A Stingray Bit My Nipple!

True Stories from Real Travelers

A Stingray Bit My Nipple!

• Introduction
• True Stories from Real Travelers

... And there is no better proof than A Stingray Bit My Nipple! True Stories from Real Travelers (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $12.99), a collection of 200 of the best anecdotes submitted to the "True Stories" section of Budget Travel magazine. With nearly two million readers, Budget Travel attracts a following that is smart, active, and on the go—and clearly has a sense of humor and adventure.

These are strange stories—and addicting. The origins of the stories—from the exotic (Bali, the Amazon, the Sierra Leone, Tanzania) to the familiar (Epcot, Sea World, U.S. highways)—are as varied as the hometowns of the contributors (New York to San Francisco; Moran, WY; Evant, TX)—and various points in between. The tales of travel are alternately entertaining, heartwarming, shocking, and hilarious. Photos complement many stories, which complete the scenario and add to its entertainment factor in this appealing collection.

And all are presented with a healthy dose of humor (and often humility). As author Erik Torkells notes, "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."

So enjoy these stories of the world—from the woman who accidentally set her hair on fire while lighting a prayer candle to the tourist who unwittingly purchased a T-shirt featuring the Swahili word meaning "white boy tourist." From the stingray that actually did bite a gentleman's nipple (he was told the stingray may have mistaken his white belly for a female stingray) to the whip-wielding nun, A Stingray Bit My Nipple! will delight and surprise page after page. And readers will undoubtedly be reminded that humor transcends a variety of cultures and climates.

After all, what do you remember most from your travels? Often that which was most unexpected.

About Erik Torkells

Erik Torkells is the editor of Budget Travel magazine, which was founded in 1998 with the notion that anyone can—and everyone should—travel.  The magazine's working philosophy is to focus on value, while inspiring "vacations for real people."

Erik and Budget Travel have authored The Smart Traveler's Passport: 399 Tips from Seasoned Travelers and Secret Hotels: Extraordinary Values in the World's Most Stunning Destinations.  He has made appearances on the Today show, CNN, Fox News, CNBC, Fox Business News, and more, and has been quoted in or written for newspapers such as USA Today and The New York Times.

Torkells lives in New York, NY.

Contact: Kathy Hilliard, (800) 851-8923, ext. 7497, khilliard@amuniversal.com

A Stingray Bit My Nipple! True Stories from Real Travelers

By: Erik Torkells and the Readers of Budget Travel magazine
ISBN: 978-0-7407-7121-7
Format: Hardback: 5 x 7; 224 pages
Price: $12.99 ($14.50 Canada)