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Friday 5 February 2010

Tom Wheeler - Lonely Planet

Could Tom have been possibly born with an apter surname. Wheeler, people, Wheeler. The man who traveled the world, and made a business out of it: A £50m plus turnover (well, the equations have changed a little after BBC acquired 75% share and economic crisis sprung up, but anyways...)

He was here, in an EDC event and it was fun listening to him. The presentation he gave was the best I have seen till date: It had only photos, and as you've guessed - breathtaking photos...
Some Quotes:

"
Language isn't always necessary: when you're in a restaurant you want to eat and someone makes sure that you eat. I've never came out of a restaurant hungry in last 40 years of traveling"

"I love walking - you see the world at the pace god intended us to see"

After the talk was over; I went up and talked to his better half: the women behind the scene - Maureen Wheeler. It was she who wrote all the books while they traveled.

NR: "Why is that you don't put virgin places, the hidden getaways in your book - for e.g. the hidden treks of the Himalayas and so on"

MW: "We cannot. If we write about a place which is not yet fully developed, and 1000s of people reach there after reading it: it would be chaos!"
I was enlightened: Lonely Planet Books (and for that matter, Rough Guides etc) literally control the place where the world travels!Of all things - I was fascinated by the idea that there was a Lonely Planet book on Antartica! I so want to go to this place - anybody willin' ?


Their Story: The FoundersMore history: FAQs
Charity:
Wheeler Foundation
Trekking in India:
Himalayas (courtesy Jatin)

Best of all - their autobiography: 'Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story"

PS: Just for you info - remember the Lonely Planet show we all grew up watching on the Discovery Channel, by Ian Write if you remember the man - The show started with Ian drawing a circle with a stick on beach sands...good old days!



2 comments:

  1. ya and about ian wright! the better half told that "he was so charming , but he left!" :)

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  2. ha, double entendre! :D :D I hope Tom does not read my blog :D

    ReplyDelete