What We're Reading

Review

Itchy-footed travel fans pick up this publication at your peril.

Whether you're an aspiring solo trekker, flash packer or gap year volunteer, Cosmopolitan travel editor Amanda Statham has the ability to instil a sense of wanderlust.

The Globe-trotter's Guide offers invaluable advice on dealing with indigenous wildlife and avoiding travelling tricksters.

I now feel confident I could defeat a crocodile by "stabbing it in the eyes" and spot a con artist a mile off.

The chapter on packing is pretty minimal for the modern backpacker. Unless planning a particularly obscure adventure, I would be tempted to ditch the plastic bowl, cup and cutlery and squeeze in a few more pairs of pants, a camera and a credit card.

As a reference book, the information could be made easier to access but there is more than enough to satisfy a curious traveller or calm a concerned parent.

It might be time to dust off the rucksack and suggest a sabbatical.