Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. Civilization    4. Description And Travel    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. Mishra, Pankaj    7. South Asia    8. Travel    9. Travel - Foreign    10. Western influences   

Reviews (13)

A must have for your travel book library
As someone who's outgrown Lonely Planet and Let's Go guides, I found Fay's book to be an excellent guide for those looking for more in-depth perspective and history than simply finding a hostel or looking for the next watering hole. Pictures are gorgeous and one can easily tell a good deal of money went into the exquisite design.A great writer and guide, Kim is someone I wish I had along with me in my South East Asian travels!

Don't understand the fuss
I bought this based on the reviews here on Amazon - and I'm sorry that I did. It doesn't contain any valuable information and the organization is odd for a guidebook. I just don't see the point of this guidebook.

Dreadful guide book
Badly organized, can't find anything quickly...most of the tips can be found in lonely guide for the various counries....in the end was totally useless on our trip to cambodia, laos, and vietnam... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. General    3. Reference - Guides (General)    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel - General    7. Travel / General   

Reviews (3)

A nice comprehensive travel aid
This is a reasonably comprehensive travel guide to Turkey. All regions of the country are well covered, with lots of good information on local sites and amenities. It is small enough for travel and is up-to-date. It also includes good basic maps.

Lavishly Illustrated
DK's Eyewitness Travel Guides are perfect for your next vacation or they can be illustrated journeys into new worlds you wish you could visit. These guides help me to understand the world and the 1,200 photographs, illustrations and maps in the Eyewitness Turkey Guide are stunning in beauty. I loved the two page spread of the Library of Celsus (one of the most famous Roman sites in Turkey) that is still standing after an earthquake.
Scrumptious photo feast for your eyes, makes you want to go!
I'm a fan of DK publications in general, and their style is well suited for these 'big picture' Eyewitness travel guides. The maps, photos, illustrations and contexts excel at giving you the bird's eye view of what is outstanding in Turkey.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. General    3. Middle East - Turkey    4. Reference - General    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Reference works    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. Travel / Europe / General    10. Turkey   

Reviews (18)

better than Frommers, Lonely Planet, etc
A travel buddy recommended this for our upcoming trip to Japan this fall and I was very pleased with the content and layout. It's well worth the $16 investment ... lots of interesting cultural factoids and clear pictures ... plus the usual list of hotels, shops and restaurants. Will update this review when I get back from Tokyo.

A good start to plan your trip to Japan
My wife and I enjoy to travel and we have been to many places and we have used the DK Eyewitness Guides a number of times (see my homepage). We bought the Japan guide to start planning our trip to Japan in May 2005 and we found the guidebook useful (as usual). We used it to find out where to buy tickets for a sumo match in Tokyo, we used it to navigate around Tokyo, we used it when we came to a restaurant in Kyoto where the two old people behind the counter didn't speak any English etc. We also found it very useful when we went to the castle at Himeji and found out that there was no guided tours in English. The book has lots of pratical information in my opinion or maybe it is just me that are getting used to this style in guidebooks. I do find the DK Eyewitness guides to be far more interesting that e.g. Lonely Planet, Frommer's etc

Beautiful Guide to Japan
This is a great and fascinating guide to Japan. Every page is full of captivating illustrations and interesting information on arts, culture and history around Japan. However, although this is an excellent book to look through and read before going to Japan it is not advised to take this book and this book alone on a trip to Japan. The information on accomadation, restaurants and language is rather vague and sketchy therefore it is best to get a more detailed travel guide on such matters. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - Japan    3. Guidebooks    4. Japan    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel / Asia / Japan   

Reviews (9)

Not practical for serious travel
I bought this book before moving to India, hoping it would make traveling in the country easier. I was disappointed. There is no practical information in this book. Train times, bus fares, budget hotels, and more useful information is completely ignored. The only plus to the book is sometimes helpful information is given on art history and monument history, but overall I would only recommend the Lonely Planet guide for those looking to really see and experience India.

A thing of beauty - A joy for ever
Just been to Goa and this book was a great reference for the places to visit.
Beautiful Book
This is a beautifully done book. The pictures are amazing and very well done. This simply stands out. Great work guys! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - India    2. Guidebooks    3. India    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel / Asia / India   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (77)

A Delightful Journey
The reader will travel with the author throughout the Middle East, following the steps of the patriarchs through the beginnings of the conquest by Joshua, in source of a connection with history and ultimately a divine spark. This author is very easy to read and provides colorful descriptions of his surroundings that allow the reader to be there. Throughout the book is an undercurrent of "Why can't we just all get along!"
A Wonderful Guide to the Lands of the Bible for People of all Faiths
I've been a fan of Bruce Feiler's writing after watching him on C-Span's Book TV talk about his first book about Abraham. This must have been about four or five years ago now. I went out to purchase ABRAHAM and discovered a treasure. Feiler brings many gifts and talents to writing, particularly religious writing. First of all he writes about issues regarding faith from the point of view of one who practices his faith. Like many of his readers, his journey to faith has not been a straight path which seems to give him a good perspective on the questions people are asking. He also has a fluid writing style and is able to weave personal memoir, always interesting and at times moving stories, geography, history, and theology together to create a great read.
Succeeds despite itself...
Walking the Bible is not among the better travel writing I've read primarily because it focuses more on the author than the locations he visited.Feiler did get around:from Turkey to Egypt, from the Negev to the Sinai, from Jerusalem to Jordan, but he minimizes the narrative elements one typically associates with good travel writing for a seemingly endless array of personal epiphanies. Despite it's subtitle, Walking the Bible is more a journey by catharsis through Bruce Feiler's mind than a journey by land through the five books of Moses.Thus, beyond his ubiquitous food metaphors, a descriptive presence is often found wanting.
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Subjects:  1. Antiquities & Archaeology    2. Bible    3. Bible - Study - Old Testament    4. Bible.    5. Description and travel    6. Feiler, Bruce S    7. Feiler, Bruce S.    8. Geography    9. Middle East    10. Middle East - General    11. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    12. O.T.    13. Pentateuch    14. Religion    15. Travel    16. Travel - General    17. Journeys    18. Religion / Antiquities & Archaeology    19. Essays & Travelogues    20. Judaism - History   

Reviews (3)

A vivid adventure comes to life in a compelling 'you are there' story.
Author Jeffrey Taylor used a custom-built boat to travel over two thousand miles to the Arctic Circle, recreating a journey first made by Cossacks over three hundred year ago, seeking a respite from the modern world. RIVER OF NO RETURN: DESCENDING SIBERIA'S WATERWAY OF EXILE, DEATH, AND DESTINY charts his journey, providing true life travel adventure at its best as Taylor comes to realize his guide is a bitter Soviet army veteran who hates all humanity - including Taylor. A vivid adventure comes to life in a compelling 'you are there' story.
Summer rafting in an extreme place with an uncertain future
Burdened with a brutal history of Cossack conquest, labor camps, gulags, displaced people and rapacious resource plundering, and all but abandoned by the state that exploited it, Siberia is the perfect choice for a certain sort of travel writer to go and reflect on the state of the world.
A PHOTO IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
This book is really two stories.One is about an adventurous trip down a Siberian river in a small boat.The other is about the frontierspeople who inhabit its shores.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Description And Travel    3. Europe - Former Soviet Republics    4. Former Soviet Republics    5. General    6. History    7. History: World    8. Russia (Federation)    9. Siberia    10. Siberia (Russia)    11. Special Interest - Adventure    12. Tayler, Jeffrey    13. Travel    14. Travel - Foreign    15. Travel - General    16. Voyages And Travels    17. Travel / General   

Editorial Review

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nervesof first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the mostjaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach.While still givinginsights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations anditineraries for those with less time than money. Read more

Reviews (5)

tour guide
we were in nepal in recently and found this guide to be very useful and informative; will recommend it to anybody who is travelling to a new country.

Paperback Sherpa
The first time I traveled to Nepal I was on a limited budget, was alone, had no idea where I was going to stayand there was a riot going on in Kathmandu.
Here's another book to get in addition to L.P. Nepal
This book is great!I like to travel and not be a "typical american", and this book really helped me in that effort of knowing the culture and the land.I spent 5 weeks in Nepal and was more educated about the country/traditions/culture than any tourist I ran into.I spent a week in Kathmandu, 3 weeks trekking the Annapurna Circuit, and 1 week kayaking the Seti River.I used the medical section of this book (almost everyone gets sick), but should have bought a little medical book available in the bookstores in Kathmandu.Also, the trekking information in this book is good, but it's not great.If you want the BEST guidbook for trekking the Annapurna Circuit or Everest, then go to yetizone.you know what.It's a good site and the webmaster publishes his own guidebook for cheap!It's the best darn guidebook out there without question.Everyone I ran into in Nepal that looked at my book, and I mean EVERYONE, wanted to buy it or make copies.Also, it's not really a book, it's more like a little spiral bound pamphlet, so it weighs practically nothing, and I could keep it easily accessible in my cargo pocket.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - India    2. Asia - Southwest    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. Nepal    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (4)

Excellently Honest
Anyone who doubts that North Korea is an "Axis of Evil" needs to read this book. Kang gives a straightforward first-person account of his life inside an aquarium called North Korea, where there is only fear, propaganda, corruption, prisons, hard labor and starvation. He gives us his memoir of enduring all these hardships and his astonishment at the freedoms of South Korea, which present him with new challenges. If you want to know the truth about North Korea, it doesn't come much closer than this first-hand experience.

A very disturbing look into the world's last Stalinist country
Aquariums of Pyongyang is the story of one man's life through ten years of captivity in a North Korean gulag....an incredible story of struggle against man's inhumanity to man. Many who read this book will probably view his family as highly naive for leaving Japan for North Korea and in believing North Korean propaganda over what they heard firsthand from people who had been there. On the docks before leaving, they were warned about going back and about the conditions to be found in North Korea. But, the elder family members were ardent supporters of Kim Il-Sung, and believed the propaganda put out on a daily basis. Little did they know they were putting their kids into a deathtrap from which they would have to endure many years of beatings and privation at the hands of the guards. The reeducation lessons are particularly noteworthy, as readers can gain valuable insight into how this regime works. Even dead people were not immune from being used to inculcate hate.....the picture of the prisoners being forced to throw rocks at the people hanging on the gallows (because they were enemies of the state no less, even when dead!) until they were unrecognizable is one of the most chilling things I have ever read. All in the name of propping up one of the worst ideologies the world has ever known.
Wow
An exceptional book.A first hand account of life in a NK concentration camp.The account is horrifyingly similar to other diaries of Nazi concentration camps and the Russian Gulag, but fifty years closer to the present. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Christianity - General    4. Personal Memoirs    5. Religion    6. Travelers    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    8. Biography: historical    9. Human rights    10. North Korea   

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southwest    2. Description And Travel    3. Elliot, Jason    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. Iran    6. Travel    7. Travel - General    8. Travel / Essays & Travelogues   

Reviews (7)

Another Unique Situation
As other reviewers have pointed out this book is a collection of the author's memoirs and should be treated as such. If a more scholarly work is desired then Bradley Martin's Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader : North Korea and the Kim Dynasty would be a superior choice. However, this book offers insights that few were capable of collecting and remains enjoyable for anyone interested in the "unique situation" in the DPRK. Martin was in and out, but Harrold was a resident.
Very Interesting
I think it must be hard to write a book about North Korea that's not depressing, but somehow Micheal Harrold manages to do just that. Not many westerners have had the opportunity to live in North Korea, so his perspective is unique and interesting. He highlighted many of the problems of the country, but managed to give a certain humanity to his study of North Korea that is lacking in other books about the isolated nation.

Fascinating tale of extreme cross-cultural understanding
Harrold's personal story intrigued me on so many levels.I worked as an English teacher on the southern half of the Korean penninsula during almost the same exact period he was in the North (1987-1993 for me).Much of the xenophobic experiences that he attributes to ideology and politics, is rooted a culture that values much that the West does not:tradition, stability, respect for authority, hierarchical relationships, conformity and consensus.Of course, the DPRK's strident self-reliant communism, coupled with its constant search for "positive strokes" from outsiders greatly exacerbated the author's experiences, relative to my own.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - Korea    3. Harrold, Michael    4. Korea (North)    5. Korea - History    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. North Korea    9. Travel / Asia / General    10. Travel writing   

Editorial Review

This colorful and thoughtfully arranged guide provides easy access to Thai history and culture,religion and politics, music, sports, and festivals. From Chiang Mai to Bangkok, Phuket to Ko Samui, themany pleasures, diversions, sites, and activities are detailed in a conveniently usable format. Orchid parksand elephant training centers, wats and Buddhas, beaches, treks, museums, and rainforests--it's all there toperuse and choose. With lists of hotels and restaurants, information on shopping, whitewater rafting, golf,diving, Thai massage, and lots of maps and pictures, Dorling-Kindersley has put together a guide that's bothpractical and beautiful. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

This is simply a gem
This is a good quality book, something you could open and open again.
Traveling To Thailand?
I found Eyewitness Travel Guide for Thailand very informative, and easy to read.It had tons of pictures, facts, FYIs, and did I mention pictures?Like Eyewitness I agree that a picture is worth a thousand words.I also bought Lonely Planet's Travel Guide for Thailand, but liked Eyewitness' much better.Lonely Planet's Travel Guide had a more standard layout for the abundant amount of facts, but was limited on the pictures.The phrase at the bottom of Eyewitness' book holds true, "The Guides That Show You What Others Only Tell You."

Out Of Date
This is a great book with beautiful pictures, maps and nice glossy color pages. The only problem being that it is out of date! Having said that, I would not recommend it for your guide book if travelling to Thailand. Wait for an updated issue.Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast    2. Middle East - General    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel / Asia / Far East   

Editorial Review

As a teacher of English literature, Jamie Zeppa would understand how the story of her journey into Bhutan could be fit into the convenient box of "coming-of-age romance," a romance with a landscape, a people, a religion, and a dark, irresistible student. An innocent, young Catholic woman from a Canadian mining town who had "never been anywhere," Zeppa signed up for a two-year stint teaching in a remote corner of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Despite the initial shock of material privation and such minor inconveniences as giardia, boils, and leeches, Zeppa felt herself growing into the vast spaces of simplicity that opened up beyond the clutter of modern life. Alongside her burgeoning enchantment, a parallel realization that all was not right in Shangri-La arose, especially after her transfer to a college campus charged with the politics of ethnic division. Still she maintained her center by devouring the library's Buddhist tracts and persevering in an increasingly fruitful meditation practice. When the time came for her to leave, she had undergone a personal transformation and found herself caught between two worlds that were incompatible and mutually incomprehensible. Zeppa's candid, witty account is a spiritual memoir, a travel diary, and, more than anything, a romance that retraces the vicissitudes of ineluctable passion. Read more

Reviews (67)

More like a diary than a travelogue
There is a subgenre of travel writing in which a sheltered, white kid from a middle class background travels to a foreign country, usually as a volunteer, and goes through a predictable set of phases. It starts with loneliness and despair, laments of the "what am I doing here?" variety; then a sudden awakening to the opportunity to experience a completely different culture; the realization of the changes the experience has wrought on the author; and then either the sadness at having to depart or going native.
beautiful
I couldn't put this book down.In my read of the other reviews, I was not surprised to find that some people were put off by the relationship (and encounter) that Zeppa had with two of her students.Let's please keep in mind that these were university students, for a start, in their 20's...which DOES happen in Western society as well, and professors are not always fired from their jobs; often simply reprimanded.(interestingly enough, it's usually MALE profs involved with FEMALE students...somehow that makes it acceptable for some people!)What I treasured about the book was her voice, and the way that she really opens our eyes to the material culture of the west, and the lack of responsibility we take for our actions the more 'advanced' we get.She was NOT aware of the conflict between the Hindi and Budddhist students until she was among them, and that makes sense, since Westerners tend to be slightly 'blind' to what things are happening around the world, especially in tiny, seemingly 'unimportant' countries. I am an American living in China, and I completely understand that experience now that I've been here for two years. Her descriptions of the landscape that are pervasive throughout the novel, were vivid enough to see and feel; this is can be a difficult task for a writer, since it can be hard to find the words to capture the beauty of a place that you are deeply connected to.Her journey to Buddhism was interesting to read about, and some of her explanations of Buddhist philosophy shed greater light into the teachings and beliefs.I was slightly disappointed in the ending...she leaves us a bit too abruptly, but I got so much out of the rest of it, it was difficult to criticize.If you are open-minded, able to get out of the 'box' of your own Western culture, and you are not hell bent on finding moral wrong with the choices that people make, then this book is well worth reading!!

Not Without Merits, But Troublesome in Parts
I'm sort of splitting the difference here between those who seem to think this book is flawless and those who seem to think that it is complete and utter tripe.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. Asia - Southeast    4. Bhutan    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Description and travel    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Journeys    9. Travel    10. Travel - General    11. Travelers    12. Women    13. Zeppa, Jamie    14. Travel / General   

Reviews (25)

Best travel book I've read
The author has written an engaging, entertaining, beautifully discriptive book of Yemen.I visited Sana'a about 15 years ago and his book really hits the mark.I particularly enjoy how Mr. Hansen captures the culture and attitudes of the Yemen.He knows that that that culture is 180 degrees from Western culture and he treats Yemeni religion, customs and attitudes with respect and openness - yet does not patronize as do many other travel books.
Yemen, Beneath the Veil
I second the views of several reviewers that this is one of the best travel books they've ever read.Hansen takes us through Yemen as if we were riding (or sailing) with him.I never gave much thought to or knew much about Yemen but, thanks to Hansen, I have a new and positive view of it.His willingness to get out and experience many facets of this country enriches his descriptions.His good humor and sensitivity to its people are gratifying. But this is more than just a travelogue.Hansen's quest for his buried notebooks is a compelling story in itself.That plot and this venue combine to make this an irresistible and meritorious book. I look forward to reading more from this intrepid and gifted writer.

Perhaps, one of the best travel books I have ever read.
Having read literally hundreds of travelogues, I must say this is simply one of the finest I have ever run into. Eric's experiences are unusually wonderful, and his writing is magical. His focus on the Yemeni people and their lives and experiences make this book far more engaging than travelogues that focus on personal experiences, interpretations or places visited and described.
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Subjects:  1. (Eric K.)    2. Asia - China    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Description    5. Description and travel    6. Essays & Travelogues    7. Hansen, Eric    8. Special Interest - Adventure    9. Travel    10. Travel - General    11. Yemen    12. Journeys    13. Red Sea    14. Travel / Adventure    15. Travel writing   

Reviews (10)

May be, finally...
Hello! An excellent guide for traveling to Bhutan!
I bought this guide before my first trip to Bhutan, and it helped me immensely in planning my tour. It contains detailed information about the country--history, culture, geography, and facts for travelers. And it gives accurate information about the trekking routes and cultural tours. As is typical for Lonely Planet publications, this one is interesting and well written, and I found the information to be relevant to my trip. It is not easy to travel to Bhutan (there are many government restrictions), and this book made everything easier. I had such a successful, fun trip that I've been back several times (www.jachungtravel.com), and I still refer to this edition of the guide. It's packed with good information, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to go to Bhutan.

In the Thunder Dragon Kingdom adorned with sandalwood
Lonely Planet is unbelieveable!They continually pump out the HIGHEST quality guidebooks, and they've done it again with this edition covering Bhutan.I have spent a good portion of my life researching, and hording information on Bhutan, and have found Lonely Planet's guidebook to contain everything and more that the traveller could ever want...with two exceptions.I think that the lack of the U'cen script in the language chapter is a serious mistake.Lonely Planet has the capacity to print in the U'cen script as they did so in their Tibet edition.My other qualm is with the sparse coverage of the smaller and admittedly FAR less visited dzongkhags (districts) (i.e., Daga, Samdrup Jongkhar, Pema Gatshel, Zhemgang, Tsirang, etc.).Lonely Planet, resolve these issues and your book will be the best it could be. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southwest    2. General    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Bhutan    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (1)

Excellent Overview
As I first-time traveler to India, I spent much time searching for a travel guide that would offer the perfect combination of history and culture, while providing insightful advice.The Eyewitness Guide provided both excellent and detailed information, while offering regional and cultural snapshots of the "Golden Triangle." This piece proved extremely helpful and insightful to a first-time traveler. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - India    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel / Asia / India   

Reviews (14)

Poorly organized and not very handy
If your looking for an easy-reference, traveler's phrasebook...this certainly isnt for you. Buying this as a quick-reference guide to help me get through Korea for 2 weeks, I was rather dissapointed that all the phrases are kind of scattered throughout the book, while the whole first half is dedicated to grammar. If I wanted to actually learn the language, I'd have bought a text book, not a "phrase" book. At any rate, the organization of the book certainly made it hard to find what I was looking for when I needed it. And, while everything else is over descriptive, theres a very frustratingly small amount of info on numbers. They go into a lot of depth about the etimology of the numbers, but say only a few word on when to use what(i.e. these numbers are used over 100....well, how do I say 11,225...do I use all "Sino-korean" or do I mix in "Pure Korean">) In a country whose currency is set up such that few things cost lower than 1,000 won, a bit more explanation on numbers over 100 would be appreciated...and the "Quick Reference" number guide on the inside-back cover, since it only goes up to 100, is entirely worthless. Oh well, I guess I should've know since it's Lonely Planet.

excellent
This book is huge. LP korean phrasebook has everything you need and then some. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the language, studying it, or just looking for something to brush up on. Thanks amazon for the fast shipping.

Very good pronounciation and grammar tips!
While this title is not mainly a Korean /language/ title, or a book one expects to learn in depth language nicities, nonetheless, the book does an amazing job of condensing these minutiae very quickly, accurately, and somewhat completely (at a begginer level of course), in very clear language, without any weird linguist smarty pants fancy grammar jargon.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. Foreign Language Study    4. Korean    5. Language    6. Multi-Language Phrasebooks    7. Language self-study & phrasebooks    8. Pakistan    9. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (13)

Very informative
Summer 2006 preparing for a trip to Thailand, we purchased several guidebooks and DVD's.Culture Shock Thailand was very informative and helpful.It included valueable information we did not find elsewhere.This book is mainly geared toward the business person planning an extended stay or relocation to Thailand.It was not designed for the traveler spending two weeks as a tourist.Overall a very good book.

Just what I need
Wow, found it.Just off to spend some months in and around Thailand -- and no doubt put yet another book on Thailand on the shelves -- when I get this recommended to me.Great stuff.Very informative, very funny, I mean in places really funny, and a bargain to boot.Slap up to date.Can't wait to enter the kingdom.

Culture comes allive and is fun
This book helped my whole family.We read it before arrival but are still using it for reference.It gave us useful leads to international schools, places of worship and hospitals when out of Bangkok.A mixture of the very practical: opening bank accounts, finding your way, doing business, and so on, and a comprehensive guide to Thai culture, with convenient sectionalisation, excellent explanations and situationist in that it places the non-Thai reader into the Thai world and helps him or her stay afloat.Excellent value. Up to date.Hard to think of anything it misses.Very lively.Well written.And makes learning culture fun.Can't ask for more than that. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Asia - General    3. Asia - Southeast    4. Cultural And Social Anthropology    5. Description And Travel    6. Reference - General    7. Travel    8. Travel - Foreign    9. Travel - General   

Reviews (36)

What would Theroux say today, over 20 years later?
I read this book over a week-long period, almost 20 years after he rode the Iron Rooster through China.The many commentaries of country life, the weird customs of the people and the constant yearning to shoot birds for food made me wonder if China today is still like it was 20 years ago.I certainly hope it is not, but Theroux's style and detailed observations of miniscule events make this a very interesting, graphic read.I had the sense of where I was in the country, from the barren desert to the freezing mountains and every track inbetween.I didn't want to get off the train.
Scrutinizing The Inscrutable
For many travel writers, the point is more in the journey than the destination. That is especially true with Paul Theroux here. Whether it is the rubble of the Great Wall, the desolate wastes of Inner Mongolia, or the awe-inspiring vistas of Tibet, Theroux uses the various places of China he encounters by rail as a backdrop for what interests him most, the people.
What a trip!
I promise you will live this journey! It is incredible how Theroux describes the people, the places. A rail journey through China was nothing short of heroic back then, and I am sure would be nothing short of heroic now. I met the people, sat on the train, ate the strange foods, could taste the strange foods, slept on floors, in what is kindly described as inns. The rail stations, the villages, the towns.And the weather. I cannot imagine freezing like that, or sweating like that. Or can I???
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Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Asia - Far East    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. General    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel / Asia / Far East   

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southwest    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Sri Lanka    6. Travel & holiday guides