This female-friendly travel book bills itself as 'the essential guide for girls who backpack.' So, you've arrived at your first hostel and decided to take a refreshing shower, but you're already faced with a problem: you don't want to leave your few treasured possessions in the room you're sharing with five dodgy looking strangers. What do you do? That's the point at which this book becomes your best friend. Learn everything from protecting your cash to how to look glam when your travel wardrobe fits into a shoebox. Find out how to avoid an electric shock in a South American shower and how to protect your modesty when using squat toilets in India. This book written by a Brit is packed with fun anecdotes and lots of good DOs and DONTs.

Author: Chelsea Duke

Publisher: Pan Books

Website: www.panmacmillan.com

ISBN: 978-0330479714

Juicy Tip From Book: 'Never, ever, leave your bag on the floor next to your chair in a cafe or restaurant. Ideally, make sure it's on your lap. Alternatively, thread the strap around the table or chair leg and then around your leg -- although be aware that this doesn't stop someone cutting the strap and taking the bag anyway... Stash a few notes (money) inside your sock, or even better -- and this is where for once we have an advantage over the guys -- hide spare cash in your bra. Don't put coins in there though; it's really quite uncomfortable, not to mention startlingly cold when you first put them in.'

It's small, it's light, it comes with a foldout map, and it's an excellent guide. Whether you're travelling first class or on a limited budget, this Eyewitness Top 10 guide will lead you straight to the very best Hong Kong has to offer. Dozens of Top 10 lists -- from the Top 10 secret delights of hidden Hong Kong to the Top 10 festivals, hotels, and shops -- provide the insider knowledge every visitor needs. And to save you time and money, there's even a list of the Top 10 Things to Avoid. P.S. We enjoyed 60 great ideas on how to spend your day.

Author: Fitzpatrick, Gagliardi and Stone

Publisher: Dorling Kindersley

Website: www.traveldk.com

ISBN: 978-0756645748

Juicy Tip From Book: For free calls and internet access in Hong Kong: 'Local telephone calls are usually free, except from pay phones and many hotel rooms. Some hotel lobbies, however have telephones used for free local calls. Internet access is plentiful and free at the Convention Center's Business Center and at the shiny new main library in Causeway Bay. Access here is plentiful and fast (bookings taken for one hour at a time). There's also a good cafe with outdoor seating at the library'

In this lively how-to book, the author, Nancy Whitney-Reiter discusses why we may feel empty, how we try to fill the void, and then prescribes her 'unplugged' cure. Nancy introduces the reader to her own life circumstances -- leaving her job, embarking on a year of international travel and the soul searching that comes with the territory. By giving herself time and space for self-reflection -- i.e. 'unplugging' -- she is then able to build a new life based on her current, vital interests. Want to do the same? The author provides a roadmap to this self-discovery process advising on how to decide where to go, pay for your adventure and take care of your commitments at home. She introduces her readers to other 'unplugged' success stories and offers a guide to resources that provide further guidance.

Author: Nancy Whitney-Reiter

Publisher: Sentient Publications

Website: www.unplugyourhead.com

ISBN: 978-1591810704

Juicy Tip From Book: 'Small Steps to Freedom: Writing exercise. Try it. Imagine that a travel genie has just popped out of a bottle. She is going to grant you an all expense paid trip to anywhere in the world you'd like to go, as long as you decide in one minute. Which destination would you name? Why? Why haven't you gone yet? No matter how far fetched, or how extreme, this is the destination you should probably unplug to, with the exception of major cities.'