Best General Indonesia 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 book (somehow memoir doesn't seem to do justice to what Gilbert has produced) will make you silent in realizing profound and great wisdom before making you blurt sudden laughter upon reading the very next page."
"It motivated me to make my own trip and enjoy life and I liked that."
"Liz Gilbert bares her soul in this book and shows us that there will always be difficulties in life, you will make mistakes and you have to learn to live with them without beating yourself up."
"This is an uplifting story of a woman who puts hectic life on hold, and allows herself to heal after a difficult divorce."
"I ordered this book since I read the book "Eat, Pray, Love" when it was first published (2007), and I was curious to see how other readers were positively influenced by this book (and see if any of the stories were similar to my reactions)."
"This is an inspirational book that will show you spiritual truths through the authors personal journey."
"And Elizabeth Gilbert has a great writing style.....she adds humor into many areas and makes the story so simplistic and so visual that I can almost picture myself eating in Italy or meditating in India."
"Great quality and arrived fast!"
Lonely Planet. Bali & Lombok is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Stand amongst the clouds on Gunung Rinjani, party all-night in Kuta, or experience the Gili Islands' phenomenal diving scene; 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 - art, architecture, beaches, festivals, cuisine, water sports and outdoor adventures, history, dance, music, painting, environment, politics Over 50 maps Covers Kuta & Seminyak, Gili Islands, Lombok, North Bali, West Bali, Central Mountains, Ubud, East Bali, South Bali 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"Found this one a big confusing to navigate, locating the various regions of Ubud for example and the sights that correspond to maps pages apart."
"Left packaging feedback as well as the envelope was completely open when received."
"This book was very informative during my trip to and in Bali."
"Received the book very fast."
"Has sample itineraries for different vacation lengths (1 - 3 weeks)."
The 10th anniversary edition of one of the most iconic, beloved, and bestselling books of our time. "An engaging, intelligent, and highly entertaining memoir... [Her] account of her time in India is beautiful and honest and free of patchouli-scented obscurities." "This insightful, funny account of her travels reads like a mix of Susan Orlean and Frances Mayes... Gilbert's journey is well worth taking." "Be advised that the supremely entertaining Eat Pray Love— a mid-thirties memoir by the endlessly talented Elizabeth Gilbert—is not just for the ladies, fellas." Think Carrie Bradshaw cut loose from her weekly column, her beloved New York City, and her trio of friends, riffing her way across the globe on an assortment of subjects ranging from the 'hands-down most amazing' Sicilian pasta she's ever tasted to her reason for buying sexy lingerie to our collective, species-driven instinct for being on the planet." "Gilbert's exuberance and her self-deprecating humor enliven the proceedings: recalling the first time she attempted to speak directly to God, she says, 'It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, "I've always been a big fan of your work." "In this engrossing and captivating travel memoir, journalist Liz Gilbert globe-trots for a year to Italy, India, and Indonesia... Lucky for us, the lessons she learns are entirely importable." "A captivating storyteller with a gift for enlivening metaphors, Gilbert is Anne Lamott's hip, yoga-practicing, footloose younger sister, and readers will laugh and cry as she recounts her nervy and outlandish experiences and profiles the extraordinary people she meets... [Her] sensuous and audacious spiritual journey is as deeply pleasurable as it is enlightening." "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." "Spilling out of this funny (and profound) circus car of a book are dozens of mesmerizing characters; people you'll envy Liz Gilbert for finding, valuing, loving, and, I couldn't help noticing, joining for irresistible meals. "This is a wonderful book, brilliant and personal, rich in spiritual insight... Gilbert is everything you would love in a tour guide of magical places she has traveled to both deep inside and across the oceans: she's wise, jaunty, human, ethereal, hilarious, heartbreaking, and, God, does she pay great attention to the things that really matter."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book (somehow memoir doesn't seem to do justice to what Gilbert has produced) will make you silent in realizing profound and great wisdom before making you blurt sudden laughter upon reading the very next page."
"It motivated me to make my own trip and enjoy life and I liked that."
"Liz Gilbert bares her soul in this book and shows us that there will always be difficulties in life, you will make mistakes and you have to learn to live with them without beating yourself up."
"This is an uplifting story of a woman who puts hectic life on hold, and allows herself to heal after a difficult divorce."
"I ordered this book since I read the book "Eat, Pray, Love" when it was first published (2007), and I was curious to see how other readers were positively influenced by this book (and see if any of the stories were similar to my reactions)."
"This is an inspirational book that will show you spiritual truths through the authors personal journey."
"And Elizabeth Gilbert has a great writing style.....she adds humor into many areas and makes the story so simplistic and so visual that I can almost picture myself eating in Italy or meditating in India."
"Great quality and arrived fast!"
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 Java Travel Guides
The islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and Bali are ecologically one of the richest, most biologically complex areas in the world, sought out by thousands of knowledgeable nature lovers every year for the spectacular variety of wildlife and beautiful vistas. and an essential reference for ornithologists and birders visiting or residing in those islands. "The most complete and comprehensive field guide for the region of the Greater Sundra islands is more than just a field guide. No doubt, this top field guide will be wanted by any birder going to the Greater Sundra islands, as well as by many ornithologists as a general reference. This book, I believe, will supersede all that is in print, and will be a must for birders and naturalists visiting one or more of the islands." -- The Auk "No doubt, this top field guide will be wanted by any birder going to the Greater Sunda islands as well as by many ornithologists as a general reference.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The science of making guides that are actually effective and handy in the field has progressed considerably since this one was published 20+ years ago."
"Still the best book for all serious birdwatchers of the region."
"In this instance, I ordered two different field guides at the same time from the same seller. The book "from Canada" arrived in three days, the Bali book "from England" came about two weeks later."
"Best book on birds of Indonesia I could find."
"This was the book that everyone who seemed to be serious used in Borneo, but if you are going to be out in the bush for more than a few days and make frequent use of field guides, consider having it re-bound before you leave -- many people I passed along the way were finding that the plate pages were starting to fall out."
"Basics: 1993, 491 pages, softcover; 88 good color plates of all 820 species in the region, multiple poses for most birds, short line of ID text next to the plate; 1/3 of text for each bird covers description, voice, distribution, habits; 20 birding sites discussed, no range maps. There are 88 color plates that show most of the birds with multiple poses or plumages, which display gender, age, or seasonal variations when relevant. It should be noted a large percentage of these plates and illustrations are re-used in a later book published in 2010 by the same illustrator, Karen Phillipps, titled "Phillipps' Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo". Although there are now (as of 2010) two books dedicated to just Borneo, this book is still the only one to illustrate all the birds of Sumatra, Java, and Bali which makes this book a "must" for any serious birding done on these islands. I should point out MacKinnon's book "Birds of Java and Bali of 1988" does illustrate all the birds of just those two islands. - (written by Jack at Avian Review / Avian Books, January 2010). I've listed several related books below... 1) Field Guide to Birds of Borneo by Myers. 2) Phillipps' Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo by Phillipps. 3) Field Guide to the Birds of Java and Bali by MacKinnon. 4) The birds of Borneo by Smythies. 5) Photographic Guide to the Birds of Borneo by Davison/Fook. 6) A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Mount Kinabalu, Borneo by Nakayasu. 7) Birds of Mount Kinabalu, Borneo by Davison et al. 8) A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Southeast Asia by Strange. 9) Photographic Guide to Birds of Java, Sumatra and Bali by Tilford."
"Any serious birder to the listed regions of this book would buy this book."
"Many newer guides have been published about birds of this region, but this book still deserves its place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in birds of South-east Asia."
Best Jakarta Travel Guides
Nguyen is in his element as the 'Street Food King', eating and exploring his way through traditional noodle soups and sweet sticky meats, to more adventurous dishes like Stir-fried Embryo Egg with Tamarind and Duck and Banana Blossom Salad. LUKE NGUYEN is one of Australia's best-loved chefs.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We have already made several of the recipes and they turned out perfect."
"Love the pictures and the recipes in the book, but I also wish there were far more recipes."
"A recipe book that will give you a better look at Asian street food."
"Great book, filled with all the recipes to try at home all the great food i've been eating for the last 2 months while traveling in Southeast Asia."
"I have all his books there great."
"The recipes that I was most interested in, he did not include actual recipes."
Best Sumatra Travel Guides
The islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and Bali are ecologically one of the richest, most biologically complex areas in the world, sought out by thousands of knowledgeable nature lovers every year for the spectacular variety of wildlife and beautiful vistas. and an essential reference for ornithologists and birders visiting or residing in those islands. "The most complete and comprehensive field guide for the region of the Greater Sundra islands is more than just a field guide. No doubt, this top field guide will be wanted by any birder going to the Greater Sundra islands, as well as by many ornithologists as a general reference. This book, I believe, will supersede all that is in print, and will be a must for birders and naturalists visiting one or more of the islands." -- The Auk "No doubt, this top field guide will be wanted by any birder going to the Greater Sunda islands as well as by many ornithologists as a general reference.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The science of making guides that are actually effective and handy in the field has progressed considerably since this one was published 20+ years ago."
"Still the best book for all serious birdwatchers of the region."
"In this instance, I ordered two different field guides at the same time from the same seller. The book "from Canada" arrived in three days, the Bali book "from England" came about two weeks later."
"Best book on birds of Indonesia I could find."
"This was the book that everyone who seemed to be serious used in Borneo, but if you are going to be out in the bush for more than a few days and make frequent use of field guides, consider having it re-bound before you leave -- many people I passed along the way were finding that the plate pages were starting to fall out."
"Basics: 1993, 491 pages, softcover; 88 good color plates of all 820 species in the region, multiple poses for most birds, short line of ID text next to the plate; 1/3 of text for each bird covers description, voice, distribution, habits; 20 birding sites discussed, no range maps. There are 88 color plates that show most of the birds with multiple poses or plumages, which display gender, age, or seasonal variations when relevant. It should be noted a large percentage of these plates and illustrations are re-used in a later book published in 2010 by the same illustrator, Karen Phillipps, titled "Phillipps' Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo". Although there are now (as of 2010) two books dedicated to just Borneo, this book is still the only one to illustrate all the birds of Sumatra, Java, and Bali which makes this book a "must" for any serious birding done on these islands. I should point out MacKinnon's book "Birds of Java and Bali of 1988" does illustrate all the birds of just those two islands. - (written by Jack at Avian Review / Avian Books, January 2010). I've listed several related books below... 1) Field Guide to Birds of Borneo by Myers. 2) Phillipps' Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo by Phillipps. 3) Field Guide to the Birds of Java and Bali by MacKinnon. 4) The birds of Borneo by Smythies. 5) Photographic Guide to the Birds of Borneo by Davison/Fook. 6) A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Mount Kinabalu, Borneo by Nakayasu. 7) Birds of Mount Kinabalu, Borneo by Davison et al. 8) A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Southeast Asia by Strange. 9) Photographic Guide to Birds of Java, Sumatra and Bali by Tilford."
"Any serious birder to the listed regions of this book would buy this book."
"Many newer guides have been published about birds of this region, but this book still deserves its place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in birds of South-east Asia."
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 Borneo Travel Guides
Who wouldn’t want to tackle the world’s most dangerous hiking path, tangle with the Vietnamese Mafia, and suffer days in the dreaded Mongolian saddle…? Share their hopes and fears as they battle the wildlife, the elements, and the laws of probability to explore six fascinating and exotic countries. This is a comedy travel memoir, covering Borneo, Vietnam, Mongolia, China, Laos and Cambodia.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Another hilarious adventure by Tony Slater."
"A fantastic book by a very affable young man that has fairly bad luck and a fairly crazy sense of adventure."
"As usual- Tony's new novel doesn't disappoint."
"While a good deal longer than his previous books, "Shave My Spider" is no less entertaining, and is not only a highly enjoyable and hilarious travelogue, but a wonderful portrait of many countries in eastern Asia. Along the way they encounter colorful personalities of all kinds -- an airheaded American on a river tour, a nasty and vengeful Australian expat living in Vietnam who gets back at Tony in a very underhanded way for an unflattering review of his tour experience, a friendly backpacking British couple who give them tips, and various locals who appear quite bemused by Tony and Roo's unabashed goofiness and bad luck -- and explore ancient ruins, wildlife-filled jungles, vast wilderness areas, and the crowded madness of most Asian cities. And before everything is over Tony will have ticked off locals in every country, been chased by the Chinese military, had a nasty run-in with one of the world's most dangerous insects, and come to the conclusion that as much as he loves traveling, he's pretty crap at it."
"I have a tendency to read multiple books at once, switching between them on my Kindle, and every time I’d laugh out loud while reading, various members of my family would ask if I was reading Shave My Spider! There either wasn’t as much swearing in this book compared to his previous ones or I’ve gotten used to it (I’m pretty sure there is less)."
Best Southeast Asia Travel
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."