Best General Asia Travel Books
Wander through wild orchids in Mae Hong Son, charter a longtail boat on the Andaman Coast or look for tigers and monkeys in national parks; all with your trusted travel companion. Colour 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 - current affairs, history, politics, arts, architecture, environment, food & drink, responsible travel Free, convenient pull-out Bangkok map (included in print version), plus over 100 maps Covers Bangkok, Central Thailand, Ko Chang, Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand, Hua Hin, Southern Gulf, Ko Samui, Lower Gulf, Phuket, Andaman Coast and more. Check out Southeast Asia on a shoestring, a comprehensive guide to stretching money for an extended trip across the region. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers 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"We truly enjoyed using this guide while visiting Thailand."
"Another informative and accurate Lonely Planet Guide."
"It turned out to be full of a LOT of information - some of which we will use, and some we won't."
"Lots of info, but the E-version is not as user friendly."
"I won't make it to visit Thailand until next year so I can't compare this books accuracy yet; but it seems to be very detailed and honest."
"Basically unusable in practical and practice."
"The flowery writing, lack of pictures and slightly outdated information made me quickly switch from scrolling through its pages to (free) sources like wiki travel."
Lonely Planet. Japan is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Explore a bamboo grove in Arashiyama, marvel at Shinto and Buddhist architecture in Kyoto, or relax in the hot springs of Noboribetsu Onsen; all with your trusted travel companion. Colour 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, festivals, hiking, onsen, cuisine, architecture, sport, traditional accommodation, geisha, visual arts, performing arts, literature, music, environment, cinema Free, convenient pull-out Tokyo map (included in print version), plus over 140 maps Covers Tokyo, Mt Fuji, Nikko, Narita, Kamakura, Hakone, Nagoya, Gifu, Kanazawa, Nagano, Kyoto, Kansai, Hiroshima, Okayama, Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Matsue, Sapporo, Shikoku, Tokushima, Fukuoka, Okinawa and more. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers 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"If you plan to travel alone, or with friends but nothing organized, Lonely Planet is the best of the best."
"Very helpful in planning our first trip to Japan!"
"Best travel book I've ever read & complete listing of need to know travel tips!"
"Good content, but way to bulky and heavy to carry while traveling!"
"Absolutely worth $20, using it to plan a trip to Hokkaido and it was full of general (and current!)."
"It is a very fine guide for planning a trip, not to bring it with you, due to its inevitable weight."
"Great trusty travel guide."
"I would give it more stars if the formatting was OK."
This graphic Japan travel guide is the first of its kind exploring Japanese culture from a cartoonist's perspective. Whether you're ready to hop a plane and travel to Japan tomorrow, or interested in Japanese culture, this fun and colorful travelogue by noted comic book artist and food blogger Abby Denson, husband Matt, friend Yuuko, and sidekick, Kitty Sweet Tooth, will present Japan in a uniquely and fascinatingly. "Abby Denson's Cool Japan Guide: Fun in the Land of Manga, Lucky Cats and Ramen offers great insider-tips on some of the best foods and attractions in a kicky comic book style." "Comic book artist and food blogger Denson (Dolltopia) fills this hip and handy travel guide with her expertise as a frequent visitor to Japan and her bright and vibrant illustrations." "Each chapter opens with a with a well-conceived list of Japanese vocabulary words and the back matter offers a directory of suggested sightseeing locations as well as web-based travel resources. Relying on delightful cartoon illustrations, this creative, nicely designed title details travel preparations, the homestay experience, food, shopping, and festivals."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It feels that this was written for manga fans who haven't had a lot of experience traveling."
"Loved this book."
"A wide variety of interesting things are covered, but very briefly."
"My son recently asked for a trip to Japan for his 11th birthday."
"Very cute and fun to read guide to Japan."
"My 14 year old daughter who is an OTAKU loves it."
"This book is so much fun to read!"
"Was a gift, my sister said she really liked it abd was really helpful."
Best Asian Travel Guides
Discover details on how and why the domestic and international parks have changed over time, and enjoy six decades worth of skillful creativity. Kevin Neary has coauthored The Hidden Mickeys of Walt Disney World (2016) with his wife Susan and four Disney trivia books (1992 2000) with Dave Smith for The Walt Disney Company as well as two baseball books ( Major League Dads: Baseball's Best Players Reflect on the Fathers Who Inspired Them to Love the Game , 2012, and Closer: Major League Players Reveal the Inside Pitch on Saving the Game , 2013) with Leigh A. Tobin for Running Press.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"30% of the book is filled with one-off "novelty" maps, like the cartoon-ified, caricature map of Disney California Adventure produced solely to hang on construction walls during its rebirth; delicate, elegant "souvenir" maps of DisneySea meant to be purchased in a gift shop in large format. A further 15% is populated by a lot (maybe too many) of the "in-universe" maps: the "map" of the Hundred Acre Wood that serves as the backdrop to the loading area in Tokyo's Hunny Hunt ride; the exaggerated cartoon "map" of your "sailing route" in DisneySea's Sinbad's Storybook Voyage; the "map" of Vulcania that hangs in the Nautilus' map room in Disneyland Paris' walkthrough attraction; the elegant map of the world in the ceiling of Tokyo's Teddy Roosevelt lounge. And I suspect *most* people who pre-ordered this book a year in advance like I did were expecting it to be a comprehensive collection of those guide maps for each Disney Park through its history. Chapter 1 - Disneyland Park. Chapter 2 - Magic Kingdom. Chapter 3 - Epcot. Chapter 4 - Tokyo DisneySea. ... What you and I were looking for was to trace these parks via their guide maps. Pages 82 - 83, Tokyo Disneyland "fine art" souvenir map; 84 - 85, Blizzard Beach map; 86 - 87, Animal Kingdom aerial concept art; 88 - 89, Tom Sawyer Island Explorer's Map... Is this book worth having in your collection? And *if* this book were called "Aerial Concept Art of the Disney Parks," people would've known what they were getting and this would be 5-stars across the board as a well-curated collection of art with minimal text."
"There could have been a wider variety of maps, and maybe the they could have been larger on gatefold pages.The cover suggested that this was to be expected inside."
"The book's format makes it hard to reproduce the large maps that are the book's subject."
"Beautiful book but as others have stated the maps are very small and you can't really read them."
"This book is for you."
"Based on the product description, I was expecting to get tons of actual park maps from 1955 to today. Also, the other obviously had a huge fascination with Tom Sawyer's Island because he includes more renderings of it than he does for some of the actual parks. Seriously, if I had paid the full $30 retail price, I'd be mad and sending the book right back to Amazon."
"I was expecting maps that are given out in the parks from over the years."
"Was hoping to get a book that lets you compare how the parks evolved over the years, with maps of all parks shown throughout the years."
Best Indian Travel Guides
This is the miraculous and triumphant story of Saroo Brierley, a young man who used Google Earth to rediscover his childhood life and home in an incredible journey from India to Australia and back again... At only five years old, Saroo Brierley got lost on a train in India. A Long Way Home is a moving, poignant, and inspirational true story of survival and triumph against incredible odds. Born in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India, Saroo Brierley lives in Hobart, Tasmania, where he manages a family business, Brierley Marine, with his father.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is the real-life story of Saroo, a five-year-old child in a village in central India, who gets lost and finds himself transported all the way east to Calcutta, some 1800 kms away. However Saroo always wonders about his origins, with clear memories of his birth mother Kamala, his kid sister Shekila and elder brothers Kallu and Guddu, whom he looked up to as a child two decades before. Gradually, over five years, with incredible patience and perseverance , Saroo, at age 30, using Google Earth's satellite images and Facebook, miraculously locates the train station with the identifying features of his childhood. Saroo soon goes to India and reconnects with his birth family to the great delight of his elderly mother Kamala and his siblings Shekila and Kallu, who are now married with children. It is a great tribute to these wonderful technologies which make it possible for the adult Saroo to sit ten thousand miles away in Hobart, Australia and exactly locate the water tower and overpass of his childhood memory and find out the correct name of his village. Going through the early chapters where Saroo survives for six weeks as a five-year-old in Calcutta, I had palpitations as I felt anxious that nothing terrible should befall young Saroo!"
"When 5-year-old Saroo is accidentally separated from his Indian family at a train station, he ends up surviving on the streets of Kolkata (Calcutta) on his own for 2-3 weeks before being taken to an orphanage. Fast-forward 25 years, and Saroo chooses to search for his biological family, which he does with the help of Google Maps, Google Earth and Facebook."
"Saroo was born in a small suburb of Khandwa, India called Ganesh Talai, which was an important place for him all his life including when he would initiate the long and tiresome search for his mother. Although this story wasn’t written by Saroo himself, ghost writer Larry Buttrose did an exceptional job at capturing the emotion and details of the journey. A poverty-stricken neighborhood, with a mud house and the only form of electricity coming from a candle, Saroo’s family had to work very hard to support each other. Guddu, the eldest brother, went to work every day, washing dishes for many hours just to make only half a rupee. Anyhow, Saroo and his family ultimately resorted to begging for money at local markets, railways, and neighborhoods. The author did an exceptional job at showing how much his family did to be able to support him by using many examples of his mother and brothers going out for long work days even if it meant earning enough to buy a simple loaf of bread. The author emphasized the importance of his adoptive parents and gave a good idea of what role they played for him following such a tragic loss of his biological family. “Mum and Dad were very affectionate, right from the start, always giving me lots of cuddles and making me feel safe, secure, loved and above all, wanted. The author was able to make me feel guilty for having such a good life by showing the struggle of this five-year-old boy losing his family with no money, no one to talk to and no way of how to find himself home."
"This is a unique story about a boy who became lost in India, adopted, relocated to Australia and his, eventual, return back to India in search of his birth mother and family."
Best Bhutan Travel Guides
Jamie Zeppa was 24 when she left a stagnant life at home and signed a contract to teach for two years in the Buddhist hermit kingdom of Bhutan. As a teacher of English literature, Jamie Zeppa would understand how the story of her journey into Bhutan could be fit into the convenient box of "coming-of-age romance," a romance with a landscape, a people, a religion, and a dark, irresistible student.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I rarely read non-fiction, especially personal journey memoirs, but I'm so glad I decided to pick up this very well-written book that pulls you in and lets you experience just what Ms. Zeppa did."
"She starts out with great trepidation, wondering whether she has made a huge mistake and having no idea if she will have the strength of constitution or character to survive without her accustomed level of personal comforts and safety."
"A wonderful story and a great fit for me."
"Anyone who has lived in an unfamiliar country for an extended amount of time will love this book, in particular, English teachers abroad."
"I'm interested in travel in Bhutan."
"Jamie Zeppa embraces the differences and learns to love the country of Bhutan even as she is torn by the conflict between the Nepali Bhutanese and the original inhabitants."
"Zeppa is a strong storyteller who takes you along on her exciting (although unconventional) journey to Butan."
"Excellent- read it whilst in Bhutan."
Best South Korean History
Her home on the border with China gave her some exposure to the world beyond the confines of the Hermit Kingdom and, as the famine of the 1990s struck, she began to wonder, question and to realise that she had been brainwashed her entire life. ‘The most riveting TED talk ever’ Oprah.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Being so close to the border they could also get Chinese cell phone service and calls could be made to North Korea using Chinese cells. She withstood an interrogation by the Chinese police and was able to convince them she was Chinese due to her ability to speak Mandarin and her mastery of Chinese Characters, which she attributes to her father pushing her to study while she was in school. She has dangerous interactions with gangs, which she survives, was assaulted badly by an unknown assailant with a 1 liter beer bottle, an incident that did put her in the hospital and other adventures. They chose Laos, a backwater whose insufferable bureaucracy and corrupt civil service made things hard."
"The book is divided into parts, describing the author's life in North Korea, then her life in China (an entire decade), escape to South Korea, and finally, the ordeal of getting her mother and brother out of North Korea. In China, she makes a life and barely avoids deportation, being captured by human traffickers, and an arranged marriage to a complete zero."
"Few people that live outside North Korea (myself included) can fully understand the brutal horror that is a daily reality for the average people who are enslaved there."
"Having learned little about Korea in my lifetime, I felt so gratified to learn TRUTHS about the living standards dramatic differences in the North and South. I am so happy that she, mother and brother are together and finding joy in living."
"She informs the reader of the lack of freedom available to the citizens of North Korea through the day-to-day experiences of her life there."
"As for Hyeonseo, she is like a superhero to me and yet human in the fact that she loves her family and the freedom to make her own decisions about how she wants to live."
Best Asian Georgia Travel Guides
Winner, James Beard Award for Best Book of the Year, International (2017). Winner, IACP Award for Best Cookbook of the Year in Culinary Travel (2017) Named a Best Cookbook of the Year by The Boston Globe , Food & Wine , The Los Angeles Times , The New York Times , The New York Times Book Review , The San Francisco Chronicle , USA Today , and The Wall Street Journal. More than 125 recipes, framed with stories and photographs of people and places, introduce us to a culinary paradise where ancient legends and ruins rub shoulders with new beginnings—where a wealth of history and culinary traditions makes it a compelling place to read about for cooks and travelers and for anyone hankering to experience the food of a wider world. Through rich storytelling and recipes from her travels, Duguid explores the culinary heritage that unites Iran, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kurdistan.” —Food & Wine “Brilliant. One of the most excitingly accessible books of the season, combining nuanced diasporic traditions, straightforward recipes and easy-to-find ingredients.” —USA Today “In lieu of a Persian grandmother . With one foot in the old world and one in the new, Ms. Duguid does a beautiful job of translating complex concoctions into accurate, easy-to-follow recipes that reflect not just the flavors but the spirit of the countries that once made up the Persian Empire. —The Wall Street Journal “For years [Naomi Duguid] has been writing deep-dive books with a photographic National Geographic bent and recipes that work. Duguid captures dishes that reflect history and culture while being simply what’s on the table.” — The Los Angeles Times , Our Favorite Cookbooks of Fall 2016. Taste of Persia opens with a map, which illustrates Ms. Duguid’s wise observation that regional cooking doesn’t respect borders. “Naomi Duguid’s cookbooks belong to their own genre—they are unique travel journals studded with history, geography and ethnography, along with fabulous photos of the people she meets and the places she goes. Taste of Persia , Duguid’s latest, is a glorious trip through these five countries that once were part of the Persian empire.” —BookPage , Top Pick in Cookbooks. “A brilliant and beautiful book.” —Montreal Gazette “This book is not singularly about ‘Persian food.’ It is about a culinary region and culture, about transcending borders, about contextualizing a rich, edible heritage. The book celebrates unsung food artists who have shared their cooking practices and recipes through centuries of oral tradition and culture. Her previous award-winning titles, co-authored with Jeffrey Alford, include Flatbreads & Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas , their first book, which won a James Beard Award for Cookbook of the Year; Seductions of Rice ; Hot Sour Salty Sweet , also a James Beard Cookbook of the Year; Mangoes & Curry Leaves ; and Beyond the Great Wall .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Big hits: --saffron-cardamom cake-cookie things. --apricot-walnut rolled pastry that wouldn't seem out of place in a Scandinavian baking book. --Georgian beef stew with walnuts that was declared "best ever" in our house (fair warning: this involved some marigold spice mix that I happened to have on hand already, but I think the technique and other, more common ingredients are what make the magic here). --that silky, lovely Kurdish eggplant stew. --borani (veg with yogurt and fried onions...that I'm going downstairs to make right now...). Thanks for opening a window on a lovely part of the world!"
"As someone who was taught by many Iranian friends and relatives how to cook Persian & Turkish food, I can say that the recipes are a very good, authentic and delicious representation of the area's cuisine."
"When I lived in Germany in the early 90s I dated a Persian and spent a lot of time in the Persian community."
"This awesome cookbook is well worth getting as a hardcover, rather than kindle."
"I have nearly all Naomi Duguid's cookbooks."
"my Mother was so happy with thiis it has easy recapies easy to follow and beautiful photos!"
"This gorgeous, intelligent book gives you just enough cultural context to more. fully appreciate the many stunningly flavorful recipes."
"Beautiful book."
Best Southeast Asia Travel Guides
Wander through wild orchids in Mae Hong Son, charter a longtail boat on the Andaman Coast or look for tigers and monkeys in national parks; all with your trusted travel companion. Colour 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 - current affairs, history, politics, arts, architecture, environment, food & drink, responsible travel Free, convenient pull-out Bangkok map (included in print version), plus over 100 maps Covers Bangkok, Central Thailand, Ko Chang, Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand, Hua Hin, Southern Gulf, Ko Samui, Lower Gulf, Phuket, Andaman Coast and more. Check out Southeast Asia on a shoestring, a comprehensive guide to stretching money for an extended trip across the region. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers 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"We truly enjoyed using this guide while visiting Thailand."
"Another informative and accurate Lonely Planet Guide."
"It turned out to be full of a LOT of information - some of which we will use, and some we won't."
"Lots of info, but the E-version is not as user friendly."
"I won't make it to visit Thailand until next year so I can't compare this books accuracy yet; but it seems to be very detailed and honest."
"Basically unusable in practical and practice."
"The flowery writing, lack of pictures and slightly outdated information made me quickly switch from scrolling through its pages to (free) sources like wiki travel."
Best Armenia Travel Guides
A Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. A New York Post Must-Read. “Part family heirloom, part history lesson, The Hundred-Year Walk is an emotionally poignant work, powerfully imagined and expertly crafted.”—Aline Ohanesian, author of Orhan’s Inheritance “This book reminds us that the way we treat strangers can ripple out in ways we will never know . MacKeen’s excavation of the past reveals both uncomfortable and uplifting lessons about our present.”—Ari Shapiro, NPR. Growing up, Dawn MacKeen heard from her mother how her grandfather Stepan miraculously escaped from the Turks during the Armenian genocide of 1915, when more than one million people—half the Armenian population—were killed. Just before killing squads slaughter his caravan during a forced desert march, Stepan manages to escape, making a perilous six-day journey to the Euphrates River carrying nothing more than two cups of water and one gold coin. Reading this rare firsthand account, his granddaughter Dawn MacKeen finds herself first drawn into the colorful bazaars before the war and then into the horrors Stepan later endured.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Beautifully written by the grandaughter of an Armenian holocaust survivor, who draws her story from the five notebooks. her grandfather left behind as well as her own research and indefatigable efforts to retrace her grandfather's death march. across the Syrian desert."
"I first learned about the Armenian Genocide when I was living in Lausanne, Switzland, Reading a pocket book “Le Genocide Armenien” about the horrible facts, and since then I was impressed how people little knew about the tragic events of the Armenian people in Otoman Turkey during First World War. As I am getting prepared for my first trip to Armenia I found this book and followed the author Family odyssey through the pages of this hundread year walk that had put the writer and her survived grand parent on the same trail – one on searching of surviving and the other of recounting its saga."
"young woman wants to go to Syria to find out where her grandfather had traveled during the ethnic cleansing of the Jewish people during the time period of WW1.The Turks were killing the jews.her grandfather was forced out of his home and forced to march on foot 1000 miles total."
"This gripping story alternates with MacKeen's 2007 journey to Turkey and Syria to retrace his 1,000-mile trek, in which she met the descendants of a Muslim Arab who saved her grandfather's life despite his ethnicity, his Christianity, or the political narrative of the times--that Armenians were dangerous."
"This was an amazing account, from the horrific first hand experiences of the authors grandfather, an Armenian who, against all odds, survived the genocide perpetrated by the Turkish."
"Very interesting story, I had never heard about the Armenian genocide."
"I would recommend this book for anybody looking to learn more about the Armenian Genocide, for though the book is largely experiential, MacKeen includes letters being sent by ambassadors, newspaper accounts, and political background."
Best Mongolia Travel Guides
Watch wrestling, horse racing and archery at a Naadam Festival, explore dinosaur bones in the Gobi Desert, or stay local-style in a ger (traditional felt tent); all with your trusted travel companion. Colour 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 - culture, history, gers, spiritualism, cuisine, tribal Mongolia, Naadam Festival, wildlife, environment Over 40 maps Covers Ulaanbaatar, Dadal, Olgii, Tov, Ovorkhangai, Arkhangai, Selenge, Khovsgol, Khentii, Dornod, Sukhbaatar, Dundgov, Dornogov, Omnogov, Bayankhongor, Gov-Altai, Bayan-Olgii, Khovd, Uvs, Zavkhan and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This guide was fantastic and very detailed."
"Very good guide."
"We were in Ulaanbaatar for 2 days and this guide made it very easy for us to plan."
"Good book to get oriented to the large country."
"This book was adequate to the task for our trip to Mongolia."
"Has a lot of information that is not online."
Best Nepal Travel Guides
On assignment for Outside Magazine to report on the growing commercialization of the mountain, Krakauer, an accomplished climber, went to the Himalayas as a client of Rob Hall, the most respected high-altitude guide in the world. Ascending the mountain in close proximity to Hall's team was a guided expedition led by Scott Fischer, a forty-year-old American with legendary strength and drive who had climbed the peak without supplemental oxygen in 1994. Krakauer examines what it is about Everest that has compelled so many people -- including himself -- to throw caution to the wind, ignore the concerns of loved ones, and willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense. In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"“Into Thin Air” is Jon Krakauer’s best-selling memoir of the 1996 Mount Everest tragedy. It tells the story of Krakauer’s experiences as part of the ill-fated commercial expedition to Mount Everest in May 1996. In order to write his story, Krakauer, who was already an experienced mountaineer, would join the Adventure Consultants team in climbing Everest, and then write about his experiences afterward. Krakauer admits writing “Into Thin Air” in order to explain the Everest tragedy from his perspective. If Krakauer had left his story right there, it would have been an outstanding book about death and survival on Everest."
"The book was fantastic and the man who read it has a great speaking voice and did the book justice."
"It's the wet dream of preppers or Alex Jones survivalists that think there is a poetry in nature, but would spend way too much time buying the right shoes and never actually follow through."
"All his family wanted from him was a phone call or a card every now and then just to know he was alive. Imagine finding out your child died of starvation...attributed in part to not using a freaking topographical map!"
"I really enjoyed reading this story of triumph laced with tragedy. He was a journalist, on assignment, funded entirely by the anticipation of him telling the entire story upon his return."
"Chris McCandless wanted to experience life simply living off the land, which he did for a short time, after many adventures traveling cross-country with very little in the way of money or possessions, ending up in an abandoned bus in the wilderness of Alaska."
Best Cambodia Travel Guides
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Vietnam and Angkor Wat will lead you straight to the best attractions this beautiful part of the world has to offer. Explore the floating markets of the Mekong Delta, the hill towns in the north, and all the best beaches to be found in between; zip around old Hanoi in a pedal-powered cyclo; and be sure to indulge in the exquisite local cuisine. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Vietnam and Angkor Wat truly shows you what others only tell you. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Do understand though, that the EW series travel books are basically more in-depth colorful travel brochures."
"I live DK guides and this one is no exception."
"Not sure if it will serve me when I'm there, but I'm enjoying reading it in advance."
"DK Eyewitness guides are the only ones I buy."
"got good use for recent trip."
"I visited Vietnam and Cambodia so this was perfect."
"Excellent with a multitude of bright, crisp color photos."
Best Indonesian Travel Guides
The 10th anniversary edition of one of the most iconic, beloved, and bestselling books of our time. Sustaining a chatty, conspiratorial tone, Gilbert fully engages readers in the year's cultural and emotional tapestry - conveying rapture with infectious brio, recalling anguish with touching candor - as she details her exotic tableau with history, anecdote and impression. Three years later, after a protracted divorce, she embarked on a yearlong trip of recovery, with three main stops: Rome, for pleasure (mostly gustatory, with a special emphasis on gelato); an ashram outside of Mumbai, for spiritual searching; and Bali, for "balancing."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is an uplifting story of a woman who puts hectic life on hold, and allows herself to heal after a difficult divorce."
"Great quality and arrived fast!"
"A shortened version of this book would have been sufficient, but it is awesome to read how impactful Gilbenrt's book has been on a myriad of diverse lives."
"Somehow the massive popularity of this book made me think I wouldn't like it as much."
"Enjoyed the author sharing her story and all the ups and downs of her journey of self-discovery."
"I had to get my own copy."
"I could relate to several of the stories and loved hearing how EPL had inspired others."
"for my wife after seeing movie; she liked the book better."
Best Sri Lanka Travel Guides
Inside Lonely Planet's Sri Lanka Travel Guide:
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book did not give extensive coverage on places to sleep, particularly the lower range accommodation."
"Incredibly useful, well researched, and loving the new internet extras available."
"It is live safer for people that know nothing about Sri Lanka."
"From tea to dinner, to umbrellas, to hotel stays, to surf board rental, to bus travel to etc. Food is amazing, people are amazing, the country is filthy with trash everywhere you go."
"True to Lonely Planet guides, this one is a must-have."
"Went to Sri Lanka Jan 2016 after reading this to prepare."
"Instead of having more information, because they don't have to use more paper, there is less information. Following Lonely Planet guides actually keeps you from finding all the best places to stay, because you are relying on out of date, poorly researched information. Even the smallest places like Don Khon, or Thakhek, in Laos, or Cambodia, or wherever, will have hotels listed on Agoda, or Booking.com, or some other site, for example. You will also see other places listed on Google map which have links to reviews, with up to date listings and prices. You will also see where the concentrations of places to stay are in a town, that might not have a link, and then you simply go there and look around. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the way Lonely Planet was getting it's limited information, because in everything I read, it seemed that they had never visited any of the limited places they cover, and when I say limited, I mean limited."
"Arguably one of the worst guidebooks I have ever read or purchased."
Best Laos Travel Guides
Lonely Planet. Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Tempt your tastebuds with pho noodle soup in Vietnam, sail past the limestone peaks of Halong Bay, or experience the transcendent tranquility of temples like Angkor Wat; all with your trusted travel companion. Colour 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 - customs, history, art, music, dance, landscapes, environment, cuisine Over 70 maps Covers Hanoi, Halong Bay, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I found that as it covered 4 countries, it doesn't provide the really rich information on any of them that you get in other Lonely Planet guides."
"I know that space is limited, as 4 countries are in the book but there are a lot of travel details that are missing (travel times, getting there and away, etc.)."
"I can't read, but the pictures were really pretty."
"Arrived promptly."
"Left packaging feedback as well as the envelope was completely open when received."
"Content is ok and useful, but with Kindle version very difficult to find right place."
"Already making the plans 2017..good info!"
"I guess I'm too used to the Michelin guides, which let you know a ranking of things to see."
Best Russian Travel Guides
With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Morocco truly shows you this country as no one else can. With guidebooks to hundreds of places around the globe available in print and digital formats, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides show travelers how they can discover more. DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: the most maps, photographs, and illustrations of any guide. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I love every DK book that I get - they are the best."
"Pricey, but beautiful pictures await inside."
"as advertised, excellent photography and maps."
"it is a fantastic country to visit and the Travel Guide does it justice."
"Love Eyewitness Books!!"
"Great guide for planning your safaris!"
"I'm always a fan of the KT guides, and this one is particularly impressive."
Best China Travel Guides
“This is history on a grand scale, with a sweep and ambition that is rare… A proper historical epic of dazzling range and achievement.” —William Dalrymple, The Guardian The epic history of the crossroads of the world—the meeting place of East and West and the birthplace of civilization It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas, cultures and religions. For Frankopan, the brutish West owes its more enlightened traditions to the lands east of Italy and west of China, which were, for centuries, 'the centre of the world'… Frankopan marshals diverse examples to demonstrate the interconnectedness of cultures, showing in vivid detail the economic and social impact of the silk and the slave trades, the Black Death, and the Buddhist influence on Christianity.”. — The New Yorker “In his new book, The Silk Roads , Frankopan has created something that forces us to sit up and reconsider the world and the way we've always thought about it… The book takes us by surprise right from the start.”. —Nishant Dahiya, NPR “This is deeply researched popular history at its most invigorating, primed to dislodge routine preconceptions and to pour in other light. “One of Mr. Frankopan’s gifts as a storyteller is his ability to draw unusual connections across his vast canvas… [he] packs his tale with fascinating trivia… Frankopan has written a rare book that makes you question your assumptions about the world.”. —Sadanand Dhume, The Wall Street Journal “Frankopan casts his net widely in this work of dizzying breadth and ambition… Those opening to any page will find fascinating insights that illuminate elusive connections across time and place… Frankopan approaches his craft with an acerbic wit, and his epochal perspective throws the foibles of the modern age into sharp relief”. — Publishers Weekly (starred review). “A glorious read. “In his new book, The Silk Roads , Frankopan has created something that forces us to sit up and reconsider the world and the way we've always thought about it… The book takes us by surprise right from the start.”. —Nishant Dahiya, NPR. “Superb… Peter Frankopan is an exceptional storyteller… The lands of the Silk Roads are of renewed importance, and Frankopan’s book will be indispensable to anyone who wants to make sense of this union of past and present.”. —Philip Seib, The Dallas Morning News. “This is, to put it mildly, an ambitious book… By spinning all these stories into a single thread, Peter Frankopan attempts something bold: A history of the world that shunts the centre of gravity eastward… Mr. Frankopan writes with clarity and memorable detail… Where other histories put the Mediterranean at the centre of the story, under Mr. Frankopan it is important as the western end of a transcontinental trade with Asia in silks, spices, slaves—and ideas.”. — The Economist. “It’s time we recognized the importance of the East to our history, insists this magnificent study… The breadth and ambition of this swashbuckling history by Peter Frankopan should come as no surprise… A book that roves as widely as the geography it describes, encompassing worlds as far removed as those of Herodotus and Saddam Hussein, Hammurabi and Hitler… It is a tribute to Frankopan’s scholarship and mastery of sources in multiple languages that he is as sure-footed on the ancient world as he is on the medieval and modern… Deftly constructed… The Silk Roads is a powerful corrective to parochialism.”. —Justin Marozzi, The Sunday Times (U.K.). Frankopan upends the usual world-history narrative oriented around ancient Rome and Greece and the irrepressible rise of Europe… In a series of brisk chapters—The Road of Faiths, The Road of Furs and so on—studded with state-of-the-art research that is sourced from at least a dozen languages, the author brings wondrous history to vivid life… In The Silk Roads, Peter Frankopan has provided a bracing wake up call.”. —Matthew Price, The National (AE).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Schools teach its students of the Roman Empire, the subsequent Dark Ages, the Norman conquest in 1066, Henry VIII and the Tudors, the American War of Independence, the Industrial Revolution and the First and Second World Wars. As the author states: “For centuries before the early modern era, the intellectual centres of excellence of the world, the Oxfords ad Cambridges, the Harvards and Yales, were not located in Europe or the west, but in Baghdad, and Balkh, Bukhara and Samarkand”. We are seeing the signs of the world’s centre of gravity shifting – back to where it lay for millennia”."
"The author's depth of knowledge and resource access, coupled with his polyglot skills, weave a centuries long tale of intrigue across a region of the world little known or travelled today. The story of the European debacle of the same time is repeatedly narrated, engrossing the reader in its internecine religious wars. Piles of skulls and cities entirely wiped off the face of the earth are ignored in favor of the administrative advantages of Mongol rule. Information is 'quickly transmitted' across the sands, mountains and rivers - this when 30 miles a day was the fastest a horse or man could travel. Other books in the vein of Central Asia would include The Poison King, Balthazar's Odyssey, The Ornament of the World, The Emergence of Modern Islam, Chasing the Sea, The Shied of Achilles and best, Millennium by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. The ridicule of Western advances coupled to dictatorial domination and horrific tortures could just as easily describe Islamic, Indian, Chinese or Russian worlds. As for his Palestinian views, well, they are biased, leave it at that... Can't wait to enjoy My Fair Lady, his Mediterranean yacht for charter..."
"I had assumed we would be learning about the history of the silk roads and the many dynasties that rose and fell along the route - the Songdians, the cities of the Tamir Basin for example. I thought this would be an Asian centric book showing the silk roads impact on Han Dynasty China and the steps that had to be taken to keep the route secure. Or perhaps how the silk road brought Buddhism to the west and mixed the artistic sense of the descendants of Alexander's army with the Central Asian Buddhist cave dwellers."
Best Bangladesh Travel Guides
Much of its coastline forms part of the world’s largest mangrove forests, the Sundarbans, home to the Royal Bengal tiger and many other flora and fauna. It is famous for its music, dance, and drama; arts and crafts; folklore; languages and literature; philosophy and religion; festivals and celebrations; and its distinctive cuisine and culinary tradition. Bangladesh has been regularly hit by floods and cyclones, but, contrary to what the world usually hears about natural disasters and poverty, there is positive economic growth and the country is one of southeast Asia’s largest exporters of garments to Western markets. After working for several years on various newspapers and magazines in Bangladesh, she was awarded a UNESCO Fellowship to Michigan State University and to the Press Foundation of Asia in Manila, Philippines.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Bangladesh is a beautiful country and in this book I came to know so many different things about that country."
"good book."
Best Japanese Travel Guides
Spotlighting the originality and creativity of the Japanese, debunking myths about them, and answering nagging questions like why they're so fond of robots, author Hector Garcia has created the perfect book for the growing ranks of Japanophiles in this inspired, insightful and highly informative guide. "Comprehensive and well informed, A Geek in Japan covers a wide array of topics in short articles accompanied by numerous photographs, providing a lively digest of the society and culture of Japan." — Martin Varsavsky, entrepreneur, founder of Fon and Safe Democracy Foundation. Among many topics, A Geek in Japan covers traditional culture, history, character, work, society, manga & anime, music, movies & television, Tokyo, and visiting the rest of Japan. "While not a traditional guidebook, A Geek in Japan certainly makes a reader want to hop on a plane to experience everything firsthand." "Hector Garcia's A Geek in Japan is a lightweight but enjoyable romp through modern Japanese culture, seen through the eyes of its writer, an amazingly inquisitive young Spaniard living in Tokyo."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is a superb book for those who are interested in everything related to Japan."
"We all certainly heard about Japan with all those clichés about bald samurais, white geishas, nerds with pimples, cafés with servant maids, censored porn and terrific buildings living up to the sky and beyond... Summarizing this country just like that feels kind of sad, isn't it?"
"This is an awesome book!!"
"I haven't finished it yet but I am already writing a review because so far it's been great."
"A must have if you are interested in Japan, want to travel to the country, live there, like technology, manga, history, modern life or if you just want to enjoy a nice, interesting and entertaining book."
"I had read this book already."
"If you have a child that is completely obsessed with Japan this is THE book to buy."
"This book was received probably and was both informational and fun to read."
Best Pakistan Travel Guides
“ No Way Down is both a gripping read and a clear-eyed investigation of the hubris, politics, and bad luck that brought on one of the worst disasters in modern mountaineering history.” — Michael Kodas, author of High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed. “Bowley relies on a copious study of the events and interviews with survivors and families to artfully and assiduously piece together an account of a fractious day in brutal real time. Fatality by fatality.” (Holly Morris, New York Times Book Review). “Unputdownable.... A portrait of extreme courage, folly and loss, leavened by a small dose of survival, as complete a version of the calamitous story as will probably ever emerge. [A] step-by-faltering-step recreation of the thin-air fight to survive, bristling with cinematic immediacy.” (Justin Marozzi, Financial Times). Bowley expertly puts together the complex story of what happened as eleven people died high on the summit slopes of K2 in August 2008.” (Joe Simpson, author of Touching the Void). Bowley wove his tale together after hundreds of interviews with dozens of people, and the result is a triumph of storytelling.” (Malcolm Ritter, Associated Press). As avalanches shear away ropes, darkness falls and rescue attempts succeed and fail, the book becomes impossible to put down….. “Both a gripping read and a clear-eyed investigation, No Way Down provides a compelling education in the game of climbing on the world’s highest mountains to readers who have never tied into a rope, and is an essential addition to any mountaineer’s bookshelf.” (Michael Kodas, author of High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"K2 is a mysterious, terrifying and yet magnetic place, and this account of the 2008 disaster kept me turning pages into the early morning hours."
"What these climbers went through to reach the summit and the price many of them had to pay was amazing and disturbing at the same time."
"This book is a true story about climbing K2."
"This book was written by a man who is not a mountaineer, so it is without the mysticism that is so often found."
"This book will give you an insight into some decisions that must be made at the worst of times."
"This book is a great story of what these climbers face and the risks involved in their aims to climb these high peaks."
"I expected the book to take me from beginning to end of one person's or one climbing group's experience."
"I couldn't put this book down."
Best Taiwan Travel Guides
In The Food of Taiwan , Taiwanese-American Cathy Erway, the acclaimed blogger and author of The Art of Eating In , gives readers an insider’s look at Taiwanese cooking with almost 100 recipes for both home-style dishes and street food. "In this appetizing collection, Erway ( The Art of Eating In ), an acclaimed blogger at Not Eating Out in NY, takes readers on a cultural and culinary tour of Taiwan that will engage armchair travelers and foodies alike… From pantry staples such as chili bean sauce, ginger, and rice wine to the vibrant night markets that take over entire streets, she offers an insider’s perspective of the Taiwanese lifestyle and reveals what makes a dish distinctly Taiwanese. In Cathy Erway’s new cookbook The Food of Taiwan , she explicates all these recipes and more, filling a great gap in our knowledge of Chinese cooking, inviting you to mount your own dinner party.” —Robert Sietsema , Eater NY.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great place to start if you are missing the food your Grandma made for you."
"Any special ingredients were easy to find at a chinese supermarket or on Amazon, though there are some recipes that won't need a special trip."
"For anyone who loves food, travel, Taiwan, SE Asia, and cultural flavors--this book is a must-read."
"Beautifully done book."
"Given as gift to someone who just returned from Taiwan."
"This is an amazing book! Erway wrote a beautiful book about the land, culture and, yes, food of Taiwan."
"Interesting info but some recipes not so suitable for home cooking."
"In addition, the recipe only used 2 T of the mochi mixture per meatball, resulting in an extra 3 cups of mochi mixture leftover. - Pan-Fried Leek Buns: The filling was good and I appreciate the suggestion for Chinese leek substitutions, but the recipe does not say to pan-fry the buns on both sides... yet the photo on the cover of the book, as well as my experience, told me that they should be fried on both sides. - Pork Meat Sauce: After my Three Cup Chicken experience, I decreased the soy sauce called for in Pork Meat Sauce (prepared in a similar style with a long braising time in a soy-based sauce), and it was much more enjoyable. - Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns (Red-Braised Pork Belly and Marinated Cucumbers recipes): For the Pork Belly recipe, I found that 2 cups of water diluted the flavor of the other ingredients in the braising liquid. This book is an excellent survey of Taiwanese cuisine – but be cautious if using it as a cookbook and only regard the recipes as a base or inspiration for your own cooking, as the recipes are lacking in thorough testing, specificity in less common ingredients, and precision in measurements."
Best North Korea Travel Guides
In My Holiday in North Korea: The Funniest/Worst Place on Earth, Wendy shares a glimpse of North Korea as it’s never been seen before. Through poignant, laugh-out-loud essays and 92 never-before-published color photographs of North Korea, Wendy chronicles one of the strangest vacations ever. “A death-defying adventure, filled with despair and tiny pieces of hope, and beautiful ― I wish I was as brave as Wendy.” (James Altucher Bestselling author, entrepreneur, podcaster ). Her intrepid desire to discover the reality behind the stagecraft escorts the reader through My Holiday in North Korea with words and pictures that render this mysterious country both knowable and unknowable, and always fascinating. Simmons’ insightful and funny storytelling evocatively captures the deception, corruption, humor and, ultimately, anguished humanity of a bizarre nation. But more than that, it is Ms. Simmons ease at being a traveler to distant and strange lands that gives this book its unusual insight into what people behind a real iron curtain think, and yes, feel.” (Maria T. Lemmon Novelist, a screenwriter, and the author of Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child, and Making It Up as I go Along ). “Writer and photographer Wendy Simmons shares a personal account of her vacation to one of the most reclusive nations on the planet, North Korea. During her journey she finds herself caught between an international crisis sparked by the release of the Sony Pictures film The Interview and accidentally crashing the ‘wedding’ of a North Korean bride to be.” (Gabriel Sanchez Buzzfeed ).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is funny for sure."
"This fascinating and heartbreaking memoir kept me riveted from start to finish."
"She didn't seem willing to understand the cultural differences between herself and the people of North Korea and many times it seemed she was being childish and difficult on purpose."
"Simmons's quips (read: "Driver nearly knocked Fresh Handler over for the girlie [pair of sunglasses]) throughout the book keep the dark subject matter light. I loved it straight through the end and fully felt the writer's pain: "...I could never stop wondering what kind of people my handlers could or would have been had they been born anywhere else."
"I felt like I was reading about Stalinist Russia where the people starved while the leaders lived in incomprehensible corruption and luxury and built obscene monuments to themselves."
"I felt like I was alongside Wendy on her journey navigating the absurdities of visiting North Korea. I recommend this as a great glimpse into the dichotomy that is North Korea and is particularly relevant considering our political climate, leaders on-going twitter wars, and of course nuclear testing."
"The book was interesting and an enjoyable read."
"The author is amusingly self-deprecating and the book is very funny, but true, without the author resorting to cheap cliched criticisms about "NoKO"."
Best South Korea Travel Guides
Colour 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 - including customs, history, art, literature, cinema, music, dance, architecture, politics, and wildlife Free, convenient pull-out Seoul map (included in print version), plus over 97 local maps Covers Seoul, Incheon, Jeju-do, Gyeonggi-do, Gangwon-do, Cheongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Sokcho, Samcheok, Chungju, Daejeon, Gongju, Daegu, North Korea, Pyongyang, Panmunjom, the DMZ, and more. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers 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"Lots of errors ("See page..." doesn't actually lead to right page), needs to be updated (many recommended restaurants are closed), covers North and South Korea."
"For example, I went to Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea, and was surprised to find only 10 pages in the book dedicated to it."
"Great LP edition overall."
"Worth what you spend on it."
"Always a fan of the LP Guidebooks and this didn't disappoint."
"I’ve purchased books from the lonely planet before and this one is no different."
"The guide was useful in planning my trip to SK."
"It has some great recommendations for sights, bars, restaurants, etc."
Best Thailand Travel Guides
Wander through wild orchids in Mae Hong Son, charter a longtail boat on the Andaman Coast or look for tigers and monkeys in national parks; all with your trusted travel companion. Colour 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 - current affairs, history, politics, arts, architecture, environment, food & drink, responsible travel Free, convenient pull-out Bangkok map (included in print version), plus over 100 maps Covers Bangkok, Central Thailand, Ko Chang, Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand, Hua Hin, Southern Gulf, Ko Samui, Lower Gulf, Phuket, Andaman Coast and more. Check out Southeast Asia on a shoestring, a comprehensive guide to stretching money for an extended trip across the region. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers 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"I was hoping for more photographs in this guide but there is not very many at all."
"This book was most useful for giving me ideas about things to do in various parts of the country without me having to do any planning."
"Another informative and accurate Lonely Planet Guide."
"It turned out to be full of a LOT of information - some of which we will use, and some we won't."
"Lots of info, but the E-version is not as user friendly."
"Basically unusable in practical and practice."
"I found the information lacking in detail, the organization - messy, and just from the nature of the Kindle format - really difficult to navigate (nothing like having to flip for 5 minutes on your low battery phone, while standing on a sweltering street corner and sweating through your clothes for the fifth time that day, just because you saw a temple, whose name you know you had seen only yesterday on a random page, yet now you can't locate for the life of you)."
"The flowery writing, lack of pictures and slightly outdated information made me quickly switch from scrolling through its pages to (free) sources like wiki travel."
Best Afghanistan Travel Guides
Yet within the small haven of the beauty school, the line between teacher and student quickly blurred as these vibrant women shared with Rodriguez their stories and their hearts: the newlywed who faked her virginity on her wedding night, the twelve-year-old bride sold into marriage to pay her family’s debts, the Taliban member’s wife who pursued her training despite her husband’s constant beatings. Kabul Beauty School is a remarkable tale of an extraordinary community of women who come together and learn the arts of perms, friendship, and freedom. How Rodriguez, an admirably resourceful and dynamic woman, set to marry a nice Afghan man, solves this problem makes a great story, embellished as it is with all the traditional wedding preparations. Political problems ensued ("too much laughing within the school"), financial problems, cultural misunderstandings and finally the government closed the school and salon—though the reader will suspect that the endlessly ingenious Rodriguez, using her book as a wedge against authority, will triumph in the end.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Deep cultural beliefs and practices do have potential for evolution but they won’t be moved by brute force, rather by millions of small souls doing amazing things like sharing themselves in a loving way and giving others hope and knowledge to rise above their situations."
"Her story evolving with great insights of life in Kabul, especially the way woman live and what was perhaps even more interesting, is how Debbie managed to set up a great school, driven by her passion, while being sooooo emotional."
"As she teaches these brave women, she learns about the culture, the people and the beauty of that intriguing country."
"Her determination to help women in Afghanistan develop self-sufficiency in creating businesses acceptable for women to run, is inspiring."
"I could not put this book down."
"I was very intrigued with her level of committment to bring employment to women of Afghanistan."
"It also gave me a new. appreciation as a citizen of the United States!"
"I couldn't do what Debbie did."
Best Mauritius Travel Guides
This book describes the bird life of the region embracing Madagascar, the Seychelles group, the Comoros and the Mascarenes (comprising Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues) – a region that hosts nearly 400 species, many endemic. Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands is the comprehensive guide to the bird life of a region that embraces Madagascar, the Seychelles group, the Comoros and the Mascarenes (comprising Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues). In-flight illustrations present the bird from above and below, providing comprehensive coverage of the birds in the field.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Admittedly, with relatively few birds, searching the book was fairly easy, but the addition of the quick reference inside the two covers was so helpful to a non expert like myself."
"As in any guide, not all subspecies are listed but this volume seems comprehensive enough yet is handy size for field trips."
"This is a very nice field guide with excellent illustrations, range maps and everything you need to identify the birds you see."
"A pretty inclusive Guide for the area -- worth having and reading."
"Perfect field guide."
"Basically the only one and nice for a very specialized region."
"The range maps are virtually useless and the comments on bird frequency are preposterous."
Best Maldives Travel Guides
Get to the heart of Maldives and begin your journey now! Colour 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 - including customs, history, art, literature, music, dance, architecture, politics, wildlife, and cuisine Over 22 local maps Covers Male, Ari Atoll, Utheemu, Rasdhoo Atoll, Gan, Baa, South Male Atoll, North Male Atoll, Raa, Noonu, Addu Atoll, Haa Alifu, and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book covers all the details that you really need to know and would have never thought that you should need to know!"
"great resource for folks going to Maldives especially since Yelp and Google maps arent quite mature yet."
"very helpful for my visit to Maldives."
"The maldives edition is less informative than its usual prints."
"Guides well thanks a lot."
"Some pages badly printed."
Best Macau Travel Guides
Cruise Victoria Harbour aboard the Star Ferry, ride on the Peak Tram for amazing views, or explore the Mong Kok markets; all with your trusted travel companion. Full-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 - cuisine, history, arts, cinema, architecture, religion Free, convenient pull-out Hong Kong map (included in print version), plus over 40 color maps Covers Hong Kong Island, Aberdeen & the South, Kowloon, New Territories, Outlying Islands, Macau and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Compared to the Time Out series, the organization of this book makes it much harder to use. The maps in the back don't compare to Time Out series."
"I was staying on Lantau (outlying island, connected by speed rail that takes 11 min to Kowloon and 20 minutes to Hong Kong) for business for six days, and this book helped me target which parts of Kowloon and Hong Kong I wanted to hit when I went on in. Big ol' Buddha statue (50 feet tall) built on top of a lush jungle peak on Lantau, accessible by bus or cable car. Cable car was fantastic, offering views of HK, hilly jungle landscape, and the Buddha as you approach it. And if you thought that transforming religious or cultural icons into moneymaking ventures was only an American tradition, then you were wrong! Crossing from Kowloon to downtown Hong Kong, it is a great experience to take in the cityscape in either direction. Shout out to the dudes at the basketball court across the street that let me join their game and then didn't respect my jump shot ('MURICA!). Although the art leaves something to be desired, the casually dismissive and ridiculously critical plaques accompanying the artwork is high comedy. -Hong Kong Museum of History was closed for a special event when I tried to go there, which is unfortunate as I was really hoping to see if the government redwashed anything."
"I've been to Macau before, but a lot has changed in Macau in the last ten years, so I bought this book in the hopes that it would contain some info about the newly formed Cotai Strip portion of Macau. Thankfully Macau has a pretty good tourist bureau, and we were able to find some good walking tour maps as well as maps of Taipa and Coloane at one of their local offices."
"By that I mean that if you wanted to learn as much as possible about Hong Kong it is a good source for information but if you want a suggested tour for a 2-day or 4-day or other period of time to be in Hong Kong and with a focus on the sights, food, outdoor activities, museums or other area of focus, the book is of no real help."
"The reason I'm giving this two stars is because of the misleading maps. Well no, the temple is actually not next to the park at all, but feel free to wander around for half an hour trying to find it up and down steep stairs, only to find it a block away from where the map suggests."
Best Vietnam Travel Guides
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Vietnam and Angkor Wat will lead you straight to the best attractions this beautiful part of the world has to offer. Explore the floating markets of the Mekong Delta, the hill towns in the north, and all the best beaches to be found in between; zip around old Hanoi in a pedal-powered cyclo; and be sure to indulge in the exquisite local cuisine. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Vietnam and Angkor Wat truly shows you what others only tell you. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Do understand though, that the EW series travel books are basically more in-depth colorful travel brochures."
"I live DK guides and this one is no exception."
"Not sure if it will serve me when I'm there, but I'm enjoying reading it in advance."
"DK Eyewitness guides are the only ones I buy."
"got good use for recent trip."
"I visited Vietnam and Cambodia so this was perfect."
"Excellent with a multitude of bright, crisp color photos."
Best Myanmar Travel Guides
With influences from neighboring India and China, as well as Thailand and Laos, Burmese food is a unique blend of flavors, and Burma Superstar includes such stand-out dishes as the iconic Tea Leaf Salad, Chili Lamb, Pork and Pumpkin Stew, Platha (a buttery layered flatbread), Spicy Eggplant, and Mohinga, a fish noodle soup that is arguably Myanmar’s national dish. From the Tea Leaf Salad to Chicken Coconut Curry, the book demystifies the ingredients and cooking techniques of Myanmar, opening up the restaurant’s incredible flavors for everyone to enjoy. "Informative recipes and concise historical background set an educational yet approachable tone, while the occasional misty mountain vistas or bustling Burmese city street scenes (captured by John Lee) provide a reason to slow down and consider Burmese culture as a whole. Already, I'm eyeing the classic mohinga, a noodle soup thickened with toasted ground rice and mashed catfish, seasoned with ginger and lemongrass." —Felicia Czochanski, Well + Good "Despite what some may consider unfamiliar ingredients and cooking techniques, “Burma Superstar” (the book) is incredibly accessible and, more importantly, fun.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you like cooking, reading , travelling , photography, and eating good food , you would enjoy this book a lot."
"After eating tea salad from Irrawaddy restaurant in Cerritos, California, I spent a day researching the recipe."
"This book is comprised of a lot of recipes that are in the sweet spot between both cultures."
"Burma Superstar is an amazing restaurant, and I'm very excited to try these recipes!"
"I gave this to my sister for Christmas and she loves it."
"Great recipes!!"
"This is a fantastic restaurant and beautiful cookbook."
"Easy to follow."