Best El Salvador Travel Guides
• Waterproof • Tear-Resistant • Travel Map Explore the heart of Central America with National Geographic's Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador Adventure Map. Nicaragua covers the back side of the map, and its detail includes diverse points of interest from museums and historical sites in Managua and Granada to areas noted for windsurfing, fishing, and observing the country's unique wildlife. Founded in 1915 as the Cartographic Group, the first division of National Geographic, National Geographic Maps has been responsible for illustrating the world around us through the art and science of mapmaking.Today, National Geographic Maps continues this mission by creating the world's best wall maps, recreation maps, atlases, and globes which inspire people to care about and explore their world.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"However, it stayed home because the Guatemala map already has the little bit of Honduras around Copan that I needed."
"From our travels this map is fairly outdated from trip to Nicaragua in February 2015."
"Great Map very detailed and made tough to endure rain and the bottom of a backpack."
"But in many rural places the road placement is not accurate, nor is it very up to date with what is paved and not (believe me I get around)."
"All of these National Geographic maps are great for travel because they are detailed and moisture proof."
"Wonderful Map."
"One side of the map is the northern triangle of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador."
Can't-miss sights, activities, restaurants, and accommodations, marked with M Essential info on San Salvador, El Salvador's resilient urban heart Suggestions on how to plan a trip that's perfect for you, including: The Best of El Salvador Surf's Up! Jaime Jacques has been fulfilling her passion for travel ever since she traveled to India as a two-year-old to meet her dad's side of the family. She currently splits her time between El Salvador and Canada.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book was our saving grace on our first trip to El Salvador!"
"This book saved my life this summer!"
"Persuasive and entertaining advice for the casual traveller."
"This is one of the best travel guides I have ever read."
"My advice to the author for the next book is ; larger print, less volume and more substance , all color pictures, and more travel stories at the beginning of a chapter with the details of restaurants hotels sites at the end so it doesn't read like an encyclopedia/ dictionary."
3 Salvador
"Terror is the given of the place." Didion's 1983 volume captured "the terror and unpredictability permeating the El Salvadorean scene," said LJ's reviewer (LJ 3/1/83).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"What I mean is that Salvador will move and feel familiar to anyone, and that, at the point she describes the particular failing of America that allows us to approach this conflict as "something of the familiar ineffable, as if it were taking place not in El Salvador but in a mirage of El Salvador," it will seem the most reasoned, obvious, and unsettling conclusion about national and international conflicts."
"Well,we barley made the airport. For the last plane out. As we taxied down the runway. I could hear the people shout they said: "Don't come back here again.Yankee". But if I do I'll bring back more money. Cause all she wants to do is dance - Danny Kortchmar. Reading Joan Didion's account of her two week visit to El Salvador in 1982 at the height of the Salvadoran Civil War which was eventually to cost 75,000 lives is truly a trip back through time. The grandson tells Didion: "It was sometimes strange going to school with boys whose fathers my grandfather had ordered shot,". Didion talks about how difficult it is to get accountable news in El Salvador."
"From there Didion describes her encounters with various powerful citizens and American embassy officials, who relate the corruption and the utter confusion that permeates this civil war from the top to the bottom. From these interviews it is fairly plan to see that the Salvadorans and those in charge have become desensitized to the violence and disappearances, and are largely apathetic to any reforms proposed by the government. In the wake of needless bloodshed on such a massive scale, all an ambassador can do is work towards small victories like trials before executions and doing everything possible to insure the safety of the citizens in their charge. At no point in my wildest imagination would paragraph sized sentence featuring a colon, a semi-colon, eight commas, and two sets of parentheses come off as anything but a clunky mess."
"Didion presents this palpable sense of fear with a well grounding in the exploration of the (then) current situation in the country, its history of violence and instability, and numerous American missteps in the region."
Best Honduras Travel Guides
The Rough Guide to Guatemala is the definitive guide to this fascinating Central American country. Rough Guides are written by expert authors who are passionate about both writing and travel.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I ordered this but got Lonely Planet from the library and it’s easier to understand/use."
"This book helped us a lot for our trip to Guatemala."
"If any readers are interested in traveling in this fashion I would highly recommend that you learn some spanish, because with any guide, obtaining clarification from the locals is what will be most effective in understanding exactly what the guide books are referencing."
"This was my only guidebook on my recent trip to Guatemala."
"It had good maps, good descriptions, and easy to use destinations, restaurants, and lodging."
"I purchased this guide due to many of the other recommendations already written."
"The maps are low resolution (the map of Antigua is a great example)."
Best Belize Travel Guides
It covers nearly 40 sites and 25 museums with brief descriptions of the site and good directions and useful advice. Joyce Kelly , a free-lance artist and writer based in New Orleans, is the author of An Archaeological Guide to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula , also published by the Univeristy of Oklahoma Press.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With it I had a quicker grasp of the locations and special qualities of just about any archaeological site we might visit on an upcoming trip to the upland Maya regions."
"In fact don't visit them if you haven't read the book."
"This book, while somewhat outdated, provides accurate and detailed information about the ruins in Guatemala in particular."
"Dated, but offers in a single book information on a great many places, including synoptic site descriptions with discussion of major edifices and monuments, the ancient history (as far as known), and notes on history of exploration from the earliest European contacts."
"I was surprised that it didn't mention El Puente as a site, however, and it was written before the Copan Museum opened, which is too bad."
"This book, while somewhat outdated, provides accurate and detailed information about the ruins in Guatemala in particular."
Best Nicaragua Travel Guides
Kayak through Central America's largest mangrove forest, experience life on a coffee farm, or chill out on idyllic white-sand beaches; all with your trusted travel companion. Color maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, architecture, land & wildlife, arts, cuisine Over 45 maps Covers Managua, Masaya, Los Pueblos Blancos, Granada, Southwestern Nicaragua, Leon, Northwestern Nicaragua, Northern Highlands, Caribbean Coast, San Carlos, Islas Solentiname, the RÃo San Juan and more. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travelers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Our travels to Nicaragua are later in February so I can't say to the accuracy of the book however it is very well written and very imformative and I would most definitely recommend it."
"We travel a lot in less popular countries, like Nicaragua, and when available start with. Lonely planet."
"Beyond the meticulous, helpful information, organization, color photographs, I appreciated the sidebars with historical tidbits, unusual tales, surprise findings--all boxed neatly."
"great book and a good assist to learn the country.. info is current and accurate."
"Provides helpful information in planning a trip."
"The e-version of this book was really helpful to us as we travelled there."
"Great book very informative broken down into sections depending on what part of the country you are visiting."
Best Panama Travel Guides
• Waterproof • Tear-Resistant • Travel Map Designed for the needs of adventure travelers, National Geographic's Panama Adventure Map is the most comprehensive map available, covering the entire country, with expertly researched background information, travel tips and descriptions of popular destinations. A user-friendly index of selected towns and protected areas, including National Parks, nature and forest reserves, wetlands and wildlife areas, will help you select areas to explore. Founded in 1915 as the Cartographic Group, the first division of National Geographic, National Geographic Maps has been responsible for illustrating the world around us through the art and science of mapmaking.Today, National Geographic Maps continues this mission by creating the world's best wall maps, recreation maps, atlases, and globes which inspire people to care about and explore their world.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It's a good reference map."
"Public transportation is so easy in Panama, that the map served as a reference point as we made our way around the country."
"Great detailed map of Panama, perfect if you plan on driving in Panama."
"not what I expected and not usable for my purpose."
"I liked the weather proof, heavy duty paper, but it's really only helpful for trekkers."
"This is a great map, with one reservation: It tends to be touristy-oriented and sacrifices detail for show."
"this map of Panama was precise, very clear as well as helpful, in addition the protective coating was very sturdy."
"If you are only going to drive long' distances in the country, this is good."
Best Guatemala Travel Guides
Fiesta of Sunset tells not only of the adventures of a far off land; it also provides a closer look into the back alleys and sad streets of a country struggling with poverty, corruption, crime and more. Some of the mysterious and romantic stereotypes of the Peace Corps are set to rest in this engaging example of one young American's experience abroad and how, while there, he began to learn how mistakes often pave the path to understanding.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"What I really learned from Taylor's experience is that however hard it is to be living in a distant country, starting a selfless career path, or doing both at the same time... it essentially teaches such a great lesson about who you are, what you are capable of, and that there is a giant world out there waiting to teach you more --- it can be a disaster, but also a beautiful conglomerate of like minded human beings who want to make a difference and become stronger from it... and then pass it on and encourage others to do the same. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about what the Peace Corps experience is like, or simply someone who is interested in exploring the idea of a multi-national, multi-cultural quest for knowledge, wisdom, and as Taylor says, worldly truth."
"Taylor Dibbert has kindly shared with us a thoughtful and highly entertaining account of his Peace Corps experience in Guatemala."
"The author served as a community development volunteer between 2006 and 2008, during which timer he helped to design and build many village potable water systems."
"He's sarcastic and witty a lot of times and keeps me from putting the book down. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in helping those who are less fortunate or, simply, just to anyone interested in human rights or in the development of foreign nations altogether."
"For someone thinking about the Peace Corps, keep in mind that everyone will have a different experience, but this is an excellent account of what you're signing up for, with all the ups and downs and reasons why it is 'the toughest job you'll ever love'."
Best Costa Rica Travel Guides
It features descriptions and illustrations of all 903 species definitely known from Costa Rica, including pelagics and species regular to Cocos Island. "A great size to carry in the field, The Birds of Costa Rica offers large illustrations, key field marks in bolded text, and distribution maps enabling rapid identifications. "The foremost objective of The Birds of Costa Rica is to help anyone to correctly and confidently identify the Costa Rica birds. This is the one field guide the novice or experienced birder needs for identifying birds in the field in the diverse habitats found in Costa Rica. "All ornithologists, birders, hawkwatchers, conservation biologists, and others engaged in bird observations in Costa Rica will want to include this excellent field guide as part of their basic field equipment.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The best field bird guide for Costa Rica."
"The authors chose to follow the taxonomic nomenclature of Clements and a modified version of the Clements taxonomic sequence (not surprisingly retaining falcons with other diurnal raptors; inserting pigeons & doves, parrots and cuckoos between hummingbirds and trogons; and (perhaps most interesting of all) depicting the passerine swallows after the non-passerine swifts (also aerial specialists) and before the non-passerine hummingbirds). Inside the front cover (very conveniently) are images of adult vultures and raptors in flight."
"an experienced birder friend of mine recommended this for our trip to CR and it was a good, handy guide."
"This small, concise paperback approaches the ideal size and weight for a field guide."
"This is THE BEST guide for birding in Costa Rica."
"Arrived quickly and well-packaged, so there was no damage."
"It could use a better thumb guide on the side of the book."
"Lots of good information efficiently tucked into each species account."
Best General Central America Travel Guides
It features descriptions and illustrations of all 903 species definitely known from Costa Rica, including pelagics and species regular to Cocos Island. "A great size to carry in the field, The Birds of Costa Rica offers large illustrations, key field marks in bolded text, and distribution maps enabling rapid identifications. "The foremost objective of The Birds of Costa Rica is to help anyone to correctly and confidently identify the Costa Rica birds. This is the one field guide the novice or experienced birder needs for identifying birds in the field in the diverse habitats found in Costa Rica. "All ornithologists, birders, hawkwatchers, conservation biologists, and others engaged in bird observations in Costa Rica will want to include this excellent field guide as part of their basic field equipment.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The best field bird guide for Costa Rica."
"The authors chose to follow the taxonomic nomenclature of Clements and a modified version of the Clements taxonomic sequence (not surprisingly retaining falcons with other diurnal raptors; inserting pigeons & doves, parrots and cuckoos between hummingbirds and trogons; and (perhaps most interesting of all) depicting the passerine swallows after the non-passerine swifts (also aerial specialists) and before the non-passerine hummingbirds). Inside the front cover (very conveniently) are images of adult vultures and raptors in flight."
"an experienced birder friend of mine recommended this for our trip to CR and it was a good, handy guide."
"This small, concise paperback approaches the ideal size and weight for a field guide."
"This is THE BEST guide for birding in Costa Rica."
"Arrived quickly and well-packaged, so there was no damage."
"It could use a better thumb guide on the side of the book."
"Lots of good information efficiently tucked into each species account."