The best way to use a guidebook

What can I say—I like guidebooks. You get a little history, a little culture, and when it comes down to making things happen, you get hotel and restaurant recommendations from someone who’s been there.

But there’s the rub, right? When a guidebook is widely distributed, there’s a good chance that lots of others will visit those same spots—lured by the same poetic descriptions that you were.

We’ve heard the rants and raves on guidebooks before, but I thought that the recent Perceptive Travel blog on the subject was an interesting read.

On one hand: a hostel owner in Puerto Natales, Chile (near Torres del Paine National Park) was so put off by the wrong mindset of popular guidebooks that he (a) refused a listing in a guidebook, and (b) accused backpackers of being unadventurous for using said guidebook. I know that he echoes the cry of some travelers who are finding hoards of travelers at their favorite, once ‘hidden’ spots.

On the other hand: the blogger, Carolyn McCarthy, is not only a traveler but a guidebook author. While she commiserates with the hostel owner about some general woes of mass tourism, she takes offense at the idea that travelers who use guidebooks aren’t adventurous.

In the end, the gem is her suggestion of how to best use a guidebook: in moderation.

“How do you avoid the traps of a guidebook? It’s easy. Use it when it’s essential, then don’t. Don’t be sucked in by Greatest Hits Lists: what are the chances that your best travel memories will take place within yards of a Natual Wonder? You might want to spend a week in a town that got a two-sentence write up (a sure sign few travelers are there). Stick around one place long enough to make a friend. Let locals tell you their favorite outings and places to eat. Most importantly, find the time to put the guide away and trust your gut.”