If this is your first time traveling abroad, "The Smugglers of the Sulu Islands" may not be the guide for you. But if you've already roamed the planet a bit, this diverse collection of travel stories is a must read. It provides such useful tips as which conversations to avoid with the head of a Philippine smuggling gang or an undercover Hong Kong vice cop. It explains how to economize on Caribbean cruises by hitching a ride on a gravel barge. Some stories include history like Imperial military conflicts along the Khyber Pass, or the East Indies spice trade, or the Cold War in the Taiwan Straits. Wining and dining vignettes advise where to follow the culinary paths of famous writers and how to cope with being locked inside an African wine bar. Cheerful tales about a Bombay beach party contrast with somber ones about an English D-Day memorial. Survival advice on Indian stadium riots and beer drinking Mexican taxi drivers may save lives.

The book ends in the author's home of two decades, Hong Kong. There he gives us a gritty glimpse of its urban street life; a rail-side view of its frenetic horse racing scene; and a first-hand account of its SARS epidemic. Finally, he reflects on the city he left behind and what has happened to it since.