5 comments about Rwanda, 3rd: The Bradt Travel Guide.

1. The Bradt Guide is by far the most comprehensive guide to Rwanda that I was able to find. I don't know what I would have done on my trip without it. The book is a mix of background info and travel tips. One good thing to know is that Kigali has added a "5" in front of all the phone numbers since the guide was published.



2. Janice Booth's Rwanda guide not only is the most updated travel guidebook on Rwanda, but it also goes culturally/historically where the other guidebooks do not go. I spent several weeks in Rwanda in 2003, finding almost all the information in other guidebooks almost completely useless or irrelevant. Due to the genocide, and subsequent arrival of international aid, the entire infrastructure of the country, especially Kigali, had changed, and so the nuts and bolts information of hotels, transport, and other practicalities found in the Bradt guide were of great use.
   The personal relationship of the author with Rwandans made it easier for a post-war visitor to understand what the average Rwandan had been through, and the section on "giving back," and what a traveller who had been affected by the country and people could do AFTER visiting the country is something that should be included in a lot of guidebooks.
   The only bit of impractical information was that regarding traveller's checks. They are not accepted in banks unless one has an account there, and this is a bit of an obstacle to be surmounted (the national parks office does, and can help with other needs).



3. Comprehensive and interesting. Also seems to be the only one on the market.



4. Gave more information than my local guide had on many subjects. I gave her the book when I left Rwanda.



5. The only one on the market and needs an update. Since 2006 some things have changed, some prices are up, some are down (yes, true), some places are closed, some reopened and some places were not checked but written on somebody else's stories (ORTPN material that is not always true in reality). Regardless of all that still a very good guide that gives a lot of background and other info that are necessary for understanding this amazing country. Backpacker can not do without it! Very helpful and very recommended.

5 comments about The Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals (Princeton Pocket Guides).

1. Excellent information if studying. Kingdon is an excellent source of CORRECT information when it comes to African animals.



2. It is a good book...diagrams are detailed well and descriptions are good of the animals....good guide book for college classes.



3. This guide was an excellent reference on Safari, small size and well organized format made The Kingdon Pocket Guide to Africa easy to use in the field.



4. Probably this is the best field guide, the drawings are beautiful but strangely, the Dromedary is missing from this book albeit it is native to Northern Africa.



5. I used this in Kenya, and got to know a lot of the animals there pretty well. If you are going to Africa, I highly suggest getting this, but also supplementing your research with more local resources. The book is now on the coffee table, and is pretty cool to flip through.

1 comments about Culture Shock! Morocco: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Guides).

1. This book provides a detailed description of modern Moroccan culture for those from Western backgrounds trying to make sense of Moroccan values, behavior, and daily life. The content is explained well and easy to read, although the type face is rather small.

No comments about Fodor's South Africa, 4th Edition: With the Best Safari Destinations in Namibia & Botswana (Fodor's Gold Guides).

4 comments about Traversa: A Solo Walk Across Africa, from the Skeleton Coast to the Indian Ocean.

1. There are many things to admire about Mr. Sandham's book: the fact that he underwent great hardship at times in order to write it; the way in which he has unveiled some little-known parts of Africa to a wider audience; or his eloquent turn of phrase and sometimes biting self-deprecating humour. But what stands out for me is in the way which he stuck to his task and wasn't seduced by the touristic, bombastic way to travel through a country. I don't mean that he didn't occasionally stay in a hostel,(after hundreds of kilometres across lion country you might too), or that he didn't occasionally eat Western-style foods in souless supermarkets. What I mean is that he stuck to the task at hand and didn't go to see something or attempt to do something just because a guidebook said he should. It is extremely hard sometimes to resist the pull of the mass-market. I myself have been to countries where I thought I had been to every 'must-see' site in an area and then found that to my disappointment there was one I had missed. But those were not the real experiences and stories which will stay with me. Real meaning can be found in the tapestry of human interactions and the beat of a way of life different to your own. In an era of travel being accessible to so many more people, how refreshing to hear an account of someone who decided to tread a more personal path.
   
   Mr. Sandham did things 'his way' and I am sure his mentors Messrs. Livingstone, Stanley et al, would be proud.



2. It's hard to read many travel books without a sense of 'Why? Why are you putting yourself through all this?' and Traversa is no exception. Those who sit at home may not understand what drives some people to these lengths, but that doesn't stop us lapping it up and asking for more.
   
   In this enthralling book, Sandham brings his solo walk from the aptly-named Skeleton Coast to the Indian Ocean to life. He comes across, variously, as courageous, determined, bloody-minded, and completely insane. By the end of the book, it's easy to feel, as he does, that he has earned his right to be in Africa, even among people so poor that a man who has scrimped, saved and given up chocolate biscuits to be there, is immeasurably rich.
   
   Throughout, Sandham places his experiences in a historical context, evoking the horror of being preserved from shipwreck only to die of thirst, the shame and waste of the slave trade, and butchery in wars over territory that match anything Europe has achieved in that line. As his traversa progresses, he moves from a theoretical understanding of Africa to a genuine affection for the place and its people.
   
   The book is filled with dry self-deprecation and humour--there's a disastrous donkey, and we can only imagine Sandham's problems with his mule, as he declines to go into details--and some of the characters he meets are portrayed as so much larger than life that there's a temptation to believe they're imaginary. Perhaps the best example of the man's courage is when, having invested time, effort and money in a donkey (diseased), a donkey-cart (beautifully painted), and a mule (disobedient), he's able to walk away from all three. Many people would have persisted even in the face of so much discouragement, but Sandham knows when to cut his losses. He probably wouldn't have made it across Africa without that knowledge.
   
   Apart from the not-so-tame domestic animals, there's lions. Real, live, traveller-eating lions. Fortunately, the threat they pose is more perceived than actual; some people have been eaten, but Sandham gets through. There's also explosive diarrhea, a very unpleasant, if probably inevitable, attack of malaria, and, of course, blisters. Yet day after day, he gets up, and gets going. Even after side trips to investigate mules or donkeys, he insists on being driven back to the point where he stopped walking, so he can start again. He knows when he's idled somewhere too long, and somehow gets himself going. There's no cheating on this journey, even though the temptations must have been enormous.
   
   This book entertained and saddened me by turns, and I heartily recommend it--reading what Sandham has to say is the only way even partially to answer the question, 'Why?'.
   
   [review written by Debbie Moorhouse of GUD Magazine]



3. Incredible story of trekking from Namibia's Atlantic Coast to the Indian Ocean (ending up at Zanzibar). Although the author's attacked by neither man nor beast (just insects aplenty), he has his share of troubles, starting with recalitrant wild donkeys, and finishing up with a week of malaria treatment (apologies if that proves a spoiler). Terrific writing skills and a great sense of humor make this book one of my top books for the year. Highly recommended.



4. I have to admit firstly that I'm English, and secondly that I loved Africa as an inhabitant for over 20+ years. Consequently, the description for this book on Amazon seemed like the ultimate indulgence. It was. However, unlike many indulgences throughout my life - and throughout Mr Sandham's journey - this was immensely memorable... for all the right reasons. Mr Sandham expertly describes, with infinite humility, his traversa from the Skeleton Coast to the Indian Ocean 5000 km away. I allowed myself the pleasure of only a chapter a day as I wanted to really savor the pleasure of devouring this memoir for as long as I possibly could. Sandham never truly reveals, in fact I'm not entirely sure he knows, the reasons why he really undertook this trek - but I am immensely glad he did. His pinpoint almost staccato descriptions of people he meets leaves a lasting impression and visual image of those people. I don't think I will ever look at a man named Dan quite the same way again! During his 50km a day walks through Africa he discourses on such idiocies as where do flies go at night? I found myself laughing out loud, smiling, grimacing, shaking my head and even empathising at..... and with... Mr Sandham and the people, insects, flora and fauna he comes in contact with during this amazing journey. He expertly weaves history and the stories of the great explorers into this memoir providing a multi-layered view of human idiocy, kindness, ignorance, arrogance and humour in such a way that I learned much about the continent that I love. This book is ideal for people who enjoy the sardonic, understated part of English humour; those who love a story of myopic refusal to veer from the goal; voyeurs of human nature and those who overall appreciate the indomintable spirit of an individual who is driven by the need to do something that noone has quite done before - and lived to tell the tale. I was genuinely sorry that Mr Sandham hadn't decided to cross another continent so that I could vicariously continue his journey.

No comments about The Rough Guide to West Africa 5 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

2 comments about The Rough Guide to Kenya 8 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. Last April, together with my son I went on a 10 days' self-drive safari in a small Maruti jeep from Nairobi to South Nyanza in Western Kenya, exploring Kenya's western highlands, the Lake Victoria coast and islands, and also the Ruma National park, bringing the Rough Guide to Kenya 8 with us. We found the book very helpful. The guidebook probably has the best coverage of this area. The safari was great!



2. I recently spent two months in Kenya, and I read a lot of guide books both before I left the U.S. and once I was in Africa. This was definitely the most useful and informative....it was far superior to Lonely Planet in both coverage and accuracy. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is going to be spending a substantial amount of time in Kenya.

2 comments about Tunisia (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. This is the best travel guide I've ever found. Full of full color photographs and information that is relevant and sectioned in a logical manner. Well worth the money.



2. I find the guide useful in my recent travel to Tunisia but many places need updating, particularly the "where to stay" and "where to eat" sections the comments in which I find run-of-the-mill and, in some cases, outdated, e.g. one hotel was closed down more than a year ago despite its mentioning in the guide. I find these two sections disappointing.

5 comments about Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route.

1. What "Roots" was to the Boomer Generation, "Lose Your Mother" could and should be to the Generation Next. Saidiay Hartman's writing styles fits perfectly for a generation that longs for and loves narrative, story, and first-hand journal accounts.
   
   However, no one should thus assume that Hartman's writing lacks research credibility for she brilliantly weaves both rousing narrative and copious research to portray a powerful picture of one of history's ugliest stories: Middle Passage. She provides a fresh account of ancient wounds.
   
   Hartman's book can and should make a renewed contribution to the healing of past hurts which still linger deep. Her passionate style and scholarly depth can help a nation move beyond suffering to healing hope.
   
   Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.



2. Lose Your Mother is a story that weaves geneology with African American history. It's intimate and powerful, touching and complex. Universally connecting, it is a story of alienation and hope.



3. Saidiya Hartman takes us on a journey that is intense, tough and thoroughly rewarding. Impressively, she learned as much about herself as she did about the past she sought, even more.
   The beauty of going with her on this journey is that the reader has the same magnificent opportunity, hypnotically led by the author, to ponder and to gain personal insight perhaps too long submerged.



4. A deeply moving combination of history, personal memoir and deep reflection,particularly on the heroic and aspirational legacy of slavery as seen by this wonderful writer.



5. This is a story of rejection of those of us forced into slavery by force and not by choice, by those who ancestors were in colluson with the eurpeans. This is also a realization that what is the most important is the acceptance of being a stanger in a strange stilen land as european america, but also to know that one cannot go back home as what we were, but how we are now. Knowing that wherever we (Africans) are i n the world, one thing is for sure, we are and will always be part on Mother Africa, and the spirit of our Mother will always accept her lost childrens.,

3 comments about Top 10 Malta and Gozo (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. In my planning to make a holiday trip to Malta, I bought this book along with the LP book for 2007, which gives me the opportunity to evaluate the two books.
   
   On the plus side, this one is loaded with high quality pictures. And the maps are also of high quality and easy to navigate. It gives very useful suggestions, tips and plans about the destination. One gets a quick overview of all attractions and can easily design a trip tailoring to one's interest.
   
   On the minus side, this book can never be used alone, and must be used together with another guidebook with lots of facts. It is not intended to be one all-included guidebook anyway. What can be absolutely added is hotel information, especially for a matured destination like Malta, there are definitely more hotels at all ranges to evaluate.
   
   What can be also included is information on links to other regional destinations, such as Sicilly and Tunisia.
   
   In general, it is a good handy book with nice pictures to look at. But you won't survive on this book alone.



2. I love DK Eyewitness Guides -- in fact, after the travel, they're the books I keep so I can show everyone really great photos where I've been. This particular guide is the first Top 10 Guide I've used and I found the format excellent for choosing what to see, which hotel to stay in, and where to go. This is not a comprehensive guide, but it isn't meant to be. DK Eyewitness books are full of wonderful photographs/diagrams and so, occasionally, they lack a bit in the discription or required travel information. For an experienced traveler this is not a problem. For the nervous traveler or the new traveler who wants/needs a lot of extraneous general travel information this book is best used in conjuction with a more detailed volume.



3. Nice little guide for a short trip, well organized, but the "10" theme got a little forced at times. The Map is good, although a bit tiny. The hotels and seasonal info is a bit dated as well, but all in all for a relaxed short trip of four days or so, this is a great value guide as it hits the highlights and doesn't bog you down with detail. If you are staying longer and want more detail, then other guides are your better choice.
   
   The pictures are excellent.