Moon Handbooks: Thailand (3rd Ed.)

Book Description

Thailand Handbook covers world-famous attractions such as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok and the pristine beaches in the south, more than a thousand accommodations from budget guesthouses to five-star digs, selective dining from streetside stalls to deluxe enclaves, and nightlife venues from Patpong to the performing arts.

Customer Reviews:

1999??.......2006-06-23

I want a book for Thailand. I like Moon Handbooks, but 1999 just doesn't cut it. Sadly, I will likely get the LP giude.

Best Thailand Guide.......2006-01-03

I used this Handbook last year having perused the Rough Guide and LP Guides extensively. This was the one I packed for the trip to the north, the northeast, BKK, and a couple of side trips to Ratchaburi and Ayudaya. Great guide. Subtly written and informative.

I, too, am troubled the lack of a new edition, and I don't see indications on the Moon website that another is coming soon. It's been nearly six years. I'll buy the new one...I'd even pay twice and throw in an order of gai yang!

The Best.......2005-03-15

Having travelled a lot in Thailand, and owning just about every guidebook, this one is clearly the best. In depth, accurate, intelligent, comprehensive, and amusingly written with a touch of sarcasm. Only problem is that it is somewhat out of date. I am anxiously awaiting a new edition. This is still a most valuable addition to one's references on travel to the Kingdom.

update.......2004-02-03

same as below, it is now 2004 and things have changed in thailand, I am ready for another trip this year and need a guide book, lonely planet doesnt do the trick

Hey Carl, lets get back to work please.......2003-03-06

The 1999 Edition was great for the first couple of years, but it is time for a new one now. This one is now antiquated. It's been 4 years now and we would like the 4th Edition ASAP. Let's go Carl and don't let the JV book take away all the light from the Varsity team's book !

Vietnam, 4th Edition (Footprint Vietnam Handbook)

Average customer rating:

Rough Guide better than Lonely Planet, Footprint
Excellent coverage

Vietnam, 4th Edition (Footprint Vietnam Handbook)
John Colet
Manufacturer: Footprint Handbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Vietnam | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Footprint Handbooks | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Rough Guide to Vietnam 4 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
Laos, 4th Edition (Footprint Laos Handbook)
Lonely Planet Vietnam
The Rough Guide to Vietnam 5 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
Frommer's Vietnam, Including Angkor Wat

ASIN: 1904777031

Book Description

A guide covering from the mountainous north dotted with traditional villages to the verdant paddyfields of the Mekong Delta. The best sights. Food fit for the gods. Propoganda posters and perfumed pagodas. Where to sleep, eat and drink including everythin

Customer Reviews:

Rough Guide better than Lonely Planet, Footprint.......2001-01-12

Just came back from a three week trip to Vietnam with three books: the Lonely Planet, the Rough Guide, and Footprint Handbook.

The Rough Guide is the best guidebook around for the country. It is superior to the Lonely Planet guide in the breadth and depth of coverage and especially its accuracy. I liked LP for other countries but here they did a very poor job.

I have not found even one instance where Lonely Planet provided information that Rough did not have. If you are traveling to the north, you may want to consider reading Footprint before you leave -- it has some interesting information.

Also, all hotels -- even the top ones -- can be negotiated down in price. Send them an e-mail and ask for special rates, corporate rates, etc. You can stay at the Metropole in Hanoi for less than half their rack rate.

Excellent coverage.......1999-11-24

As a former expat in Saigon with family and friends all along the Mekong Delta, I'm naturally interested in the precision and breadth of guidebooks on SE Asia. This one from Footprint seems to cover all the bases in a detailed and realistic fashion. Since there's always uncovered terrain, it's the one I'll bring on my next trip over. And for new visitors, I'd also recommend the video "Raise The Bamboo Curtain: Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma", available from Amazon.

Handbook of Organizational Design: Volume 1: Adapting Organizations to their Environments (Handbook of Organizational Design)

Average customer rating:

The Definitive Text on Organizations

Handbook of Organizational Design: Volume 1: Adapting Organizations to their Environments (Handbook of Organizational Design)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Social Psychology & Interactions | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0198272413

Customer Reviews:

The Definitive Text on Organizations.......1997-12-02

The book was written by then UW-Milwaukee Professors Starbuck and Nystrom. Dr. Nystrom, my graduate advisor, is an excellent author and the book provides detailed information regarding the structures and actions or organizations. Their theories on organizational decay are very useful in understanding organizations.

Moon Handbooks Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos (Moon Handbooks)

Average customer rating:

Adequate only
The Best
Disappointing
An Outstanding Guidebook
A good companion to other guides,esp. for sights and history

Moon Handbooks Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos (Moon Handbooks)
Michael Buckley
Manufacturer: Avalon Travel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Cambodia | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Laos | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Vietnam | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Moon Handbooks | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

To Asia with Love: A Connoisseurs' Guide to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
Indochina Chronicles: Travels in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam
A Dragon Apparent: Travels in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam
A Traveller's History of Southeast Asia (The Traveller's History Series)
Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia Nelles Map

ASIN: 1566917840

Book Description

Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos are more accessible than ever before. For the first time in over three decades, it is possible to bicycle around Angkor Wat, motorcycle through hill tribe areas of North Vietnam, or cruise on a cargo boat through the Mekong Delta. Throughout the region, authorities are turning battlefields into marketplaces and tourist attractions. Logging thousands of kilometers by train, bus, jeep, boat, moto, bicycle, and on foot, author Michael Buckley explored all three countries extensively, getting to know the people, the customs, and the landscape. He helps you have a truly personal experience. Suggested travel strategies and lists of must-see sights provide you with real insights so you can decide where you should go, stay, and eat—without hassles or regrets. Complete with maps, photographs, illustrations, and special emphasis on leading destinations such as the War Crimes Museum in Saigon, Vietnam's French-built mansions and tree-shaded boulevards in Hanoi, the Angkor Wat towers, and the unspoiled natural environment and traditional culture of Laos, Moon Handbooks Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos has the tools you need to create your own unique trip.

Customer Reviews:

Adequate only.......2007-04-26

Adequate rather than good, this is no Lonely Planet guide. The structure covering three countries means a significant amount of flipping back and forth to locate information on the country you're currently in. The Siem Reap/Angkor Wat section is particularly confusing, with the practical (hotel, restaurant & general living) information interleaved with the descriptions of the temple complex.

Although published in 2006, much of the political information did not appear to have been updated since approximately 2000.

This book will not encourage me to buy Moon for any of my future travels

The Best.......2002-12-21

This is the best guide available. Moon travel beats the major competitor (the main travel-trail eye-sore creator) in almost all respects, but not all.

Moreso than other travel guides, the Moon travel guide for Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia has tons and tons of recent political, social and economic history in addition to significant cultural notes that a visitor *must* be aware of. (i.e., what does a South East Asian smile mean?) The maps of the cities and provinces are excellent. the all-important overland border-crossings between 'Nam, Laos, and Cambo are cleary marked. This is one of the many reasons that Moon can't be beaten at the moment. This guide's overland itineraries are the best. Example: you want to go into China overland fron northern Vietnam. How can you get up to Kunnming, China? It tells ya. And, we learn, that the one way flight into Bangkok from Kunming is the same price as the one that flys from Hanoi. (This price equality of course must be verified).

The information regarding the pricing and existence of certain establishments that cater to travelers is outdated. However, where to eat or sleep has never been an important part of a book anyhow, just the general information about the area in general and how to get there is all a visitor needs. Does someone need to read a guidebook to decide specifically where to eat? Where to specifically sleep? If it does for you, do everyone a favor: stay home.

The underlying story that provides the "general-informational" foundation is enough. When we come through town, understandably we don't know much, but that is far better than knowing absolutely nothing at all, which is quite common now from my conversations with tourists, and especially now among "backpackers." The purpose of why backpacking started has been lost for most.

By the way, it is a fact that the communist government censors this guidebook. I found that out trying to pick it up at the post office. Well worth having.

Disappointing.......2001-05-02

This book is getting mixed reviews. It seems like friends of the author say its great. Those who tried to actually use the book are disappointed that everything is so out of date. This edition was not updated since the first edition and is now really out of date. Things change, but sloppy research is always out of style.

An Outstanding Guidebook.......2000-01-30

I've been using Michael Buckley's Vietnam Handbook for two months now and have found it to be excellent. It's well organized with country introductions which told me almost everything I wanted to know. Michael's sidebars are intriguing and I especially appreciate the city walking tours which have led me to many hidden little places I might have missed otherwise. The maps are better than those in the other guidebooks because sites are labeled right on the maps themselves rather than coded in a key which is impossible to read in dim lighting (a fault with the Lonely Planet series). Michael has provided not only the usual city and country maps, but also detailed inner city maps and even maps of the individual temples around Angkor Wat. This book covers three countries and sure beats having to buy and lug around individual guides to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. I've found that the coverage better than adequate and certainly head and shoulders above the general Southeast Asia guides which are surprisingly sketchy about these countries. Indochina is changing so fast that much of the practical information in any guide is bound to be out of date before the book reaches the shelves and this 1998 edition does require updating, but so do all the other guides to the region. You usually end up getting that kind of information from other travelers anyway. Of the three countries included, the coverage of Cambodia is the weakest, obviously because that country is only now opening to independent travel. Next edition Michael needs to get to places like Kampong Cham, etc. Meanwhile I recommend this handbook highly over all its competitors.

A good companion to other guides,esp. for sights and history.......1999-08-17

I used this guide for travel throughout Cambodia and in Saigon in the summer of 1999. I found it to be well-written and insightful, particularly about history, culture, and general observations about travel in the region. I found that I didn't rely on it so much for nitty-gritty details like accommodations or travel info (I used Let's Go: Southeast Asia for that) or for places to go out (I borrowed someone else's Lonely Planet for that). But I did come to rely on its clear modern history sections, its meticulous maps, and even its opening chapters on travel in the region. This guidebook is clearly thoughtfully and thoroughly researched. Although I wouldn't recommend traveling with it alone, I certainly was glad I brought it along.

Laos, 4th Edition (Footprint Laos Handbook)

Average customer rating:

Good Geography, bad politics.....

Laos, 4th Edition (Footprint Laos Handbook)
Jock O'Tailan
Manufacturer: Footprint Handbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Laos | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Footprint Handbooks | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Rough Guide to Laos 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
Lonely Planet Laos
Thailand, 6th Edition (Footprint Thailand Handbook)
Footprint Cambodia, 4th Edition (Footprint Cambodia Handbook)
Vietnam Handbook (Footprint Vietnam Handbook)

ASIN: 1904777538

Book Description

Travel guide to Laos, one of the treasures of South East Asia, an enigmatic country influenced by the French, defined by the Mekong river and belonging to another time.

Customer Reviews:

Good Geography, bad politics............2006-11-30

Excellent guide that seems well researched and geared for the middle income tourist (very rare in guidebooks). Comprehesive and up to date prices and listings were evident throughout. Only shortcoming was a decidedly leftist bent in the book's extensive history and cultural sections that is overly sycophantic and apologetic to the the illegal Vietnamese invasion and its subsequent occupation/exploitation of the nation from the 1950s to 1980s. Also overt propaganda excusing the oppressive Prathet Lao attrocities is evident in its sprinkling throughout the book. As this is a trend in LP and Rough Guides as well, I suppose I cannot blame this young author too for falling into the "Khao san Road journalist" trap. But overall, outside of the naiive political bent, the book is very handy and almost as good as the Moon Handbooks used to be when they were written for the area.

Handbook Of Markets And Economies: East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand

Average customer rating:

Choice

Handbook Of Markets And Economies: East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand

Manufacturer: M.E. Sharpe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Comparative | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Conditions | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 076560972X

Customer Reviews:

Choice.......2006-06-27

Handbook of markets and economies: East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand. ed. by Anthony Pecotich and Clifford J. Shultz II. M.E. Sharpe, 2006. 712p bibl index afp ISBN 0-7656-0972-X, $139.95 . Reviewed in 2006jun CHOICE. * More from M.E. Sharpe *
Particularly over the last few decades, significant economic and social progress has increased the importance of Asian markets and economies relative to other regions of the world. Although progress has been somewhat erratic and has not affected all nations to the same degree, some observers see the possibility of a gradual shift in power from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The upward struggles of Asian economies, including Australia and New Zealand, as well as their potential for further development, are captured in this work, which draws the expert insights of 39 contributors into a single volume via the editing of Pecotich (Univ. of Western Australia) and Shultz (Arizona State Univ.). The challenging task of instilling coherence into disparate contributions was aided by utilizing a common framework of eight systems in examining each country: natural environment/geography, political, economic, social, knowledge, educational, executive, and marketing. The framework was employed, as circumstances permitted, as a guide through the 18 chapters, each covering a single country in the region. Chapters contain extensive references, and statistical data were condensed into tables where appropriate. Those seeking marketing, economic, and cultural information relative to Pacific nations will find this handbook a convenient and accessible resource. Summing Up: Recommended. Public, academic (lower-division undergraduate and up), and professional collections. -- W. C. Struning, emeritus, Seton Hall University

Laos: A Country Study (Area Handbook Series)

Average customer rating:

Laos: A Country Study (Area Handbook Series)

Manufacturer: Claitor's Law Books and Publishing Division
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Laos | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1579801412

Vietnam: A Global Studies Handbook (Global Studies)

Average customer rating:

Vietnam: A Global Studies Handbook (Global Studies)
L. Woods
Manufacturer: ABC-CLIO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Reference | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Human Geography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1576074161
Release Date: 2002-12-16

Footprint Cambodia, 4th Edition (Footprint Cambodia Handbook)

Average customer rating:

Directions please?

Footprint Cambodia, 4th Edition (Footprint Cambodia Handbook)
Aleta Moriarty
Manufacturer: Footprint Handbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Cambodia | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Footprint Handbooks | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Laos, 4th Edition (Footprint Laos Handbook)
Lonely Planet Cambodia
The Rough Guide to Cambodia 2 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
Cambodia Travel Map (Globetrotter Travel Map)
To Asia with Love: A Connoisseurs' Guide to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

ASIN: 1904777511

Book Description

This essential guidebook features unparalleled coverage of Asia’s most beguiling and unknown country, from its fascinating history and culture to its stunning ancient architecture. Objective recommendations offer the adventurous traveler advice on where to stay, what to see, and where to find anything, from delicious French bread to cheap kramas. Detailed color maps and extensive transport information make trip-planning a breeze.

Customer Reviews:

Directions please?.......2007-01-17

I found this guide helpful during my 3-week visit to Cambodia in Dec. 2006-Jan. 2007, but I was disappointed in the lack of directions for out-of-town sights. The author seems to assume that readers will be hiring taxis for excursions and hence do not need directions. Not true! Quite a few of us like to travel with our own wheels, a bicycle in my case. Near Battambang, for example, the ancient Khmer temple of Wat Ek is described as "11km downriver from Battambang." Wrong! One needs to go 6km downriver, then turn left 5.5km up a tributary at a fork just before a bridge. Also, near Battambang, Phnom Sampeu (temples and caves) and Phnom Banon (Khmer temple) make a fine 48km loop that should have been described, yet the best we get is that Phnom Sampeu is "25km out of Battambang." (Actually it's 22km southwest and reached by the road that follows the Sankei River upstream.)

In the Takeo area near the south coast, the description of the caves is a terrible mess of confused writing ("Kbal Romeas caves and temple" and "Kompong Trach and White Mountain" sections on page 210). The author should have visited the four caves and provided directions

Text and maps should have received better proof-reading; for example, not all of the features on the main Phnom Penh map correspond with the text, and vice-versa. The background sections are good, but could have used better editing and proofing ("...American policy-makers in London." should have raised some eyebrows!). Expect some British slang along with a bit of insecurity ("Always take out travel insurance..."). The Footprint style has the practicalities at the end of each chapter, which I find OK although I prefer to have everything together for each town. Prices of accommodations and restaurants are by categories; I would have preferred the actual rates.

The author should have spent more research time in Cambodia and provided good directions. I wish I had taken a closer look at the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet books on Cambodia before buying the Footprint.

Average customer rating:

The Essential Guide
A Book to Avoid
You can't keep a good guide down
A Backpacker Turned Expatriate
Well written, beautiful photos, but lacks info

Moon Handbooks: Indonesia (6th Ed.)
Bill Dalton
Manufacturer: Avalon Travel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Moon Handbooks | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1566910625

Book Description

A kaleidoscope of color, Indonesia's 13,677 islands harbor hundreds of mammal species, birds and insects; its people originate from 300 ethnic groups encompassing all the Asian cultures and religions. A master of his subject, author Bill Dalton guides the reader to the best Indonesia has to offer, from ram fighting in Bandung to the isolated tribe of the Asmat people, together with detailed information on surfing, snorkeling, climbing volcanoes, and traditional dance and crafts. There is also a generous selection of excerpts from literature about Indonesia including V.S. Naipaul on a Japanese soldier and a bicycle and David Attenborough on the Komodo dragon.

* Reviews a country in Transition
* Details Indonesia's physical environment, history, language and food
* Literary excerpts include V S Naipal, and David Attenborough on Komodo dragons
* Extensive coverage of the major islands, including Bali, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Iran Jaya
* Practical information including advice on appropriate behavior
* Many new beautiful color photographs

Customer Reviews:

The Essential Guide.......2003-12-10

I spent a lot of time in Indonesia from '94 - '97. When I first arrived, I had nothing but I found a previously-enjoyed '91 edition in a Bukittingi bookstore. What really set it apart from the "other" guidebook company was the entertaining and tremendously informative prose. It was obvious that Bill really knew Indonesia in depth - this was not just a book for directions and place to sleep, but an immersive experience to curl up with at night and really learn about where your future rambling should take you!

I still have this book, and I do flip through it once in a while and reminisce......

The only thing to ask now is: what has Bill been up to lately? The last edition is '95 - ancient history by guidebook standards!

A Book to Avoid.......2003-11-14

While at first look this book may seem very well-written and detailed, describing many remote regions of Indonesia that other guidebooks ignore, much of the description of such remote places is obviously based on hearsay.
When visiting many of those remoter islands/regions during my 4 years around Indonesia, I very often found that the exciting attractions (like traditional architecture or traditional cultures) described by this book simply did not exist!
Having not been there himself, the author must just have made them up. :-)
While the background information on better-known parts of the country is more accurate and worth reading, the fact that many parts of this book don't seem to have been updated for decades further reduces its value.
So I would say that for background information the regional guides by Periplus are better, while for practical travel details get the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.

You can't keep a good guide down.......2001-01-25

This is the best, funniest and most consistent guide to Indonesia. I remember on my first visit to Indonesia back in 92, the Handbook was still banned under Indonesian law. One day my wife and I were visiting the great temple at Borobodur, central Java, and we noticed the local guide was carrying a strapping guidebook in his hand. I surreptitiously noted the title, and later visited a bookshop to check it out. I was in for a surprise - the 'official' guidebook was none other than the illegal Indonesia Handbook: different publisher, title and a pseudonymous author, but the same book alright. If you like that kind of approach to a small problem of censorship, then you'll love this book.

A Backpacker Turned Expatriate.......2000-06-12

A Canadian friend got me to abandon my English teaching business in Madrid for the promise of an "oil patch" job in Indonesia in 1980. I can still hear him today "The first thing to get when you go through London, is get Dalton's Indonesian Handbook. Don't wait until Singapore or Jakarta - it's banned out there.

So this young man did indeed go east. The job my friend assured would be waiting was nationalized in the few months the intervened between our vinos in Madrid. "I hope you didn't come all this way just to work for..." read his letter I picked up Post Restante in Penang. Undeterred I managed to find another and better oil patch job. I spent the next three years working out of Jakarta and Balikpapan - Kalimantan's Jewel in the Jungle.

And I used the Indonesian Handbook extensively. Across Java, the lakes of Sumatra, Bali and Lombok and my favorite Indonesian destination: Tanta Toraja in central Sulawasi. (If you see just one thing on the archipelago, see Torajaland.) This backpacker, now a newly minted expatriate executive, always took the old black cover edition on his business trips.

So why do I like Dalton's book - and the Handbook travel series in general? I really appreciate the concise yet detailed "briefs" of key subjects. One small example . During a visit to Yogakakarta, I became interested in batik. A quick read of Dalton's brief two page "primer" I learned the history, fabric and style types. And I leaned a half a dozen key Indonesian terms. When I hit the market I was amazed at how well I could get the vendors' attention. Novice bargaining by Westerners is typically based on price. Savvy Asian peddlers know this. They usually display or direct a foreigner's attention to inferior goods. Experienced market hunters will talk quality first. The Handbook's brief's quickly got me up to speed fast - and got me some great batik pieces at great prices.

I often contrast the Moon Handbooks with more popular Lonely Planet series. Marketed as a "travel survival guide" that's exactly what LP guides are. But surviving is only the first phase in traveling. Perhaps that why the LP books have become the "backpackers bible." But if you are looking to do more than eat and sleep in Indonesia, give Dalton's Indonesian Handbook a try.

Well written, beautiful photos, but lacks info.......1999-12-17

I bought this book in Jakarta, where I live, since I wanted an updated book for my business travels around Indonesia. There have been so many changes in this country during the past two years that you need the latest information. Bill Dalton ("Indonesia Handbook" etc. etc.) and Kal Muller (the "Passport Regional Guide" series, etc. etc.) have separately written some of the best guidebooks available on Indonesia. But I was disappointed with this one. Its beautiful, to be sure, with fantastic photos by Muller (many of which are found in this other books). Its a perfect bedtime companion, and a very good introduction to the complexity of cultures and sights in Indonesia. It will help you determinine where you want to go --- and don't you ever want to go after reading this book. But the book will not help you how to get there or where to stay. For instance: there are no hotels mentioned in Nusa Dua on Bali or any hotel outside of Mataram on Lombok, or outside of the major cities on Sumatra. And most hotel prices do not reflect the past two years drastic inflation. I would recommend travellers to Indonesia to wait for the next edition of Indonesia Handbook, or buy Muller's very detailed regional books (my favourites). But then again, the book is beautiful, so you might want to pick it up just to dream away about paradise.

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