Program 252a: Off the Grid in Mexico; Baltic Cities; Paul Theroux's Dark Star Safari

Paul Theroux describes what a trip the length of Africa taught him, 40 years after serving with the Peace Corps in a village in Malawi. Frugal Traveler Seth Kugel tells us what it was like to spend a week in a small Mexican town he picked at random, well-off the tourist grid. Also, Neil Taylor explains how much the Baltic countries have brightened up to visitors in 20 years, since they shook off Soviet Communism.

• Seth Kugel, Frugal Traveler columnist for the New York Times
• Guidebook author Neil Taylor
• Travel writer Paul Theroux