Travel Writing: Travel DK’s Personalized Guidebooks
December 9, 2009 | Laura Carroll
Bakeshop Praha
Not sure what to get your travel-fiend friend for Christmas? Untrustworthy of guidebooks that spout out the usual, over-saturated tourism tips? Want to plan a trip through Europe based entirely around chocolate?
Problem solved. Travel DK’s personalized guidebooks – the guidebooks that you create entirely – have you taken care of from cover to cover, country to country.
To get the full effect, I took two approaches in creating my own travel guide. First, I created a guide to a city I know: Paris. I scrolled through DK’s attractions and then browsed those added by users to find that several of my favorite spots (Jardin du Luxembourg, Pozzetto, the galleries of le Marais) were already listed. Those that weren’t could easily be added and reviewed.
Aside from adding and selecting single to-dos, I could search and add some ready-made lists, like Top 10 Galleries or Top 10 Places to Eat, among others. Very guidebook-esque, don’t you think? DK even incorporates a map.
After toying with my Paris guide (it takes a lot of patience to create a proper guidebook and I rather lack that virtue), I started another one for a city I want to visit: Prague. Within minutes of my browsing the aforementioned features I found numerous destinations to add to my would-be book. National Gallery? Yes. The Vojanovy sady gardens? Certainly. Bakeshop Praha? Youbetcha. Of course, the likelihood of having time to cram in all my self-scripted selections upon my visiting Prague is slim, but what is a guidebook for if not to encourage a frenzy of travel over-productivity?
After some page arranging, chapter making and titling, guidebook authors are encouraged either to share their book online, print it or buy a bound copy for $15. Not a bad price if you fancy yourself the next Rick Steves, but before you whip out your Visa note that these books really are intended to guide. In other words, they’re not scrapbooks.
But for those who want to create their own itinerary or just put on paper all the cool things they’ve seen (bragging rights, anyone?), Travel DK’s personalized guidebooks are the way to go (or at least the way to plan on it).
photo: Flickr [*hoodrat*]
This is such an excellent, excellent idea. Imagine the possibilities – friends who have traveled the world, or better yet, live or have lived in various cities/locations can create personalized guidebooks by combining their awareness of your interests with their knowledge of various locations!
Simply genius
Yes, I like this idea a lot too, but I hadn’t toyed around with it yet. Did you actually buy the bound copies, Laura? I am wondering how they come out on paper.
Megan,
I’m thinking about doing one for Christmas – a chronicle of all the things I did with my mother and grandmother when they visited me in Paris. If I do, I’ll let you know how it turns out.