Editorial Review :

Following in the format of Sasol Birds of Southern Africa, this guide presents all the birds of Madagascar and the other Indian Ocean islands (Seychelles, Reunion, Mauritius and Mascarenes), a great many species of which are endemic to these islands. In field guide form, this text presents concise descriptions of each species, highlighting diagnostic features for ease of identification. Differences between sexes and plumages are discussed as well as the status of the bird, its habitat and call. Distribution maps accompany each entry. The birds are illustrated in full color and where necessary are depicted in all plumages relevant to identification (male, female and immature). In-flight illustrations present the bird from above and below, providing comprehensive coverage of the birds in the field.

Customer Review :

Brilliant - a Model for Field Guides!

After I received my copy of this book, I was blown away by how good it is!
The illustrations are absolutely beautiful. The warblers in particular are so life-like they are looking straight into your eyes warily, seemingly ready to fly off the pages at any moment!
Editing is well done, with clear range maps and all the info you might need about the birds found on the pages right opposite the colour pages where each species is illustrated.
Before these species accounts, the book has an excellent chapter on birdwatching in the region, with detailed information on the key sites of every single country covered, even accompanied by good maps of every island worth visiting. Such a good combination of a field guide and a site guide is very rare indeed.
All in all: perfect!
Whether you are thinking of visiting several or only one of the the countries covered here, this is THE book to take.

Rating :

Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands

This is a first class book for the birder who intends to travel to the region.
The illustrations are excellent with the exception of a couple of plates e.g. the Terns and the Shorebirds where too many species are crowded on one page however most European and North Americans will be familiar with these from their home countries. The endemics are particularly well done by each of the four artists.
The maps are adequate showing by and large where the species occur. They are all the same size and cover the same area. More detailed maps may have been desirable for species that occur in only a small area e.g Archbold's Newtonia on Madagascar.
The writing is perfect for a field guide. It covers the main diagnostic features, The habitat, status and call. There is little or no white space on any page which is terrific as the authors have used the space very wisely.
The book also covers, albeit briefly, where the best birding locations are including a map to show these. I particularly love the quick indeces on the inside of both of the covers together with an illustrated family finder.
Not only that but the book is compact and can easily fit in the usual small bird book bags available. Terrific!
Negatives? Yes I could be picky and pick a few things but why bother on this excellent field guide. I only wish that some day we will have similar guides for the South American countries ...

Rating :

Good illustrations for an incredible birding destination

Basics: 1998, 1st edition, softcover, 184 pages, 70 color plates, 359 species, range maps

This field guide is the predecessor to the smaller photographic guide of 2006 by the same authors. This is the only complete field guide to cover these unique islands in the Indian Ocean. Fortunately, as the only guide, it is also a very good guide. The illustrations are high quality and the text is well-written to aid the birder with the more difficult groups of birds such as warblers, newtonias, and greenbuls.

A range map has been supplied for each of the birds. Given the high percentage of birds endemic to this area -- which is probably a key attractor for anyone birding here -- it would have been helpful to make some type of visual distinction in the map to signify if the range reflects an endemic bird or the visitation grounds of a migrant/visitor. To be fair to the authors, this information is clearly stated within the text under "Status".

This book is invaluable - and a necessity - for birding the smaller islands around Madagascar. For a visit to only Madagascar, this book will be as equally useful as the few other field guides written for this country.

I've listed several related books below...
1) A Photographic Guide to the Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands by Sinclair
2) The Birds of Seychelles and Outlying Islands by Penny
3) Oiseaux De La Reunion by Barre
4) The Beautiful Birds of Seychelles by Skerrett
5) Birds of the Seychelles by Skerrett/Bullock
6) Birds of Mauritius by Michel
7) Birds of Seychelles by Beamish
8) Les Oiseaux de Comores by Louette
9) Guide to the Birds of Madagascar by Langrand
10) Birds of Madagascar: A Photographic Guide by Morris

Rating :

Editorial Review :

The highly successful "Globetrotter Travel Series", which includes Travel Guides, Travel Maps, Road Atlases, Best Of Pocket Guides and In Your Pocket Language Guides, presently covers more than 90 destinations worldwide. The Packs are excellent value, including both a guidebook and a softcover version of the fold-out Globetrotter map of the region, in a printed plastic wallet.The handy pocket-size guide is packed with useful information, tips and recommendations, accompanied by colour photographs, charts and maps for the first-time traveller who wants to experience the major highlights that Mauritius has to offer. The fold-out map of Mauritius is ideal for tourists and visitors.

Customer Review :

Great tourist guide

I have started "studying" Mauritius through the pages of this guide, to prepare myself for an upcoming trip there. I must say that the guide has a lot of information for the island and especially useful stuff for tourists visiting for the first time. From tips to places you must visit up to trivia regarding general market tendencies etc.
I just gave a 3 stars because I have not yet been to Mauritius to match the guide with reality. But I am more than sure that this is a best choice.

Rating :

June

There aren't many travel books available with info on Mauritius. I've looked at all I could get my hands on and the Globetrotter Travel Guide on Mauritius with the pull-out Travel Map is by far the best. The books is loaded with heaps of useful information for first time travellers to Mauritius with tips for visitors, places to stay and eat, attractions and regional profiles. The best part was the map giving more detail of the whole island as well as the major regional towns on the island. The other travel books fell short in this area.

Rating :

great information

This book was just what we needed ready for our trip and even came with a great map so worth every cent. Plenty of info and lots of tips so well worth getting

Rating :

Editorial Review :

Discover Mauritius, Reunion & Seychelles

Glide alongside sea turtles through the coral canyons and giant arches of Mauritius' underwater world.
Rocket through forest and sugarcane fields mountain biking the head-spinning slopes of Reunion's Le Maido.
Dine beachside on Praslin's most succulent seafood by the light of flickering candles.

In This Guide:

Two authors, 87 romantic sunsets, 15 days of jungle hiking, one erupting volcano.
Dedicated hiking and diving chapters for those who need a break from beautiful beaches.
Covering everything from guesthouses and self-catering options to the ultimate superslinky hotels.
Content updated daily: visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews and traveller tips.

Customer Review :

Indispensable Guidebook

I booked a tour to Mauritius in May-June 2004. Although I went with a travel agency, this book proved to be indispensable. I am rating it a five star based on my Mauritius experience only.

First and foremost, this guide provides a detailed map, essential for locating yourself on the island.
The book also provides true and accurate description of the various attractions and things to do.
The traveling tips concerning transportation, food and local culture were extremely helpful and saved me precious vacation time.
On top of all this, it provides a wealth of information on hotels and restaurants.

My advice:
- The prices in the book might be a little off now. It seems that the local currency, the Rupee, is pegged to the Euro which makes this island more expensive for US travelers (advice based on the currency conversion as we speak)
- Beware of tourist shops, their prices are 5 times the price you can get for the same item on the popular market.
- Go visit the popular markets, you will find nice exotic hand crafted items and some world renowned vanilla beans.
- Take hiking trips, there is some breath taking scenery out there
- And of course, take advantage of the magnificent beaches and water activities


Rating :

Excellent guide for a family traveling to Reunion or Mauritius

This applies to Mauritius & Reunion ONLY. We have not been to the Seychelles, so I can't say whether this is useful for there.

Excellent little guide for a family traveling in these volcanic islands. We used the guide for both Mauritius and Reunion and found it to be very good, accurate, reliable, and insightful. Many of the favorite activities and special features (often fully described in text boxes) became our favorites as well.

A single flaw was that in keeping with Lonely Planet's origins as a backpacker and youth hostel market focus, much is made of public transportation in these locations. In Reunion in particular public transportation exists, is adequate, inexpensive, but is a time consuming method of getting around. Considering that we spent ten days in a rental economy car and barely consumed 20 liters of gasoline, all but the most pure of the ecotourists would find that an acceptable trade off on carbon footprint for four people getting around. LP should say so up front: rent a car if you want to reasonably explore the island's joys.

Restaurants, maps, activities, sites, hikes, transportation and hotels were all as described. The off-the-beaten path suggestions were often the best in Reunion (Gite de Theophane will always be remebered).

LP consistently puts out an excellent product, and I highly recommend this guide.


Rating :

Maurtius, Reunion & Seychelles

This book is well organized and written. Of the three nations covered, I was most interested in the part of the book on the Seychelles. Unfourtunately, that was the least covered place. I found the other book I ordered: The Bradt Travel Guide to the Seychelles, more to my liking.

Rating :

1. ISBN13: 9781770071759
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

This photographic guide depicts a selection of the most commonly encountered and striking bird species of Madagascar, the Seychelles, the Comoros, and the Mascarenes - a region boasting high levels of endemism. The species accounts cover the birds' appearance, basic behaviour, preferred habitats, and geographical distribution. Each species account enjoys a full page which features a color photograph, distribution map, and text in English and French.

Customer Review :

Great photos of uncommonly seen birds

Basics: 2006, 1st edition, softcover, 128 pages, 141 color photos, 128 species, no range maps

This photographic guide is a follow-up to the earlier and more extensive field guide of 1998 by the same authors. This smaller book was intended to expose the reader to the more "striking or extraordinary" species of the region. This guide has excellent color photos of 128 species (about one-third of the 360 in the region) that are sampled from each of the key areas covered in this book. Each bird is also given a brief descriptive paragraph along with its range and its general natural history.

For those people interested in seeing quality photos of rarer, isolated birds, this book will be enjoyed. Although it should not be considered a substitute for the field guide, it is a good study aid to many of the unique birds. For a more serious birding trip to the smaller islands around Madagascar, the field guide by the same authors is a highly recommended and necessary alternative.

The text is written in both English and French.

I've listed several related books below...
1) Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands by Sinclair/Langrand
2) The Birds of Seychelles and Outlying Islands by Penny
3) Oiseaux De La Reunion by Barre
4) The Beautiful Birds of Seychelles by Skerrett
5) Birds of the Seychelles by Skerrett/Bullock
6) Birds of Mauritius by Michel
7) Birds of Seychelles by Beamish
8) Les Oiseaux de Comores by Louette
9) Guide to the Birds of Madagascar by Langrand
10) Birds of Madagascar: A Photographic Guide by Morris

Rating :

1. ISBN13: 9781841622903
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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