Homemade Guidebooks

Frommer's and Lonely Planet are my two favorite guidebook people. That being said, I'm not always inclined to buy a guidebook for every destination I visit because it's costly.

However, I am completely unopposed to making my own guidebook at home. I've found that as far as online information availability, Frommer's offers quite a bit more than Lonely Planet but everyone's travel guide needs are different so to each his/her own.

Using Frommer's, I made myself a little packet of information for Maui. I copy and pasted all the information I thought we might need (best beaches, great dining spots, etc.) and made one thick booklet and then made a smaller booklet for the Road to Hana, which will be an all day expedition for us. Making your own guidebook means that all of the information is personalized and you can cut out anything that is irrelevant to your trip. Guidebooks can be heavy and take up a lot of precious room. Plus, with these homemade ones, I won't worry too much if I damage or lose it (and if I am worried about that, I can always print out a backup copy).
These do look a little plain right now but that's part of the fun as well - decorating them!

And then I pack everything I need away in a cute little plastic sleeve. I put in the guidebooks, our boarding passes, and directions to and from the airport. Don't mind those weird sticker things. I used picnik to edit the photo and cover up the confirmation #s, just for security reasons.


Three days!

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