggest fans of Lonely Planet in the world, according to Tony.

Not only have the Chinese written and published a series of Lonely Planet guidebooks to the regional areas of the country, Tony was also sent photos of a bar in Beijing that has been entirely dedicated to the books.

The bar has been built out of books, with the entire serving area held up by more than 300 Lonely Planet books, each with their spines facing outwards.

LPbar

Read the full rundown of Tony Wheeler’s speech at Travel DAZE here.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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