The book is marketed as a “hilarious behind-the-brochures tour of the picture-perfect locales [...] from a guy who knows the truth about travel.”

While marketeers of course are experts at making products sound promising, this book is actually quite funny, once you get past the opening prostitute story and ignore the petty you’re-not-a-real-traveller/writer remarks.

Some of the stories in the beginning of the book seemed slightly irrelevant and almost made me give up on the book, but most of the stories are funny and many travellers will nod their heads in recognition to at least a couple of Chuck Thompson’s stories.

The expat stories in particular rang a bell with me and reminded me of my time in China. So in the spirit of the book, over the next few days I’ll be sharing my not so glamorous travel experiences from China.

The book does use some rather coarse language, but if you’re not easily offended and enjoy funny travel stories, you can buy the book at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk (aff. links).

It would also make a nice little Christmas present, if you’re looking for one of those, for adults only though and not for the most prudish of your friends.