"Travel to South Africa can place your safety at risk--travelers should exercise very careful judgement at all times to avoid becoming a statistic themselves," reads a warning near the beginning of "Let's Go: South Africa," a guide which also covers Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

The guide advises travelers to carry themselves with confidence and observe routine precautions. And, it advises in bold type, "never admit it if you're traveling alone."

As one of the bestselling budget travel guides in the world, Let's Go offers some of the most glamorous student jobs around, giving dozens of undergraduates the opportunity to visit far-off destinations and have their work sold in bookstores nationwide.

But some Let's Go writers say students should also be aware of the dangers involved in their jobs. Two researchers resigned from their jobs working for "Let's Go: South Africa" this summer, saying the guide's policies did not insure the safety of its employees.

In the wake of the incident, writers and editors at the publication agree: writing for Let's Go can be a dangerous job, not intended for everyone.

Safe Journeys?

While hundreds of undergraduates apply to be Let's Go writers each year, Alicia E. Johnson '01 and Fana Gebeyehu-Houston '01 were among the lucky few selected.

Both were hired in April for the South Africa book team. Johnson was slated to travel through Namibia and Gebeyehu-Houston was chosen for Botswana.