No comments about Living and Working in Australia, Fifth Edition: A Survival Handbook (Living and Working in).

1 comments about Rarotonga & the Cook Islands (Country Guide).

1. My fiance and i were fortunate enough to holiday in the Cooks for 2 weeks in January 07. In the lead up to our trip i purchased this guide and studied it carefully. All the sections were well written and comprehensive. The history and environment section made for interesting background reading and helped to get an idea of life back in the old days as well as the current situation.
   The section dealing with Rarotonga and its capital Avarua, as a whole was useful and the information (sights, accomodation, where to eat/drink and shop, other amenities) for the most part (95%) accurate - even prices more or less. We did a daytrip to Aitutaki and that section was also quite good. There were also sections on all the other Southern & Northern group islands but i cannot comment as we did not go to any of these. Still made interesting reading though. The maps were also accurate and well detailed.
   One thing i would disagree with is attemting to do the main cross island hike on your own. It is possible but there are no signposts, and the trail itself is quite difficult to find and follow in places, not to mention quite treacherous and hard going in the wet season. We went with Pa a local guide and it was a wise decision as many people have been injured or worse attempting this hike.
   Other than this, my main gripe is with actual construction of this book. The plastic coating on the cover started to peel soon after purchase and the pages are starting to come loose from the spine. All this without any heavy duty wear and tear. I think Lonely Planet need to increase their quality control and improve the construction of their guides so that they do stand up to more rigorous use, after all that's what they are for.

2 comments about Melbourne (City Guide).

1. The Lonely Planet city guide to "Melbourne" was put together by Simone Egger and David McClymont. The guide I am reviewing is the 5th edition of the guide, so please take note that a 6th edition will be out soon, and it is almost always best to go with the latest edition of a travel guide.
   
   I may update my review after my trip, but from my first reading of the guide, I found it to be fairly comprehensive. It covers the city as well as some things to do in the immediately surrounding region. There are sections which cover the culture (`City Life', `Arts',' Food', `History'), the area (`Neighbourhoods'), and most importantly for the traveler, things to do (`Eating', `Drinking', `Sleeping', `Walking Tours', `Entertainment', `Sports, Health, & Fitness', `Shopping', and `Excursions').
   
   I found this guide to be very helpful in my planning, and only found a couple areas where it wasn't accurate. The first was in hotel costs, and that is undoubtedly due to the fact that I am going to be there during a holiday. The guide is also from 2004, so there would undoubtedly be changes each year anyway. The other area where they might want to update is for getting a visa. Tourist visas for many countries can now be applied for online, but they do not mention that. I feel that one of the most useful sections of this book will probably turn out to be the `Directory' section, which covers a wide range of topics from transportation, money exchange, embassies, tipping, tourist information, and much more.
   
   As the city guide for the city in which Lonely Planet is based, my expectations were very high, and so far they have been met for the most part. As I indicated earlier, I may come back and edit this review after my trip, but for pre-planning, these is easily a four star reference. However, I do see that the 6th edition is due out in October of this year, so if possible I would suggest waiting for the more up-to-date version of the guide.



2. We bought both this guide and the Rough Guide to Melbourne before our recent trip to Melbourne. This one had some out-of-date pricing, but otherwise I didn't find anything to dislike about it. The Rough Guide, however, was most suited to our personal reading styles, because my husband and I both preferred it. This guide requires a bit more ability to focus and read longer essay-type writing on topics. In fact, I may read it now that I am home, more for the interesting data it offers, as opposed to for the guerrilla-style-week-of-Melbourne that I was engaged in when I was actually there.

No comments about The New Zealand Bed & Breakfast Guide 2008 (New Zealand Bed and Breakfast Book).

5 comments about Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story.

1. If you love to travel and love the idea of making your passion pay for itself, then this is a must read. An open and honest look at the creation and evolution of Lonely Planet!



2. Tony and Maureen Wheeler talk about all the places they have visited so far, how they built Lonely Planet as a publishing house, and share their personal views on several topics.
   
   The Wheelers' have travelled so widely that even the names of all the places they have been to can be tough to follow! They understandably have to rush through them. The most interesting part of the travel memoir section is the comparison between how the places were in the 70s/80s and how they are now, something the Wheelers' always point out.
   
   Besides being a travel memoir, this is book about building a boot-strapped busines. The Wheeler's show that building a business is more than just pursuing your dreams, it is about keeping a tight leash on finances, building a good team, competing with similar and larger competitors, staying ahead on the technology curve and reacting to external changes. The chapter "All about guidebooks" is an interesting introduction to how guidebooks are produced - from writing them to getting them printed. As a business book, it is similar to the Starbucks story (Howard Schultz, "How Starbucks built a company..").
   
   The book does not come together as a captivating story. In the first few chapters, the authors describe a chronological order, but that breas down in the later part of the book. Chapters like "All about guidebooks", though very interesting on their own, do break the flow of the story. In addition, there are topics that the authors pick up but do not do justice to (e.g. comparison with competitors is incomplete).
   
   An interesting book overall about travel, how travel is changed over the last three decades, and the challenges of building a business even if it is your dream business.



3. Lonely Planet Publications began in 1973 when the authors self-published a unique travel guide ACROSS ASIA ON THE CHEAP. What began as a one-time publication evolved into an entire publishing company specializing in places where few conventional tourists traveled. UNLIKELY DESTINATIONS is a wonderful addition to any travel library: it blends autobiography, business history and travel and covers the authors' personal story and the evolution of their budget travel guide business. Armchair travelers and any familiar with the Lonely Planet lineup of excellent independent-travel guides will relish this expose of how they came to be.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



4. While the book is well written and covers many fascinating travels throughout the world, including obscure places in Southeast Asia, it is offensive by describing "September 11th and all that." September 11th may have been a joke to wealthy people who live their lives travelling and being paid for travelling, but it was not a joke to the people who lost their lives and the only thing this author can do is complain that there was a "Sept. 11 downturn" in donations to a Lonely Planet Charity. Give me a break. There are more important things than seeing the next 'exotic' destination and playing drums with the natives. While travel is important, and who does'nt love it, is it not the end all, be all. There are times to judge and there are times to take a moment out and say "where did I come from? Did 3,000 of my countrymen just get murdered." There are times and by poking fun at 9/11 and complaining that it led to less donations and pretending that the deaths of people is a joke this book does a disservice both to travelelrs who have morals and to the world. Civilians don't deserve to be murdered and making fun of them is degrading and offensive. Eveyrthing else in this book is interesting but the 9/11 rant spoils it all.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman



5. I recommend this book to all fans of the Lonely Planet travel guides. I love how the travel guides are organized. I also loved the TV series and even their calendars so I couldn't resist opening this book when I saw it. Reading this book tells you how the business of Lonely Planet started. It's a story of survival and courage. It's also brutally honest at times. Tony mentions which books were a success and which ones weren't and why. Sometimes the Wheelers meander in their discussions (much like how they meandered in their travels), but you won't mind because the overall story is so captivating. The most amazing thing is how Tony and Maureen managed to travel and raise two children all while running a business. Lonely Planet has always been an inspiration and will doubtless continue to be to its readers.

1 comments about Alaska (Traveller's Wildlife Guides).

1. I found the book to be very informative and well organized. The photos were a tremendous aid to the text, which is easy to read and fun. This will be a wonderful addition to my reference library and I will be going back to it again and again.

5 comments about Frommer's South Pacific (Frommer's Complete).

1. It is very obvious that the author of this book has actually been to the South Pacific - he is very enthusiastic about the area - and sincerely wants his readers to love it too! We have followed the book's on two trips and have found the advise to be 100% accurate. I highly recommend this book - it can be trusted.



2. Having been a resident of French Polynesia and Tahiti for over 35 years, the author-in my opinion-has produced an accurate, objective and encompassing report and guide for the American traveling public.The subject matter to review and relay is quite extensive--and this requires a fine tuned view of each island. Although I have not visited as many islands as the writer, I find the ones I know in the edition to be correct and concise--in fact, I learned details I was not aware of.
   
   It is important to remember this guide was presented by an American-with an American viewpoint and cultural value-for the American market.
   
   In closing, before coming to these islands, I highly suggest you extend your credit card limits and/or bring lots of cash as most of it probably won't be returning with you. French Polynesia is expensive--yet the lagoon colors, vibrant mountains and handsome people make it a memorable experience.



3. If you are looking for information to help you decide where to go in the South Pacific this is a great place to start. If you know you are going to a specific Island you may want to consider a book on just that Island but this is a great overview and a resource for travelling between the islands.



4. Bill Goodwin has continually updated and improved this book since the 6th and 7th editions. Why does Amazon.com retain such outdated reviews from two years ago and more? So much has been changed since the edition one of these early reviews refer to. For example Goodwin points out the best snorkeling and other outdoor activities, and tells exactly where to go to rent bicycles. Goodwin's professional advice is highly relevant to travelers of all price ranges, including backpackers (he began as one after all), and all advice is given with an eye to making the most of your money. No travel guide can possibly be up to the, minute (the time need to print the book causes this), but Goodwin provides frequent updates on his own website, [...].
   This guide is entertaining as well as useful. It is indispensable for all of us who have outgrown Lonely Planet. Please remove the out of date reviews of this excellent book.



5. This book has a 2006 copyright date in it so don't count on all the prices for hotels, dining, etc. to be up to date. We generally buy Frommer's books more for learning about the area and signts to see than for hotels and dining.Web sites we have researched don't contain a lot of great information as they are loaded with items to sell you. We have visited this area one other tiem and this is the place to go to relax and really take life easy. The book gives you some very good insight into the area and what to visit and where to spend you time. This book has some items and locations that appear in another Frommer book, Tahiti and French Polynesia. Areas in this book include Fiji, Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Rarotonga and Cook Islands, Samoa and the Kingdom of Tonga. Even if you are visiting only a couple of those islands you will find the book worth while.We first looked at major book stores in Dallas and locating copies of South Pacific books was next to impossible. Every store though did offer to order a copy for us. That meant paying full retail price and having to make another trip to the bookstore. You spend less time and money by ordering as we did through Amazon.

5 comments about Fatal Storm: The Inside Story of the Tragic Sydney-Hobart Race.

1. I finished this book on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles...with one disaster after another occurring in this massive storm, the writer keeps the reader actively turning pages throughout the book. You would not believe the bravery of everyone involved, from the actual racing teams to the rescue teams, not one person was left unphased by this experience.

   I am not an active sailor now, but with some experience in racing with a crew on sailboats, I found the account of this true story gripping.

   Certainly, a fun book to read, even if you are not into sailing. It may even convince you to never go open ocean sailing!




2. Rob Mundle is journalist and it shows. But behind the bonhomie and parochialism of the yachting scene insider there's an immediacy to this narrative, a rawness to the action and a fire in these heroics that combine to make Fatal Storm an inspiring read. There's something wild about this story, something that makes it different to Fastnet Force 10. There are moments in Fatal Storm when the sailors reading it will be afraid.



3. This is such a riveting story that it would be hard to write a bad book about it. Mundle is a fine writer, and the book is easy to read and a real page turner.
   As a story teller though, he could use some improvement. For example, one of the yachts is capsized by a giant wave and a man thrown overboard. What happens to him? Will he drown in the stormy waters of Bass Straight? Or is he rescued? We turn the page to find... a quote from the man in question describing what was going through his head as he fell from the yacht. So he lives! Full marks for thorough research, zero for sustaining the tension of the story.
   
   Another caveat for non boating readers. Mundle makes no attempt to explain any of the yachting jargon used throughout the book, so if you are a non boating person like myself, I would recommend reading with a copy of Wikipedia or the full Oxford dictionary by your side so you can understand terms like storm sail, jib, cockpit and many others that are used throughout the book. This will enhance your enjoyment of the book no end.
   
   All in all a great read.



4. The Southern Ocean---that landless sweep of sea that girds the lower third of our planet and isolates Antarctica---is notorious for its evil weather. Huge rollers, unchecked by any landmass, roil around the circumference of the Earth, making this area one of the most daunting, hazardous and challenging for any mariner.
   
   Once yearly on Boxing Day, the 630-mile Sydney-to-Hobart Yacht Race crosses a small portion of the Southern Ocean. One of the three great sport sailing events (along with the Fastnet and the Newport-to-Bermuda) the Sydney-to-Hobart has always had its fickle aspect, but never more so than 1998 when the entire regatta found itself trapped in an unforecasted cyclonic "bomb"---a small and unseasonable but virulent hurricane that produced 80 knot winds and steep hundred foot waves in the relatively narrow Bass Strait.
   
   Although only six sailors died, most of the fleet was battered into kindling by the waves, tall as buildings, heavier, and with much more velocity. Author Rob Mundle, an experienced distance ocean sailor, does a fine job of reportage as he tracks and traces the fates of the various participants, including the Sea-Rescue parajumpers who leapt into the darkness of the angry ocean to save the hapless crews of the shattered boats.
   
   FATAL STORM is well written and avoids becoming bogged down in too much nautical technospeak making it a good adventure story for the armchair enthusiast. The one drawback of FATAL STORM is that Mundle assumes the reader's relative familiarity with the meteorology, landforms, and idiosyncrasies of Australia's natural environment. For those of us not "Down Under" this makes FATAL STORM slightly more difficult to decode than it needs to be.



5. I picked up with book without knowing the details of the race or even that there was such a race between Sydney and Hobart. But within pages I could not put it down. The book is a must for any sailer, kayaker or power boater. It tells the tales of the spirit of sport combined with an under estimation of what mother nature can produce.

3 comments about National Geographic Traveler: Australia (3rd Edition) (National Geographic Traveler).

1. This is my first national Geographic travel guide, from an interesting author. He once biked 10,000 miles around Australia, getting into remote areas where he was all alone, 100 miles from the nearest habitation just on his bicycle. As he went, his travel commentaries were published in the Australian papers, and the story was even picked up by the international newspapers at the time, making him something of an international celebrity as a travel writer. He now lives in Victoria and freelances for various Australian magazines and publications. It's more topically oriented the say, the DK guide, with perhaps fewer subjects covered but with more coverage per article. This is just my subjective impression but I offer it for what it's worth. The DK guide's look busier per page and this one is less.
   
   I learned some interesting things from this book. To mention just a few, Australia is the oldest continent, which is why the interior is so flat, and why it contains so many marsupial species, which died out elsewhere when the couldn't compete with the more advanced placental mammals. Culturally, it is a land of contrasts, with more modern looking cities with newer buildings than most American cities, which contrasts with the primitive aboriginal lifestyle which still exists to some extent in North Australia. And the rugged, macho image of Australian settlers, outbackers, and bushrangers contrasts with the fact that Sydney has an even higher gay and lesbian population than San Francisco, and their Gay and Lesbian parade is an international event.
   
   Before getting into the regional sections, there is a 72 page introduction that covers history, culture, the land, food, and drink, the arts, and flora and fauna. There's a lot of good info here and this is a longer introduction compared to most travel guides that I've seen.The remaining 299 pages cover the 8 major provinces or regions of Australia, including the island of Tasmania, which I was especially interested in. Each section includes the most popular sites and things to do, with beautiful photos and well written text.
   
   I am especially interested in Tasmania, and I learned that it is easy to see the sights there, as there is a 600-mile road that goes around the entire perimeter of the island, and most of the interesting sites can be accessed from it. As I am planning a trip to Australia sometime soon, I was interested to learn this, since most of Australia is difficult to get to since the distances are so vast. Just Western Australia, still one of the most remote and sparsely settled regions, is three times the size of Texas.
   
   Sydney of course gets a special section by itself, and you could spend the rest of your life just seeing the sites there. I was most interested in Sydney, Tasmania, and also Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Kuranda Rainforest in the north as the three other main places to visit on my trip, and this guide was very helpful for researching that. Other helpful features of this guide include an Australia map on the inside front cover, a Sydney transit map, and many regional and town maps for you convenience. There is a quick table of contents on the inside front cover also. All in all a nice done and enjoyable guide to the fascinating land of Down Under.



2. While Magellen writes a good description of the book, I found it useless because Magellen has never been to Australia and therefore has never used the book. Moreover, I can skim it myself to see if it will work for me. It would be much more helpful if reviewers actually have used a guidebook!



3. Excellent information and pictures. A great help when planning your trip to Australia and a wonderful memory of the places we saw and heard about while visiting Australia.

5 comments about Island of Bali.

1. This is by far the best book available if you want to know about the people of Bali - their unique lifestyle, religion, customs and beliefs. Written in the 1930's, it still holds true today. The classic black and white photos are worth the price alone. The Balinese people still live a magical life that is difficult for a westerner to comprehend, unless you read a book like this.



2. This book is the essential book about Bali. I read it 26 years ago when I first went to Bali and it still ranks as thee book about Bali. If you wish to learn about the Balinese people, their culture and religion and beliefs I highly recommend this book. jim



3. I must confess this book is thick but hey!!! It's well worth reading about for those who want to understand a little about Balinese culture as well as it's lovely people. I found it very interesting since it covered almost everything about Bali, however the book was written before World War II and well I still think it's great to have a book that is still resourceful. Even though so much has changed with Bali over the decades this book will never die surely. This is a must and is essential for those who want to have a better understanding of Bali back before World War II and they can still relate it to the present. Nothing much has changed but a few things have altered. It was like stepping back in time when I read this book... I hope everyone will enjoy the book as much as I do too... great book to have...



4. If you only read one book on Bali, read this one. Believe me, I'm Balinese.

   Miguel Covarrubias, and his wife Rose,who were Mexican, went to Bali twice, once in 1930 for several months and again in 1933 again for several months. The first time they stayed in Denpasar, the capital, and the second time in Ubud, where I live.

   They stayed with Walter Spies in Ubud,who was an extraordinary German, who had been living there for years, and who totally absorbed Balinese culture. My mother worked for him. He taught the Covarrubias's a lot.

   They then wrote their book. It is regarded as the bible and all subsequent books owe a lot to it. Some things have changed, of course, but only on the surface. We are very traditional, especially in the Ubud area. The book is an excellent introduction to our rich culture.

   The book discusses family and village life, rice farming, our Bali-Hindu religion, ceremonies, history, drama, art and dance.

   It's very readable and the photographs and line drawings are great.




5. Mexican painter Miguel Covarrubias set sail for Bali in 1931 on an optimistic personal quest to discover, absorb, and chronicle Bali's traditional living culture. Buy into the romance and seduction of Covarrubias-driven by a feverish imagination-- inexorably pulled towards and teased by the lure of Bali, half a world away. Travel back sixty-four years in time to Bali's unspoiled natural vistas-a happy, peaceful. pristine retreat standing apart from a West mired in crippling economic depression and poised on the precipice of World War II. As a fellow artist on an island with three million artists-in-residence (creativity is considered both a religious and a natural activity on Bali), Covarrubias penetrated deeply into the spirit of the dance, theatre, music, decorative arts, and pastimes of Bali.
   Embellished by 114 half-tone photos and 90 drawings by the author and other Balinese artists, this essential, still-relevant classic consists of twelve chapters on the Balinese people and their civilization in the 1930s. Accompanied by painter Walter Spies, Bali's most famous expatriate resident, they roamed the countryside together with eyes, ears, and canvasses wide open, observing the local life. Covarrubias's most notable writing describes the organization of the traditional Balinese village: the markets, social order, etiquette, language, caste system, the banjar, law and justice, the courts, the subak, rice culture, and the distribution of labor. This intimate, insider's foray into every nook and cranny of his own paradise produced key chapters on everyday family life in Bali: the house, cooking, costume and adornment, childbirth, childhood, adolescence, sexual customs, and marriage.
   Covarrubias explored the place of the artist in Balinese life and the development and evolution of Balinese art, crafts, sculpture, and architecture. Drama and dance are important components of Balinese life: they come alive through the village orchestras, musical instruments, classical Legong, and the ancient shadow plays. Island of Bali unveils material on priests and religion, temples and feasts, offerings and exorcisms, the Balinese calendar, and the original Bali Aga people. Written from a day when primary forests reigned supreme and witch doctors wielded terrifying power, Covarrubias delves into the cult of the Barong and Rangda, black and white magic, folk medicine, the sacrifice of widows, and death and cremation. The Balinese still lead a magical, mystical, harmonious life that is difficult for Westerners to understand unless they read a profound work like Covarrubias's Island of Bali. With an artist's sensibility and a Bali-lover's eye, Covarrubias paints a complex nirvana with words and easel in this great literary achievement.