No comments about Puerto Rico Then and Now (Then & Now Thunder Bay).

2 comments about Fodor's US and British Virgin Islands, 17th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. Well written. We have traveled to the BVI and USVI and they did a fine job of telling it like it is.



2. Great book at fraction of original price. Really helped me out on my trip. Very informative.

No comments about Wild Caribbean: The Hidden Wonders of the World's Most Famous Islands.

3 comments about Habanos: The Story of the Havana Cigar.

1. I thought of this book, as a trip without leaving home. I was at the vegas,,the people homes,the factories and, even the streets of Habana.I really enjoyed the way the author Nancy Stout, put together the history (from start to finish)of one of Cuba's most treasured and coveted commodity-La Habana "puros". When it comes to it's people and their beloved cigars,it defines recognition both in art and history! I give the book a 4-thumbs up!!!!! A must read for a "habanaphile" such as myself.To be read with the accompany of a sweet aromatic habano burning,and perhaps also,with your favorite spirit.Truly a book to be enjoyed over and over again!



2. Wonderful illustrations combined with interestiong text make this more than a coffee table book. For Smokers of Habanos and those curious to learn more behind the cuban cigar this is an excellent book.



3. For a habanophile such as myself this has to be the best book that I have read to date on Cuba and Cuban Cigars. This book not only describes the habano from seed to cigar but explores the history of the cigar and it's relationship with Cuba from Columbus to the old factories. If you want more than just the typical seed, plant, harvest, cure, roll em books on Cuban cigars this is the one for you.

5 comments about Frommer's Portable Aruba (Frommer's Portable).

1. I purchased this book and have used it on two vacations to Aruba. I refered to it several times while I was there. Maps are very helpful, as are the restaurant reviews!



2. We found Frommer's and Fodor's travel books to possess the best of information on Aruba. My husband Alan stated he didn't feel like a novice coming into this lovely tropical paradise thanks to these guides.
   
   The books were pretty right on when it came to restaurant prices, only a few had varied their charges. One restaurant was a nice surprise as we were expecting to pay twice as much.
   
   To add to the information, besides the buses running to the capital city of Oranjestad, they also have $1.00 taxis and these vans function well when you don't want to wait for the next bus. Oranjestad is a must visit for shopping, eating and touring.
   
   The books also didn't include the native poverty that exists beyond the resorts and touring areas. Few Arubans own a decent hacienda. This was a shock to my husband and me as we were expecting to see average living styles.



3. This was not my first time using a Frommer's travel guide for the purpose of having the best time possible in an unknown place. I purchased the book a day before my Aruba trip, read it on the plane and actually kept it in our rental car for consistant reference. As far as I'm concerned - these travel books tell it like it is, good or bad. I can't imagine anyone giving this book less than 5 stars! Buy it!



4. We just got back from Aruba. We had a wonderful time. The guide was not much help. We read through the guide before we arrived and we did not open it once once we arrived, we actually left it in Aruba on purpose. We found much more updated information from the Internet and the visitor guides at the resort. There's Internet access at most of the resorts, so my advice is to save your money and use online resources. There are a lot of great websites www.restaurantsaruba.com, tripadvisor.com.
   
   As far as snorkeling, just drive towards the lighthouse you will see snorkeling boats near the shore, those are the best spots (the beaches just before the lighthouse). Lots of great fish to see. You can rent the snorkeling equipment from the Pelican Pier, it is on Palm Beach. I would stay away from the other side of the island unless you want to get lost and frustrated, the roads are not marked well and there are lots of dirt roads. There is a cool point at the end of the island, but it was just worth our frustrations.
   
   Our favorite things, were gambling, relaxing at the beach, snorkeling, and eating. A must eat is Madame Janette, make sure you make reservations as soon as you arrive. This is the best restaurant; ask to be in the garden. You can also make reservations online through the website. If you are visiting in the winter I would suggest you make reservations before you visit. [...]
   
   
   The only other thing I that looked like a blast but we could not do, because I am pregnant, is rent an ATV. They were lots of having fun on the dunes.
   
   The party bus. If you are a party person and like to dance, you would enjoy this. They pick you up at your hotel you go up to the lighthouse have a glass of champagne and then go to a beautiful estate where you have dinner and get to know some of you fellow drinkers. Then you go to 3 bars. There were two buses of us on a Wednesday night. So I if you do it on the weekend I am sure there are more people. It was entertaining. Of course I was sober since I am pregnant. They give you tickets so your first drink is free at dinner and the 3 bars.
   
   Spa and salon? Well I was going to go to a Spa but after 2 salon visits I opted not to. It would be fine if you know Spanish, but if you do not I suggest you ask for someone who is fluent in English. Otherwise it is a guessing game. It cost about the same if you did it in the US.
   
   Food and service. They take their time in Aruba. Meals usually take 1-2 hours, so if you are starving I suggest you hit one of the fast food joints. The service and locals are wonderful and nice. On off season most everything is closed on Sunday.
   
   Bargains - hit the local flea market. I found great deals on Silver, I wish I only boght more.
   
   We will be going back to Aruba. It so far has been our favorite vacation spot and we have been to many. Thailand, Japan, Mexico, Key West, Vegas, Sedona, New Zealand, Florida we are well travelled. Have a drink and enjoy this One Happy Island! If you have anymore questions ask a taxi driver once you are in Arbua, they know everything!



5. This book was very helpful on my honeymoon. I would recommend getting the most up to date version though, as things change rapidly.

No comments about The Purser: A Novel of Life at Sea.

5 comments about Jamaica (Country Guide).

1. While one can expect a guidebook to be somewhat out of date, this one is so out of date it is ridiculous. Published in January 2006, one would expect the information to at least be accurate as of mid-2005. However, that is far from the case.
   
   Here are few examples of errors:
   - The Blue Mountain Inn near Kingston, which receives an excellent review in the book, has been closed since mid-2004.
   - Portofino's Restaurant in Kingston closed in 2004, and is now Chez Maria.
   - The Fairy Glades Trail in the Blue Mountains closed in 2000 because of thefts of orchids, and can no longer be hiked.
   - Jade Garden restaurant in Kingston has not served dim sum since mid-2004.
   
   While there are some decent maps in the book, such out of date information makes me wonder when the author actually visited Jamaica.



2. I bought this guide because is the only guide from Jamaica published in 2006. Not bad, I haven't gone to Jamaica yet but it has been useful for planning my tryp. I think that I will take some of the advices that I've read.



3. I have been a user of Lonely Planet for over 10 years. I would say that this one is fairly good but not as in depth as other ones on other countries. The hotel prices are not correct, (everything was more expensive than noted), and the reviews of the hotels themselves were not really that detailed to lead you to make a proper choice. This is of course in comparison to other authors for other countries and the level of detail there.



4. I am a longtime advocate of Lonely Planet guides, having first used them nearly 10 years ago on my travels through Africa and more recently in my Caribbean travels, as well as on jaunts to First World locales in Europe and the U.S. I have always found them to be well-researched and reasonably trustworthy guides for young(ish) adults. For some, they are even considered to be the "Bible" of intrepid travellers! However, I have recently detected a gradual but unmistakable decline in the quality of Lonely Planet guides, demonstrated nowhere as clearly as in the woefully inadequate pages of the LP guide to Jamaica (published 2006).
   My husband and I just got back from a week in Jamaica, where we rented a car to explore, using the LP as our sole guide. We found the LP's maps of Jamaica to be deplorable--and, in some cases, outright wrong! They are certainly not suitable for those wanting to drive themselves around the island. In fact, the LP's author did not seem to be too keen on the self-drive option, as he rarely even mentions this option, nor does he include helpful info such as driving times between major towns. I was very surprised to see this, as in the past I have found LP to be particularly good at providing this sort of information.
   I agree wholeheartedly with the other reviewer that says everything (especially prices) seems to be out of date. I do realize that using a 2006 book for a 2008 trip carries such a risk, but the disparity was so great as to render the info practically useless.
   The biggest problem with the LP Jamaica guide is indicative of the general downshift in quality of the LP series -- I have noticed it in all of the most recent LP guides I have purchased. The author's reviews (of accommodations, restaurants, attractions, etc.) alternate between blandly uninspired to blatantly biased. One the one hand, you wonder if the author has even visited half the establishments he includes, given the unhelpful generalities he uses (If I read the word "pleasant" one more time, I'm gonna scream!). Sometimes the descriptions clearly do not match the establishment and you're left feeling cheated (and sometimes angry, especially if you've driven a very long way to get there!!). On the other hand, some of his reviews are very obviously influenced by whatever perks he received from the establishment; glowing reviews that hype up this hotel or that restaurant, only to be shattered when the reader arrives and has a totally negative experience. This is what I expect from the "average" travel guides I typically try to avoid. In no way are these the "unbiased reviews" upon which LP has built its mighty reputation. The author should be ashamed of himself, and LP should really clean up its act by getting rid of writers like this and rebuilding the basic integrity that has made it a great travel guide series.
   There are a myriad of other small errors and omissions, although I probably could've overlooked some of these had the author gotten the big stuff right. Unfortunately, he (and, more critically, Lonely Planet) have *really* missed the mark on this book. For me, it represents money wasted and a lot of unnecessary frustration on my trip to boot. Think twice before purchasing this guide.



5. This book stood me in good stead when I visited Jamaica earlier this year. Typically of Lonely Planet's materials, however, I found this book to be of the most use in preparing for the trip. Whether I am different from other travelers or not, I like to come to a destination at least somewhat aware of the history, culture, geography, etc. There simply is no comparison between the background information you can quickly gain by perusing Lonely Planet's introductions to a country and that provided by other popular guidebooks. I felt well prepared to plan and understand my trip to Jamaica after reading this book. Indeed, I believe my trip would have been much less enjoyable had I not had a basic understanding of the people and sites I eventually saw on my trip.
   
   Though somewhat less importantly to me, a few inaccuracies in the specific destination entries mar this otherwise fine guidebook. I was quite pleased with the hotel I chose based in part on the recommendation of Lonely Planet (Country Country, by the way). Other entries seemed unexpectedly out-of-date for the relatively recent publication date. This may be out of Lonely Planet's hands, but it was a concern nonetheless. I certainly would have been uncomfortable had I been more off the beaten path, when I discovered an attraction or a place of lodging had been closed.
   
   All in all, I would not have changed any of my experiences in Jamaica. Similarly, I would change very little about this book. The relatively extensive history allowed me to choose attractions intelligently and understand the context. The chapters on wildlife, food and music allowed me to choose authentic Jamaican experiences over the generic. Typically well done.

1 comments about The Virgin Islands Cruising Guide.

1. Excellent detail charts of anchorages in BVI. Only complaint is the lack of a general chart of each island in the section describing that island. This is an editorial preference on my part. There is a chart index near the front of the guide which will get you there but it is not handy when you are in a hurry. I would recommend Pavlidis' guide to anyone planning on exploring the Virgin Islands.

5 comments about Fodor's Pocket Los Cabos, 3rd Edition (Pocket Guides).

1. This book was a wonderful companion in Cabo San Lucas. The recommendations were right on target, the writing is enjoyable and entertaining, while providing useful information at the same time. I highly recommend this book as it made my vacation more enjoyable!



2. I gave this to my brother who is going on his Honeymoon to Cabo. A great resource to bring along, especially if you cannot access the internet.



3. We went to Cabo in February 2006 and found this guide very, very helpful. I don't know what other guides are available, but this one is packed with accurate info (if just slightly out of date as it is a year or two old). It omits a couple of new restaurants that have recently opened but is otherwise very accurate. The recommendations of activities, hotels, places to eat and things to see were spot-on. I think it's worth getting if, like us, you do not know the area. Also, it is small and lightweight and you can just stick it in your pocket or purse. We went to a few restaurants we never would have found but for this guide, and generally they were better than what our hotel had recommeded.



4. I took a hastily-arranged last minute trip to Cabos, not having had any vacations in 20 years -- and not having much money. I knew we needed expert advice fast, so, trusting Fodor's, we got this book. We ate exclusively at restaurants recommended by this book (we had a car rental.) We made sure we hit both the most expensive place recommended by the book and the least expensive joint that they recommended. Both were equally highlights of the trip. The rest of the time, we ate at recommended places that were towards the lower end of the price scale. We were never disappointed! At Macambo's and Ahorcado, I even took pictures of the food. These were the kinds of places that you would never find by wandering around the tourist area -- let's just say they were "out of the way" and a few a little out of the comfort zone of some tourists. Are we ever glad we took that book! A piece of advice -- take more cash, in small bills, than you think you'll need. If you need emergency medical care like I did (not Montezuma's Revenge, BTW) you'll have to pay hundreds in cash. Far fewer places take credit cards than do in the US. And by all means, take this book. They know what they're talking about.



5. I ordered this book because it was about the only book specifically devoted to Cabo. I was very disappointed. I carried the book to Cabo and back but didn't really use it. If you strip away the generic "travel" information and the history information, this book contains little that is useful. The restaurant reviews are good, but not all restaurants are covered. The reviewers below had more valuable suggestions than this book, such as -- don't rely on credit cards, bring cash, small bills.
   
   The book is woefully out of date. It doesn't even contain a decent map!

1 comments about This Place Is High: The Andes Mountains of South America (Imagine Living Here).

1. This book focuses on the people, climate, history, food and culture of the Andes mountains, particularly Peru and Bolivia. It is not a "quick" book to read, as it goes quite in-depth for a childrens book. I thought the long paragraphs and depth of information would be too much for my four year old, but I was wrong. She is fascinated with the book and the pictures and loves to have it read over and over again, and I have learned along with my daughter. I look forward to reading others in this series with my kids!