Book Description
Awe-inspiring art, magnificent architecture, a turbulent history - glory in the artistic and cultural wealth of this Renaissance city. Inside this indispensable guide you'll find all the stars of the city plus where to shop for designer-wear and beautiful gifts, how to avoid those touristy trattorias, and accommodation options for discerning travellers in every budget.
FOCUS ON FLORENCE - history, art, food and fashion intelligently covered by our expert author
DETAILED WALKING TOURS - mapped tours take you beyond the centre so you won't miss a thing
FESTIVALS & EVENTS - our month-by-month calendar makes planning your trip easy
HONEST REVIEWS - the best places to indulge your senses, from top-notch Tuscan fare to sumptuous fornaio pastries
Customer Reviews:
save your money.......2007-06-02
I lived in Florence for 6 months and made the mistake of taking this book along...worthless!
great restaurants and good advice.......2006-10-17
I just came back from Florence and I used this guide. It had great restaurants listed and I visited serveral. It also gave me some great advice for going to Fiesole. I saw a private garden that was beautiful!
If you are the type that likes to go to local hangouts, this is your guide.
Worst travel book I have *tried* to rely on.......2005-03-27
On a recent trip to France and Italy, my wife and I picked up books from several different publishers to cover each of the four areas we were visiting: Paris, Florence, Venice, and Provence. Every book was a tremendous help - except for this one published by Lonely Planet. Without a doubt, this is the worst travel book I have ever tried to rely on. A heroin-addicted chimpanzee could organize a book better than the author and editor, who have eschewed alphabetizing in favor of the random topic jumps of a fashion magazine. Once the information is located, it is muddled with the author's stream of consciousness ramblings about the reader's anticipated viewing of the Florentines' summer tans. For the book to be of any use, a visitor would have to highlight and memorize the rare and sporadic meaningful passages long before setting foot on Italian soil. Finally, the publishers at Lonely Planet have elected to provide only a smattering of maps of Florence, and instead ask that you purchase a separate book for that purpose. I can say, without question, that there are only 3 legitimate reasons for purchasing this "guide": (1) you are related to the author and have some familial obligation that cannot be severed by divorce; (2) you are writing a travel guide yourself and need an example of the worst case scenario to avoid; or (3) you are suckered in by the Lonely Planet logo without a prior customer review to warn you how bad it is.
Amazon.com
From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years, and as a result has experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.
Lonely Planet offers a fully updated guide to the natural and cultural wonders of a country of sublime beauty. This book will help you discover Vietnam's pristine beaches, lush rainforests, best highland treks, as well as the colorful nightlife of Saigon. It also includes places to stay and eat for a wide range of budgets. Highlights include special sections on visiting hill tribes and language. --Kathryn True
Book Description
Let your senses thrill to the sights, sounds and tastes of Vietnam. Our guide will help you discover the serene landscapes of the Mekong and Red River deltas, dodge cyclists and cyclos in noisy Ho Chi Minh City and drool over exotic local delicacies.
- Over 80 maps of cities, town and regions
- The low-down on the most colourful festivals, best bars and liveliest markets
- Mouth-watering information on Vietnamese food, from noodle soup to grilled gecko
- Top sights and out-of-the-way attractions for every taste
- Detailed language guide
Customer Reviews:
Everything the traveller needs to know about Viet Nam.......2002-08-13
I just got back from a three week trip to Viet Nam, and would have been lost without my trusty LP guidebook. I travelled from north to south and was never at a loss with the help of this book. Granted LP should have put in diacritics because without them, communication breaks down when you don't know the tones, but the in depth research and care that went into this book (and subsequently, all of LP's books) shines through to provide the reader with a competant, user-friendly travel guide. Plus, LP is much more gay-friendly than the other guidebook series.
Don't travel to Vietnam without it.......2002-07-28
I bought the Vietnam LP on advice from my roomate who never travels to a new place without one. The Vietnam LP soon became my bible in Vietnam, not to mention every other travelers that I met there as well. In fact kids on the streets of Hanoi and Saigon often sell photocopied versions of these LP's to tourists. No other tourist book is more popular there, and for good reason.
I used my LP all the time. I kept a bottle of water under one arm (Vietnam in July is hot) and my lonely planet under the other. Every question I could possibly think of LP had an answer for and a story and a map to go along with it. Honestly I can't recommend a book higher.
A victim of its own popularity.......2002-06-11
LP Vietnam, as several others have mentioned, is misleading and out of date. But even worst, is that it tries to scare most travelers into following its suggested itinerary instead of venturing out on their own. I was going to outline some of the more glaring mistakes, but other reviews beat me to the punch.
In defense of LP, who have produced decent guidebooks in the past, Vietnam may be changing at such a fast pace that as soon as it was published much of the information was already out of date. However, not all the mistakes can be blamed on a country in the throws of rapid changes and as such as easily dismissed.
Hopefully the next edition will have greatly improved and won't be written in such an amateurish way. However, I think I'll pass and try the Rough Guide or take my chances without a guidebook! What a novel idea...
Not the most accurate picture of Vietnam.......2002-02-11
I spent this summer studying in Vietnam, and it became clear that the Vietnam in the LP is quite different than the real Vietnam I saw with my own eyes.
I think the book was intended for travelling businessmen who only plan on staying in Vietnam for a few days, and have plenty of money to spend for plush hotels. This is regrettable since there is so much more to Vietnam than tourist traps, tourist-oriented restaraunts, and hotels.
For example, in my first couple weeks in Hanoi, Vietnam, I followed the book's suggestions for restaraunts, only to realize they were severely overpriced, and not nearly as tasty (or exotic) as the more "local" restaraunts. Before long, I stopped going to the LP's preferred restaraunts altogether. Only when I stopped following the LP altogether did I really start to delve into Vietnamese culture, both the good and bad.
Also, the LP tends to whitewash the more unpleasant aspects of Vietnam, such as being harassed by people on the street, who are more than eager to rip you off, and the grueling poverty. If one really wants to appreciate Vietnam, these less pleasant factors have to be taken into account.
If you plan on just "visiting", but don't really plan on getting to know the culture, this book may be enough. However, to truly appreciate both the good and bad of Vietnam, I suggest avoiding this book, or at least not relying on it too much.
A Must Have Guidebook When In Vietnam!.......2001-08-12
I recently spent about 3 weeks in Vietnam. It was a great trip and I highly recommend visiting Vietnam to anyone who enjoys travelling in Asia.
With that said, I feel that during a trip to Vietnam, the Lonely Planet book is absolutely one of the most important books to have, to read before you go, to look at while you are there, and to reflect back upon when you get home.
The book was great. It was so good, that I was constantly passing it up and down the bus to other people on the trip. Everyone used it, and to my surprize there were some people that had never used a Lonely Planet book. LP is the best, and they have never let me down. There Vietnam book is no exception.
If you are going to Vietnam, buy and use this book.
It is a great purchase.
Book Description
Sunrise atop Fuji-san, steaming volcanoes, natural hot springs, ancient temples and pilgrim trails, wild subtropical jungles, spectacular gorges, unique wildlife and nature's seasonal shows - explore the wonders of Japan with this meticulously researched guide.
- detailed trail notes with kanji for more than 70 day and multi-day hikes
- 70 detailed, custom-drawn contour maps with kanji
- accommodation options from gateway cities to remote camp sites
- tips on transport to and from the trailheads
- practical advice on local culture, responsible hiking and pre-hike preparation
- quick reference language section, glossary and gazetteer with kanji
Customer Reviews:
It's okay........2005-09-07
Only a few pictures, and the maps are very basic. You're really going to need to buy hiking maps at any book store once you arrive in Japan (maps aren't carried in most outdoors stores). I could wish for a few more stories or ratings on which mountains are the best and must be hiked, but the book is useful.
Packed with ideas and advice.......2004-04-07
This is a really good guide to the mountains of Japan, both informative and inspirational. All too often, walking guides focus on the easiest routes to tick off an artificial list of peaks (just about every Japanese-language guide fits this description), but instead the authors have produced a wide range of easy to fairly challenging walks in the most attractive settings around the country which should suit just about everyone. Ok, the suggested itineraries will not stretch the fittest (especially for hut-dwellers who are not carrying tents) but there is plenty of info to enable you to modify the plans to suit yourselves. For the routes that we have followed precisely, we have found the information to be very accurate and up-to-date, and they have all been memorable walks.
This book has significantly enhanced our time in Japan and I highly recommend it to anyone who is itching to get out of the cities but doesn't quite know where to go.
Hiking in Japan.......2003-11-24
Another specialized book from the Lonely Planet team, this one catering to those who like to take exercise with their nature. Japan is heavily populated, and the megalopolis called Tokyo is easily the world's biggest, but nearly all the people live on the coastal plain of the Pacific coast, leaving the rest of this mountainous country open for the adventurous hiker.
The book follows the usual Lonely Planet formula with the first pages devoted to the geography, history, climate, flora and fauna as well as social and religious areas of Japanese life.
The second section deals with specific information for the hiker, including suggested itineraries, weather information, safety while hiking and, usefully, pre-departure planning. This last section tells us to have health insurance and know something about First Aid; good advice for those who haven't thought of such things.
The hikes suggested in the book, and there are over a hundred, cover the length and breadth of Japan, are classified into five levels from easy to hard, and are divided up into day-long walks.
The maps in the book show a marked improvement over earlier Lonely Planet publications, early editions of which often had no scale or compass point! "Hiking in Japan" on the other hand contains maps that are very difficult to obtain even in Japan itself.
For those who speak no Japanese, there is the glossary of everyday language at the back of the book, and, perhaps even more essential, a transliteration of the Japanese character place-names into the roman alphabet.
Recommended.
I only missed one thing.......2002-12-15
And that is descriptions of longer treks.
There are a few described as 4-8 days long in this book, but when walking I found that that would have been at a snail's pace and the times given had to be halved. Even a quick look at the regional maps will confirm that all hikes described only cover relatively small areas.
So those planning a longer trek through the backcountry of Japan might be disappointed (I was, anyway), but I understand we are just the minority...
On the other hand, those looking for advice on a variety of short hikes in national parks or near the major cities will find lots of good ideas, and practical details that tend to be amazingly correct by guidebook standards!
Don't worry too much about the book being a few years old - Japan is such a stable country that much of the information remains as valid as ever.
A wise man climbs Fuji once; a fool climbs it twice........2001-12-10
I found that you really don't have much of a choice if you are going to Japan and are interested in recent comprehensive English hiking guides. There is a lot of information once you get to Japan on day hikes available from the tourist information places in each town. I found that for a survey trip, this book was just extra weight in my pack. (I ended up using this book thrice for 1-2 days trips on a 3 week trip to Japan, and that was pushing it.)
I did read it and looked at the pretty pictures to get an idea of where to go during my Japan trip planning phase. It is useful to the person focused on hiking around Japan. This may seem obvious, but it's basically a trail guide. It gives great information (including translations of hiking signs) that isn't found in other more general guide books. It tells you how to get to a trailhead, and where to go once you get there, and has some sections on floura, etc. native to Japan.
Although they are great (just because they exist), I found the trail maps lacking at times, especially (and surprisingly) for the everybody-does-it Mt Fuji trek.
Good reading if you're thinking about multi-day treks. Otherwise, skip it for a more general (regular Lonely Planet) guide since it will just weigh down your pack.
Book Description
Behind Kyoto's tall buildings and flashy storefronts lies a treasure-trove of sprawling imperial palaces, historic temples and winding lanes. This city of gardens is a cultural mecca waiting to be discovered - this guide shows you how.
- 25 maps with script including 16 in full color
- walking tours on ancient paths and hikes in the surrounding mountains
- an insider's guide to Kyoto's vibrant festivals and lively markets
- how, what and where to eat, with a special section on Japanese food
- the full gamut of places to stay, from traditional ryokan to luxury hotels
- user-friendly Japanese language chapter, essential for getting around
Customer Reviews:
Avoid this guide.......2007-04-10
My wife and I just returned from Kyoto, and unfortunately we were relying on this book as our guide. The information was, for the most part, up-to-date.. but the maps were *horrible*. I dunno if they just used maps from the 1930s, or hand drew them from memory, or what.. but you are going to get seriously lost if you rely on these things. There are almost no street names included and the walking tours often rely solely on hard-to-find landmarks.
They also missed some major sights.. for example, Gion; I dunno about you, but I'm interested in seeing some of the tea houses where Geisha actually work. The guide talks about these and gives you one place to look for them. However, it totally skips one of the most beautiful tea house districts located in Maruyama Park! We stumbled on this place by complete accident, and found it to be the best place for Geisha-watching.
It also appears to be an exclusive area where the really well-off clients go, and so perhaps it wasn't covered to keep down the crowds.. but that's the kind of information I *want* in a guidebook.
In short we were extremely dissapointed in this guide. I don't know what would be a good substitute, but I can tell you to avoid this one.
Oddly out of date.......2006-06-08
No guide is perfect, but some are better than others. In the case of Lonely Planet, some are great, others leave a bit to be desired. For whatever reason, the Kyoto guide is missing some important pieces of information that I would have wanted to see. For example, the best vegetarian restaurant in the city, and one of the few places a veggie can eat some authentic Japanese "meat" dishes (made with fake meat) is the Peace Cafe -- which is not listed in Lonely Planet though it's been around for a few years. Another example: The "japanese-only guides" at the Shigakuin Imperial Residence still holds true.... except they have a full audio guide now, recorded in English, with lots of information at most stops made by the Japanese tour.
Other guides?.......2005-03-07
I borrowed this guide from a friend and have leafed through it. I haven't decided if I want to buy it yet when I go to Kyoto later this year.
What do you guys recommend as the best travel guide for Kyoto? While skimming this one, I've noticed a few of the things mentioned here like the unorganized maps and such. But are there betters one there to buy?
Waste of money - poor maps, poor info, poorly organized.......2003-07-07
Where do I start? Poor maps, chaotic organization or boring writing? Or perhaps ugly, poor quality photographs (except cover which is really nice - this is the trademark feature of this honest publisher, which is only [inexpensive] as far as publishing costs are concerned, without bothering to reduce the price of the book itself).
There are countries where Lonely Planet does a very good job (in West Africa, I would be lost without them), but oh my God how they can mess up things elsewhere! Kyoto is one of them.
With so many good guides to Japan available (Eyewitness, Frommer, Fodor, even Rough Guide, for goodness sake), why bother with Lonely Planet? Well, probably because many readers feel that they have a spiritual affiliation with this seemingly hippy-ish, seemingly anti-Capitalist, seemingly slightly rebellious serious of guides. I can only imagine how they are laughing - this lean and mean publishing house, an efficient money-making machine, being funded by mostly a naive bunch of tree-huggers.
If you feel good because you identify their sandal-wearing image, go and buy this book, by all means. This is only an image, a marketing tool - clever publishing people are laughing all the way to the bank. However, do not expect to have the best available travel advice. Usually LP guides are praised by those who have not read anything else.
Great for out of the way places, but poor crossreferencing.......2003-06-11
A few years ago we discovered Lonely Planet travel guides. They have been a staple of every trip ever since. The Kyoto book was no exception.
The major highlights of this book include:
- Great walking tours
- Fun listings of out of the way places
- Interesting history and background
- Good tips and recommendations for everything from getting around on the subway (complete with a handy map), to reliable restaurant recommendations.
- Restaurant & place names written in Japanese in the book. Even if you don't read Japanese, this was very handy for doing symbol comparison to make sure you were in the right place.
Lonely Planet guides are really excellent for helping you see the sights that not everyone else is seeing, and to help you get more out of the culture you are visiting. The authors have a good sense of humor and seem to aim towards a slightly more liberal and adventurous audience.
On their own, I found both the guide and the maps very helpful (although I do agree with the other reviewers that the varied orientation and scaling of the maps could occasionally be disorienting). However, when attempting to cross reference these I often got frustrated. Many of the references to maps in the guide were just wrong (wrong map listed), and many things just weren't on the maps. Similarly, many things on the maps were difficult or impossible to locate in the guide. Example: "We need to find a restaurant near were we are right now. Oh look, here's one a block away. I wonder what type of food they have?....
... Hmmm...I can't find it...." I know Lonely Planet knows how to do this effectively (see the Condensed guide to Tokyo as an example), it was just frustrating that they did not apply that knowledge to this book.
Average customer rating:
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Lonely Planet South-East Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet South-East Asia, 11th ed)
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Book Description
For over 25 years it's been toted in backpacks down the Mekong and up Kinabalu, through Indonesia, around Thailand, from the Philippines to Singapore and everywhere in between. Take the "Yellow Bible" on your next adventure!
Covers travel in Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
- over 150 maps, including a full-colour regional map
- eat, sleep and even indulge on the cheap - we've searched out bargains in cities, on beaches, in trees and on trains
- from the jungles of Borneo to discos and puppet shows - whatever your scene, we've got it covered
- super language chapter to get you nattering with the locals
- cultural highlights and historical insights
Book Description
Covers: Colorado, Wyoming, Montana & Idaho.
Whether you climb awesome 14ers, hike Yellowstone or kayak the Rio Grande, the Rockies will take your breath away. This guide explores every corner in every season, from steaming geysers to gold-mine ghost towns, from chic ski resorts to where the buffalo roam. After all, the West is still wild.
- lung-filling information on the region's US national parks
- where to lay your big hat, from cool campsites to dude ranches
- places to eat for any size wallet
- tips on getting around by bicycle, steam train - even llama
- over 100 superb maps - because rocky road isn't just an ice cream
Customer Reviews:
Superb!.......2007-06-04
I'm so glad I stuck with Lonely Planet (LP) for my 4 day trip to Colorado where we covered everything from Rockies to Colo. Springs, Denver, Boulder and also did rafting and hiking.
This book is great and lists everything that you need. Accomodations, maps, rafting companies, tourist traps, restaurants, etc. Very nice, exactly what you would expect from LP. Although I haven't tried other states yet, I'm looking forward to making a trip to Yellowstone soon ...
Thanks lonely planet!!
Cons: In case you are new to the lonely planet style of writing, let me warn you that if you are looking for a book which is heavily edited and proofread, then you will be disappointed. This lonely planet book is written in a style which is reminiscent of the old LP books - it seems more like a brain dump of everything the writers encountered. They then tried to put most of the things under appropriate headings and did a fair job. This is what I expect from a 'pack and go' book like LP so it works for me. YMMV.
A Norsemans Journey to Rocky Mountains.......2000-02-08
I had the opportunity last year to visit the Rockie mountains. Mainly Colorado and a fast trek throught or should I say to Montana. Having bought Lonely Planets books on both Australia and South Africa earlier (trips that didn't come to fruition, yet) and also having enjoyed some of the tv programs from the same people I thought this would be the best bet for my trip. And it sure was. Now most of my stay in this erea was in Denver so maybe I could have just bought a book on Denver, but as much as I enjoy travel books they tend to be a bit expencive and this offered more value to me. An the books offers more than adequate information on Denver and it's immideate surroundings. Later on the book gave me what information I needed during my brief stay in Montana. The book also informed well about the strain of arriving in the Mile High City (Denver) when you are a lowland dweller, so it didn't come as a shock. Good thing that ! I'm going back to this region of the US, you can count on that and this book will come along on the next trip as well.
Amazon.com
From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.
This thorough guide is the perfect companion for discovering the classical and contemporary delights of Japan. The more than 170 maps have keys in both English and Japanese script and there's a 30-page arts section covering everything from calligraphy to rock music and an enticingly descriptive guide to the joys of Japanese cuisine. Whether your interests lean toward culture and history or the great outdoors, this book will get you there. --Kathryn True
Book Description
Venture beyond Tokyo, the capital of cute and cool, and explore! Jump on a shikansen and visit the 'Tibet of Japan' in Iya-dani or the hip Earth Celebration festival on Sado-ga-shima. The options and shinkansen routes are endless.
- updated by an experienced team of Japan-based authors
- special sections covering everything from kabuki to hot springs
- huge range of affordable accommodation, shopping and eating options
- discover Japan for yourself with our easy-to-follow language chapter
- 170 detailed maps
Customer Reviews:
A great purchase.......2005-10-06
I found this guide very helpful. I travelled to Japan 10 years ago but this was a fully guided trip, and i was a school student.
This time around, my husband and I did all the planning ourselves. Lots of information, would be perfect for someone who has never travelled to Japan before.
Errors in this book.......2005-06-30
I always buy LP series whenever I travel to Asia and Europe. I bought a previous edition and the current edition of Lonely Planet Japan over the past 4 years. It helped me get around Japan without a problem. But for those who can't speak Japanese or can't recognize kanji, this book has serious errors that might send you to a different place. An example is that in both editions they messed up the kanji vs the English for Asakusa (historical district) and Akasaka (business district). These are completely different areas of Tokyo, you're in trouble if you're showing this to a taxi driver or someone on the street. Another example is the kanji symbol for bathroom is wrong. For someone who wants to go right away, it might take you a while to find someone who can guess what you mean if you point those kanji characters at them.
Those are just a few things that I spotted so far (i only read about tokyo, nikko, and kyoto). I also don't like the restaurant recommendations in this book. First of all, if a restaurant is in this review then most likely everyone will go there. The best about japan is that you can stroll around little alleys next to skyscrapers and will run into a neighborhood restaurant that's good and cheap. the price they listed for the so-called cheap restaurants are almost doubled the price of what I can get in a big city like Tokyo. Makes me wonder if those writers actually lived there after all.
I would still use this book in Japan to get around, it's still quite informative and entertaining to read. but for those who can't speak japanese or recognize their written characters, I suggest you bring another book with you.
A good guide for traveling on-your-own........2004-10-04
The 8th edition is 150 pages less than the 7th. What did they cut out? Hokkaido, Tohoku, and hotels seem to be trimmed in a lot of areas. For example, Kushiro got cut to a bare mention and Onuma National Park north of Hakodate no longer made the list. If you want to see the Ainu Museum in Shiraoi, it's still in there but you're going to have to stumble across it in a box listed under "Ainu Rennaisance." I suppose Tokyo-Kyoto is what sells so if you cut, then do it far away from these two areas.
The budget hotel listing has gotten thin, and this was the main content I liked to use. Many times, the only budget accomodation listing is the Youth Hostel. Many times there are only 1 or 2 listings after the YH, but the price is high. I know there are lots more budget options, but I also know the best lists for budget lodgings are obtained at the information center in town. Why couldn't they check out some on that list and put them in the book? You're now better off checking the web before you go or waiting until you get to the info booth near the train station to get a complete list and find something that meets your budget.
I suppose some people use the restaurant listings but I can't comment. However, I usually eat at a place that's near to wherever I am at meal time. I also like the listing of the few 'gaijin' hangouts; most of the clientele are Japanese anyway.
There are complaints on the lack of information on the banking system. It's all in this edition. My guess is a reviewer got caught out after hours and got ticked off. Banks are open until 3, M-F; you're better off checking out the Post Offices which are open until 5/6 PM. ATMs close with the bank or post office. All this is in this edition, you just have to read it. I cash enough money at one time for 3-5 days worth of hotels and expenses. Credit cards won't pull you through in this country.
The maps are either small scale or generalized. They're good for getting you to a place if not around it. I've found most of the maps in both the RG and LP very similar. The Let's Go maps are a bit better due to being bilingual, but they're the same scale. It's best if you pick up a local map upon arrival. Even some of these aren't too good either, and can leave off many smaller roads and streets. If you want a good map, I've found that I have to buy the atlas-type book for the area of interest in a bookstore or a highway rest area. There are several brands, such as "Mapple," and they are arranged by 'ken' or prefecture. Some come with both romaji (western European characters) and Japanese. You just have to page through them to see what you can read. The best are only in Japanese but they are detailed down to the traffic signals.
All in all, this guide is for the individual traveler who is traveling mostly by a JR Rail Pass. It covers more places than any other guide, and in doing such doesn't have space to give a long history, photos (Eye Witness Guides), or a long history or stories about each stop. If you need the history included in the guide, look to one of the others. The Rough Guide covers fewer places but has more of the background on each place, and is popular for this reason. If the places you're going are all covered in the RG, then use that one. If you're going to Tokyo and Kyoto, you can look to the Frommers, Fodor, or Eye Witness guides which is almost all history, culture, and pictures, or just get the LP-Tokyo guide.
This guide is for practical information: finding a hotel, getting around, and getting to the places you want to see. It's not for the "drive-only" or "tour-group" individual traveller, as the former will be everywhere that not listed in any travel book, and the information for a tour type trip is thin. It's pretty good at fulfilling it's niche except for the diminished hotel listings in the budget range. Because of the thinned hotel listings, I drop a star.
Also look at: Rough Guides Japan; Let's Go Japan; Moon Guides Japan. These are all for "on-your-own" traveling.
good for finding Japan's worst restaurants.......2004-08-17
I rented a car at Narita (Tokyo) and headed north on a 3-week road trip. This book has some reasonable hotel recommendations, even at the higher end of the price scale, but it is hard to understand how the authors of the book picked restaurants. At one Lonely Planet favorite I was served a soggy tuna sandwich that might have been found in England circa 1950. A place in Sapporo billed as serving "authentic Indian food" had nothing on the menu that I recognized from Indian restaurants in the U.S., England, or India. Finally the only restaurant in Japan where I managed to get food poisoning was a Lonely Planet suggestion.
Good on hotels, however, and the maps are helpful once you get into a city or region.
What happens when writers hate their subjects.......2004-08-10
As some other reviewers here have noted, this book seems to have been written by people who don't actually like Japan, Japanese people, Japanese culture, or pretty much anything Japanese at all. As such, they spend too much of the book showing how they are so superior to everything Japan has to offer. If you follow this book, you will end up missing so much of what this fabulous (albeit, at times difficult) country has to offer. Well, OK, this book does have some useful information. But, you will be best off with just about any other guide book.
Book Description
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's living experiment in 'new thinking': home to some of the best bars, wettest water parks, and most serene and beautiful temples in Asia.
- 13 maps, including five in full colour
- floor plans of the city's famous Chinese pagodas
- where to find the best Chinese, French and Vietnamese cuisine
- excursions - temples, tunnels and tropical idylls
- shop till you drop - what to buy and what not
Customer Reviews:
It's Good, It's Good.......2002-12-24
It's good it's good. Being light weight and small this edition is convenient. Plenty of useful information. The maps are accurate and comprehensive. Consulate information, and arrive/departure info. is good. The central area of Saigon is walkable and you can get some good exercise while seeing local street and shop life while admiring the nice archictecture. Some recent historical notes on what happened where in the city piques the interest. There are many listings in this LP edition for additional reading on Vietnam, and these books can be picked up here in the city, thanks to master copying abilities and black market. Changes are taking place here rapidly, but the communist government remains paranoid
Book Description
Explore Hanoi's unique fusion of Asian and French cultures, discover its temple and pagodas, savour its tastes, or simply stroll the bustling streets with this comprehensive guide to Vietnam's capital.
- special sections on the Temple of Literature and Walking the Old Quarter
- restaurant and accommodation listings for all tastes and budgets
- handy Vietnamese language section
- excursions to the Perfumed Pagoda and Halong Bay
- detailed full-colour city maps
Customer Reviews:
A Thorough Thoughtful Guide to a Charming City.......2000-07-04
Hanoi is one of my favorite cities in Vietnam and this compact guide will serve you well as you navigate its colorful streets. It contains 193 pages of up to date information on transportation, where to stay, day trips and other excursions as well as all the things Lonely Planet readers have come to expect. Maps, glossary of terms, language and more. Also of great use in a country which is so "foreign" to us is a section on etiquette, history and religion. Food in Vietnam is unbelievably good and the Guide includes an excellent section explaining some of the types and variety of dishes and eating etiquette. And, of course, a comprehensive listing of restaurants separated by type. Highly recommended.
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