Chuck Thompson harbours a nasty secret: although an intrepid reputation is vital to any working travel writer's resume, the truth is that vast parts of the world scare the hell out of him. 'Adventure travel' is supposed to be free of limitations, yet for years Thompson has privately maintained a list of no-go destinations on the basis of horrors from hyena attacks and bilharzia to pushy locals and monstrously bad food. No longer. To find out if his anxieties are justified, Thompson travels to the places he's previously done everything in his power to avoid. Filled with all the Thompson trademarks - hilarious stories, often wildly provocative opinions, and unvarnished observations about world travel - To Hellholes and Back proves its author to be, finally, a truly fearless man of travel.