Travel Books

I'm planning a trip to Tanzania, and though this book has some useful information, much of it is out of date. A couple of the websites recommended for safaris are obsolete. That, along with the fact that they mention how to take care of film for your camera (in the 2007 edition of this book), makes me question the freshness of any of the information. Things I would have like more information on:
- Tips on how to get a good airfare from the USA
- Voltages used (so I know what type of plug to bring for my digital camera)
- More detailed information on how to book safaris and/or mountain treks.

I'm glad I bought it because I didn't know anything before I started reading it, but this book could have been significantly better.

I got this book right after it was published in 2006 before my 2 month volunteer mission to do HIV work in East Africa. My previous experiences was that the Lonely Planet was always the way to go and this was a COMPLETE disappointment. It didn't seem like they had done any updating at all despite that it was a new edition. I spent most of my time in Rwanda but also a bit in Tanzania. Everything on the maps was wrong, embassies had long moved locations, restaurants & shops had closed and inaccurate, and became more of a burden than a help.

STRONGLY recommend AGAINST this guide. The Rwanda, 3rd: The Bradt Travel Guide by Philip Briggs seemed much better....and at the time I had the older version.

We have relied on this book on two trips to Kenya and Zanzibar. It provides great tips on places that are off the well-beaten tourist sites and provide the traveller with a taste of the real Africa. Some of our best dining experiences in Africa were at the small local resteraunts identified in the Lonely Planet guide that we never would have known about. If you just want to look at wild game from your safari van and hang out with other tourists at game lodges, you don't need this book. However, if you want to experience the real Africa and have a meaningful cultural experience that will change your life, but this book!

We traveled to Uganda and Tanzania. We got the guide for Tanzania, but couldn't find one for Uganda. It was pretty useful and I liked their suggestions for evening activities in Kampala. I thought the book could have used some pictures (don't recall there being any, except maps).
It's particularly nice to read on the long flights from the US to Africa as a build up to your trip. I usually believe in getting my information online, but it was very convenient to have this with us. Well researched and handy.

Though we originally planned to travel through the entire East African region, we ended up travelling in Kenya only. Although Lonely Planet have a more detailed book for Kenya alone, we found this book informative enough to provide us with all the necessary information. Schedules and prices were pretty up to date except for park fees that have been recently updated in Kenya.

It was easy to find the needed information and having a separate section for Safaris was certainly helpful.

The mountaineering sections were a bit short (they have a special book for that), and more detailed information could have been helpful, especially in mount Kenya.

Other than that, it's probably the best option at the moment if you travel through the region, as this edition has been issued last June.

I bought this new book as it came out just in time for my photography journey through the four corners area of Colorado and New Mexico. I've seen some of the same sites before but Martres gave routes I've never known existed or was possible. Hence, I have new photos from angles I've never known I could get.

This book is great and a must-have for photographers in the Southwest area!

If you're planning a tour of the American Southwest these brilliant books are simply the best possible guide to what to photograph, and how. In three volumes Martrès guides you to all the photographic highlights of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. At the well known tourist spots he tells you what and when to shoot for best results, but he's also not afraid to take you off the beaten path to some less frequently visited scenic gems.

I've just completed a photographic holiday following roughly the traditional "grand circle" route, and I couldn't have got some of my most successful shots without these books.

The author provides consistent, detailed instructions for each location, including guidance on lenses and timing. Sometimes he even tells you which rock to stand on! Follow his instructions carefully, and you'll usually get good results, although some instructions require careful interpretation.

It's also great fun shouting "snap!" when you realise the only other souls in some lonely location are also clutching a copy of the same book.

All three volumes have recently been updated, with high quality colour photos throughout, and a comprehensive index of locations including ratings for accessibility and scenic and photographic value, invaluable if a tight schedule means making difficult choices.

I'm already planning my next trip using volume 3! Highly recommended.

This book is a fabulous guide to photographing the natural sights in Utah. Martres provided specific information on where to be for the best shots and also gives basic photographic advice. While you read, you need to remember what he says at the beginning of the book: he photographs the southwest in autumn due to the heat and light. So, use common sense when Martres says, "early afternoon is the best time to photograph..." If you are there at other times of the year, you'll need to do a little research about when the best light is available.
loved the book and will buy more of his work!

I bought all three books from the series Photographing the Southwest by author Laurent Martres. I'm preparing for 2 weeks trip to USA next year. I found these books very useful. All provide very valuable information about the best time and conditions for all the people having passion for taking fotographs at most famous places all over Southwest. Simply must have.

This series belongs in the library of every nature photographer traveling to the Southwest. My one complaint with the first edition was that it was so comprehensive as to be difficult to pick the great from the meerly good sites. The second edition offers a solution to this problem by having a comprehensive table in the back of the book rating every site for natural beauty and photographic value on a scale of 1-5. So with just a quick glance You can identify all the 5 star places and research them. Then all he 4 star sites and research them, and so on. In the same table he gives lots of practical information like road conditions. The color photographs are also a big improvement over the black and white in the first editions. Over all, a tremendous asset to anyone exploring the Southwest.

I read this book on the heels of Chris Rose's "1 Dead in Attic: After Katrina." Chris Rose mentions this book toward the end of his, and I thought reading a positive story would be a good balance after reading the details of post-Katrina New Orleans. The story of 9/11 and the people of Gander, Newfoundland is fascinating and uplifting, but the book itself is poorly written. Perhaps it is because the author is a reporter, but the emotional impact that should have been there just wasn't. The sentence structure and word choices made me think I was reading an elementary school student's report on what happened rather than a professional's rendition. Had the content of the tale not been so wonderful, I'd have given this book even a lower star rating. I rarely think a movie is better than a book, but in this case, I kept wishing for a movie version.

Over 6,000 diverted passengers disembarked in Gander, Newfoundland on Sept. 11, 2001. Various newspaper accounts (most notably the Wall Street Journal) have told the tale of the Newfies' unsurpassed hospitality in the week that followed. Here, Jim DeFede does a nice job collecting the personal experiences of 180 individuals involved in events in Gander that week. We hear from passengers, pilots, Gander air traffic controllers, town mayors, school principals and the townsfolk who put their lives on hold to help out.

As a slice of life story, this is nice reading. As a historical accounting, this is not the place to come. This book cries out for a map. I just finished Peter Robb's A Death in Brazil: A Book of Omissions. A big part of what made that book work was a Alex Snellgrove's excellent hand-drawn maps in which all places mentioned in Robb's text are noted on the maps. See a place mentioned...flip to the map...flip back to the text. Works great. Would have worked here. Also, I'd have liked an appendix with some stats - a list of the flights by carrier, flight number, number of passengers, origination and intended destination. That would have been a very useful addition to the narrative.

Most amazing book I've read. Most Americans were unaware that all of incomming flights at the time of the bombings were diverted to the nearest airports not within USA borders. This story is wonderful and shows how the human race really cares about one another. It was hard to put down.

So many reviews have been written about this book, I'm not sure I can add anything that hasn't already been said. But I'd like to try! This is a very heartwarming book, in the best (almost unbelieveable) way. People didn't just go out of their way to help stranded travellers on 9/11 and in the days following, they gave up their linens, their food, their homes...and this is in a depressed area with a 16% unemployment rate. Each and every resident jumped in to give their all, staying up all night to cook (and, in one case, just sitting up to watch over people while they slept, in case they felt insecure). Businesses gave up inventory. Drivers turned over their cars to complete strangers. School bus drivers, who were on strike, poured in to drive anyone and everyone. No effort was too large or too small for these generous people. When someone was disappointed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police didn't actually wear the uniforms that are so well known, a local RCMP officer got permission from his superiors to don the duds and had his picture taken with thrilled travellers. Although written in a plain, straight-forward style, this book holds up well. I read it when it was first published, and just re-read it today. It feels just as good now as it did then! It's all about the people - they're simply the best!

This book tells a memorable story of how people cope and reach out to others in a time of crisis. It also makes you want to discover Newfoundland for yourself. If you need a uplifting view of the world, this book is a must read.

I bought this book even though I'd tried several of these puzzles downloaded from the Internet and didn't particularly like them. Don't know what I was thinking. Unless it's just me, I found quite a few of these bigger puzzles impossible to solve without looking at the solution for a hint to continue. Many have too few marked spots out of plenty of blank spots and no way to resolve which to mark. I feel there are way too many large (35+) puzzles and the smaller ones are fairly ugly pictures. The actual puzzle squares are teeny, tiny too. I'm not impressed at all - won't buy another one.

What can I say. Excellent idea and I did try to do it but I have some visual difficulties that make my eyes jump around on grid like pages. These are rather small grids also.

I so wanted to say I loved it and I probably would if my eyes were better.

So if you have trouble with say reading small cross stitch patterns then you will have trouble with this. I can see smart teens just loving this and flying thru them in no time flat. Getting old is a bummer.

This is an excellent puzzle book!! I've enjoyed working through it for the past year. I just ordered a second copy to do it again. It's one of my favorite puzzles books!! It's a nice change from Sodoku and Kakuro. If you enjoy number or logic puzzles, this is a fun one. This is the best collection of advanced picture puzzles that I've found.

This is just an ok book in my mind. The spiral binding and the paper are good quality, but the puzzles are in random order with no identification as to the difficulty. Also, a majority of the puzzles are made up of 80% blank space, which is disappointing to me when most of the puzzles are just x's.

I love doing paint sudoku! This spiral bound book with nice thick pages is so nice to handle. If you like doing logic puzzles and have never tried this type of puzzle, GIVE IT A TRY!! It's challenging but yet fun to see what the picture ends up to be.

I've had this book for almost two years now. I originally started out visiting San Diego frequently, and now have lived here in SD for 2 months.

At first I used this book for the map, to learn where things are, and also to compile a list of things I wanted to do. My boyfriend and I usually set out to do one of those things on each trip that I would come to San Diego. This book was so helpful with that - for example on our visit to the zoo reading the top 10 was helpful because it gave me a sense of what the park had to offer, and what was in my own top things to see.

Now that I live here, I still use this book! I brought it with me just last week to Balboa Park, and I also use before I have friends to visit - I'll flip through and think of them and what might interest them. I even still open it up to look at the restaurants, bars, ect. And just as the other people have mentioned, I use the map all the time (And love that they have a flap so you can mark a page with them).

I highly recommend this book! It is my only San Diego guidebook!

Again, I bought this for a friend that is moving to that area and she was so ecxited to get something she could use for a place she knows nothing about.

Top 10 San Diego is a small little travel resource that fits nicely in a pocket, purse, or backpack. There are plenty of maps included in this book. All are full color and fold out large enough so that the lost tourist can actually figure out where they are going. I can't stress this point enough. I've been stuck too many times on public transit or while negotiating a busy street while flipping through some oversized travel guide to find that one black and white map that I need a magnifying glass to read.

I also like the whole top ten notion. Before reading this guide, I had already done a good deal of research on the places I wanted to go, where I wanted to stay, and what activities San Diego had in store for me. Top 10 San Diego gives me a good reference that I can use to get to these places no matter what area of the city that I happen to be in at the time. Looking through these lists, I was also pleasantly surprised to find a few more little gems that I hadn't previously known. I was particularly impressed with the various sections on restaurants, shopping, performing arts venues, and offbeat activities.

This was a great easy, quick read. if you follow this guide, you should be able to maximize you visit in San Diego. i liked it so much, that I bought everyone on our trip one.

DK Eyewittness always produce great travel guides especially there 10 ten sites. Its easy to read, small enough to carry around and has little gems of advice in there.

Read the book in 2 days, I could not put it down. Exciting, dramatic, laws of brotherhood and courage. I have always been into mountain climbing (never been at high altitudes) and pushing myself to the limit and farther and this book is just a reminder to never give up until you have made it home. Great motivator--5 out of 5

I watch Bear on his show Man vs Wild and so I wanted to learn more about him. I learned a lot about Everest and its relationship to the people who climb it. Bear wrote in a journal-like format, and I loved that! I felt like I was there with him going through this experience too. It has inspired me to take up hiking. The man is amazing and I want to read more of his experiences. I definitely recommend this book.

Great book. 5 stars from me.

The editor should be fired though. I think all he did was run spell check and loaded it into the press.

An excellent book. Bear Grylls recounts his experience starting with his overwhelming desire to raise the funds to climb Mount Everest, his training in order to fulfill his dream and then the ultimate struggle for survival in climbing the world's tallest peak. I admire Bear for not only recovering from a parachuting accident that should have claimed his life (and indeed broke his back) but for having the sheer willpower and determination to face his fears and scale Mount Everest. I almost felt like I was on the mountain with him as he describes his treachorous accent.

I have just finished TKWCE and I am totally blown away. I have been a fan of Bear Grylls ever since I saw my first episode of Man vs. Wild and this book has elevated him greatly in my eyes. He is a man to be admired.

Bear's storytelling style made the entire book sound as though it was his interior monologue from Man vs. Wild which made for a quick and entertaining read. As a military man myself as well as an amateur mountaineer, I had no trouble identifying with Bear and his team as he described the pain, fear, exhaustion, and sense of adventure intrinsic to an assault on Mt. Everest. I enjoyed the humor, humility, and introspection throughout the book.

Obviously since Bear wrote this at age 23, it is not Into Thin Air as many previous reviewers have mentioned. However, I enjoyed it a great deal more than ITA as Krakauer had a MUCH different climb and was surrounded by a great deal more controversy than Bear Grylls. Additionally, I think that the editor should be roundly thrashed for merely spellchecking and submitting the manuscript to the publisher!

For somebody new to mountaineering or in the lower age bracket, this is a great book to start you off into Mountain Literature. It is not the flowing epic of Into Thin Air by Krakauer, nor is it the intensity driven, nihilistic assault of Kiss or Kill by Twight. This book is very simply about "A Kid" with a young man's perspective and worldview talking about scaling Everest. Bear makes no secret of the fact that he is a church going man, true, so if that turns you off, this might not be the book for you. However, all would do well to remember that there are no atheists on battlefields,...or in deserts,...or across oceans,...and certainly not on mountaintops!

I loved it, simply because Sarah Turnbull captivates the reality of so many people who end up living in another country and even though they start a new life, with new people and new meaning around them, is never quite the same... You find yourself in the new place wishing you were somewhere else, and when you return to your country you wish you were back in the other one. It explains the struggle of culture integration and the differences that may seem to drive you crazy, but in the end those things become part of your every day life. The book inspired me to make the best out of my personal situation, I felt so identified with her and so encouraged to embrace who I am and at the same time embrace my new life in another country. I loved it!

Our family lived in France from 1992-1995. Though it has been a few years now, all the memories of trying to adjust, fit in, make sense of France and the French, came flowing back through my mind as I read Sarah's book. Very well written, easy and enjoyable to read, she nails the frustrations, the puzzlements, and the occasional delights of living in this special European country.

I really enjoyed this book. The author gives the reader
a taste of what it is to live in Paris. I highly recommend
this book for anyone who is interested in France, Paris,
culture, or people.

This is not a book I would have picked up on my own; and I only grudgingly ordered it from amazon.com because it was the selection for out next Book Club meeting. I'm loving it! I'm only a tiny way into it and am enjoying the chuckles that are ellicted throughout; well, so far, anyway. Turnbull writes very well, she has a marvelous sense of humor, and she is able to laugh at her own foibles. Can't wait to finish the book, can't wait for our meeting.

The French are a fascinating people, their culture sometimes mysterious, sometimes frustrating. Having lived in France for a while myself, I was very drawn to this story of a young woman living and loving in Paris and other parts of the country. Having first gone to Paris on a whim (since she was in Europe anyway, and the young man who invited her was so attractive, why not?), she then decides to stay. It does seem remarkable that someone would do that in these days of madmen and terrorists.

Her story starts out somewhat disjointed and jerky and parts of it continue that way. There are gaps in time that aren't quite transitioned. And some events are incomplete. For instance, when her friend Sue comes to visit from London, the reader expects a life changing or confirming event. The build up to it certainly leads one to think that this is a big part of the entire experience. However, Sue comes, leaves, and that's that. We're given no reaction on her part to Frederic, the French lover, no discussion between the two on Sarah's decision to stay in Paris, nothing.

Sarah's visits with Frederic and some of his friends are, of course, awkward. Unless one has experienced the same thing, it is difficult to believe how important things are in social intercourse, but how no one ever thinks to explain them ahead of time. Being Australian, Sarah had certain expectations when it came to dinner and parties, but the French people she met had different expectations. It always seemed that she was expected to conform to their expectations, but whether that was only her perception is not clear. Perhaps she should have learned from the first and following experiences to ask more questions each succeeding time.

The edition of the book that I read is the 2002 edition, published either in Australia or Great Britain and I do not know if the 2004 edition was edited differently. I'd hoped to enjoy this book and to learn how to enjoy living in another country. The most important lesson seems to be to try to not have expectations.

Just returned from a fabulous 10 days in Kauai. We purchased and studied several guidebooks before our trip and took them all along with us. However, this was our "go to" book. It is like a friend had just returned and given us all their favorite places. And we cannot say enough about Hanalei and west of. Narrow your visit and no worries!

There are two guides that pretty much cover the field for a visit to Kauai. Although I don't have this edition, Kauai Underground has always provided very reliable information about the kinds of things visitors commonly do in Kauai - eat at restaurants, go to the beach, etc. Maybe it's just accident, but I find over and over again that I agree with Lenore and Mira's recommendations. What inspired me to write this is that the 18th ed identifies Kalihiwai as a great family beach. It is! And few people seem to realize that. These guys know what they are talking about!

Incidentally, the other "can't do without" is Kauai revealed, which is absolute tops for the OTHER side of the equation: hiking, sports, adventures, etc. from a truly knowledgable perspective.

Take em both because both are tops on different aspects of the island.

I bought 3 books on Kaua'i and I ranked this one second behind Kaua'i Revealed. This is a good guide with many good pointers, but lacks detailed directions on how to get to some places. I have been to Kaua'i now 3 times and I am looking for new places to explore. All in all, this is a good buy for the money.

The book contains a great deal of information about Kauai's best hidden places and how to discover them on your own. It is a great resource for people who prefer peace and natural beauty without crowds or commercialism. However, tours are sometimes the only way to explore the places that make Kauai so special (for example boat tours of the Na Pali coast, helicopter tours, or hiking tours of the interior wilderness best accessed by experienced leaders) and so the authors suggest the best local companies, particularly those with a history of responsible tourism and respect for the environment. Readers need options, and the authors try to make detailed information available for informed choices. As the original guidebook writers to Kauai, the book has often been praised for its extensive and reliable research. It made my vacation!

If you like to dine out, this is the book for you. Over 90 pages of a 239 page book are devoted to restaurants. For my wife and I who like to pack a lunch and go exploring, this part of the book was not used. We like to hike and photograph scenic spots. Two of Kauai's most scenic spots, Wailua Falls and Opaeka'a Falls are not even mentioned in the book. The index is rather skimpy. The book is heavily weighted toward those who want to patronize the local businesses for tours, rentals, shopping, etc. with lots and lots of names and phone numbers. We found the section on choosing a helicopter company based on what each has to do for their FAA certificate helpful, as well as how many crash fatalities each has had. One of the most helpful guides that we had was a magazine called Kaua'i Traveler ($4.95 at Amazon) which we picked up at our hotel. It included very succinct descriptions of and directions to the top sites on the island. The magazine gave us directions to Kipu Falls which is easily accessible by a short well worn trail. The guide book says that "the only safe and legal way to visit Kipu Falls" is go take a kayak and hiking tour costing $75 to $129.

This is a decent guide but I would definately purchase another guide to supplement it. I went on a trip to Kuala Lumpur( I just returned last night) and I took this guide as well as the Lonely Planet Kuala Lumpur guide and they were great together. I did use my LP guide a lot more, but this one does include a lot of good information about all the different sights.

This is a great book- full of interesting information, gorgeous photos, and travel tips. We just went to Singapore and it was useful, along with the Groovy MAP 'N' GUIDE SINGAPOREand Fodor's Singapore's 25 Best, 3rd Edition (25 Best).

The only downside is the size. While small enough to carry in a bag, it's not THAT small- and the section on Singapore is relatively smallcompared to the malaysia section. Overall, while I'm happy I bought it, the other 2 books went with me around town, while this one stayed in the hotel.

I used this guide for a 2 day trip to Singapore. The guide was helpful as an overview to Singapore. We used it to find an authentic Malay restaurant on Boat Quay, which was really excellent, and seemed to have a lot of locals, even though it was in a tourist area. There is actually a lot of interesting things to do in Singapore and the guide helped us find them.

If you are looking for where to stay, where to eat, what is cool, get a Lonely Planet guide. This is a typical DK Eyewitness guide - packed with detailed historical and cultural information, superb illustrations, an easy-to-follow maps. The information is well-written and is presented in a easy-to-read-and-grasp manner.

I usually get both the Lonely Planet (or similar) and DK.

This is an excellent product in many ways. Good text, gorgeous pictures, informative re shopping, food and cultural matters - the beautiful photos of same help a great deal. This is less useful as a primary guide book like the Lonely Planet, which has more nuts and bolts information re places to eat, stay etc., than as anexcellent adjuct. They are really good together to give a complete picture. I lived in Singapore some time ago, and have traveled extesively in Maylasia, and the iformation in the book looks to be acurate as far as I can tell.

I bought both the Moon Handbook (Christopher Baker, 4th ed.) and the Lonely Planet guide (Sainsbury, 4th ed.). I haven't been to Cuba, but the Moon guide is a pleasure to read, it's nearly twice the length of the Lonely Planet guide, the maps are better, it goes into more depth on places and also on the general history, the photos are better, etc.

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

Traveling without a lonely planet is a waste of time. I would rate this guides as the best. I love that you know what to expect when you arrive to a place which is listed in the guide. I like the extra reading about history, and facts of the country. Great buy!!

this is good for all-in-one book.
But several big mistakes...
You'd better to take another substitution guide book

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.