No comments about Rand McNally Virginia: Highways & Interstates (Rand McNally Folded Map: States).

5 comments about Chesapeake Bay VA and MD Chartbook(8th Edition).

1. My feelings are the same as the other writers, but I will add one thing that bugs me the most. There is no distance scale on the charts. In order to see the distance measurement you must turn to the early pages of the book and find it on the one page that has it. I like having the distance scale on each chart. (Granted all charts except insets are the same scale, but when I am making a quick assessment of distance I want to see a scale not work from memory).
   
   I now buy the cruising chart collections from a different company which come in two parts, one for Maryland, one for Virginia. Not waterproof but come with a plastic cover. (In 30+ yrs of sailing I find waterproof charts unnecessary anyway.)



2. Since I began boating, I've purchased each edition of the ADC chartbook for the Chesapeake Bay. Its size is convenient versus full-size NOAA charts, it covers the whole bay with insets for major ports, the planning map is a more than decent road map, and its other features are well thought-out. The Maptech Chesapeake chartbook is even more thorough and gives the same scale as the NOAA charts (1:80,000 rather than 1:40,000 for ADC) and will be more useful for some sailors, but it is twice the size and more than twice the cost. I use both: the ADC for general voyaging and the Maptech for areas which are critical (shallow water, narrow channels, submerged hazards).



3. Came in a very timely manner and in perfect condition (as advertised). Thank you.



4. This is a must-have book if you boat in the
   CHesapeake and/or its feeder links. Sometimes
   we are too close to the forest to see the trees.
   
   This book puts everthing in prospective and
   is easy to use to plan an outing for the day
   or a trip to anywhere on the bay.



5. Great chart book for the Bay. Only down side, it does not show anything on the Eastern Shore.

5 comments about Lonely Planet Philippines (Philippines, 7th ed).

1. Many errors and omissions in ferry and flight schedules. We also noted the map in one of the major tourist destinations (Coron) did not even show the pier location correctly. All in all, a useful guide. But you may want to check out the guide written by the first LP Philippines author, Jens Peters, Philippines Travel Guide, which we have heard may be better. It's also available on Amazon.



2. Lonely Planet is a known quantity but I am impressed with the information on so many of the 1107 islands of The Philippines. Truly a good guide.



3. I have owned several editions of the Lonely Planet Guide for the Philippines since 1997. The earlier editions I owned were written by Jens Peters. I believe that those earlier editions were even superior to the 2006 edition written by the current authors. I used those past guides for traveling in Boracay and Baguio--I found them to be excellent even if they were written years after I visited the place.
   
   I had the chance to browse Jens Peters Philippines Travel Guide written in 2005 and I found it much better. However, I could only find a browser's copy of the book which was pretty beaten up.
   
   I purchased this LP Guide because I wanted to visit Puerto Galera. However, its Puerto Galera section is terribly inaccurate because the phone numbers for the resorts have changed a lot. Out of 4 numbers I called, only 1 was correct. Now how's that for a travel guide supposed to be published only 1 year ago?
   
   This current guide does not compare with the depth that the Jens Peters guide explores the country. It has lost some of the distinguishing features that LP guides have. Typical LP guides have segmentation of Places to Stay from the low end to the high end. It's missing in this guide. I find it very much of a let down because this book costs a lot in the Philippines (PhP1,299=US$28.26)



4. I have read lots of criticism of the Lonely Planet Philippines guidebook but I feel much of it should be disregarded by the first-time visitor to the Philippines. When one is planning a trip to the Philippines, especially if the traveler has not been there before, what one needs is qualitative advice, help in figuring out where it's worth going and where not to bother with. In this, Lonely Planet is excellent, perhaps the best of all the guidebooks. It will give you good advice about which places are worth visiting and which are not of much interest. If you've never been to the Philippines, you need frank advice about these things. As you spend time in the Philippines (I live there full-time) you may make your own judgments, but I have found Lonely Planet's advice to be quite good.
   
   There is no question that Jens Peters' Philippines Travel Guide offers far, far more detail than does Lonely Planet; many more detailed maps, more complete listings of accommodations, transportation details and so forth. No other guidebook comes close.
   
   I live in Iloilo City. I believe Lonely Planet's well-written Iloilo City narrative conveys the spirit, paints a true picture of the place in a way that allows the trip planner to decide if he or she should even include a visit to Iloilo City. For the trip planner this is more important content than extensive details about bus terminals, ferry links and so forth. Once you're here you may wish for the detailed information that Jens Peters' book gives.
   
   That's why, in my opinion, there really is no single best Philippine guidebook. For the person on their first trip, Lonely Planet offers plenty of information and advice in a compact format. It is in need of an update.
   
   I'm an American and have read complaints of my fellow citizens that the Lonely Planet guide is "anti-American". I suspect it may seem so only to those who are not familiar with some of the sadder episodes in the history of American involvement in the Philippines; the brutal crushing of Philippine independence, imposition of decades of unfair trade rules, our unwavering support for the Marcos regime so we could keep our Philippine bases and so forth. It would be better if the Lonely Planet's jabs should inspire some reading and soul searching rather than flag-waving. Stanley Karnow's "In our Image: America's Empire in the Philippines" would be a good start.



5. I read this book cover to cover anticipating my trip so far it has given me a good geographical and planning ideas I can not say how it would turn out once Iam there.It appears though the authors are mostly europeans and canadians intent on giving their point of view rather than an american point of view.

1 comments about Fishing Virginia's Highlands: An Angler's Guide (Angler's Guides).

1. Mike Smith has created an absolutely vital guide for anyone who fishes, canoes or kayaks the highlands of Virginia. Even long time Virginia river rats such as myslef will learn something and find tremendous utility in this handy size guidebook. The author also has a world class website (www.GreasyCreekoutfitters.com)where you can verify the prowess and experience of the author, check it out !
   
   This book (or any of the others in this authors series) makes a great gift or stocking stuffer for anyone who spends time on Virginia's rivers.

No comments about Streetwise Maryland & Virginia Map - Laminated State Road Map of Maryland & Virginia - Folding pocket size travel map (Streetwise (Streetwise Maps)).

No comments about Rand McNally Washington, D.C.: D.C., Virginia & Maryland : Local Street Detail.

No comments about Virginia Off the Beaten Path, 9th (Off the Beaten Path Series).

5 comments about Lonely Planet Turkey.

1. Come ivsit Turkey and use Lonely Planet to help you with your tour! I have lived in Turkey for a year. The Lonely Planet goes everywhere with us...it is worn and bent and highlighted and marked up and excellent. We have been completely happy with all the suggestions from LP. Here is the thing. Turkey is a fabulous country, however, there are a few things LP cannot control.
   
   1. The prices are inaccurate but that is not LPs fault. The Lira is very unstable and has had an outragous inflation rate. Also, you have to be good at bargaining to get a good rate and most of us Westerners are uncomforatble with this.
   
   2. Directions/ getting around....the majority of Turks rely on public transportation. There are VERY FEW road signs if you are driving. LPs maps are great, but unfortunately hard to follow without signs. I know people are sometimes frustrated with the bus routes...they can be inconvienent and drop off in the middle of the night, and hard to find your way around if you don't speak Turkish....again not LPs fault. Just keep asking for someone who speaks English to help you and the hospitable people of Turkey will find someone.
   
   I find LPs history background one of the best things about it. It is just enough to get you interested in seeing a place and you can supplement it by GOING to the museums. We have been 100% satisfied, but you must have realiztic expectations.



2. The proper name of the country is TURKIYE, not turkey. Why do the english speaking countries change the names of all existing countries but yet force those countries to use their own created names? for instance USA. This should not be so. If an existing country has their own name, it shouldnt be changed, therefore it's TURKIYE...........please make a note in the future



3. Im not the kind of guy that usually buys travel guides, but I was impressed with this lonely planet. It has excellent coverage and ideas for alternative trips, and this is the new version which was printer in Apr 07 (so its very upto date) worth purchasing!!



4. Reading the accommodation sections throughout the book and comparing them to the REALITY, I am getting the following impression about "how it works": a person from the Lonely Planet contacts the property and says: "Hi, I am from Lonely Planet travel guide! Would you please tell me how much your rooms are?". The property owners (especuially in Turkey!....) immediately sense a great opportunity for them (their propery is going to be listed in the worldwide travel guide! wow!) and respond to the Lonely Planet with some totally irrelevant, dirt cheap and UNTRUE rates. What happens next? The Lonely Planet prints out that garbage, in many thousand copies. How come EVERY property I contacted quoted me the prices being MULTIPLE TIMES higher, than what the newest, crisp copy of this book says?! I had especially unpleasant experience with the "prominent" Shoestring Pansion in Goreme. When I requested an explanation why the prices they quoted were multiple times higher than the ones listed in the book, our nice and friendly correspondence has abruptly ended. I have never received another word from them. So.... expect to pay for your accommodations in Turkey much more than the Lonely Planet listings and for the Lonely Planet I would wish to investigate the hotel prices in a little more professional way, before they actually give them away to the world.
   Very disappointing!



5. We just used this guide -- thankfully supplemented by others -- to travel around western Turkey, including Izmir, Selcuk and Istanbul. We found it uniformly atrocious. Lonely Planet, I think, enjoys telling you *every* available restaurant, hotel, and cultural attraction, and aggressively refuses to filter. Consequently, we ended up staying at an abysmal hotel in Izmir and eating at any number of subpar restaurants. When we switched to the Time Out guide for Istanbul, we had nothing but success. I recommend Time Out Istanbul in the highest possible terms, and DISrecommend Lonely Planet Turkey with the same intensity.

No comments about Best Easy Day Hikes Shenandoah National Park, 3rd (Best Easy Day Hikes Series).

No comments about A Brief and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia (Rosenwald Collection Reprint Series).