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 Southern Passage: Soundings Overland : Tijuana to Tierra Del Fuego.

1 comments about Afoot in the South: Walks in the Natural Areas of North Carolina (Afoot in the South Series).

1. Each chapter is like taking a pleasant walk in an interesting place with a friend who is knowledgable and sharing but never didactic. The clear, clean writing flows smoothly and pleasantly thoughout.

1 comments about The Mountain Biker's Guide to the Ozarks: Missouri, Arkansas, and Western Kentucky (Dennis Coello's America).

1. I refer to this book ALL the time ... it is great! Steve Henry has done a tremendous job of giving you all the info you need to have lot of fun in the Ozark regions. A lot of the trails are ones I would have never found on my own. GREAT BOOK

No comments about The Definitive Journals of Lewis & Clark, Vol. 6: Down the Columbia to Fort Clatsop.

No comments about Zone Policeman 88: a close range study of the Panama canal and its workers.

No comments about A Sailor's Story - Introduction (A Sailor's Story).

1 comments about Living in Latin America (Travel).

1. This is a sociological work which may seem a bit tedious to the general reader; however, it is carefully researched, and useful to those interested in more in-depth studies of cross-cultural communication. Gorden focused on a particular circumstance--young North American students living with middle-class urban Colombian families--and explored the points of view of both sides. As a North American who has some experience in Latin America, I found that some of the information can be applied to other countries as well.

1 comments about Appalachian Trail Guide to Central Virginia (Appalachian Trail Guides).

1. Appalachian Trail Guide to Central Virginia is a good general guide which consist of a 4 X 6 inches packable book and three maps in a waterproof bag. The maps are double-sided and give adequate detail of the covered areas. The book starts out with general information which I found fairly basic. Most of this info was of little value to me, but a green hiker might find it useful.The actual meat of the trail descriptions is very good, giving mile by mile directions as to what to expect and where to turn. An interesting feature of this book is the small horizon sketches which show different mountain peaks and valley with their names. I don't think I have every seen this done before, but I can't wait to see if it will actual help me locate and identify the surrounding landscape. This is a series of books so the complete collection (11 books)would weigh down a thru hiker. For the weekend ender or week long hiker, this book and maps should be worth it's weight in his pack.

5 comments about Footprint Nicaragua Handbook.

1. A wonderful guide! With this book as your companion, you don't need to worry about the unknowns of travelling in Nicaragua. The author takes you off the beaten path when appropriate - and tells you when it would be a waste of time. A wonderful, truthful depiction of every place we visited.



2. I traveled to Nicaragua with a friend and we each brought different guide books. I brought the Footprint guide and I was very, very happy that I did. The historical and cultural information was much more complete in this book. It had city maps and included places and information that other books did not.

   Perhaps the most telling recommendation that I could give doesn't come from me. I took Spanish classes at a school (Casa Xalteva) in Granada, Nicaragua. The school had a number of guide books available for students to flip through, but the one they recommended was the Footprint guide!




3. I used this guide during my three weeks in Nicaragua and enjoyed Leonardi's informative writing style. This handbook is more exhaustive, and more up to date, than "Footprint's Central America & Mexico Handbook".

   This handbook's recommendations for accommodations/restaurants are right on the money and valuable. This guide is up-to-date and I found his recommendations to always be valid. In fact, his is one of the few guides that will tell you, candidly, no punches pulled, what he thinks: very good seafood, bad paella", "attentive service, mediocre food".

   Richard Leonardi's writing is succinct and unencumbered by the superfluous. He gives you a solid mental picture, within a paragraph or two, of what to expect and how you can enjoy it.

   I really enjoyed his "Further Reading & Cinema" and the history, economic, culture and environment sections are sufficient, but I would encourage you to also take with you the excellent book, "In Focus Nicaragua" (see my review).

   Frustrating, and found in all Footprint guides, is the cost guide they use for accommodations. Instead of just stating what the price per room is, in dollars, they complicate it and give you a code table that you will often have to flip back and consult to remember what the cost represents. For example, a hotel that is LL=$150+, A=$46-$65. There is a better way than codes.

   Leonardi mentions safety in his introduction to Nicaragua, but I found no mention of the rising problems with crime and gangs in Managua (Capital of Nicaragua). For the past few years... the area around `La Catedral Vieja' has become dangerous, an area for violent crime. In fact, when I asked to go to this area in the daytime, the taxi drivers told me be careful, using the words: "peligroso, peligroso". While I at the Old Cathedral's I talked with the resident shoe-shine man, and he also told me that this area was now very dangerous at night. He said he leaves every day at 5pm because, "me gusto mi vida."

   That said, this is a very impressive guide which I strongly recommend. For those going to various Central American countries I would recommend "Footprint's Central America & Mexico Handbook". Strongly Recommended 4.5 stars




4. This is easily the most entertaining guidebook I've ever read. I found myself reading entire paragraphs or descriptions out loud to my fiance. The problem with most guidebooks is that they're incredibly boring to read and often leave out the most useful information. This book is the exception! Leonardi tells you exactly what you most need or want to know--such as how quickly you'll want to get out of a particular town you can't avoid passing through, at which hotel you might want to keep your shoes on when walking across the floor at night (yikes), or which local hotel offers the best boat rentals. This book is incredibly useful and a real page-turner--I actually read it almost cover-to-cover.



5. This was an excellent book!!! Went on our first trip to Nicaragua and this book was invaluable!!! It is so well written that we read it cover to cover and is organized in such a manner as to make it very easy to find what you're looking for. Would highly recommend it!!!