1 comments about Cruising Guide to Belize and Mexico's Caribbean Coast, Including Guatemala's Rio Dulce.

1. Can't imagine sailing in Belize without this resource! It's really the only one out there. That said, one must rely on their own navigation skills along with the advice in this book--things change every year... Great book!

4 comments about On and Off the Beaten Path: The Central and Southern Bahamas Guide : From South Florida to the Turks and Caicos.

1. Pavlidis' guide will get you to places you didnt think you could visit. It also assumes you are a competent tropical water sailor and wont do stupid things like run into rocks, etc. Where other guides state "local knowledge required" for an area Pavlidis gives you the best current info and then warns you to be aware of possible changes and hazards. If you want to find places where there is still a lobster under every rock and no other boats in sight, this is the guide to use.



2. I am getting ready to take off for the Bahamas next month so I decided to take a trip to the ship's store and have a look at the cruising guides. I am heading to the Southern Bahamas so you would think that this guide would be perfect. It is NOT. I took a quick look through the contents and index and discovered he did not cover the Exumas. How could this be? Ah... Mr. Pavlidis wants you to buy YET ANOTHER of his books, one specifically covering the Exumas. Appauling. How can you say you are covering the central and southern Bahamas WITHOUT even one chapter on the Exumas?

   I think I will stick with my trusty Yachtsman's guide to the Bahamas. It actually covers the Bahamas. It does not leave out A WHOLE ISLAND CHAIN in order to suck up another 30 bucks.

   The book's name should be The Central and Southern Bahamas Guide EXCLUDING a Great Deal of the Southern and Central Bahamas.

   Good Grief!




3. The initial review looks great! When I get to the Bahamas the real review will begin.



4. I'm NOT a sailor yet, but am in the "early retirement planning" stage (meaning sailing lessons and drooling over boats). In about 6 - 8 years we will have a boat and will be spending a lot of time in the Bahamas. This book really gives a lot of excellent information on just about everything you need, and more stuff on the things you want to know.
   
   I highly recommend this book and this author to any one, sailor or not!

5 comments about St. John Off The Beaten Track.

1. Mr. Singer does a terrific job of detailing St. John's numerous hiking trails. He even gives concise, clear directions on how to get to each one. Thanks to him, we found our way to the America Hill trail with ease, and I must say the view from that vantage point was certainly worth the arduous hike up that mountain! He even gives advice on the best snorkeling spots as well as snippets of St. John history. After perusing this book, you feel as if you've been to St. John even if you never have! An absolute must for properly and thoroughly exploring the island. The only drawback is the lack of color photographs of the vegetation he describes. Also, the maps are very helpful.



2. As marine aquariasts and avid snorkelers, this book led us to the greatest snorkeling spots and some beautiful secluded beaches. Our favorite was Yawzi Point and Little Lameshur Bay. We arrived at 10:30 and were among 4 people on the beach. The waters were turquiose and the beach beautfully sandy like Trunk Bay but without the crowd. We enjoyed the right side of Yawzi Point accessible from Little Lameshur as the waters were calmer than the left hand side with similar reef to explore. Leinster Bay/Waterlemon Cay was another great find. The thing the book didn't mention was to hang your bag as Mongooses can unzip and will eat your lunch! The best, most useful book out of the three we bought. The maps are terrific as well.



3. I thought I had seen it all. Then I found St John Off the Beaten Track. Gerald Singer has chosen to share the hidden treasures of St John. St John is full of history, plantation ruins, nature walks. They will make your trip special.



4. I could not get past the lack of photographs which would have depicted what the author was discussing. The book is filled with drawings, some look like the refrigerator art we all collect when our children are in elementary school. It was like reading an article discussing colors and all the pictures were in black and white. The book discusses plants and there is no photograph of the plant. There is one section in the middle with approximately 6 to 8 photographs. I wanted to see photographs of the stinging wasps and the poisonous plants. I didn't find them.



5. We have spent many years sailing in the Virgin Islands, and St. John has always been a favorite. This book is a great guide to where the good snorkeling is, where the good beaches are and to the St. John Trail system. It is also an excellent guide to information on this island that I have not found anywhere else nor in our somewhat *extensive* Virgin Islands library we have accumulated over the years.
   
   That all said, this is not a book for the timid. If you want to really see this island, it takes some sweat and some work. Many of the beaches and snorkels described in this book require some work you the reader's part to do the hike, scramble along the shoreline or get to the spots described. On St. John, this in many cases is not a simple task. You will need to your own transportation if you are staying on the island and you will need to be prepared for a serious hike up steep hills carrying your gear to get to many of these places. If you are coming by boat you will need to be able to plan a bit of an expedition to get to the bays and beaches listed. In many cases, it will entail a hike from the most popular anchorages to the spots listed.
   
   We like it like that. The snorkels are worth it - and would describe most of them to be non beginner-cruise-shipper-with-life-preserver sorts of snorkels. You should be prepared for a bit of exertion but the results will be well worth it. You should also not do these alone (of course, never snorkel alone).
   
   All in all, great background on the island and good information on the stuff that most tourists never see. This is not a book for tourists, but a book for travelers - if you get the distinction. If you do, this book is highly recommended.

2 comments about Insight Compact Guide St. Lucia (Insight Compact Guides).

1. This book came in handy on our recent visit to St. Lucia. It was small and had great pictures. The top 10 sights of St. Lucia list was also helpful. The book was organized by areas of the Island, so it was difficult to make comparisons without flipping back and forth. Overall I would give the book a high recommendation.



2. Well, I just got this from Amazon (1 month to get it delivered!) and am unimpressed. I've read it, and just don't feel any more ready for my trip than I did before. I also ordered the landmark guide, and if it ever comes, I'll compare it as well.... The pictures ARE lovely and it's a handy size for throwing in a pocket or bag. Will update the review after I return from St Lucia....

No comments about 100 Best Resorts of the Caribbean, 8th (100 Best Series).

4 comments about National Geographic Traveler: Caribbean (National Geographic Traveler).

1. I'm taking a cruise of the southern caribbean so I bought Frommer's Caribbean Ports of Call which is excellent except there isn't one picture so I got this book to supplement it.

   It includes a walking tour and map of San Juan, PR plus 15 pages of the rest of the island. The pictures are fantastic for the rest of the islands, except St. Maarten. This book does not include Bahamas. Phone numbers are listed for sports and activities on each island.

   Hotels and restaurants are listed in the back.




2. If you're a fan of their monthly magazine, then you know what to expect from a National Geographic travel guide; magnificent photography and interesting reading. As with all of the pubs in this series, "National Geographic Traveler: Caribbean" is a pleasure to flip through and provides a great historical background for the various points of interest. While Fodor's and other sources tend to provide more exhaustive logistical detail (where to stay, what to eat, who to call, costs, etc.), a read through a National Geographic guide is more likely to give you the itch to actually go.



3. this is the 3rd book in this travel series I have bought & find them excellent sources of information. They are easily organized into colored tabbed sections for handy & quick reference and their travel tips are always appreciated. I enjoy learning some of the history of the country, also.



4. if you just want to get an overview on which region with in the carribean offers what it is a nice coffee table kind of book. when you want to make any actual plans you need another book with facts though.

1 comments about Walking to Guantanamo.

1. This is one of those rare books whose author can rightfully claim Chuck D's legendary put-down: "I've been places you'll never be". The title says it all: IN "Walking to Guantanamo" Richard Fleming tells the story of his extraordinary trip crossing Cuba on foot, and also a bit by bike and other local means of transportation. The reviewer in the Library Journal says it best: "He is brutally honest, even when it shows him in an unflattering light. This is perhaps the most accurate and readable work on Cuba this reviewer has seen." I can only agree.

2 comments about Moon Dominican Republic (Moon Handbooks).

1. Seriously, if I could give this no stars I would.
   
   This particular version is the worst I've ever encountered with Moon Guides. I love its Cuba and Yucatan books but this guide to the Dominican Republic was such a piece of junk I literally tossed in the garbage at the first place we stayed.
   
   I understand that guidebook writers are paid very little but please do not take on this job unless you actually care about the travel advice you attach to your name. This was so obviously slapped together by someone who seems to have never set foot in the D.R.
   
   Apparently the previous version of this book (early 2000s) was OK so I don't want to disparage the reporting of a previous author. But this version (by Ana Chavier Caamano) is uninspired and underreported at best and negligent and erroneous at worst.



2. I found the book to be very helpful. When I travel I like to go and hang out with the locals and be a part of the scene and with this guide book I was able to do just that. This book is not only good for those like me but it also gives some great listings for the all inclusive resorts. I found that the author was very knowlegable of her families home land. I only wished I would have had more time to see other parts of the island. I stayed in
   Santo Dominco and had a wonderful time. If you get a chance one should have dinner at Coco's Restaurant. I had a great time with the locals and the food was unbelievable.

1 comments about Puerto Rico, the Spanish, U.S. and British Virgin Islands (Street's Cruising Guide to the Eastern Caribbean).

1. Don't go without this detailed review of every harbor you might want to visit. And get the Imray Iolaire chart that goes with this book. This combo is all you'll need!

2 comments about Fodor's Bahamas 2008 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. My wife and I recently took a trip to Grand Bahama Island and used this book as a guide to explore the area. Although the book contains some useful tips and suggested day plans, we ended up wasting a fair amount of time chasing down events that were either on holiday or do not exist. For example, the book should highlight the fact that the ministry of tourism is closed during the holiday, so the People-to-People program is not available during this time. On Grand Bahama Island, Junkanoo is NOT always the day after Christmas and most likely will fall on Eve of the New Year. Also, the book mentions about a mini crab festival that takes place at a Pub garden of the International Bazaar in Freeport. We went to this Pub only to find out that this event does not happen during the holiday season. It turns out that the International Bazaar was mostly an abandoned dump and a royal waste of time. Even the locals admitted that nobody goes there because the epicenter has shifted to Lucaya. It has literally been reduced to a few putrid restaurants. This Wednesday Fish Fry at Smith Point is ok, but it takes forever before they serve your order. We were also severly disappointed by the fact that the Rand Nature Center is closed until AFTER New Year. So, don't take this book too seriously and make sure that you call these places ahead of time before wasting money on a taxi (filthy mini van) ride only to find out that the place is closed!!!



2. Like F. Douglass (FD), I went to Grand Bahama - not during the holidays as FD had - and experienced similar disappointments, having used this book as a guide. When I travel I stick to local cuisine, but not after realizing the author of this guidebook glorified substandard restaurants (as well as attractions). For example, I finally found the "mini crab festival" restaurant that FD wrote about, which was a dark, dingy snackbar. The cook showed me a meat stew that has crab as an ingredient, which is the extent of this "famous" crab festival. I do not recommend purchasing this travel guide, and having had great experiences using Rough Guides and Frommer's, almost swore off Fodor's b/c of this misleading Bahamas issue. However, I learned that other Fodor's authors accurately describe the destinations they write about. If you do go to Grand Bahama, don't miss Reef Tours' catamaran sunset and snorkeling cruises. Also excellent snorkeling can be found at Paradise Cove (the owners are warm, welcoming and helpful), but be careful to drive through 8 Mile Rock with eyes in the back of your head: I slowed down for a puppy in the road and was "hit and run" by a local. Two weeks home, I am still waiting for a police report (and this is with supposed assistance from the Ministry of Tourism).