Reviews (5)

Find another guide
I used this book before my trip to learn about the history, but I never used it once in South Africa.I found everyone else's Lonely Planet Guide much more helpful.

Easy to read, balanced, and informative
I recently purchased this book for my mother who is going to South Africa for a vacation. The book was so helpful for me two years ago, that I wanted to make sure she had it. (My copy is marked up and the seams are a bit worn!) I like the books's balanced report on the history of South Africa, and the fact that it is neither for rich travelers with no budget, nor is it for poor students.The sections on things to buy and places to go are great, with enough examples to give you choices, but not simply a laundry list of restaurants and stores. It also has good information on things like local languages and cultures. A Beautiful Book about a Beautiful Country
I had the opportunity to visit SA for a month in 1999. I knew going that Iwould have an informed friend to host and guide me, so I did not bring anyguide books with me. However, when I returned home and had 34 rolls of filmto show, I wanted a book to accompany the photos and act like its ownsouvenier. After looking at many titles, I settled on the Insight Guidebecause of its excellent balance of basic information (incl. a well-writtenchapter on the history), color photos (on the order of NationalGeographic), maps, tourist information (what to do; where to go; how toprepare; etc.), and candor about apartheid. I never regretted paying a fewextra dollars more for the book because it stood head and shoulder abovethe competition. It's the book I would have made had I the opportunity.The mulitple authors are well-informed, and though some info might beoutdated, one has to remember-- this is AFRICA! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Republic of South Africa    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (3)

Travel Perfume
I just unwrapped my Insight Giuide Vietnam from Amazon. It has some of the most beautiful photographs I have ever seen. The travel text is simply icing on the cake. Anyone involved in a trip to Vietnam will want this book on their shelf. This book will excite your imagination, and guarantee that you will have beautiful memories of your trip even if you lose your camera.

Insight Pocket Guides Vietnam (2nd Edition)
Although it includes most of the information I found in Fodor's, it wasn'tas detailed.It's as if the writer assumes the reader knows his way aroundHanoi or other larger cities.Top sights to visit are blurred together. Maps were difficult to read.

Vietnam Bound
While the Insight Guides do not provide the best info as far as hotels andrestaurants, they give excellent background info and tourist info.A greatresource. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Travel & holiday guides    6. Vietnam   

Reviews (10)

Armchair Traveller
I've always wanted to visit Peru and see for myself not only the ancient places and the beautiful landscape but also the cities, villages, markets, and Peruvians of today. And now too many years have gone by when I had neither the money nor the time. Time is abundant now, but health not any longer. So I just bought the Insight Guides book on Peru and what an excellent purchase this has been: The interesting articles on Peru's geography, history, culture, economics, traditions, and politics accompanied by a multitude of beautiful fotos and, last not least, good tips for the traveller as to what to do and take along, and where to go, and when to be careful, really make possible a personalized guided tour at your own leisure even while you comfortably sit in your armchair and, perhaps, have some CDs on with Peruvian folk music as a background. It is true that the book - because of the paper used to make the colourful fotos look their best - is a bit heavy to take along. But it certainly provides for an excellent preparation for those who are lucky enough to make the trip.

heavy
The upside is that this book has a lot of really teriffic color photos.However, the upside is also its downside...since the pages are all the heavy glossy material, it makes for a disproportionately heavy book considering its small size.Good for reading before your trip, but might become too heavy to lug around while trekking through the country.

A great Guide, specially for specific interests
Insight Guide Peruhas one noticiable strenght by its side: This is probablythe best source of deep background on specific destinations and activities. As a tour operator in Latin AmericaI always recommend this particular guide when, for instance, travelers are deeply interested in bird watching in, say , the Manu Reserve in the peruvian amazon jungle, a less well known destination when comparing to Macchu Pichu, the Nazca Lines or Senor de Sipan.
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Subjects:  1. Description And Travel    2. South America    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. Peru    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (7)

Colorful Helpful Maps and Photos with useful information
The insight guide to Puerto Rico is typical of the insight guides in that it provides full color photos of attractions, people and area maps. They cover most topics about the destination.
The guide I recommend for my travel course to P.R.
I was a professor at the Univ. of Puerto Rico during the 1980s, and return occasionally for scientific work. I also teach a Tropical Biology course every other year that includes spring break in Puerto Rico. I've read about eight guides to Puerto Rico and nearby islands, and I think this is the best in terms of accurately reviewing history, culture, and some of the biology and geology. The photographs are extraordinary, and really capture the island in all its facets. This Guide also gives the best information about each town's history and points of interest. It probably devotes the least space to casinos and cruise ship information, but I see that as a strength. I want my students to develop some understanding of the history and culture of Puerto Rico, even though it's a biology class, and I have found the first couple chapters of the Insight Guide do a better job than any of the drier academic sources out there. If you want to buy a guide to Puerto Rico for your own enrichment, this is the one to get.

Pictorial Tour of the Island of Enchantment
Known for their numerous photographs, researched facts, and great coverage of historical and cultural items, the "Insight Guides" series has covered almost every nation on earth with wonderfully. Their "Insight Guide to Puerto Rico" was especially much more fascinating to me since they covered a lot of things and places I did not know about my homeland.Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides   

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign   

Reviews (3)

Really added perspective to my trip!
This book DID give me lots of insight into the culture and people of Israel.I read it on the plane before I arrived, and felt it made my trip much more insightful.The book tells you things that don't often come up in conversation that really shed light on Israel.
Very Dark....
I bought this book recently and sent it back immediately!There was a lot of unappropriate information (not to mention pictures) enclosed within the pages.I am going to Isreal with a group and was looking for something a little bit more biblically based.This was not what I was looking for.

Narrative heavy, less detail than others
Though I'm familiar with the subject, it's been a while since I visited Israel, so I decided a couple of tour books were in order.This one, though full of nice pictures and descriptions, has less detail than I was looking for.The sights covered are cherry-picked with no info on a lot of places.The places chosen for description have a lot of info.A good first guide, but don't expect the depth needed for a return trip. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Israel    3. Middle East - Israel    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides   

Reviews (1)

Insight Guide Belize (Insight Guides)
This is one of the best travel books I have ever used.It emphasizes things to do and see, also history and culture about the area.It uses informative maps and photos of Belize that I found very helpful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Central America    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Belize    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (1)

All you need to know about Colorado
I will be relocating to Colorado for the summer and was looking for a book that gives you a sense of the history, culture and local attractions throughout Colorado. This book does that in a clear and interesting way. This book is great for anyone who wants to get a look into the culture and scenic beauty of the Rocky Mountain State! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Description And Travel    2. Travel    3. Travel - United States    4. Travel Guides - U.S.    5. United States - General    6. United States - West - Mountain (General)    7. Colorado    8. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Europe - Italy    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides   

Reviews (2)

Essential if you are driving
I agree with everything the prior reviewer wrote.
A great complement to a more practical Italyguidebook
It would be a pity for anyone to travel to Italy - or any other country - without having a handy informative resource on the rich history and culture of the country.Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - Italy    2. Italy - History    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides   

Reviews (2)

More than a travel guide
It's art. This book is worth buying for the photographs alone!

Another stunner from Insight Guides
As with all Insight Guides, the photography in this book is really enticing. Zenfell did a great job of finding areas off the beaten path, as well as all the "must see" treasures in the western U.S. I used this book along with Insight Guide: On the Road (another stunner, also edited by Zenfell) for several trips and was really grateful to have found them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Travel    3. Travel - United States    4. Travel Guides - U.S.    5. United States - West - General    6. West (U.S.)   

Reviews (3)

Full of Culture!
I'm Brazilian and I bought this book for my american family right before our first trip together. The culture info. is great. Just a little outdated on economy issues and also the pictures are old. But over all, is the best guide I ever found! I read it now for pleasure. Sandra Thurston

Very good introductory book for "gringos"
My Brazilian friend living in New York with an American family bought this book for her "host" father as a Father's Day gift.Out of all of the books on Brazil she could have chosen, she selected this one because ofits nice graphics and wide-variety of information about her native country. She recommend it so highly, that I bought one for myself.

This book was semi-informative
This book was semi-informative and has some decent graphics ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Brazil    2. Guidebooks    3. South America    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides   

Reviews (4)

Great Resource
My husband and I travel and live all over Asia and we love the Insight Guides and the DK guides.When we first started traveling we would buy the lonely planet and the insight or DK guide.But we found that we never used the lonely planet.We found it was far too detailed and had out of the way places that we weren't interested in.The Insight guides sift through all of the sights and show the best ones.We have never been disappointed with the information in the guides.While we were living in the countries and traveling veraciously we still didn't have time to visit all of the places in the Insight guide.The Insight guides have all the highlights are enjoyable to read and provide enough details for us to make all the hotel and flight reservations.The Insight Guides have well-researched and accessible history and culture sections.When we move we always buy a guide for our family to read so they have a better understanding of where we live and always enjoy the colorful pictures and well-written articles.

Wonderful as always
I've bought bought many Insight Guides through the years, and this one runs true to form--lavishly illustrated, chock full of information on the history, culture and people of Korea. As others mention, these guides are not good for hotel and restaurant information, but they're not intended to be--in fact, you may not even want to carry it along on the trip. But for research they're indispensible. A note: I have not gone to Korea but used this book in an English class for adult Korean students. They gave it a big thumbs up, said it "has everything." They would know!

if you only buy three travel guides, buy this one third
Beautiful pictures, good cultural info at the beginning, a little thin on the actual information on places, which I assume what a traveller/ tourist needs most, right after a willingness to see new things and meet new people. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Far East    2. Asia - Korea    3. Guidebooks    4. Korea (South)    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel Guides   

Reviews (5)

Must have for the Chile novice!
This guide together with the "Chile Footprint" is the perfect combo for the first-time Chile traveler. Why? This guide will quickly and informatively bring you close to Chile's geography, history, culture, ethnic groups and most all aspects important to know when travelling there for the first time. It is not too "scientific", nor is it too superficial. Just right.
good good chile reference
good but not truly useful reference for chile From an ex-Lonely Planet reader
What's the first thing you want to know about a country?Why do I want to visit.For answering this question Insight guides do an excellent job.Interesting descriptions complemented by pictures get you interested in Chile and what the country has to offer.Comparably Lonely planet guides are like a phone book.There is more information in them - often out of date -but little effort or detail is put in about the features of the country itself.My only problem with Insight is that its informational section is lacking.My suggestion is read insight, determine where and when you want to visit and then seek out up to date information on hotels, etc. from another source. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chile    2. Guidebooks    3. South America    4. Travel    5. Travel & holiday guides    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel Guides   

Reviews (1)

Excellent reference book
Full of useful information, many excellent photos, maps, ratings, and every detail imaginable relating to river cruising. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Description And Travel    2. Europe - General    3. Reference - Cruise Guides    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Voyages And Travels    7. Europe    8. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (3)

Perfect in all aspects
I got the new 2003 Edition, and it is much more compact and light than the previous one. Amazing colorful pictures on every page and impressive narrative. Compared to Frommer's that I also bought for my trip, this one wins hands down. It's a very interesting reading, superbly informative and perfectly up-to-date. I also added Insight Shanghai Fleximap to my order and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of design. So if you are heading to Sanghai or just want to explore the city without leaving your bed, this book is made for you.

substantial guide
If you are looking for a cheap, pocket-size guidebook full of hackneyed cliches about Shanghai, and have the attention span of an MTV- and video game-addled ten-year-old, then by all means, don't buy this book.But if you are looking for something more substantial, the kind of guide that you can sink your teeth into and absorb valuable information about the city's history, society, culture, cuisine, arts and entertainment, then this is the book for you.Having lived in Shanghai for several years, and having spent the past ten years studying the history and culture of the city, I can state definitively that this is by far the most substantial guidebook to Shanghai on the market today.Kudos to editor Francis Dorai for gathering together so many experts to reveal the city's mystique and explain its mysteries.

don't get shanghaied into buying this book
This guidebook is impractical to use. It is thick and bulky so makes it impractical to carry around in a purse.Bring a backpack to carry this mini telephone book around.Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Guidebooks    3. Shanghai (China)    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides    7. China    8. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Europe - Eastern    2. Europe - General    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides   

Reviews (2)

Poorly written, unhelpful advice, excellent pictures
I am thoroughly disappointed with the information in this book.I was looking for a guide that would help me with all of my shore excursions.Instead, each of my cities have half of a page or so of basic information.
"All the information you will ever need on cruising the Med"
Of the many guide and reference books that mention cruising in the Mediterranean, I think I may have come across the ultimate reference book on the subject -- "Mediterranean Cruises", a compilation of expertise from a number of well-known journalists, editors and contributors.
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Subjects:  1. Europe - General    2. Europe - Western    3. Special Interest - General    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides    7. Voyages And Travels    8. Other Geographical Groupings, Oceans & Seas    9. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (3)

Happy Days!
For part of our honeymoon, my wife and I decided to tour Norway and the rest of Scandinavia.For Norway, there was no better guide than this little book.It gave us all the info we needed - baring accommodation.But that can be seen to easily by popping into Norway's myriad tourist offices and booking ahead. Good, but too old pictures
I bought this book as a gift for my Host Family in Minnesota, USA , when I went there as a foreign exchange student. The book is good, and tells a lot about Norway, but for a book being marked as printed in 2000, the pictures are really old. I would say some of the pictures in this book looks like they are from the 80's. One example is the Royal Family, where the Crown Prince looks like he is around 11-12 years old. He is now in his 20's and engaged. But the nature still looks the same, so if you don't care too much about pictures, you can buy this book.

Excellent overview of Norway, people and places to visit!!!
I have just returned from my second trip to Norway. My husband and Itravelled there last year for almost 3 weeks.I had purchased your bookover 3 years ago, as I knew that we would be travelling there in theupcoming future. We have friends that live in Nesoddtangen, its mentionedin your book, they do not get many American visitors there its a verybeautiful area to visit. Its a 20 minute ferry boat ride from the AkerBrugger.I just returned from a 2 week visit to Nesodden again. This timemy friend and I travelled to Lardner, building the longest tunnel in theworld, stayed two days, but on the trip over, visited the Stave Church,over 1000 years old. Left to Bergen on a 3 1/2 ferry boat ride on theSonjefjord, the longest and deepest of the fjords. It was absolutelyBEAUTIFUL.We then travelled by car to Bergen and stayed for 3 days, whata charming city. What I love about your books, I have Iceland also, is theyare so informative and when I visit a town or area that I have read about,I feel so informed about geography, politics, weather, etc.Keep up thegood work.I was in Iceland three days before travelling to Norway, andyour books are right on the mark.KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!! LOVE YOURBOOKS!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - General    2. Europe - Scandinavia    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides   

Reviews (1)

A feast for the eye and spirit!
As a travel writer focusing on the New England States, I am always on the look out for informative and well-written guides concerning these interesting states.Read more

Subjects:  1. Travel    2. Travel - United States    3. Travel Guides - U.S.    4. U.S. Local History - New England    5. United States - Northeast - New England (General)