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Don't Offer Papaya: 101 Tips for Your First Time Around the World
In August 2014, author Kia Abdullah and photographer Peter Watson quit their jobs and left London for their first trip around the world. With years of exploring behind them already, they thought they knew everything there was to know about long-term travel. Yet, somehow, they still "offered papaya" in Colombia, got a funny tummy in Tonga, fell off a bike in Bora Bora and broke down in Bolivia (in more ways than one).
Fast forward two years and they’re far more wise and a little less cocky. Through personal anecdotes mixed with succinct travel advice, they tell you everything you need to know about life on the road, from mind-hacking taxi drivers into accepting your fare to the number one rule for not looking like a douche.
Their lessons learned are read by 100,000 people every month at atlasandboots.com and are gathered here in an indispensable guide to your first time around the world.
Fast forward two years and they’re far more wise and a little less cocky. Through personal anecdotes mixed with succinct travel advice, they tell you everything you need to know about life on the road, from mind-hacking taxi drivers into accepting your fare to the number one rule for not looking like a douche.
Their lessons learned are read by 100,000 people every month at atlasandboots.com and are gathered here in an indispensable guide to your first time around the world.
- GenresNonfiction
151 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2016
14 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Kia Abdullah
11 books1,518 followersKia Abdullah is a bestselling author and travel writer. Her novels include Take It Back (a Guardian and Telegraph thriller of the year), Truth Be Told (shortlisted for a Diverse Book Award), Next Of Kin (longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award) and Those People Next Door (a Times Bestseller and Waterstones Thriller of the Month). Her new novel, What Happens in the Dark, is out now.
Kia has won a Diverse Book Award (2022) and a JB Priestley Award for Writers of Promise (2020), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Times, The Telegraph and the BBC. She is also the founder of Asian Booklist, a nonprofit that advocates for diversity in publishing.
Website: kiaabdullah.com
Twitter: @kiaabdullah
Instagram: @kiaabdullah
TikTok: @kiawriter
Kia has won a Diverse Book Award (2022) and a JB Priestley Award for Writers of Promise (2020), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Times, The Telegraph and the BBC. She is also the founder of Asian Booklist, a nonprofit that advocates for diversity in publishing.
Website: kiaabdullah.com
Twitter: @kiaabdullah
Instagram: @kiaabdullah
TikTok: @kiawriter
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 25, 2023
Papaya of varying taste
Certainly some interesting points here, but I travel differently to Kia and Peter - less often but more comfortably. I missed the chucking it all in and packing the backpack stage, opting instead to have a family (no regrets) and a business (a few regrets). A lot is simple logic, but there are some very valid reminders, towards the back of the book, that we are all people, and should take the time to look around, whether you’re on the beach in Samoa, or a small village in something known as ‘The Former …’, or heading to your job during rush hour on the train. I did skim some pages of little relevance to my situation, but it’s a good basis, although somewhat dated by the changes in technology - for example, probably wouldn’t travel with the Big Camera around my neck these days. Apart from the fact that a) my neck wouldn’t take it, and b) it marks me as a tourist and a pretty well-off one at that, these days the phone cameras are much improved from their initial offerings of a decade ago.
Certainly some interesting points here, but I travel differently to Kia and Peter - less often but more comfortably. I missed the chucking it all in and packing the backpack stage, opting instead to have a family (no regrets) and a business (a few regrets). A lot is simple logic, but there are some very valid reminders, towards the back of the book, that we are all people, and should take the time to look around, whether you’re on the beach in Samoa, or a small village in something known as ‘The Former …’, or heading to your job during rush hour on the train. I did skim some pages of little relevance to my situation, but it’s a good basis, although somewhat dated by the changes in technology - for example, probably wouldn’t travel with the Big Camera around my neck these days. Apart from the fact that a) my neck wouldn’t take it, and b) it marks me as a tourist and a pretty well-off one at that, these days the phone cameras are much improved from their initial offerings of a decade ago.
May 4, 2022
Whether you’re taking a trip around the world or going on any small adventure this book has amazing advice. I read it every time before I start a new travel adventure
April 1, 2025
Pretty outdated now that’s it’s 2025 but still an enjoyable guide overall
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews