Bali: The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Most Spectacular Tropical Island (Periplus Adventure Guides) Reviews
Bali: The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Most Spectacular Tropical Island (Periplus Adventure Guides)
The most complete guide to Bali ever published, this updated and revised edition of the bestselling original gives the latest information on what to do and see on the world’s most famous tropical island.
Price:
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Bali and Lombok
DK Eyewitness Bali & Lombok travel guide will lead you straight to the best attractions these beautiful islands have on offer. Packed with photographs, illustrations and clear maps the guide explores these Indonesian islands in detail; from the noisy, colorful and glamorous bustle of Bali to the quiet and tranquil retreats of Lombok. The guide provides all the insider tips every visitor needs including the best beaches, volcanoes diving and snorkeling destinations and comprehensive listings of t
List Price: $ 23.00
Price: $ 22.99
Find More Indonesia Products
Bali, the Ultimate Guide 2012,
I have never seen such a complete guide book. Usually when there are pretty pictures the detail parts on how and where to do things are lacking. Not the case here. And the map pages: They show street names, hotels, markets, restaurants, dive centers, medical clinics, temples, and other attractions ALL ON ONE MAP. You do not have to flip pages back and forth to figure out if the restaurant is located next to the hotel. In addition, there is a separate fold-out large scale map so you can see for yourself whether you should turn right or left in a congested area. As for history and culture and travel advice, I’m not sure there is any topic not covered in this guide book. When I go to Bali, I will take only this book, not 3 or 4 different ones like I usually do when I travel. Diane Camp
Was this review helpful to you?
|One of the best travel books I’ve read,
This book is so unlike almost all other travel books I’ve used in my 95 countries of travel. Most others seem to send you to the same places, the same hotels, the same restaurants, the same excursions, so you see and do what almost every other tourist does. If you’ve ever used a Rick Steves book in Europe during the summer you know what I mean and you know the throngs of tourists. This Bali guide goes not only to a more intricate level of understanding and interesting places, it goes many layers deeper. Maybe if you’re in Bali for a day or two, then anything will do. And if you want to stay in a tourist pod like on American Express bus tours, then this isn’t for you. But if you want to see and understand the intricacies of daily life and experience all the incredibly cool things that only Bali has, this is the perfect book. I used it to find places so cool and off the radar that this could only have been written by someone who’s lived in Bali. The dirty little secret of the travel book industry is that oftentimes writers only travel there for a day or two or not at all. They write using cell phone interviews to cut costs. I don’t know if Lonely Planet and Frommers did that with their Bali books, but they’re not nearly on the same level as Hoffman’s book. This level of book has way too much intimate knowledge so the writer had to have lived there. It’s one of the best travel books I’ve read.
Was this review helpful to you?
|Yes! This IS the Ultimate Guide to Bali,
As someone who’s been to Bali many times I can say this book is a must-have whether it’s your first trip or your 50th. From the insider details written on history, culture, food and art, to religion, geography and everything in between, the book satisfies those who love to really learn about places they visit. Couple that background with a wealth of detailed information on all the obvious things a travel book should tell you like where to stay and dine at different price levels, what to do in the area, including things off the beaten path, where to shop and so on and the book is worth every cent. Yet many books will give you this information and still not be the best choice.
What makes this book so great in my view is the ease of use. The island is divided up into sections and all the information for that area is not only easy to find, the beautifully printed photos entice you to visit places you might not have considered.
Yet even more important to my map geek heart are the intricate, detailed maps spread throughout the entire book. These are full color maps of regions as well as smaller areas like the popular Ubud or beaches. Hotels, restaurants, tourist destinations are all clearly marked and the map is placed right in that section of the book. No need to flip back and forth trying to figure out where you’re heading. In addition the book includes a beautiful pull out map of the whole island with a pocket in the back cover so it stays all together nicely. A fantastic addition to the book.
Ms. Hoffman’s many years both as a traveler throughout Indonesia and as a travel writer are evident on every page. She revised and wrote you the book she wished she’d had to guide her around the island. I’ve truly not encountered a better guide to Bali before and I’ve seen many of them. I don’t believe you’ll be disappointed.
Was this review helpful to you?
|Fun to flip through but not very informative,
The pictures were why we chose this book but in hindsight they are why we have to give this travel book only 2 stars. I was able to skim this book in about 15 minutes but then have not opened since. The book does not go into depth on the locations it describes and barely scratches the surface. Also because of all the pictures this book has a limited number of places described . I ended up purchasing a traditional pictureless guidebook and used the Internet when I wanted to see pictures.
Was this review helpful to you?
|fun pictures; no information,
there are lots of fun pictures to sift through, but not much usable information. for example, one section on surfing shows a pictures of a girl surfing and essentially takes 2 paragraphs to say: you can surf in that area. no recommendations on outfitters or any other tips. i have found tripadvisor.com more informative than this book.
also, because of the heavy glossy paper the book uses (for the beautiful pictures), it weighs quite a bit more than other bali books, but with much less information.
Was this review helpful to you?
|I like this book,
While I like the Lonely Planet Bali and Lombok book, this is the one that helps me feel as if I am there. There is sufficient narrative, but I like the little maps showing a small area so that you can actually see where a particular point of interest is. I had checked this book out of the library, renewed it two times and then gave in a bought it. I will take it with me to Bali and will refer to it frequently. I read almost the entire book, but am only 1/3 through the LP book.
Was this review helpful to you?
|