2 comments about The New Key to Ecuador and the Galapagos.

1. I'm living in Ecuador for a year and have almost every guidebook (there are many)published. If I could narrow it down to two, it would be this one and the Footprint Guide. If only one, this would be it. What's remarkable about this book is that it cares almost as much about the quality of food and accomodations as it does about wilderness trips. It's descriptions of restaurants are excellent and it's practical information about such things as the location of rental car agencies is as up to date as it can be. It also has a remarkable index which includes places, hotels and restaurants all in separate categories. With the other guide books, it takes much longer to find something for the second time. When you read a description of a place or an old hacienda to stay in, you really trust that the authors have actually been there. The authors know and love Ecuador. Perhaps if you're looking for only student prices, this is not the best book, but for the adventurous over 30, this is it!!



2. This is the best book to sit down and read about places to visit and stay in Ecuador. I like the Lonely Planet series and they are updated sources of information but if you have ever found yourself wanting to know more about the places mentioned this is your book. For example in the New Key to Ecuador there are 15 full pages of text on just the region of the lower Napo River.
   
   The New Key also has green ratings for lodging and the reasons for the differences in ratings are explained for each lodge or hotel evaluated.
   
   When I visited Ecuador I found that this book had given an excellent overview of the places I was able to visit and had very accurate information. The only problem now as of this writing is that the book has not been updated. I would still highly recommend this but would use the internet to verify contact numbers of lodges and for any changes from the time of publication.

5 comments about Explore Barbados.

1. After having liced in B'dos for almost 6 months, I can honestly say that this is the most comprehensive guide around. On addition to discussing the culture, the book provides information that in not otherwise readily available unless you spend time with the Bajans.



2. I did not find this book to be helpful in providing information specific to Barbados that I could not find in any free tourist booklet on the island. There is a whole page on "Beach Boys"... there are local men anywhere you may go on vacation that will try to pick up vacationing women. This is not information specific to Barbados. There is a whole page on "What to take": Shoes and socks, underwear,swimsuit,soap,sunscreen,comb,shaving kit,etc,etc. Please!!! I stayed at the Coconut Court Beach Resort which is one of the oldest and most respected family run hotels on the island and it is not even listed in the accomodation sections. I would save your money and pick up the multitude of free guides available on the island.



3. 
   If you are planning to visit the exotic, mysterious land of British-ruled Barbados, you will be met by a blend of English and African cultures, temperatures that can only be experienced near the equator and waters so blue you may wonder if you're seeing a mirage. This Explore Barbados guide provides everything you need to know whether you're an armchair traveler, a first time visitor or a returning guest. Learn about island history (Columbus didn't discover or name this island), people, flora and fauna, politics, climate, lodging, food, music, festivals and sight seeing opportunities you won't want to miss. The pages contain a diverse wealth of information that readers will not find in traditional travel guides. For instance, Pariser warns visitors about the poisonous "machineel" that grows along the beaches, the "poison tree" and the "cow itch vine." Descriptive accounts of animals will make it easy for travelers to recognize Barbados Green Monkeys, Blackbelly Sheep and a variety of tropical birds and reptiles. I visited Barbados in 1998 and I wish I had read this guidebook before I traveled. Review by JoAnna Carey, Author of Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life



4. I do quite a bit of traveling and often buy a Lonely Planet guide as a basic reference. Lately, however, I've become somewhat jaded by its formulaic coverage and superficial approach. I'm also skeptical about how they go about choosing which accomodations and restaurants to include in their books.
   
   Pariser's book at first glance looks remarkably like a Lonely Planet guide--the same format and much the same information. However, Pariser puts more of himself into it and the book clearly is a labor of love. Pariser's guide compares to Lonely Planet like a family restaurant to McDonalds.



5. Explore Barbados is a guide and travel overview for the island of Barbados. This book includes a wide range of information, everything from background knowledge on the island's natural and cultural environment through places to stay while on the island to interesting things to do at every stop along the way.
   
   There are six sections in Explore Barbados: Introduction; Practicalities; Bridgetown and St. Michael's Parish; The Northern Parishes and the Scotland District; The Southern Parishes; and Accommodation Finder. The introduction section contains an overview about Barbados and the general Caribbean area. This detailed information includes land, climate, flora, fauna, history, government, economy, culture, and religion of this area.
   
   The next chapter, Practicalities, contains contacts and general information on transportation, food, accommodations, and potential activities while enjoying Barbados. Each entry contains a short paragraph about each of these general topics including contacts and potential costs.
   
   The rest of the sections in Explore Barbados focus on particular parts of the Island. The first portion of each section describes a little about the particular island region including the history. After this overview, specific examples of transportation, accommodation, restaurants, shopping, tourist information, services, and sights are depicted in detail. Each entry contains a short paragraph about the establishment including contacts and potential costs. Also provided in each of these sections is ample information, complete with contacts, on what activities are available in each island region. Several black and white and colour maps and photographs accompany each section. Furthermore, an Accommodation Finder section is located at the end of the book for quick and easy reference.
   
   Explore Barbados is a valuable guide for anyone planning on traveling to Barbados. This key information is provided for easy reference while planning or while traveling. However, this book will also be just as interesting for the armchair traveler as this book contains ample information about the natural environment, history, and culture on this amazing island as well as some extremely stunning colour photographs.

No comments about Clay County (FL) (Images of America).

1 comments about Bolivia Adventure Guide (Adventure Guides Series) (Adventure Guides Series).

1. An excellent addition to the Adventure Guide series, packed with detail, from where to stay and eat, to where to shop for local crafts and how to enjoy historic sites. This guide surveys the wildlife and outdoor opportunities of the country, which range from tropical jungle to high plains deserts. Hiking and viewing opportunities blend with cultural insights. Highly recommended.
   The Midwest Book Review

4 comments about Guatemala : Adventures in Nature.

1. The investigation of Richard Mahler in Guatemala is above excellent, and I really love all the details of adventure in it. I recommend this book to every tourist and local people, is amazing all the beauty that we have down here. Is very complete, including hotels, restaurants, what to see, what to do in each part of the country. A list of volcanoes, rivers, caves and recommendations of fishing, cycling, kayaking, etc etc. with a list of tourist operators on each issue. Great book!



2. This book is based on an earlier book by Mr. Mahler, which I used frequently during my 1994-97 posting to Guatemala. I had several guide books, but found that Mr. Mahler's was the one I turned to most frequently. I eventually got to many of the places mentioned in his book, and found that the information he had provided was accurate and useful. I spoke with Mr. Mahler just before leaving Guatemala, and am delighted that he included some of my suggestions in this book, including Los Viejitos Restaurant in Nebaj (look for the green door)--the owner told me she used to cook for Nancy Sinatra!



3. As the author of this book, I am predictably biased in its favor. However, I feel it's important to say that I spent several months in late 1998 and early 1999 poring over every word, photo, and map to make sure that it was correct, helpful, and informative. Readers will find everything from restaurant and hotel reviews to reports on Spanish schools, craft markets, and Maya ruins. I find Guatemala a fascinating and rewarding country to visit and it remains one of the world's greatest travel bargains. However, since the Peace Accords were signed in 1996 and the guerrilla war ended, more and more people are discovering this place. Therefore, prices will only go up. I'm convinced that there is no better time to see the unspoiled treasures of Guatemala than right now, before the crowds descend. My specialties are the contemporary and ancient cultures of the Maya as well as the national parks of the country. In the latest edition of my book, I've gone to great lengths to include every possible useful tidbit of information on these subjects, from the best place to explore the rainforest to the best way to tour Tikal. As always, I am eager to receive reports from readers, who supply me with some of the best insider information available. Enjoy!



4. (From Planeta.com Journal) - Reading Richard Mahler is like opening a letter from a well-traveled friend. This is the second edition of a regional classic. Its coverage of environmental issues and travel options is first-rate. This is a must read for any eco traveler.

No comments about Brazil & Portugal - A Menu Guide for Travelers: An indispensable gastronomic dictionary, phrasebook, and guide (How to Eat Out).

No comments about Condor Trail: Paragliding the Central Andes.

1 comments about Guide To National Parks: Northeast Region (NPCA national park guide).

1. You have a wealth available to you that is truly priceless. The National Parks of America hold in trust for all Americans over 80.7 million acres of land. Over 50 times more that all of what Ted Turner owns and far beyond Bill Gates financial ability to buy. All of this, the best America has to offer, is yours for the taking, or visiting . To know what is yours is the purpose of the Guide to National Parks. Each of these eight guides have a smattering of color photos, a meager scattering of full-color trail maps and a brief, but good, highlight of each park's most impressive features. Guide to National Parks: Southeast Region covers 75 national parks in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina Tennessee, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

   What this guide cries out for is maps, maps and more maps. What you get is one master map and eight color maps. That's it... that all you get to help you navigate 75 national parks - pathetic.

   The key page is a two-page Southeast Region Map but there is nothing linking you from this map to where in the book the park is described. The master map doesn't have any numbers or references. To complicate matters more there is no index, so you can't reference the parks name and go to the page. Rather you return to the table of contents and search there for the park. Sixty eight parks have no map at all. For example; Cumberland Island National Seashore (36,415 acres) no map, or Biscayne National Park (172,924 acres) no map - you get the idea. This is a serious short coming that if corrected would truly enhance the value and usefulness of this book. Conditionally Recommend.

No comments about National Geographic Guide Map Tennessee (National Geographic GuideMaps).

1 comments about CONDE NAST JOHANSENS RECOMMENDED HOTELS, INNS, RESORTS AND SPAS - THE AMERICAS, ATLANTIC, CARIBBEAN, PACIFIC 2006 (Johansens Recommended Hotels Inns and ... North America, Bermuda, Caribbean Pacific).

1. No, I did not purchase this because my last name is Johansen. This is just THE book if you are looking for THE best, most unique, boutique type loding in the USA.