One of the things I love most about our 'True Stories' section (and by extension, this book) is that readers are so willing to laugh at themselves-they send in what are sometimes very embarrassing stories, because we all know that that's life, especially when you travel." --Erik Torkells, editor, Budget TravelFrom the French-kissing giraffe to the Coke-drinking camel, Budget Travel's "True Stories" feature proves that life when traveling is indeed stranger and fun...

One minute you're relaxing by the pool in a luxury Thai resort and the next you're a gringo with a donkey on an isolated island off Brazil!When Tony and his wife Sue were caught in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami that devastated hundreds of thousands of lives, they wanted more than to return to the rat race of suburban life, they wanted to 'live the dream'. After careful consideration, or possibly in a moment of insanity, they decided that the dream was to run a guest house on a remote...

"Enlightenment meets On the Road in this witty, insightful novel." — The Boston Sunday GlobeWhen his sister tricks him into taking her guru on a trip to their childhood home, Otto Ringling, a confirmed skeptic, is not amused. Six days on the road with an enigmatic holy man who answers every question with a riddle is not what he'd planned. But in an effort to westernize his passenger—and amuse himself—he decides to show the monk some "American fun" ...