2 comments about Marco Polo: A Photographer's Journey.

1. Very facinating. I've always been interested in Marco Polo, as has the author. He really leads you through the journey and makes you wonder at the courage Marco Polo had for his travels.



2. Good photos and details. Purchased as a gift for my wife and she is totally pleased

No comments about LUXE Bali (LUXE City Guides).

5 comments about Azerbaijan, 3rd: With Excursions to Georgia (Trailblazer).

1. If you're going to Azerbaijan you must have this book - in fact, several companies issue this book to their international staff here. It is extremely comprehensive and thorough and very accurate (though there have been some changes). As someone that has lived in Azerbaijan for the past year and a half, I continue to be impressed with this book and have relied on it many times. It is an essential guide to exploring Azerbaijan - a country that has a lot more to offer than most would expect. Buy this (and avoid the Lonely Planet one - it does a really bad job for Azerbaijan!).



2. This book can be of a great use for the travellers, expatriots moving to Azerbaijan or for those studying different regions/cultures. I enjoyed reading it!



3. Great book! Clearly written by someone who loves this country. My wife is a native of Baku learnt and laughed about her native country. Culturally savy and sensitive.



4. As other reviewers have noted, the hallmark of this book is that we frequently met Azeri travellers either armed with it or knowledgable about it. Some mentioned, and we agreed, an update is needed regards restaurants and hotels in Baku which come and go with disturbing frequency. But, really, the humour of the writing, and the lovely drawings, make this a special treat. We did encounter a writer updating the notorious Lonely Planet Guide, in Polish only though. Elliott gives the impression of having walked everywhere he describes. It is worth warning that, though English is on the increase in Baku, and regional centres especially with young people, Turkish in the south and Russian in the north are the more widespread second languages. And, taxi drivers, given the just mentioned language issues, are a very great challenge especially in Baku. Really they are the only negative I have about the place. Beyond Quba and heading into the high country is stupendous, even if you are not a hiker.Xinaliq is an amazing village, and there is now a shop, the road to it is bitumenized, and as I write a new consolidated school should be open for business. The teachers there can help with English. I also rate Zaqatala higher than the author. Coming across from Georgia's poverty-stricken villages, this immaculate town was astonishingly ordered and cared for. But in this regard, it was to prove exceptional in Azerbaijan. Lahic was lovely, as was Ilisu; Shaki less so, though we wished we'd booked ahead for a bed in the great caravanserai. Elliot's book seems at times like a promotional exercise for the tourist board, if such a thing exists in the country, and has a leaning towards a perceived audience, the considerable expat community in Baku for reasons to do with its oil industry. Here, hundreds of BMWs and Mercedes flourish with almost disgusting indifference to the real poverty on the footpaths, the suburbs and those regional towns and villages.



5. This book was very helpful while I was in Azerbaijan but some things desperately need to be updated. I only spent a couple weekends in Baku but the streets are changing all the time. We were unable to find three of the Chinese food restaurants and the one we finally did eat at wasn't listed. The snippets on the towns in the outlying regions could definitely be added to as well. All in all it still is the best guide on the market.

2 comments about Fodor's Hong Kong's 25 Best, 5th Edition (25 Best).

1. I just returned from 14 days in Hong Kong, Kowloon, and Macau China and found this guidebook to be lacking for our needs over Chinese New Years 2008. I'm a new international tourist, so I didn't realize that 25 things to do wasn't enough to fill 1 week, much less 2. My friend had a Lonely Planet Guidebook, which was much heavier, but had more detailed information beyond the "Visit the Peak" stuff. I'm happy he had the LP guide.
   
   Neither book was helpful with Macau, however.
   
   The pull out map included with this book was fantastic. It was better than any other map we came across.
   
   The included MTR map was good.
   
   For the items that the book covered, they seemed to be covered "just enough" for a 2-3 day trip or layover in Hong Kong. I just re-read the Lantau Island 1 page entry and it provides barely enough detail for you to understand what there is to do there and how to accomplish it. You'll have to read between teh lines or figure it out for yourself.
   
   We stayed at the Metropark Causeway Bay/HK, the both in Kowloon Eaton, and Harbour Plaza Metropolis. The Eaton felt like the least value for our HK$, but it was the busiest day of the Chinese New Year. Rooms at the Eaton were small - even for Hong Kong. Internet isn't free, but the shower was FANTASTIC!
   
   If any of the Indian hawkers from Kowloon are reading this ... no, thank you, I don't want to buy a knock off watch or a custom suit.
   
   Buy for a short trip to HK. For longer trips, you'll want more detail, probably.



2. Found this guide extremely useful for planning and enjoying a week's trip to Hong Kong.
   
   There is a rich array of Hong Kong Chinese history and experiences awaiting visitors, so this book can be helpful in arranging for the best use of your time- and for the most rewarding experiences, according to your interests.

1 comments about Southeast Asia: Lonely Planet Phrasebook.

1. I have visited 42 countries, mostly "adventure" style and Lonely Planet is THE guide to use! Their books are compact, concise and authoritative. I have often visited countries (usually less developed countries) for months at a time where I take only one carry on bag. As you can imagine I need to have a lot of information at my fingertips in a form that's small, lightweight and full of information. Lonely Planet is that book. It has general information on the country's history, culture, etc... good tips on highlights that you won't want to miss, descriptions of places to visit with precise information on how to get their using public transportation, and great tips (complete with maps) on accomodations, especially of the budget variety. If I were to travel with only one book (which I usually do), it would have to be Lonely Planet. And if I were to take 10 books (Insight Guide, Rick Steves, Foder's, Let's Go, etc.) I would still never be without my Lonely Planet. Too bad there's not a Lonely Planet guide on how to grow old and happy. If they ever print such a book, I'm going to buy it!

5 comments about Hiking in Japan (Lonely Planet Walking Guides).

1. And that is descriptions of longer treks.
   There are a few described as 4-8 days long in this book, but when walking I found that that would have been at a snail's pace and the times given had to be halved. Even a quick look at the regional maps will confirm that all hikes described only cover relatively small areas.
   So those planning a longer trek through the backcountry of Japan might be disappointed (I was, anyway), but I understand we are just the minority...
   On the other hand, those looking for advice on a variety of short hikes in national parks or near the major cities will find lots of good ideas, and practical details that tend to be amazingly correct by guidebook standards!
   Don't worry too much about the book being a few years old - Japan is such a stable country that much of the information remains as valid as ever.



2. Another specialized book from the Lonely Planet team, this one catering to those who like to take exercise with their nature. Japan is heavily populated, and the megalopolis called Tokyo is easily the world's biggest, but nearly all the people live on the coastal plain of the Pacific coast, leaving the rest of this mountainous country open for the adventurous hiker.
   The book follows the usual Lonely Planet formula with the first pages devoted to the geography, history, climate, flora and fauna as well as social and religious areas of Japanese life.
   The second section deals with specific information for the hiker, including suggested itineraries, weather information, safety while hiking and, usefully, pre-departure planning. This last section tells us to have health insurance and know something about First Aid; good advice for those who haven't thought of such things.
   The hikes suggested in the book, and there are over a hundred, cover the length and breadth of Japan, are classified into five levels from easy to hard, and are divided up into day-long walks.
   The maps in the book show a marked improvement over earlier Lonely Planet publications, early editions of which often had no scale or compass point! "Hiking in Japan" on the other hand contains maps that are very difficult to obtain even in Japan itself.
   For those who speak no Japanese, there is the glossary of everyday language at the back of the book, and, perhaps even more essential, a transliteration of the Japanese character place-names into the roman alphabet.
   Recommended.



3. This is a really good guide to the mountains of Japan, both informative and inspirational. All too often, walking guides focus on the easiest routes to tick off an artificial list of peaks (just about every Japanese-language guide fits this description), but instead the authors have produced a wide range of easy to fairly challenging walks in the most attractive settings around the country which should suit just about everyone. Ok, the suggested itineraries will not stretch the fittest (especially for hut-dwellers who are not carrying tents) but there is plenty of info to enable you to modify the plans to suit yourselves. For the routes that we have followed precisely, we have found the information to be very accurate and up-to-date, and they have all been memorable walks.

   This book has significantly enhanced our time in Japan and I highly recommend it to anyone who is itching to get out of the cities but doesn't quite know where to go.




4. Only a few pictures, and the maps are very basic. You're really going to need to buy hiking maps at any book store once you arrive in Japan (maps aren't carried in most outdoors stores). I could wish for a few more stories or ratings on which mountains are the best and must be hiked, but the book is useful.



5. I have to comment on this book because it's not reliable anymore.
   
   I enjoyed the array of hikes that the editors chose, but it looks like they just translated some out of date Japanese books. Some of the trails in this book have been long closed and you will find yourself confused at night in the mountains if you attempt them. For example, the suggested descent from Aka-dake hasn't been maintained since an earthquake at least five years ago.
   
   On the other hand, the book covers a fantastic variety of paths and makes it easy to find what you want. If you want to try a hike in this book, make certain you get current info on the state of the path as well as lodging along the way. This means call yourself, and ask specific questions.
   
   But really, you're better off just getting a good Japanese book.

No comments about LUXE London (LUXE City Guides).

3 comments about Knopf MapGuide: Venice (Knopf Mapguides).

1. I am a big fan of the Knopf MapGuides and usually get one for each place I visit, but this was one of the more disappointing in the series. Venice is difficult to navigate and it would be nearly impossible to create a completely accurate map of the city. That said, many streets on these maps are not labeled. There are also a large number of streets, bridges, and landmarks in Venice that do not appear on the maps. I spent a lot of time trying to match the maps against what I saw in person, and found the smaller maps in my guidebook were much more accurate.
   
   There are also several areas of Venice that simply are not covered on the maps, including all of the islands. We found some delightful streets in the western part of Santa Croce that do not appear on any of the maps, and no coverage of the area near the train station or the Piazzale Roma, which are important points of entry into the city. Overall, the maps were just average for what they do cover, and the coverage of Venice needs to be improved.



2. Unlike many maps, the street IDs in this guide are big enough for a user to actually read. That said, I still got lost walking from the Accademia bridge to San Marco. (Following crowds and stopping in to ask store clerks helped me out here.) I found myself flipping back and forth on the two San Marco maps freqently, when it would have been more convenient to have all the info on a single map.



3. Best travel guide bar none. Fits your pocket or small purse.. Visually great looking.There are actual pictures .... All high recommended hotels different prices..Great maps.. hard to get lost even in Venice. Great recommends for food I am a shopper.. Absolutely great & unusual shops ..None of the bad tourist gear only the styling gear.. .I had three guides to Venice this is the one we used every day...Do not go anywhere without this guide if there is one available for the destination Im will be traveling to....

2 comments about China Travel Map (China Regional Maps).

1. Very poor, virtually worthless. I ordered 3 maps. The other two are good. The best being Collins Maps. Buy that one instead. It folds out to only one quarter the size of the other 2 maps. The country is also cut in half. HUH? What do we want a map for? To look at the entire country. I the Vietnam map was cut in half too. Don't waste your money.



2. Clear and sturdy map for the overall perspective of where places are located in relation to each other in China.

4 comments about A Dragon Apparent: Travels in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

1. A former British Intelligence officer, Lewis was one of those postwar travel writers whose books sold like gangbusters but have since largely faded into obscurity. Having recently traveled to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, and being a fan of the travelogue genre, I thought this might be a fitting introduction to his work. Originally published in 1951, the book documents his trip of the previous year to French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) -- an era when the French colonial rule was in decline and the Viet Minh had already taken up arms to drive them out. The majority of the book is spent in Vietnam, although certain spots on the modern tourist routes are given their due, such as Siem Reap (Angkor) and Luang Prabang.
   
   Lewis writes clean, crisp, one might say "British" prose, which is easily digested -- so much so, in fact, that it takes a while to realize that the book is actually quite boring. His trip is somewhat of a litany of banal travel clichés: descriptions of bad roads, worse bus drivers, decrepit vehicles, inscrutable natives, "exotic" food, and so forth. Despite his evident interest in various small rural tribes, he doesn't seem to know very much about them, and thus, isn't able to tell the reader much of anything useful about them either. The most interesting parts of the book are his interactions with other Westerners, especially the missionaries, plantation lords, and various French civil and military administrators who are eager to show him around.
   
   The missionaries and plantation bosses come in for pretty heavy scorn from Lewis, and anyone interested in the roots of the Vietnam War would be well advised to read the chapter where Lewis witnesses firsthand how the French system in Vietnam operated along feudal relationships of power and local villagers were forced to labor on plantations. Alas, there's also plenty of scorn (albeit less direct) for the natives of the places he visits. There are no end of terms such as "squalid", "barbaric", "indolent", "immoral", "sinful" and the like applied to various tribespeople along the way. The levels of condescension are rather disappointing from someone eulogized by the Telegraph after his death as "perhaps the best, and certainly the most underrated, English travel writer of the 20th century."This is the book that allegedly inspired Graham Greene to go to Vietnam and then produce The Quiet American, but most contemporary readers will find Greene's book to be far more engaging than this dated work.



2. This is a brilliantly written book. Keen observations of the tragic occupation of Vietnam by the French that are relevant to our occupation of Iraq. His tone is wise and witty. I plan on reading all of his writings after this experience.



3. First, the negative. Norman Lewis is a travel writer; he is not a researcher or a historian. He sometimes relies on what other people tell him for background information, and as a result his chapters are of varying degrees of trustworthiness: the worst point, probably, is his account of the Hmong (whom he, following the traditional nomenclature, calles the Meo) is probably the worst for misinformation. On the other hand, when he has access to first-class information--say, having learned about the Moi from a major anthropologist--his account is riveting.
   
   The truth about this book is almost precisely the opposite of what another reviewer has said. On the surface it is a mere travelogue, occasionally exciting, usually interesting, sometimes dull. Only towards the middle does one realise that one is in the company of a man of wit, imagination, insight, philosophy, humanity, and a keen passion to get to the heart of things coupled with an uncanny capacity to succeed in doing so. A visit to Ankor Wat produces a meditation on history and the nature of politics which could stand proudly on a shelf with Ruskin. His visits to primitive tribes are as revealing as those of Levi-Strauss and more readable. In a few deft incisive sentences he can lay bare the technique of the skilled propagandist or reveal the true motives behind an economic arrangment. He spends much time with humane French officials whose interest in and work on behalf of the local population--these are men who devoted their time to eradicating malaria, committing oral traditions to print, and growing vegetable gardens to improve the health of the malnourished--almost convince us that the French presense was indeed a good thing: and then we learn that half the local people on whose behalf these men did these things were taken and used as slaves on French plantations. His brief and courageous sojourn in Viet Minh-controlled territory says more about the virtues and shortcomings of the socialist imagination than Justin Wintle's entire book about Communist Vietnam would do exactly fifty years later.
   
   What starts out as mere travelogue turns into a nuanced and profound statement about the modern condition; about the tragic impossibility of any attempt to defend nature and traditional arts from the encroachments of cheap modern commercial culture. But any attempt on my part to summarise Mr. Lewis' vision will result in reducing it to a cliche. Like all individual and sensitive writing, this has to be read for itself, in its entirety. And to do so is a pleasure given Mr. Lewis' command of English prose; one puts this book down, turns with reluctance to more current writing, and says with a sigh: "they still knew how to write then!" I recommend this book, certainly to anyone who enjoys travel writing or anyone interested in anthropology or in the recent history of South-East Asia, but to also to anyone who enjoys seeing cultures and human lives described with warmth and wit.



4. ..is, as Lewis says, the right way to do everything in Vietnam. This book is a travelogue and more, an erudite one, written with profound philosophical insights, and clean, original prose. At the beginning Lewis is quite clear what motivated him to undertake this unusual, and at times dangerous trip - the Chinese Civil War had just ended, the Communists had won, the door was closed, both literally and figuratively on a way of life that would be no more. He wanted to see Indochina before the same occurred. His concerns were prescient.
   
   After a glancing view of the "universal religion," the Cao-Dai, with its wild pastiche of saints that include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Confucius, Lewis moves to the Central Highlands of what would become South Vietnam, and for almost half the book reports on the colonial arrangements involving the aboriginal peoples the French called the Montangards, the Moi, the Rhades, and the Jarai. It was these people, in particular, who would have their way of life completely destroyed in the French, and later, the American wars. Lewis scathingly described the American missionaries, living quite well, trying to collect a "few souls," and utterly indifferent to the physical life of their would-be converts. As he said: "I waited in vain for the quotation beginning, `Render unto Caesar'...." His portrait of French colonial officials is more nuanced. He reports that they were often sympathetic, and even helpful to the "natives," yet when push came to shove, as it does so often from the rapacious planter's need for ever more (slave) labor for their plantations, they invariably knuckled under. Of personal interest to me was the unfavorable description of the French owner of the tea plantation near Pleiku. When I was there during the "American War", in 1968, he was still there, and still protected - we had strict orders that the plantation could not be fired upon, even if fire was received. Concerning this arrangement, Lewis says: "... were the nation's interests sacrificed to the short-term ambitions of a small, powerful group of its citizens." is as relevant today as it was then.
   
   After the Highlands, he returns to the Chinese section of Saigon - Cholon - and goes south into the delta (Cochin-China). He reports on the French effort to grant "independence" within the French Union, yet on such matters as club membership, the natives are still excluded. As he says: "Perhaps, if the French - and the English - had been gentler with their colonial subjects' amour-propre (self-respect) in the matter of such things as club memberships, their position in the Far East might have been a lot less precarious than it is."
   
   Through the serendipity that dominates his travel arrangements, he visits Cambodia and Angkor Vat. There are precise descriptions, and spot-on philosophical musing on the energy expended to build these monuments, and now their abandonment. The Khmers were indeed a gentle people, who frustrated French General des Essars efforts to build an Army by taking "Thou Shall not Kill" literally. In the forward, written 32 years after this trip, he concludes with: "What could these people have suffered to have transformed the sons and brothers of General des Esssars' reluctant conscripts, formed in the ambulatories of monasteries rather than on the barracks' square into those terrible and implacable warriors who flocked to the standards of the Khmer Rouge?"
   
   Due to the insecurity of the roads, Lewis had to fly to the third of the three countries, Laos. At the time it was viewed as an ideal assignment for French colonial officials, who invariably seem to "go native," marrying a Laotian wife, and getting through the night with a bowl of opium. Lewis succinctly describes this as: "Laos-ized Frenchmen are like the results of successful lobotomy operations - untroubled and mildly libidinous." And despite those insecure roads, Lewis takes a wild ride with one of those Frenchmen to Luang Prabang.
   
   The book concludes with a chapter involving his return to Saigon, and "going over to the other side," spending a couple of days with the Viet-Minh. He mentioned his exhaustion in Laos, and I'm afraid it carried over to this escapade, since his description of it was flat, and without insight.
   
   Overall, a wonderful, essential book for anyone still contemplating the immense tragedy that was the Vietnam experience for almost 50 years. And in that contemplation, consider how differently the world might be today if the US government had decided, in 1946, to back the one force in Indochina that fought with it during World War II, Ho Chi Minh and his partisans, and told the 40,000 French colonials that the "good life" was now over, and it was time to go home.