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(click on titles of interest to jump to the full review below--
or simply scroll down the page)
Africa's Top Wildlife Countries
In its 6th edition (and hopefully a 7th soon), this book has long been the go-to book for those contemplating or leaving for a safari.
A Flower Lover's Guide to Tokyo: 40 Walks for All Seasons
Walking tours, each focusing on one traditional flower.
A Guide to the Gardens of Kyoto
Well organized, the title says it all.
Beijing & Shanghai
Fascinating illustrated guide to urban China's two most important cities.
Be sure to consider titles to African and Asian destinations from the guidebook series we review on our Guidebook Series page.
(You'll also find some helpful comments on the major guidebook series below.)
Click on series name below to read the review on the Guidebook Series page. Use link to series' Web site in our review for full list of titles currently available:
Born to Shop series: This long-standing shopping guide series includes one title to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.
Blue Guides: Penetrating cultural guides to primarily European destinations and now in a new, elegant format. Includes several guidebooks to Asian and African destinations.
Knopf Mapguides: Small pocket guides with ingeniously designed fold-out maps. Includes sites, restaurants, and more.
And how about the major guidebook series?
Our Web site does not focus on the major guidebook series, but we certainly do make use of these often excellent resources. Some brief comments should be useful: For Asia and Africa, we depend on the Bradt series from Britain (www.bradt-travelguides.com) and the Lonely Planet series from Australia (www.lonelyplanet.com, click on "online shop"). Lonely Planet offers the granddaddy of all Africa guidebooks, a massive tome called Africa Travel Guide, which is now in its 30th anniversary edition. Moon Handbooks has a number of high-quality guidebooks to various destinations in Asia (www.moon.com). Fodor's also has helpful guidebooks to major destinations (Gold series--South Africa, China, Japan, Thailand, etc. See www.fodors.com/shop). And for the budget traveler there are a variety of good guidebooks available from Let's Go (www.letsgo.com) as well as Africa on a Shoestring and Southeast Asia on a Shoestring, two of the Shoestring Guides that made Lonely Planet's worldwide reputation--see link above. (Sadly, Africa on a Shoestring, after ten editions, is no longer on the LP Web site list. It is, nevertheless, still available from online sellers and, with a 2004 publication date, still potentially helpful to the traveler.) See additional comments on major guidebook series and on selecting from the guidebooks we review on our Choosing Guidebooks page.
Africa's Top Wildlife Countries by Mark Nolting, 608 pages, Global Travel Publications, 6th edition, 2002.
Nolting is a veteran of, now, decades of exploration of the African continent. When it comes to safaris, he is definitely one of the experts. His book is full of endless detail and, if history is any indication, a new edition should be not too far down the road. The book is all about when to go, where to go, what to take, where to stay, you name it. He explores the top safari destinations in considerable detail, making the book a excellent planning tool as well as a resource to take along. Definitely worth the investment of your time and money. Back to Top
A Flower Lover's Guide to Tokyo: 40 Walks for All Seasons, by Sumiko Enbutsu, 208 pages, Kodansha International, 2007
40 walking tours are presented, each highlighting an important flower in Japanese culture. Each of these flowers and its cultural significance is discussed in an accompanying essay. Flowers play an important role in Japan, linked tightly to the seasons and nature. The book, due out in late 2007, includes both photos and traditional woodcuts. On a more practical point, the authors take considerable pains to make sure you can find your way to the particular sites the book describes--an important point in Tokyo. Back to Top
A Guide to the Gardens of Kyoto, by Marc Treib and Ron Herman, 208 pages, Kodansha International, revised edition, 2003
This delightful book, replete with photos, prints and maps, offers practical information, a discussion of Japanese garden design, and plenty of details on more than 50 palace and temple gardens throughout Kyoto--the number one place to experience the depth and richness of the Japanese garden tradition. The book is well organized, and easy to use. Excellent. Back to Top
Beijing & Shanghai, by Peter Hibbard, Paul Mooney, and Steven Schwankert, 600 pages, Odyssey Publications, 2nd edition, 2007
With the support of more than 200 color photos and a great many maps, the authors create a fascinating read focused on the two key cities of the explosive growth of urban China. With literary excerpts and bits of history, this fascinating book covers a wide variety of topics, from restoration to accommodations. Well informed, sophisticated. Will definitely add something of quality to your knowledge base. Back to Top
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