No comments about Frommer's Bermuda and the Bahamas '92-'93 (Frommer's Bermuda).

1 comments about Landmark Visitors Guide to Antigua & Barbuda (Antigua and Barbuda, 1st Ed).

1. My finace and I are planning our Weddingmoon in Antigua. This book is packed with useful infomation and facts about the island. It tells you everything from island customs, what local cusine to expect, what to pack, interest points, the best beaches and much more. I would recommend it to anyone traveling, or considering to travel to Antigua. It will definetly accompany us on our trip!

2 comments about Fodor's Cuba, 1st Edition: Expert Advice and Smart Choices: Where to Stay, Eat, and Explore On and Off the Beaten Path (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. Fodor's Cuba is billed on the back cover as providing "simply perfect trips." In truth this is a VERY basic simple guide that needs much improvement to compete in the Cuban travel guide race.

   I found this guide far too barren and difficult to use. The entire history of Cuba for the last fifty years gets only eight scant paragraphs in a section call "The Way to Revolution" and "Today and Tomorrow!" The index DID NOT list hotels or restaurants and this required that I to flip through the sections until I found the listing I wanted information on (especially a hassle in Havana). There were only 11 maps and they need improvement.

   Also, instead of giving the general price of lodging or restaurant meals along with the listing, they give a code (listed in the front of the book) next to the site description ($$$ which = $100 to $150) but, then, that is for a double occupancy in high season. The guide listed my hotel, Ambos Mundos, as $$$ when I paid only $65 for a single in high season, thus the guide was not much help to me on this regard either. There were no email or Internet addresses (especially for the hotels) to speak of, even though the date of publication is 2000. Yet when I checked, almost every hotel had email whereby you could make reservations and get additional information and some had there own web page. Finally, another irritant, which has become common in Fodor's guides, is the intrusive color pages of paid advertisements for various products or service, which I immediately tore out and tossed. I am under the conviction that I have already paid once for the book and this is double indemnity.

   On the positive side I found the Havana Dining and Lodging Map very useful; as I did the short list of "must experience" while in Cuba, called 'Fodor's Choice'. If you want just a quick digest that gives you a capsule run down on Cuba, a few basic maps, then this guide will be adequate. However, there are significantly better guides that I recommend you consider first. Conditionally recommended




2. Strongly recommend this book as a basic travel guide to Cuba. This is the book to take with you because it is compact, offers well-referenced maps numbered to the attractions in the text and has all of the essential information. Yes, "Cuba Handbook," is more comprehensive, and I read all 600+ pages of that lengthy tome. But I found that Fodor's had all of the essential information, skipping only the trivial. Included are great tips about U.S. and Cuban Customs regulations, roads in Cuba and accurate and believable lodging information. I did everything in Cuba and can attest that all of the best things to do are included in this guide. Fodor's even gives you a rave about Remedios and its nearby beaches, which are far away from the tourist trail. I also visited all of their hotel choices in Old Havana, as well as staying in two of them (Ambos Mundos and Hostal Florida), and all are truly wonderful hotels. If you want more about politics, flaura and fauna, buy a more comprehensive book and do your reading before you travel. But for a book that is portable and lists all of the essential information, this Fodor's guide cannot be beat.

No comments about The Rupununi Savannas of Guyana: A Visual Journey.

2 comments about Cybercafes: A Worldwide Guide for Travelers.

1. This cybercafe guide is so wonderful for traveling! I took this compact book with me while on the road recently and found it very useful. It saved me a fortune in long distance calls that I would have otherwise had to make. I loved being able to keep in touch without having to worry about time zones. It was so easy to find the cafes by using the information listed. I was able to combine breakfast with keeping in touch with my family and the office. I also met some great locals! I'm taking it with me to Europe this summer for sure!



2. I should have read the reviews better. This is not meant for people touring with RV's. One problem is that is catagorized by country then city. When we are pulling a trailer across country, we want to start with the geographical area at the state level (or smaller) then the town. Also only about 54 pages (of 308) are for sites in the US. That's a lot of pages an RVer will probably not us. In my other life I travel a lot worldwide. This book would be very useful for that situation.

No comments about Fielding's Bahamas: 1995 (Fielding's Bahamas).

3 comments about A Winter in the Sun: The Pleasures (And a Few Pitfalls of the Caribbean Cruising Lifestyle).

1. The author has taken his personal cruising journal of a past period, the winter of 1980-81 and has created a book that documents his thoughts and activities in a chronological fashion. Although it does provide insight into his life and career in sailing journalism, it does miss the mark in terms of usual ideas for the would be island sailor today. The book does provide good armchair cruising although I personally found it a slow read. The author does provide some useful tips on various anchorages in the Virgin Islands but the text does not provide much island detail outside a brief stay in Antigua. It probably is far removed from the cruising patterns of the typical sailor who is cruising the Carribean basin on a realistic budget. At any rate, it was enjoyable reading and certainly provides insight into the author's family and cruising friends



2. I found this book to be full of very humorous and interesting accounts regarding sailing in the British Virgin Islands. Having recently returned from bareboating in this area, I can vouch for Robinson's choice of settings for a book of this type. The BVI's are truly one of the world's most beautiful areas for sailing.

   I thoroughly enjoyed Robinson's stories and found his writing style to be very readable and entertaining. His humorous accounts of onboard guests and ship/shore experiences made it hard for me to put the book down! I still chuckle when I recall Robinson's account of a visit to a local island bakery and the cake with all the decorative sprinkles (actually ants).

   Anyone interested in a good overview of the area, including things to see and do, I strongly suggest this book. It is really a good read and quite perhaps, the perfect book to take along on your flight to Beef Island!




3. This book is chapter after chapter of ..."we sailed here...we sailed there..." with too much pay-off to friends being mentioned, and too little insight, reflection, facts, knowledge, or wisdom. Many, many better cruising books out there. Skip this one.

No comments about Johansens Recommended Hotels, Inns & Resorts: North America, Bermuda, Caribbean, Mexico, Pacific 2003 (Johansens Recommended Hotels Inns and Resorts: North America, Bermuda, Caribbean Pacific).

No comments about Ultimate Spa Book (Traveller's Bookshelf).

No comments about Encyclopedia of World Travel: Usa, Canada, Caribbean & S. America.