No comments about Waterway Guide Southern 2007: Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas.

No comments about Laminated Bahamas Map by Borch.

5 comments about Lonely Planet Bahamas, Turks and Caicos.

1. This guide actually covers the out islands of the Bahamas with detailed coverage. The guide has most every place in the Bahamas covered down to the grains of the sandy beaches.



2. Excellent maps. More budget minded then most guide books. Gives actual prices for hotels, not just $ signs. Easy to read, and honest evaluations. Gives ideas of ways to cut costs. Full coverage of all islands, including out islands. Complement with one other guide and you'll be complete. Site coverages basic, but real use information such as days, times, how to get there.



3. Found the book useful as a starting point. Complete, thorough. Interesting tidbits. But when it came down to actually scheduling trips and tickets, I found out that most of the information was already out of date.

   BahamasAir wasn't familiar with the AirPass, so I had to fax them the section where the author cattily railed on them. All they had to say was "interesting."

   The suggested weekend and week trips were a little sketchy as well. In fact, when I had acutally arrived, I never used the book because of the terrific tourist infrastructure already in place.

   Overall, I felt the author was a little harsh on his take with Bahamian culture, keeping a good sense of humor but almost crossing the line of offensive in some places.

   People should remember that these tour books are a subjective peephole into their place of destination, and should always keep an open mind to discover for themselves.

   I had a great time there.




4. This is one of the best travel guides that I have read. I thought the political information about the Bahamas was really interesting. Just the level of detail--which is probably too much if you're just cruising to Nassau--but it really explains a lot about why things are the way they are in the Bahamas. I dont really use the Lonely Planet guides while on vacation because you dont need that much information. However they really help a lot when you are reasearching a destination.



5. I am usually a fan of Lonely Planet, but having just returned from Grand Bahama, I would not recommend this guide. Published in 2001, which means it was researched before that, it is quite out of date given the tough post 9/11 economy. Examples: Running Mon Resort- closed. Hydroflora gardens- closed. Rand Nature Center- closed. Many retailers- closed, moved, renamed, etc. Restaurant prices - way out of date.

   Some of this is just irritating, but some is more dangerous- eg. LP suggests that, to get to Water Cay you drive the 'dirt road' to the 'north dock' and hire a boat from a local. Do it their way, and you may be a lot lonelier than you bargained for: That dirt road takes 45 minutes on a rutted logging road, lots of forks, no signs, and there is no dock- just a narrow ramp and a couple abandoned cars. High tide there swamps a good 2-300 yards of the shoreline. Time to do a new edition, guys!

   I thought the maps provided were inadequate. For some reason, LP takes the trouble to make a map of Downtown Freeport with some of the restaurants (including a Burger King!?!) and attractions located and numbered, but they don't put the map number with the review! Add that to the Bahamian's indifference to street address numbers, street signs.
   
   Conclusion: Not up to LP's usual standards. Though useful for background information, be prepared to check everything by phone or on the web before you depart. Or skip the guide and start with the web...

No comments about The Bahamas: A Family of Islands (Macmillan Caribbean Guides).

1 comments about Nassau and the Best of the Bahamas Alive! (Nassau & the Best of the Bahamas Alive!).

1. Paris Perneter and John Bigley's Nassau & The Best Of The Bahamas Alive! provides all the destination-oriented information needed to make the best of a trip to the Bahamas, from a survey of restaurants and hot fishing holes to best places to stay, shop, and enjoy the variety of the islands. An excellent take-long tote.

2 comments about Fodor's Bahamas 2007 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. Well, I think this is the second best guide to the Bahamas. I'd suggest Frommer's is a bit better, but that's just my opinion. Both guides seem to have what others (like Lonely Planet, which was the best guide, up to the last edition) seem to lack. Nice background and off the beaten track info. Also the guides are not "just background" info, as can be said about the Insight Guide, which is nice reading, but has very few practical tips and taking into account it's size and weight you will probobly read it and leave it at home.



2. I have bought Fodors Guides for many years, so i decided to get an updated version for this year's trip. I was surprised that the section on Grand Bahama Island was so brief on recommedations. I decided to go to the Frommers website, and even the website had 2 or 3 times as many restaurant reviews. Since this was the only thing I really needed, I will buy Frommers next time.The Fodors guide is stil well organized and informative to a first time or novice traveler to GBI, but the volume of reviews is missing.

1 comments about The Rough Guide to Bahamas 1 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. This is the absolute worst guide book I have ever used! I purchased this one because it was revised in 2003 and assumed that the information would be current and up-to-date. Quickly, I found out how mistaken I was. As far as the information on New Providence/Paradise Island goes, 75% of the restaurants listed we tried to go to were closed, and had been for some time. The names of hotels were wrong, the prices of buses and taxis were dated, it failed to give any kind of review on smaller hotels and we ended up staying a few scary nights in a dump... It lacked on reviews of any kind for that matter, hotels, food, beaches, transportation; the information was either not there or seemed to always be incorrect. This book would be more helpful duct taped shut and used to prop up a leaning bookshelf.

1 comments about Yachtsman's Guide to the Bahamas, 1999.

1. Actually I have the 1998 edition of the same book by Meredith Fields. I was a first time cruiser to the Bahamas. We Left Ft. Lauderdale Fl. on a 40' Sailboat with 6.5' draft, sailed to West End,Grand Bahama, East across the Grand Bahama bank to Treasuer Cay, Marsh Harbour, Hole in the Wall, Barry islands, Gun Cay, and Florida again. There are many places in the Bahamas where we could easily run aground... THIS BOOK WITH ITS SKETCH CHARTS AND DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS ARE PRICELESS..... DONT CRUISE THE BAHAMAS WITH OUT IT.. The Bahama Islands are so vast that even if I lived there I would not go far without consulting it as a guide. PS: I gave this book a rating of 5 stars only because I could not give it more.... it deserves 10 stars.

No comments about Frommer's Portable Bahamas (Frommer's Portable).

No comments about The Day Is So Long And The Wages So Small: Music on a Summer Island.