Editorial Review :

During two centuries of independence from colonial rule, Haiti has developed into a society quite distinct from those found in the rest of the region. Hollywood-derived images of black magic and Graham Greene-inspired conceptions of a "nightmare republic" do scant justice to the reality of life for those who make up the third largest population in the Caribbean. How did the slaves of France's most prosperous colony defeat the armies of Napoleon, Spain, and Britain? Why did the U.S. occupation of 1915-34 fail to establish a plantation economy in Haiti? Haiti in Focus is an authoritative and up-to-date guide to this fascinating country. The guide explores the land, history and politics, economy, society and people, culture and environment, and includes tips on where to go and what to see.

Customer Review :

great info on Haiti

really comprehensive view of politics and life in haiti. useful tips for the traveler to Haiti including where to buy condoms!

Rating :

Haiti - a short introduction

This is a thin booklet providing a nice overview of Haitian culure, politics and history: it contains a little bit of everything, illustrated by photographs. The scope of the book is limited, however, and considering political conflicts and agenda, it has aged a bit since 2002 edition. I like the fact that the booklet invites you to further reading, including online resources. At times, I found the language a bit twisted and information a bit insufficient (which is to be expected). If you feel you're missing some general knowledge on Haiti, this is an excellent book to start with (and easy to take with you anywhere), but make sure you update yourself with the latest political issues, before making a decision to travel there. In the time of writing this review, most Western countries advise their citizens not to travel to Haiti. That being said, I think the front page photo provides a great insight ...

Rating :

Not much depth but good approach

Too bad the book is too short and doe not go into the details of the pre- and post- independence periods of Haiti, whiwh are crucial for the country's future to come then. Otherwise a good 1st approach to the global situation of Haiti.

Rating :

Good overview of Haiti

Don't purchase this book if you're looking for an in-depth travel book, an economic or cultural primer. Do purchase this book if you would like to get a general overview of Haiti, that includes a brief mention of the voodoo religion (spelled voodou in the book). It's a good starter book to learn more about the unspoken half of island of Hispanola. A quick read.

Rating :

A Great Overview of Haiti

This little book is very thorough, accurate, and informative. This book isn't meant for the causual globe-trotting tourist but for someone who really wants to understand Haiti. The book touches on several subjects (history, agriculture, politics, religion) and then links the subjects together in a simple but thorough way that makes sense.

It also touches on important but obscure subjects like why the well-intentioned eradication of the poor farmers' "Creole Pigs" in the 1980s led to much of the rural problems today. Or why 5 Gourdes (Haiti money) is called "one dollar", which is something that confuses new visitors.

This isn't a deep, complex book either. It's easy to read. And it doesn't seem to have any particular political bias.

If you want a good book on Haiti, this is it!

Rating :

More reviews...

1. ISBN13: 9781741049299
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Nobody knows Cuba like Lonely Planet. Whether you're looking to explore Havana's colorful architectural relics, laze languidly on an isolated beach or discover your inner Hemingway deep-sea fishing off the coast of Cayo Guillermo, this 5th edition gives you all the information you need to enjoy the best of Cuba.

Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip.

In This Guide:

Full color section on Cuba's music, festivals, natural beauty and architecture
Unique Green Index makes ecofriendly travel easy

Customer Review :

Lonely Planet

I have bought in other trips, books from Lonely Planet and they are very acurate and also give you many "of the beaten track" details which make them one of my favorites guides when travelling.

Rating :

Nearly Excellent Resource for the Uninitiated

Some Background:
My first trip off the continent and to a foreign speaking country was Cuba. I went with my girlfriend of two years plus in December of 2007. While most people on our flight were headed to Veradero on an all inclusive package, we were headed to Havana, Cuba's capital.

The Guide:
On the whole, one can't really go wrong purchasing this guide. It's small enough that it can be taken with you throughout the city, and cheap enough that one can afford to abuse it (or spill water on it, as my girlfriend did).

More specifically, the information presented about restaurants, banks, hotels, historic sites and the Cuban culture are usually spot on. Further, the section on Havana has superb maps that are easily intelligible and clear, and also included are two walking tours of Havana Vieja (Old Havana) and Centro Havana, which meant we could skip the tour companies and actually get our feet wet by exploring on our own. An amazing and valuable experience I will continue to recall many years from now.

Some Criticisms:
The most noteworthy criticism of this book is the lack of specific and concentrated information regarding tourist scams in Cuba. There is mention of it within the book, but it is not rigorous enough to prepare the naive first-time traveler; especially those who will be away from the security laden beaches of Veradero.

There is of course the obvious annoyances of people who offer cheap, but illegal and poor quality, cohibas (cigars), female prostitutes (jineteras, pronounced 'cheen-eteras) and general sellers of questionable wares. All this is, I think, expected by many travelers and poses no great risk to one who is moderately vigilant. The book also covers these points well enough.

What is not covered is the exceptionally profligate Cuban tendency to a) overcharge at restaurants by not giving one a menu, b) offer a service for what seems like a cheap price, but demand payment that is thrice or more what was initially agreed upon once the service has been rendered (bici-taxi's in particular do this) and c) inform tourists that there CUC (tourist currency) is worthless and offer to exchange it at whats seems like very favorable rates for the more "powerful" Peso, which is, in reality, 1/25 the value of the convertible.

One general rule of thumb for Cuba is this: 9 out 10, if not more, Cubans who approach you are probably running a scam. Further, never be afraid to assert yourself and say "No", walk away or refuse to pay for something that seems far too expensive (remember, a typical Cuban makes about 15 CUC a month, so this means that even 1 CUC is good deal of money to them). You may even have to be rude, but that's the name of the game for a tourist in Havana. The scammer intends to use your feelings of guilt against you, but remember, in almost every single case you are not guilty, although you will probably feel you are and the scammer will make every attempt to exploit this. I could go on in great detail about the scams, which can be quite clever and the scammers incredibly cunning. If you have questions about the scams, the best thing to do is a little research on the net (search "Cuba scams").

My other, less significant, criticism is the layout of content within the book. Regions of Havana are not entirely inclusive to each other within the book, i.e. a complete section on Havana Vieja, then a complete section on Centro Havana, etc. Structurally there are sections on sightseeing in Havana Vieja, Centro, and Vedado, then there are sections on sleeping, eating, drinking, etc. in Vieja, Centro, and Vedado that follow the sight seeing sections. Organizationally I would have preferred that Vieja have its own section inclusively (e.g. sight seeing, eating, sleeping, drinking, and the map would all be found in the 10 or so page section of Centro Havana), as well as the others. The constant flipping between pages was a common and avoidable irritation.

Verdict:
Buy the book! You might also be interested in buying "Culture Smart: Cuba: a guide to etiquette and customs"; and if "Let's Go" ever comes out with a guide to Cuba, it would be worth a look too, since traditionally Let's Go guides aim towards college and budget travelers who want the most bang for their buck.

P.S. Elisabeth Smith's "One Day Spanish" is also a wise-choice; since most people DO NOT speak English in Cuba. If you have more time, it would be wise to take a crash-course in Spanish. Elisabeth Smith is good because she caters to tourists and travelers. Her "Instant Spanish", a 6 week lengthened course of "One Day Spanish", is probably also be a safe bet for someone who has more time to prepare, though, to be honest, I have not tried it. I used the One Day Spanish, however, and found that it helped my cause tremendously, focusing only on essential and useful words, phrases, etc.

Rating :

Unprofessional, outdated, disappointment

I generally love the lonely planet series. In Vietnam it was our bible. This lonely planet was most disappointingly outdated, poorly researched and unprofessional. For example, It listed our hotel, the "hotel costa morena" as "very popular with cubans and the odd vacationing Canadian." The place was full of Canadians!

We would have missed one of the most amazing 20 minutes of a lifetime if we heeded it's advice on "Acquario Bacanao" that has "tacky" dolphin shows and "you can swim with the dolphins if you so desire". I've been to several dolphin shows and this one was among the most impressive. There was no cheezy storyline or tacky narration, just one difficult and visually amazing trick after another for about 40 minutes. Swimming with the dolphins is also nothing to take lightly. Not just a cheezy dip with the dolphins that many other north american aquariums charge for. The dolphins actually do a few tricks *with* you, including propelling you across the pool with their noses.

Even if it was up to date, it was embarrasingly unprofessional. It patronizes these "poor people" with condescending language. If you want to visit a country that "at times, seems to have had the life sucked out of it", populated by people who would "would much rather pack some beers, load up the car and drive there" ... "rather than spend all day bushwhacking along a path in order to reach a beautiful waterfall." Yes Cuba has it's quarks and annoyances, but other lonely planet writers have learnt to share these in more respectful, less over-generalizing ways. Perhaps it's time for the editor to commission someone else to write the book.





Rating :

One of Lonely Planet's few BESTS

I had used Lonely Planet on several trips where some of them were disappointing and not so much "guiding". Yet, this Cuba guide made our trip to visit the "real" Cuba our most memorable with sufficient information on each major and minor city.

From Havana to the far end of Baracoa, the guide has useful information on what to do and up to date info on traveling between cities

If any of the 8 cities i visited there was a major or minor event/attraction, Lonely planet had it listed and all you needed to do is choose what to go for.

A lot of detail, very friendly to read, and a nice/light take on history and politics of the Socialist nation

Rating :

Indispensable for a country tour

I spent almost 3 weeks traveling from Havana down to Baracoa via bus and plane. I met a lot of other tourists doing the same itinerary and they found Lonely Planet to be by far most useful, containing practical information on bus schedules, reliable casa recommendations, etc. Needless to say there are inaccuracies in the information and everything needs to be double checked, and many tourists did not agree at all with the recommendation lists of Lonely Planet, but I would not recommend traveling especially backpacking style without this book. All in all it should be noted that Cuba is an expensive country to travel and it is challenging in many ways. It is really not a vacation and one comes to understand after a couple of weeks why there are all inclusive resorts.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. ISBN13: 9781740595759
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Discover the Caribbean Islands

Discover your inner daredevil on an awesome cayoning trip in Dominica
View the Virgins from above then hit the beach after a worth-the-sweat trek in St John
Sip rum by day and dance beachside by night in Jamaica
Survey classic cars and huge cigars, and learn the secrets of salsa in Cuba

In This Guide

Thirteen authors, 560 traveler tips, endless expanses of white sands and blue seas
Dedicated Diving & Snorkeling chapter to suit both beginners and enthusiasts
Interviews with a Haitian rock star, a Puerto Rican coffee expert and a Barbadian surf pro
Content updated daily - visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews, updates and traveler insights

Customer Review :

Had Everything... Except what I Wanted

My mistake. I first looked up what I wanted on the Lonely Planet site. Yes, I could have purchaced a chapter for a couple bucks, but no. I wanted to get the whole book, just in case. So I came to Amazon, and the chapter on the Corn Islands is actually nowhere to be found. Oh well. Turns out my trip to Little Corn is postponed anyway.
Other than that little snafu, I always like Lonely Planet guides, and will pick up a new edition for Maui this Fall.

Rating :

Great BIG Book

Love this book, huge book with everything in it i was looking for. Bought this book because we are taking an eastern caribbean cruise in January 2010 and i wanted a heads up on the islands we are going to visit. It's written and put together soo well i couldnt help reading about all the islands. Really cant wait to go now, VERY HAPPY i ordered this book.

Rating :

As usual

As usual, the Lonely Planet book delivers tons of information for travelers of all incomes. Especially helpful are tips on where to go to avoid cruise ship crowds. However, I had to skip the chapter on Cuba, because of the US travel ban. And the chapters on Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic should probably only be used to decide whether or not you want to go to those places. If so, you should probably buy the Lonely Planet books dedicated exclusively to them.

Rating :

Informative and well organized

Wonderful, comprehensive and informative. The organization of each chapter makes it easy to locate specific information. As an annual cruise passenger, this book will be extremely valuable to me.


Rating :

Perfect for trip planning

At 800+ pages, this is too heavy to lug around, but it's perfect for planning a trip and deciding where to visit. After you've planned your itinerary, I suggest buying a more specialized LP (Lonely Planet) guide to take with you - a small price to pay for a successful vacation.

Cuba gets the longest chapter (a whopping 59pp), followed by the Dominican Republic (48pp), Trinidad & Tobago (47pp), Bahamas (43pp), and Jamaica (42pp). However, the book's warnings about Jamaican crime will cause most travellers to rethink their itinerary. Haiti receives a token 18 pages due to the turmoil there. At the other end of the spectrum, the shortest chapters are on Saba and St. Eustatius (10pp each).

I enjoy the LP writing style, and I like their emphasis on practical tidbits. For example, don't fly directly from Aruba to the U.S. because you'll be in line for two hours at the Aruba airport due to understaffing by U.S. customs officers (yes, U.S.) who handle pre-clearance procedures. This is the kind of nuts-and-bolts information for which LP is famous, and enables visitors to avoid vacation hell.

Pet peeves: The chapters covering the 26 jurisdictions seem to be in random order - why not alphabetical? LP has always been famous for their maps, but lately their maps have been using one shade of gray for water and a slightly different shade of gray for land, which is tough on the eyes.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. ISBN13: 9780470470626
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Review :

FROMMER'S BERMUDA

GOOD BASIC INFO. It helped us decide that Bermuda was not for us. It was all we wanted from this book.

Rating :

1. ISBN13: 9781741048865
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Lonely Planet knows Honduras. Whether you want to dive into the deep blue off the coast of the Bay Islands, explore the forests and cobblestoned coffee towns of La Ruta Lenca or tramp around the ancient Mayan temples of Copan, this 2nd edition gives you all you need to enjoy the best of Honduras.

Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip.

In This Guide:

Full-Color chapter showcases the best to see and do in Honduras
Detailed coverage of the Mayan archaeological ruins of Copan
Comprehensive chapter on diving and other outdoor activities

Customer Review :

No review yet