5 comments about Caribbean For Dummies (Dummies Travel).

1. This book is great. It has so much information about the caribbean. These Garrett folks are hilarious. They seem to put their heart into this book and I appreciate it. There is a lot of info for couples looking for romantic spots and for families with kids.



2. This book is great. It has so much information about the caribbean. These Garrett folks are hilarious. They seem to put their heart into this book and I appreciate it. There is a lot of info for couples looking for romantic spots and for families with kids. This rocks!



3. The review says that the book includes information on St. Lucia and St. Maarten/St. Martin. It does not. It totally ignores most of the smaller islands of the Caribbean. I realize that they could not fit an in-depth analysis of all the Caribbean islands into one book, but to totally ignore the vast majority of islands makes this book incomplete and disappointing.



4. Oh dear, oh dear. This is the Caribbean from a Dummy. There is far more to it than this horribly limited selection of islands.

   Aruba is in, but not Bonaire or Curacao. Nor St Maarten to round off the Netherlands and Dutch Antilles, plus its French half St Martin.

   Grand Cayman yes - Cayman Brac and Little Cayman? These beauties are a short hop away for the discerning traveler.

   Jamaica is in, but not Cuba.

   Puerto Rico is there but not the Dominican Republic or the Spanish Virgin Islands. In better times Haiti can be an attractive destination.

   BVI and USVI are there. No sign of Anguilla.

   Further down the great chain of the East Caribbean islands all we see is Barbados (which is stuck out in the Atlantic anyway and does not count itself as East Caribbean). These islands are almost all popular holiday destinations for land or cruise travelers. St Kitts and Nevis (laid back), Antigua and Barbuda (365 beaches), the French islands Guadeloupe and Martinique (incomparable cooking and rum), Dominica (the only true rain forest in the Caribbean), St Lucia (spectacular), St Vincent and the Grenadines (sailing as good as BVI), Grenada (an under-appreciated gem with beaches every bit as good as Grand Cayman), Trinidad and Tobago (restful Tobago). No to mention a few islands like St Eustatius and Saba in the north, plus volcanic Montserrat for at least for a day trip from Antigua.

   Anyone who relied on this book for a true view of the Caribbean really would be a Dummy. There is not one country in here that uses the East Caribbean dollar.

   PS I live and work in the Caribbean. I have lived on four islands, visited thirty-six at the last count, and I am still delighted and amazed to find wonders round every corner.




5. the book was informative but it left out several interesting islands. the book only covered 11 islands & i know there is more than that. for a first time visitor to the caribbean you need information on all the islands so you can choose which one is best for YOU!!! As i said okay book but fodors or frommers is a much better choice.

3 comments about Outside's Wilderness Lodge Vacations: More Than 100 Prime Destinations in North America Plus Central America and the Caribbean.

1. This is a guide for the fun loving, adventurous traveler who is looking for a comfy place to crash. I have already been to 3 of the places listed in California and the guide was accurate, honest and easy to use.



2. This book offers an excellent and large selection of destinations and provides ample information about them. I would wish for a greater number of unusual entries, however, those uncovered with more depth of searching. As destination ideas, these entries are not difficult to obtain on one's own.



3. It was a helpful and informative book, but it didn't contain as many lodges as I thought it would have and the info wasn't as extensive on the lodges it had.

5 comments about On Island Time: Kayaking The Caribbean.

1. This is the best adventure book I have ever read. I didn't want this trip to end. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.



2. A wonderfully informative, yet intense adventure read. Scott's travels around the Caribbean will make you want to go exploring. His simple, yet very seaworthy means of travel allows him to explore places that boaters in larger craft can only steam by while seeking the nearest marina. Well written. I highly recommend this book!



3. At no point did I become board with the adventure or find it un interesting.



4. Reading Williams' On Island Time, you can almost feel the waves lapping over the bow of the kayak and feel the shark bumping you from below. If you can't afford to take off for months to the Carribean, this book is the next best thing.



5. I usually love escapist books of this nature. With this one, I find myself vaguely disappointed. While the writing itself is not bad, some areas are breezed over, and details vary, depending on Scott's memory, most likely. I suppose the biggest disappointment is that the Carribean is now almost exclusively private or government property, and there is almost nowhere to go anymore to discover anything new. He describes a few spectacular coves and tiny islands he explored, usually with others, but 80% of the content deals with avoiding private property and bribing foreign officals with rum from the folks he's hitched a ride with over most of the journey. In all, the book doesn't make me want to go adventuring, to see "what's over that horizon" because everyone has already been there. At least, not without a world class bank account.
   
   The Eagles said it best, "Call someplace Paradise, kiss it goodbye."

No comments about Cayman Islands, 3rd (Bradt Travel Guide).

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....

5 comments about Unburnable: A Novel.

1. This book was a definite page turner. I found myself torn between wanting to know what was going to happen next to not wanting the book to end. (I literally dragged out the last few chapters for as long as I could). I liked how each chapter went back and forth from the past to the present until they caught up with each other and I loved the way the history of Dominica was weaved through out the book. The language was raw and honest. Marie-Elena John is a powerful new voice it the literary world and I cant wait to read her next book.



2. I enjoyed the story a great deal. John is a very talented writer so full of rich detail. The story itself was a true page turner. However, about 2/3rd's of the way through the book the story started to fizzle and become a little tedious. So many events,past and present, were built up to a disappointing climax. I found myself rereading thinking I had missed something. For example, Lillian and all her childhood short comings at the Catholic ceremonies. Her twenty year cat and mouse attraction to Teddy that simply lead to repeated odd ruff house sex complete with band aids and bruises.
   
   The "big revelation" ending fell a little flat. I really thought Teddy was going to hear something profound from Sylvie or Bird (Magistrat not Magic...Noir not Noah. OKAY...?)The ending let the reader draw somewhat of their own conclusion which I appreciate. I just wish Malitda, Iris and Lillian were not so disconnected. Never was there a conversation between any of them.
   
   John wrote with a true love and understanding of the culture of these women. That was the book's greatest asset.



3. Wow. What a great novel! It's hard to believe it's fiction. The way the author ties in the characters, as well as the geographical and cultural references almost make this novel seem like a recap of Dominican oral histories. And to top it off, I learned sooo much from this book. I found myself constantly researching many of the references in the book: Maroons, Caribs, and Igbo cultures, the History of Ash Wednesday, Masquerades, Jacko's Flat, the boiling lake, etc....all things that I had no or limited knowledge about before reading this book. I highly recommend this book..truly honored to add it my book collection.



4. Marie-Elena graciously takes you inside the history and lives of the Dominican people. You will visit the island's original Carib people who discovered Columbus when he arrived in 1493. Yes, be careful because you may actually learn something by reading this novel. Don't worry. Marie-Elena weaves a wonderful tale that will also feed some of your thirst for sex and action, while simultaneously increasing your knowledge of Africa and the Caribbean. She explores the African heritage that has been preserved in the Caribbean for over a century through rituals and everyday life. She also touches on the similarities and divide that exist between Africans, Caribbeans, and African Americans here in America. Overall, Marie-Elena John has written a wonderful novel that entices and intrigues. It is a must read for this summer or anytime you want to take a trip to the beautiful island of Dominica.



5. I read this book on my trip back home and I truly felt as if I was back in time. During the Carnival in Dominica, the characters in the book came alive to me so real.John did her job of pulling me into the history, the characters, the bourgeoise mentality, the Catholicism of the island. I never give away good books but I just had to share the wealth to another Antiguan-Dominican to enjoy the fire of who we are.

No comments about Caribbean Ports of Call: Eastern and Southern Regions, 7th: A Guide for Today's Cruise Passengers (Caribbean Ports of Call: Eastern and Southern Regions).

No comments about Top 10 Virgin Islands (Dk Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides).

No comments about Caribbean Ports of Call: Western Region, 9th: A Guide for Today's Cruise Passengers (Caribbean Ports of Call: Western Region).

2 comments about The Rough Guide to Trinidad & Tobago Map (Rough Guide Country/Region Map).

1. This map was helpful, though it didn't include a close-up section for POS which hurts.



2. As one might expect, every book, and in this case, map, for Trinidad & Tobago emphasizes the larger of the sister islands, Trinidad. Granted, this is probably where most visitors go - but as we are only visiting Tobago, we were hoping for a qood quality map of the smaller island. This map was not the answer. If you are looking for a good map for Trinidad, this will be for you. The size is large, the color and detail is good, and the material is relatively durable yet flexible (specially coated paper to make it water resistent, but it's not laminated by any means - and might tear eventually). Unfortanately for us, the map of Tobago was relegated to the top corner of the Trinidad map. I was quite disappointed to see that the map was completely blank on one side; a horrible amount of wasted space - and opportunity. It seems that one side could have been used for Trinidad and the reverse side for Tobago. This would have allowed the map of Tobago to be large enough that more details, more roads, more village names, and more landmarks, etc. could have been included in a format that would also be easier to view. Bottom line: if you're looking for a nice map of Trinidad - this is a good option, perhaps the only one we've seen. If, like us, you need a nice map of Tobago - keep looking.