No comments about Caribbean & the Bahamas , 6th (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan).

1 comments about The Traveller's Tree: A Journey Through the Caribbean Islands.

1. Got this based on a "top books on the Carribean" review in one of the popular travel magazines. The book is old, so some of the word choice and writing style is very out of date. The descriptions of things, areas, and experiences are indeed very good and detailed, but the prose is so flowery that it comes across as very pompous and unnecessarilly wordy. I've never read a book with so many 4-5 syllable words strung together in almost every paragraph.
   
   If you're into interesting older books with flowery linguistics, this is a doosey. It does give you a clear sense of the experiences the authors had. So overall... it's a bit archaic, but gives an interesting sense of what it was like traveling in the Caribberan decades ago.

No comments about The Rough Guide to Puerto Rico 1 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

5 comments about Rum & Reggae's Caribbean (Rum & Reggae series).

1. At last! Mr. Runge has updated his Caribbean guide and it is better than ever. He includes more locations, more activities, more places to stay, and more ratings. His opinions are sharper, his descriptions are more detailed, his guidance is right on the money. This book is NOT for your average vacationer, this is for the sophisticated traveler who's looking for something out of the ordinary. Like YOU!



2. Well, Mr. Runge has finally come out with an encore to his classic book on the Caribbean, and he has outdone himself. He has once again given us all the best kept secret places in the Caribbean, and not a moment to soon. I was afraid he was down there permanently this time after a six year information drought between editions and it was killin' me!. So all I can ask now, is that he quickly pack up and give us more of the same quality for some other destinations such as Mexico, Hawaii, or perhaps a south Pacific island guide. I just hope he can maintain this extraordinary level of "insider's" scuttlebutt as he expands his travel territory. This is far and away the best book on what to do and where to go in the Caribbean that has ever been put together, and I believe I own all of them (over 50 Caribbean vacation guidebooks in my library, and I would throw them all out to keep this one). A masterpiece.



3. Don't waste your money! The island descriptions are brief, highly subjective and inaccurate. As an example, the author lists Playa El Agua on Margarita Island, Venezuela as a choice for the Ten Best Beaches in the Caribbean. Anyone who has visited this beach will find a typical Venezuelan beach: trash everywhere and people looking for money (both legally and illegally) all along the beach. The author also advises that a good excursion from Margarita Island would be to visit Caracas, Venezuela: ranked as the 6th most dangerous place in the world!

   The author seems to have a preconceived attitude toward many of the islands in his book and this is evident in the descriptions that he provides the reader. As an example the author has a "climates chart" which lists the friendliness of an island. Near the bottom of the list are the twin islands of Nevis and St. Kitts, home to some of the friendliest people you will ever meet.

   This book is written in a manner that tries to set itself apart from the other Caribbean travel guides such as Fielding's and Fodor's. The biased tone of the book makes this guide stand out, that is for certain. But beware, this book can be misleading and possibly dangerous if the advice contained inside is followed by a would-be Caribbean traveler.




4. The reader from Maracaibo's comments could not be further from my own experience at Playa El Agua. I absolutely loved the natives! Although correct in stating that is not the most beautiful beach,(which Runge does state in the book), I found that the fun-loving Venezuelans, mostly hipsters from Caracas, made it a blast. What a time I had partying, I felt like I knew these people from birth.

   What I really love about Rum & Reggae is it's opinionated style. Runge is so edgy, so right on, so now, he tells it like it is while making the whole book entertaining and enlightening. I wish more travel books were written for people who avoid the predictable. For anyone looking for a Caribbean experience that defies ordinary, buy this book, it will take you on a trip you will never forget!




5. Never will you find this sort of quality in other travel guides. Mr. Runge's books have become my travel bibles!

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.

3 comments about Bermuda Shipwrecks: A Vacationing Diver's Guide to Bermuda's Shipwrecks.

1. If you are the type of diver that likes to know the background on your wreck dives then this is for you. The history behind the ships and wrecks is very well laid out. Its a good tool to have if your going to dive the wrecks in Bermuda.



2. The first thing that struck me when a copy of this book arrived through my letterbox was how thin it was. As a professional underwater photo-journalist & author who specialises in shipwrecks, I am also a shipwreck historian and, therefore, well aware of the shipwrecks to be found in Bermuda. This book does not do justice to those shipwrecks at all.
   
   Bermuda Shipwrecks is a paper-back book measuring 9" x 6" (23cm x 15 cm) containing 72 pages. With 10 of those pages taken up with such bumf as title of the book (again), fairly ordinary foreword (much of which is repeated on the back cover), acknowledgements, something about the authors, index, how to use the book (which in this case means reading it!) and how to order more copies (as if!), there is precious little room for the details for which we purchased the book in the first place.
   
   The book's cover calls this work "A vacationing diver's guide to Bermuda's Shipwrecks" but it is not even that. Any diver operating anywhere in the world will require diving information and in a number of cases this is wholly non-existent. In others it is less than two lines.
   
   With much of the text punctuated with Teddy did this and then Teddy did that (a reference to Teddy Tucker (who wrote the foreword)) one is left wondering why Teddy didn't do the one thing he should have done - and write the book in the first place. Doubtless it will be called "The Adventures of Teddy!"
   
   In short, this is book of short stories about how many of Bermuda's wrecks were lost. And lost is the right word for this book when it comes to detail.
   
   Not worth the cover price.
   
   N M



3. THis is a great beginners book if you are looking for dive sites for all different ability divers. It gives a great little synopsis of all the dives in the area. We have been there twice and it is great!!! Very helpful book. Thanks A+

1 comments about Hidden Bahamas.

1. Real information on what to do, geared more for the adventurer.Maps nothing special.Brief history coverage. No real prices, only "budget, moderate." Not a complete travel guide, but gives good ideas of what to do on the islands. Use this for some non-touristy sites and to do's, but buy more complete guide for hotels and car rentals, etc. Covers all islands, though not real detailed.

No comments about The Rough Guide to the Dominican Republic 4 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

No comments about Frommer's Bermuda 2007 (Frommer's Complete).

1 comments about So Calypso!: The Soul Of Trinidad.

1. Travel Photography at it's best! Vern Evans takes his photography outfit to the heart of Carnival in the island of Trinidad. Althought different from previous photo assignments Evans captures the tradition and the essence of the celebration of Carnival. Accompanied with these visual tropical delights, calypso musical compilation is nestled into this sweet project.