Eat Pray Love your way to a good, long trip

Everyone who reads the book Eat, Pray, Love comes away with the same clear message: it’s an extraordinarily good idea to ditch your real life for a year of travel. The new movie of the same name, based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s true tale, makes this point in Technicolor. With gorgeous images of Italy, India, and Indonesia, not to mention Julia Roberts, it’s guaranteed to trigger wanderlust. (The film opens Friday [August 13] in Vancouver.)

So how does one even begin to plan such a life-changing trip of self-discovery? Deciding where you want to go is a good start. There are a thousand and one travel books on the market to help with this, such as 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. But flipping through them quickly becomes overwhelming. Better to get your hands on more practical inspiration, like Rough Guides’ First-Time Around the World.

Aimed at independent travellers, the volume immediately dispels the myth that your trip will have a Hollywood ending. “This book is not going to”¦make grandiose assertions that stomping around the planet with a coated-nylon pack will somehow fulfil whatever may be missing from your life,” author Doug Lansky writes in the introduction to the third edition. “The more eager you are to open yourself up to life on the road, the more willing you are to embrace the unknown rather than sign up for a pre-packaged, air-conditioned experience, the more likely you are to reap real rewards.”

The book does assure readers, however, that “nearly anyone can get around the world in one piece.” Then it shows you how to do it, by profiling different regions, helping to narrow down routes and itineraries, and delving into budgeting and costs. The book also covers the nitty-gritty, like travel insurance, how to carry money, and how to stay healthy.

“Long-term travel is more common than people think,” says Laura Main, manager of the Adventure Travel Company at 120 West Broadway. (A second office is at 1191 Davie Street.) In a phone interview, she says she’s seen everyone from students to newlyweds to businesspeople set off on journeys of over six months. Often, they combine independent travel with volunteer opportunities, specialty tours, or work-abroad programs. The company details these opportunities on its Web site, and also gives info on round-the-world and multistop airfares.

For those who need to fit their transformative experience into a scant couple of weeks, a tour may be the ticket. At Gap Adventures (109–1965 West 4th Avenue), which focuses on small-group travel, you can browse trip brochures organized by region, from Asia to Antarctica. The company offers a variety of trips to Italy, India, and Indonesia.

Nevada-based Spirit Quest Tours) takes the movie theme a step further. It’s offering a weeklong package in Bali with the opportunity to re-create some of Gilbert’s experiences, including a palm reading by Ketut Liyer—the “medicine man” who prompted her journey—and a “vitamin lunch” at Wayan’s restaurant.

Although Spirit Quest milks the theme for all it’s worth, it stops short of promoting unrealistic expectations. A disclaimer that’s prominently displayed on the Web site reads: “This tour is not affiliated with or endorsed by Penguin Books or Sony Pictures. Elizabeth Gilbert will not be leading this trip. Julie [sic] Roberts has probably never even heard of Spirit Quest Tours. Javier Bardem will not marry you. Richard from Texas will not give you advice. James Franco will definitely not make out with you. Still, you should come on this trip.”

Because once you hit the road, you never know what might happen.

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