1. ISBN13: 9781741792256
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Discover Hong Kong & Macau

Spot your hotel room from the twinkling heights of the Peak
Hang out in a maze-like walled village, where prostitution and gambling once thrived
Escape from the skyscrapers to the trees as you hike the region's mountain, coast and jungle trails
Savor the finest Portuguese egg-custard tarts in Macau

In This Guide:

Insider tips and perspectives through interviews with locals, from a film director to a restauranteur
New coverage of nearby Guangzhou
The only guide with Chinese characters in map keys - navigation is easy!

Customer Review :

very helpful for first trip to hong kong and macau

My husband and I used this book for our first trip to hong kong and macau. As usual with Lonely Planet it gave a good overview of both cities but as with any guide book, use it as a reference, not a step by step manual. The maps, particularly the pull out Hong Kong map were quite useful though it needs to be updated to reflect the changes to the MTR system.
Hong Kong is a great city to wander around and this book details lots of different sites that you might otherwise miss. The walking tours of Macau were interesting, but the descriptions of the various sites along the way were a bit brief.

Rating :

a useful guidebook for a bustling city

I have visited both Hong Kong and Macau over the years and always turn back to this guide for a reliable reference, particularly for the maps and transport info, as their are many transport options here. There are some mistakes--some significant--as other reviewers have pointed out, but 99% of the content is useful and accurate, with insightful background information and great restaurant, sights, and outings recommendations.

All guidebooks are a snapshot in time--this book is no exception. Hong Kong and Macau are fast-paced and therefore always changing (part of the allure...), so the accommodation and eating sections are bound to change.

The pullout map has a few errors, but can generally be relied upon for getting around central HK when you want to leave the book in your hotel. Hopefully next edition's map will be better. A previous reviewer noted troubles finding the Peak Tram. The Admiralty map is downright incorrect--use the map of Central HK map instead. About the tourist bus: trust me, it's quicker and more enjoyable to walk.

The guide is particularly useful for information on accessing the long hiking trails around HK. I have used this info extensively.

About Macau: It's a small place and this has most of it, with great coverage of the restaurants and sites. There are too many good restaurants in Macau for all to be included...more to discover for yourself!

Overall, I highly recommend this book.

Rating :

1* for accuracy, 3* for walking tours. 4* for background reading, THUMBS DOWN.

I just went to Hong Kong and Macau for 5 days. The book (Feb 2008 edition, so brand new)had some good background reading and has a pull out map in the back which was nice, until we realized it was inaccurate.

Our basic itinerary was: Day 1: travel/explore kowloon (where we stayed). Day 2, Disneyland AM, Hong Kong peak tram PM. Day 3: Explore hong kong island (AM and early afternoon), Ferry to Macau (afternoon-PM). Day 4: walking tour of Macau, Day 5, Ferry to hong kong airport and fly home. As you can see, we didn't have a lot of time and needed to just hit the highlights.

In general, I thought the walking tours we did were pretty good, though in the future, I'd photocopy those sections. It was hard to walk and look at the book. We only made it halfway through the kowloon walk but it was nice.
After going to disneyland (that section is inaccurate in the book as well), we took the MTR to central and attempted to go to the Peak. There were a few signs on street corners but we followed the map. Seeing that the base of the tram was still halfway up the hill, we opted to take a taxi instead of following signs. We hopped in one, asked for the peak tram, pointed on the map, and the driver, not speaking english or recognizing the location, wouldn't take us. This happened again with the next driver. So we started walking up the hill. But we found a taxi along the way- and to our surprise he took us down the hill and about 6 blocks! OH YES, the #1 tourist attraction in HK is NOT in the right place on the lonely planet map. We also discovered that there's a tourist bus that will take you there from the star ferry. Would have been nice to know that. There seems to be room for improvement in this department- they tell you how to use all the forms of public transport, but not a lot on how to get from one to the other (the ferry terminal is not near the subway, for example)

Day 3- after exploring the city, we wanted to try one of the "highly recommended" restaurants in the book. Arriving at the location after a fair walk, it wasn't there. The security guard at the building informed us that it HAD been there, but there was another restaurant now. Our time wasted, we ended up eating in a mall at about 3pm.

I did enjoy the walking tour of Macau and for that reason I'm not giving it 1*. But even it had basic flaws. For example, it tells you to stop at the fort "before climbing the hill". Actually, as with most forts, it is at the TOP of the hill.

In terms of accomodations reviews in Macau, don't bother, the construction is evolving so fast, no book could keep up.

To sum up, we didn't have a lot of time and we lost a fair amount of it (and general satisfaction) because of this book. NOT RECOMMENDED. We kept wishing we had the Groovy Map to Hong Kong (love the Bangkok one- should have ordered one!).

Groov HONG KONG Map 'N' Guide

Rating :

The book is great, it's the pull out map that's off

I think the last review was very unfair towards the book, besides it's critique of the pull out map. I exclusively used the Lonely Planet Hong Kong City Guide on my recent trip to Hong Kong, and it was spot on every time I used it. From the time I used it to find free internet (the cafe it pointed me to was exactly where it promised and had free interent), to the step by step directions for getting to the famous Wishing Tree and 10,000 Buddah's Temple (two separate, hard-to-find locations), to the reviews and locations of restaurants I went to, to the places I slept, everything was 100% accurate. For some reason, who ever edited the pull out map did mess up a few times, many locations and streets on it are innacurate. But the maps inside the book are all accurate. Highly reccomended.

Rating :

1. ISBN13: 9780470381106
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
4. Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Editorial Review :

America’s #1 bestselling travel series

Written by more than 175 outspoken travelers around the globe, Frommer’s Complete Guides help travelers experience places the way locals do.

• More annually updated guides than any other series
• 16-page color section and foldout map in all annual guides
• Outspoken opinions, exact prices, and suggested itineraries
• Dozens of detailed maps in an easy-to-read, two-color design

Customer Review :

Defending this guide and a call to be nice

One of the reviews below declares that the author of the Frommer's guide to Hong Kong should burn in a hell for guidebook writers. I don't find this funny. In fact, I find this to be a pretty mean thing to say, and I doubt the author of that review would say such a thing to Ms. Reiber in person. The author of that review should be ashamed of himself, and apologize here in a follow-up to his original review.

I am very familiar with the guidebook scene to Hong Kong, though I've never met Ms. Reiber, and I happen to think that her guide is one of the better ones out there. Her book has an honest and thoughtful tone; it also offers some of the more astute observations about Hong Kong to be found in the current crop of guidebooks. If there is a weakness to her guidebook, it is that it does not cover the more far-flung regions of Hong Kong--Tap Mun, Tai Mo Shan, and so on. But in a way this omission reflects well on Reiber and her book. Most guides to Hong Kong cover places like Tap Mun or Tung Lung Chau, but they provide such sketchy information that I doubt the author ever went there. Of course, authors never admit this. Reiber, on the other hand, has the integrity to only include in her guidebooks the places in Hong Kong that she has actually visited. In any case, Reiber's book covers all the locations that 99% of all visitors to Hong Kong go to. If you are that 1% of travelers who want to hike in the more remote areas of the New Territories or explore some of the more hard to get to islands, this is not the book for you. Otherwise, I can certainly recommend this guide.


Rating :

A good introduction to Hong Kong

I just got back from Hong Kong and used Frommer's as my main guide for getting around. This version is a good start to understanding and orienting yourself to your travel to Hong Kong. I found it very informative for the basics but also did a lot of research on the internet prior to my trip to ensure the latest info on open times and available restaurants. Additionally, just getting a map from the hotel and info from the Hong Kong Tourism Board was equally helpful.

The book's walking tour and site seeing info is spot on especially since these things are easy to keep consistent! If you are more adventurous with your food and are looking for interesting restaurants, I would avoid the recommendations in the book since they are very touristy (we're all reading the same book). It's really easy to find many good places to eat in Hong Kong.

The Macau guide was out dated but mostly due to Macau's constant casino growth. This city was more difficult to navigate but again the guide was good for the basics of site seeing. Definitely do your research online for the latest info before venturing out.


Rating :

Very informative

It's a great book, but the fold-out map is useless. The map is basic and almost generic looking. Buy it for the book, not the map.

Rating :

Good book for first-time visitor

I just returned from a March 2008 week-long visit to Hong Kong. I used the 2007 Frommer's Hong Kong and found it worked out just fine. Good descriptions of sites, handy public transit tips (especially of how to purchase/use/return the essential Octopus card), reasonable reviews of hotels and restaurants, and decent Macau information. The book is easy (and enjoyable) to read; I feel it prepared me well for my first trip to Hong Kong. Combined with pamphlets and maps from the Hong Kong and Macau tourists boards I picked up at the airport and ferry terminal, I had all the information I needed for a great trip!

Rating :

Macau is out of date

In October, 2008, the head of valet/taxi assignments at the enormous new Venetian in Macau did not know a recommended restaurant, the Cozinha Pinocchio, p. 277. We were put in a taxi and then showed the driver the address in Frommer's Guide. Alas, he dumped us in the middle of a neighborhood that was approximately 2 miles from the listed street address, Rua do Sol. The taxi driver obviously did not know the address either. After quite a walk, we finally located a very detailed map and the street as listed in the Guide. There was no restaurant at that address and no sign of there ever having been one. Frankly, the Rua resembled an alley.

After 30 more minutes of wandering, we finally happened upon the restaurant. Yes, it was completely shut down for remodeling and the new address and entrance are at a different address.

Frommer's simply did not check their information. As veteran travelers we were not distressed but we will never trust a Frommer's Guide again.

Rating :

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1. ISBN13: 9782067145177
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Review :

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1. ISBN13: 9781846700132
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Customer Review :

Good book, nice layout.

Good book, easy to follow and a ton of info. I'd buy it again.

Pros: has a good, easy to locate layout. Info seemed accurate if you assume that historical sights never seem to disappear but I rarely use guidebooks for restaurant/food/bar recommendations specifically but typically go by local websites and travel forums. Maps were also very good, I thought. Less "biased" stances such as politically related info that other guidebooks tend to incorporate within their books by omitting one thing vs. another due to some biased historical stance.

Cons: Should include some Shenzhen info. This is the city directly opposite Hong Kong and while it's not really that special considering HK is a great "world city" and many cities in China have caught up to the luster of Shenzhen, it's just really just another Chinese city now. However for someone who has never been to the Chinese mainland, it's worth the day or two unless you need a full $130 visa (which Americans do). It does have Guanghzou which is a 70mile or so hike up the Pearl River but they're vastly different places.

Could include more bus-related info as well as some of the best parts of HK still are not connected via the MTR. Plus, the top of a double-decker bus is a great way to "see" HK, if you ask me. Could also talk about the two checkpoints at Lok Ma Chau/Huang Gang if in China and if you're stuck at the bus terminal vs. the bridge, should invest the $$ in buying a bus back to your destination as the MTR does not stop there! This is a common mistake made by Shenzhen taxi drivers I had no idea about this setup at all. I just happened to stay near there in Shenzhen.

Rating :

1. ISBN13: 9781598801699
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
4. Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Editorial Review :

Customer Review :

Review by Teri Higgenbottom

After reading the book Living Abroad in China I found myself knowing almost everything there is to know about China. This book is great if you plan on visiting or living there. It gives you all the information you will need and helping tips from a family's perspective.
-Teri Higgenbottom

Rating :

Great and Informative!

This book is full of great information for your travels to China. I never had a desire to go to China, but after I read this book it gave me the right information that built my desire to want to visit China now. The book is divided into sections that relate to eachother and are easily located in the book. The BOOK is Great! I liked it a lot.

Rating :

Moving to China?

Traveling is definitely one of my passions and China is next on my list. Living Abroad in China by Barbara and Stuart Strother prepared me for everything I need to know about traveling to or living in China. This book covers everything from the culture to finances and everything in between. The Strother's experienced living in China first hand and don't leave a detail out of this book. LAIC is very honest and gets right to the point. The authors even incorporate humor into the chapters to make for an enjoyable read. If you are thinking of moving to or visiting China, definitely pick up this book!

Rating :

Living Abroad In China

Living Abroad in China is a very well written book. This book is great for anyone who intends on living or traveling to China. This book mainly focuses on what it would be like for an expatriate in China. The book mentions differant cities and what it would be like to live there. It also mentions some of the history and culture of China. Overall this book is very well written and could potentially make the move to China easier.

Rating :

Ashkan Motamedi

This book is about what it would be like for a person that lives in the United States to move to China. There are great tips about what to expect in China and what things will be similar to the way of life in the United States. I would recommend this book to anyone that is thinking about going to visit or live in China.

-Ashkan Motamedi

Rating :

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