Best Peru Travel

While history has recast Bingham as a villain who stole both priceless artifacts and credit for finding the great archeological site, Mark Adams set out to retrace the explorer’s perilous path in search of the truth—except he’d written about adventure far more than he’d actually lived it. “[An] engaging and sometimes hilarious book.”— The New York Times Book Review “A serious (and seriously funny) travelogue, a smart and tightly written history, and an investigative report into perhaps the greatest archaeological discovery in the last century.”—NationalGeographic.com. “An engaging, informative guide to all things Inca.”— Entertainment Weekly.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For his first endeavor, he chooses to follow in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham, the American explorer often credited with the discovery of Peru’s “lost city” of Machu Picchu. Interspersed with information about Incan history and Bingham’s expeditions, Adams relates his experiences trekking through the remote regions of Peru with his tough-as-nails Australian guide John Leivers."
"Adams alternates among his present-day experience, Bingham's experience, and the thoughts on the Incas (the builders) in the 1400-1500 times frame to attempt to explain the original purpose of Machu Pichu."
"If you like reading adventure travel stories, are attracted to South American (and Inca) history, and want to be entertained while you are being educated, you will probably enjoy this book."
"This book is a lot more than about Machu Picchu."
"I now know going anywhere other than from Cusco to Machu Picchu requires preparedness and awareness to keep from getting into trouble with vicious plants and stupid mistakes that can wreck things in a hurry."
"Mark Adams' account of his adventure has something for everyone...the middle aged male who shucks the cubicle for adventure, the adventurer who wants an authentic account of exploring the still remote corners of the globe and most...those who have long thought of making the trek to Peru and Machu Picchu."

Color maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, cuisine, music, the arts, nature Over 70 color maps Covers Lima, Amazon Basin, Huaras, Cordilleras, Central Highlands, Chan Chan, Cuzco & the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, Canyon Country and more. Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalize your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing. Source: Nielsen BookScan.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Love this book!"
"This guide it's excellent and with the most recent information."
"I brought the book on my travels to Peru."
"I JUST GOT THIS NEW ONE AS I HAVE BEEN USING AN OLDER ADITION."
"Needs minor updates but otherwise excellent travel guide."

Written by locals, Fodor's travel guides have been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. "“Fodor’s is pitched a few notches higher….aimed at a fairly discerning traveler with an appetite for background and the occasional surprise.” – New York Times “The Fodor’s guides are notable for their ratings of sights, restaurants, shops, accommodations and attractions.” – Chicago Tribune.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I've visited Peru twice in the past 2 years, once to Lima-Cusco-Machu Picchu-Titicaca, and once to the upper highlands (Chachapoyas-Kuelap-Gocta-Bagua District). I've been there recently enough that I was surprised to see some new things in this book, including the airport expansion in Jaen (although the luggage belt was not working on my trip), the Kuelap gondola (truly fabulous... Remember that outside of Lima, public restrooms often have an attendant who will charge you about S1.0-0.50 to enter (have the coins ready), usually (not always) giving you a few sheets of toilet paper."
"As with most Fodor books, this travel guide provides a comprehensive look at the country along with recommendations for activities, restaurants, hotels and the like and hits the highlights of what to see and where to see it. After reading the section on Machu Picchu which includes the Inca Trail--I'm very tempted to hike it (26 miles, 4 days)."
"I have always wanted to travel to Peru mainly to see Machu Picchu so I picked this right up to get a good insight on information for potential travelers. The amount of information and research put in to each and every hotel, restaurant, public transportation, and sites of interest is simply incredible."
"This travel guide is absolutely packed with information about Peru."
"Nevertheless, this book is the best guide for Machu Picchu - more than 50 pages are dedicated for Cusco (airport nearest to Machu Picchu), Aguas Calientes (town nearest to Machu Picchu), Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail. If you don’t want to pay top dollars taking a tour, this book has wealth information to prepare the trip."
"They cover safety issues in different places, which is nice, and have restaurants with descriptions and menu items, which is an enhancement over the past."
Best Central & South America Travel

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 Budget-oriented recommendations with honest reviews - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, music, cuisine, sports, wildlife, environment, architecture, literature, cinema, current events Over 90 maps Covers Mexico's Yucatán & Chiapas, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and more. Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing. Source: Nielsen BookScan.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great book with tons of great information."
"Came sooner than expected and the book is great."
"Call me crazy...but I feel like a book with "on a shoestring" in the title should really spend more time reviewing budget accommodations and skip the expensive hotels."
"Those who like to include off-the-beaten path travel, should consult Lonely Planet’s individual country books for gems that are even better than the easily-gotten-to sites."
"Really a god guide!"
"There should be separate (thin) books for each Central American country to spare single-country visitors from lugging such a thick volume; the country-specific e-chapters are a poor alternative due to careless layout and, in El Salvador, spotty Internet access."
Best Brazil Travel

In this gripping first-person account of adventure and survival, author Scott Wallace chronicles an expedition into the Amazon’s uncharted depths, discovering the rainforest’s secrets while moving ever closer to a possible encounter with one such tribe—the mysterious flecheiros, or “People of the Arrow,” seldom-glimpsed warriors known to repulse all intruders with showers of deadly arrows. Along the way, Wallace uncovers clues as to who the Arrow People might be, how they have managed to endure as one of the last unconquered tribes, and why so much about them must remain shrouded in mystery if they are to survive. On the one hand, The Unconquered is the account of a nightmarish three-month expedition into the Amazon jungle in 2002 led by the irascible Brazilian wilderness explorer Sydney Possuelo, a legendary defender of the region's last uncontacted Indians. Rife through with moments of danger, loneliness, and hunger, as well as the testosterone-fuelled dramas that seem peculiar to groups of men undergoing hard times together, The Unconquered makes a spellbinding tale of real-life high-adventure. In this book, Wallace, who renders memorable portraits of his fellow expeditionaries (the cook, Mauro, haunted by nightmares about monkeys who castrate him; Soldado the backwoods scout, who refuses to return home and see his aging mother) is also brutally honest about himself. Some years before Wallace met him, Possuelo, Brazil's best-known sertanista , or "agent of contact" with the Amazon's isolated indigenous people, had undergone a crisis of conscience about the destruction wrought by his life's work. As Possuelo explained it to Wallace, he wished to gather vital information about the flecheiros and to ascertain their wellbeing, but could only do so by penetrating their sanctuary on foot and by dugout canoe with a band of armed men, while at the same time seeking to avoid contact with them. During the journey itself, the inescapable Catch-22 of Possuelo's logic became more and more apparent until the moment, retold dramatically by Wallace, when the expeditionaries blundered inevitably through a flecheiro settlement, spreading panic as they went. An editor from National Geographic asked journalist Scott Wallace to join an expedition into the deepest wilds of the Amazon jungle to find the mysterious ‘People of the Arrow.'. While the experience was pretty much a nightmare, it’s a blessing for readers of Wallace's fascinating book.” — Associated Press “Echoing Amazonia’s earliest European explorers, Wallace crafts a tale that is part gripping adventure story, part window into the unexpected complexities of a developing country where uncontacted tribes stand between a resource-hungry economy and an area abounding in natural wealth.” – Indian Country Today “Rife with poachers, drug smugglers, illegal gold miners and violent tribes already acquainted with the dangers of modern life…Wallace describes the trek in vivid, if unsettling, terms.” – Maclean’s “Wallace joins the tribe of jungle-besotted literary types led by Redmond O'Hanlon and David Grann and presents a credibly incredible tale about his voyage past the edge of modernity.” – Huffington Post "A gripping tale of adventure." “While it’s hard to imagine that ‘stone-age’ tribes still persist in a world of cell phones, satellites and social media, it’s even harder to understand how difficult it is to police these isolated regions, to keep them free of outsiders who could endanger a way of life that has nearly disappeared…Wallace’s narrative is apt and penetrating.” – SEJournal.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Contrary to what you might expect, the goal of the mission wasn't to actually contact the tribes; rather, the expedition sought to identify where the tribes lived so that the Brazilian government could later track the the tribe's movements and population by air. Interspersed throughout the jungle tale is a history of the white man's contact with indigenous Amazonian tribes, a history of the department of Isolated Indians, and a history of the evolving theories on how to approach indigenous tribes. Where previously the government sought to "tame" wild Indians, the policy is now to avoid contact, since contact with the white man inevitably brings about loss of native culture and crippling epidemics of disease."
"I learned so much, saw the interesting landscape and culture through his eyes, and now feel like Sydney Possuelo and I are old friends. This is truly a must-read for all of us armchair adventurers who would not be able to endure snakes that jump out of trees, biting ants or not being able to take a hot shower for all that time."
"Some people make tremendous sacrifices for others, such as myself, to read of the primitive conditions and arduous conditions to hike into the heart of the Amazon to find undiscovered tribes."
"Possuelo's mission is to successfully cordon off civilization, preventing modern society from reaching "uncontacted" tribes living in the Amazon forest. Think about that for a minute or two: his mission is to prevent modernity from reaching people who are living behind a veil of ignorance, in what can only be described as a primitive state. The argument for protecting them is that contact with modernity (characterized by greed where the white man is the devil) introduces disease, makes the indios bravos dependent on modern contrivances, causes them to turn their backs on ancestral ways and leaves them in a state of poverty. Set aside the disease problem (it is a problem, but it's incidental, solvable with enough effort) and look at the often tragic history of these contacted tribes: they become dependent on modern contrivances, they leave their traditional ways and they are ill-adapted to succeeding in the modern world, leaving them poverty-stricken."
Best Argentina Travel

Full-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 - daily life, music, literature, cinema, outdoor activities, environment, cuisine Free, convenient pull-out Buenos Aires map (included in print version), plus over 80 colour maps Covers Buenos Aires, Bariloche, the Lake District, Cordoba, the Central Sierras, Iguazu Falls, Mendoza, the Central Andes, The Pampas, Patagonia, Salta, Tierra del Fuego and more. Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing. *Source: Nielsen BookScan.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Needs more info for back packers/car campers like super market locations."
"A solid guide."
"Was waiting for it to be published."
Best Chile & Easter Island Travel

The essential guidebook to this mysterious and enigmatic island, and the only book about Easter Island written by someone who lives there. He now runs his own private touring company, Easter Island Spirit, and is also the British Honorary Consul on the island.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you are only going to be on the island for a few days (I arrived on a Friday and left on a Monday), then I highly suggest going around on your own and using this book to plan your itinerary as I did; there was nothing advertised on any of the tours that wasn't discussed in this book and you don't lose much if anything on island culture and history by forgoing guides."
"This is the best resource I found for background and navigational tips for visiting Easter Island."
"Wonderful book for self-guided tours."
"Enormously helpful for our two weeks exploring the island."
"Great details, history, and local color."
"A must have guide to read before visiting Easter Island and to have on hand while visiting."
"easy to read ( I read it in the plane From Santiago to Easter Island)."
"Just back from Easter Island."
Best Ecuador & Galapagos Islands Travel

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 - including customs, history, music, politics, landscapes, and wildlife Over 61 local maps Covers Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Otavalo, Banos, Montanita, Vilcabamba, Mindo, Canoa, Isla de la Plata, the Quilatoa Loop, Papallacta, Isla Santa Cruz, Isla San Salvador, and more. Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalize your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing. Looking for more extensive coverage?
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Lonely Planet Guide is superior to other guide books..it always has some hints on less travelled or frequented spots as well as the traditional highlights."
"Book has been worth EVERY penny, have gotten many ideas for our trip from it."
"Easy to read, excellent index and great maps."
"This book is awesome!"
"Thorough and helpful with lots of side notes of interesting aspects of the land and culture to be aware of."
"The pictures and descriptions in the book were clear and detailed and made us excited about this trip."