If you’re going to ride your bicycle in Southeast Asia, here’s a free book that you absolutely have to read.

The Neither Authoritative Nor Concise Guide to Riding Bikes in Southeast Asia is the quirky, handwritten memoirs of a bicycle tour through Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. It was created by Melanie Swanson, a bike tourist from Oregon who is biking around the world, and turned into an eBook by Tyler & Tara.

Download It For Free!

As soon as we opened the book, we couldn’t stop reading it. Melanie has a great talent for combining tales from the road with a surprising number of helpful tips that you’d only know if you’ve actually cycled in Southeast Asia.

Best of all, the book is funny! It held our attention from front to back and we laughed our way through every page.

Often, the information is helpful for general bike touring too. We particularly liked this page, which urges you to “leave your iThingy at home” and gives tips for things to think about while you ride:

So take a look; learn about cycling in Southeast Asia and have a laugh at the same time. Thanks for making it Melanie, and good luck with the rest of your trip!