Having been a collector, affectionate reader, and on-the-field user of Lonely Planet guidebooks during my numberless and continuous travels, I can indeed witness that this one is one of the best. Some guidebooks try to cover too much, e.g. all of West Africa or all of Central Asia, and don't do the job so well (inevitable and still better than carrying one book for each country, but to the detriment of the quality). Another common problem, is the author's favourable bias towards the country she or he is covering, as if it were the most marvelous place on Earth - I think here of the LP guidebook to Libya. In other books still, some regions are covered more in-depth than others: the Indonesia guidebook only has seven pages on East Timor, which would in fact deserve a whole chapter if not a whole book on its own ! Instead, in covering the fascinating land of Papua New Guinea, this author has done an excellent job, and not much else really needs to be added: this is indeed the Lonely Planet standard, that is to say, an excellent standard. For those who may not be familiar with it, this means excellent, up-to-date, accurate coverage of all areas of the country, with information (primary basic facts as well as further data for perfectionists) about accommodation, getting around, eating, entertainment, etc. Despite the vastity of this land and the difficulty of getting to the most remote areas, the author has managed it. The chapters on history and culture, especially in this guidebook, I find to be extremely well-written and researched. This one is indeed an excellent tool not only for the traveller but also for the armchair traveller who may wish to know more about PNG without necessarily going. It is extremely enjoyable and pleasant to read, thus combining the unrivalled qualities of a guidebook from Lonely Planet, with great information and facts about the mysterious land of Papua New Guinea.

Even though this edition is already some years old it is still THE guide for independent traveling in this awesome country.

I was traveling in 2000 for about 8 weeks in PNG and found the book a real help for getting around in a country that is far away from being touristy. Whether you are looking for a bus stop, the next spots for hiking or diving, hotel information or information on culture and religion this book has it all in detail.

Especially in this kind of less developed country every bit and piece of information in this book is worth every cent you spent for it.

We traveled to Mt. Hagen and Port Moresby last March for the first time. What a great and beautiful country, and what a perfect travel guide to orient you. While this book is nice enough to have on the shelf, ours is worn from use... and usefulness. As a bonus, it's also well-written and a great book to read!

Lonely Planet has again done a superb job combining art, graphics, maps and information in exactly the right proportions. There are a collection of excellent color and black & white photos and graphics. The history and cultural background is extensive owing to the three experienced traveler-writers. They make great use of side-bars to highlight special features and information (a trade mark of most Lonely Planet materials).

All the regions are treated pretty equally and include useful maps that otherwise would be tough to find anywhere.

If you could only buy one book in preparation for your trip, you would not have any problem making this your "Bible". It is also a great size at 5 x 7.25 x 5/8's inches and printed on high quality paper.

I will always look to Lonely Planet as my first choice in travel books.

I used the 86 edition as the basis for designing a 2500 day Grand Tour of Oz. It gave me detailed info on not only the major cities, but the minor ones as well. I really liked the set up where the places described were in the order you you reached them as you drove along. I intend to get the lastest edition to take with me on my mini-GTO of Oz later this year. The book is well worth the money spent!

Most residents feel that the storm may be the worst to strike New Orleans just before Mardi Gras in memory. To local attorney, Tubby Dubbonet, the downpour fits his mood as he down on cash and self-esteem. Adding to his misery is the fact that he has inadvertently ran into a trio of criminals planning a heist.

Willie La Rue and his cohorts figure that they can rob a bank and disappear into the hoopla and pageantry of Mardi Gras. The indolent Tubby, not known for his altruistic feelings towards anything but food, decides he must save his city from the invaders. However, the criminals know that the gauntlet has been thrown down and Tubby must be eliminated because he can identify each of them.

The fourth book in the "Tubby" series is by far the best of a very good collection. By caring for something besides his palette, Tubby seems more human and even a half decent individual. The forces of nature playing havoc with the city makes New Orleans feel genuine rather than the usual traveler's guide most novels set in the Big Easy seem to mirror. Amazingly, Tony Dunbar has done raised the bar, which he previously set at a very high of quality, on New Orleans mysteries. Though SHELTER FROM THE STORM is the elite of the lot, all the "Tubby" books are highly recommended for their humorous look at New Orleans.

Harriet Klausner

If I was only allowed to take one book to Tibet it would definitely be the Lonely Planet. It has very useful information about the country, the religion, do's and don'ts, etc. I used this book to prepare for my trip and used it in Tibet to get more information on the city I was in or the tempel or monastery I was visiting. Very detailed information about the tempels, the history and what rooms and statues are what. Very useful information about Lhasa and great maps showing not only interesting sites but also the hotels (so you can find your way back).

This guidebook is certainly among Lonely Planet's best. It is at the same time an excellent travel guide, and also a fantastic yet concise source of insights into the life of this wonderful land. Anyone traveling to Tibet will inevitably encounter a number of restrictions on her/his travel, and will have to stick to the Chinese government's directives and itineraries. It is indeed hard to leave Tibet without a feeling that one was not really able to 'go deep' into its culture. This book might not compensate for the frustrating limitations posed to travelers by the Chinese government, but it certainly goes a good way towards that direction. It contains tips on how to make the most out of your trip, especially in terms of getting to know 'real' Tibet. Its sections on culture, religion and history are excellently written and captivating. All in all, a fantastic endeavour.

This book should be very useful for those who want to visit The Land of Snows as well as for those who just want to learn more from the Tibetan Culture. It has a lot of useful information for travelers, e.g. the best ways to arrive to Tibet (depending of how do you want to do it), and the importance of having a tour guide during your trip (because of political reasons). Inside this book you will find some interesting facts and illustrations about TibetÂ's religion: Buddhism (the spirit of the country), and a few beautiful pictures.

Lonely Planet guides are the best out there, by far, at least for people who travel with a budget and only a pack on their backs, stay at hostels, and like to really experience a new location without being so touristy (Fodor's guides, for example, are the opposite of Lonely Planet's and are written for the upscale traveler). The California/Nevada guide is no exception, but it's just too outdated (published in 1996), and I wouldn't recommend buying it and instead would recommend waiting until the come out with a new one, whenever that will be. That's the only reason I wouldn't give it 5 stars. They did just put out a new San Francisco one though ...

This is the first lonely planet book I've bought, but I'm very attached to it. It had lots of great listing from things to do to places to stay. I particularly linked to range of places to stay. It's organized into moderately priced to cheap options so you can pick what's right foryou... I used the 2000 edition.

Every Lonely Planet guide gives lots of tips for what to see, places to eat, and the "must-see" things when you travel. This guide explains the history of California and Nevada very well, and always has good suggestions of interesting places to visit. I am a native Californian, but I don't travel anywhere in the state without this guide.

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This is a valuable text for the economical traveller who wishes to enjoy the people,customs and natural beauties of this country.

It has all the usual features many have come to expect from the 'Lonely Planet' guides.Good area/city maps,travel details, pointers for the culinary delicacies of particular areas,good information on inexpensive places to stay,as well as fascinating sights,places and people to visit,a brief introduction to the(amazingly simple and easy to learn)language,and interesting cultural,religious and other useful notes.

This edition and it`s excellent predecessors have played a major part in assisting me in all of my travels to Indonesia,in both the planning and research stages,and during the travel itself.I am certain that I would not have travelled to some of the unique and rarely visited places that I was privileged to see without the aid of this weighty and at times indispensible tome.

However,the most important thing to take with you is an open mind and heart,a friendly nature,and a desire to get to know the people and their customs.(Language is a great help too.)These ingredients(and the book !)tend to make for a most memorable and enjoyable stay. Bon Voyage !

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This is the most detailed book for a big place like indonesia. Indonesia (outside of Jakarta/Bali) is a perfect match of lonely planet's specialty in off the beaten track and/or budget traveling. Every part of Indonesia is covered, except for the small islands between Sumatra and Kalimantan that might be cool to check out. Its not the Riau - that's covered in detail. It has minimal coverage of the Natuna islands. I'm interested in the islands further south - Tambeian Islands, Dadas Isalands, and Pulau Pejantan. Once they add coverage to these islands then this book will be perfection. This book also a lot of information on Indonesian culture, about a 40% overlap with the culture shock indonesia book.

So far I plan a 2 month trip to indonesia. Fly to hong kong, spend 1-2 nights there. Then fly to malaysia or jakarta (whichever is cheaper). Then take a boat to Pontianak, spend some time there and sinkawang (probably a week). Check out the islands between kalimantan and sumatra (1-2 weeks). Then go to the todgean islands, getting their via ujung padang to ambon and then spend the rest of the time (probably a month) chillin and snorkeling / scuba diving. Then go back trhough jakarta or malaysia, spend another 1-2 nights in hong kong, and then come home.

On planning a trip to indonesia I found this guide book from the Lonely Planet Series. I was attracted by the clear concept of the book that makes it easy to find the information, that you need. It provides all the necessary information for a traveller who wants to get of the beaten trak, but also includes the "must see" sights. Specially the Places to Stay and Places to Eat sections are clear and give good and reliable information. It made my trip to indonesia easy and worth a while. I strongly recomend a Lonely Planet book if you like to travel and you want to see as much as possible.

A good guide from a good company. Not too much has changed from the previous edition though - there are some more detailed maps of Colombo.

This well-organized, chatty yet meaty guide book is all you need to assist you on a trip to Sri Lanka.

We went to Sri Lanka in the high season (February, when the place is full of Germans and other Europeans) and the only reservation we made in advance was two nights at the Galle Face Hotel (see Columbo chapter, where to stay, top end), a fabulous old relic of colonial architecture. With the help of the Lonely Planet, we "winged" everything else: train tickets to Kandy, car rental, dive trips & bungalows on the southwestern beaches. Sri Lanka is a diverse, fabulous place to explore, and the Lonely Planet made it super easy.

Great historical chapter "Facts About the Country" makes for good reading while you're waiting for your cold lassi to come to the table.

This book goes into deep detail about Sri Lanka. Being a Sri Lankan myself resideing in Australia. I found this book defintely worth taking on your trip. The best thing about the book is, that as new devolpements come, the Lonley Planet website allows you to upgrade (free of charge) the information in it, by you downloading the new revised pages. As long you keep the book updated the book will always have the latest information. This is not-only this guide book, but for all of Lonley Planets guide books. Normally I would give this book 4 stars, but for this feature alone 5 stars is worth the effort.

When I went to New Zealand armed with my Lonely Planet guide and one small travel bag, I found that the book did not go into enough detail about the best places to go, especially in Christchurch and at the Milford Sound/Queenstown area. The book has lots of info but is quite heavy to carry around for 3 weeks. It would be helpful if the Lonely Planet separated the book into two-North Island and South Island for the traveler who is trying to travel carrying the least amount of weight. Next time I will copy the info and carry on a few pages rather than a two inch thick book. The country is NOT to be missed, a magical land!

There are probably countries you can visit without a Lonely Planet Guide. New Zealand is not one of these countries.The way to enjoy New Zealand is to travel from place to place and not to pre-book everything ( you are too dependent on the weather to do that and also it takes away the feeling of freedom this country has to offer). The more flexible you want to be on a trip the more important it is to have a good guide. We arrived in Auckland with only a general idea what we wanted to do in our three weeks and we found that we left all other guidebooks in the suitcase and relied exclusively on the Lonely Planet to plan our trip. The guide contains all necessary information and is surprisingly up to date. The most important is that it is not a commercial tourism promoter but that it gives you an honest impression on what there is that you can do.

E.G. it was pretty clear after reading the relevant chapters that for our family it was more appropiate to go to Wanaka instead of Queenstown because the children were not yet at an age that they could enjoy all the thrills of the latter and that Wanaka, whilst offering jetboating and biking was more appropiate.

We had the book continuously with us during the driving and it made the journey so much more interesting through knowing always a couple of KM ahead what the interesting sites and spots were.

The book could have been priced at a much higher level; we still would have bought it.

Highly recommended for every would be traveller to New Zealand

We just returned from a one month excursion through Nea Zealand with this guide book constantly at our side. We found it invaluable in our daily selection of things to do and places to stay and eat. During our travels we also noted this guide being used by many other travellers and particularly in the hands of the hikers and backpackers. It was the most prominent of guide books available in the book shops and information centers throughout the country. Should be required reading by anyone preparing an unescorted visit to New Zealand and even for anyone on an organized tour it would be most helpful.

Seems to concentrate heavily on the gay and lesbian aspects of SF. My wife and I found Eyewitness Travel Guides' San Francisco and Northern California to be much more useful for planning our trip there.

Two years ago, I visited SF for the first time, and I had the second edition of this book. Here we are two years later, and I recently bought the third, and most recent edition. Let me tell you: brilliant rewrite! This edition is even better written, and has better graphics and layout. The staff at Lonely Planet across the Bay in Oakland, sure do know their stuff. This book is for anyone that wants a concise, yet knowledgeable introduction to the history behind the City by the Bay, as well as good reviews on restaurants!

I've used the Lonely Planet series for travel in other parts of the world and L.P. has yet to disappoint me. Their city specific books (like this one) are small, so it's easy to carry with you and the numerous maps in the back are very useful. Each map has the locations marked for all the places noted in the book as well. Unlike other popular travel books, L.P. provides pictures of some of the more popular things to see; I find this very convenient since a picture says a thousand words. The authors of this book are also all San Fran residents and/or natives which made me feel like I was truely getting the inside scoop of where to go and what to do.

I recently took this guidebook on a two-week trip around the UK and found it to be just as useful and dead-on as every other LP book I've used (even though it is almost two years old). I looked at some of the others, and this the only budget guide for Britain worth picking up. Forget Fodor's, Frommer's, and Let's Go - this book is all you need for a trip to the British Isles.

This summer I took an awesome two week tour of Great Britain with Contiki Tours. The tour was great because of how it mixed a rigid tour with free time. My free time was excellent thanks to the information in this guide. I had used Lonely Planet before when I visited China. They did a great job on that book and they did a great job on this one. The information, history, culture and advice are priceless. This is a great guidebook to have. Lonely Planet might not have zillions of colour pictures, but it has priceless information and commentary.

I have traveled to England a dozen times and I own current editions of 12 different guidebooks. This is far and away the best. It has the most useful information in the easiest-to-use format. For one thing it has all the travel planning facts you need. In addition, the destinations are described with writing that is evocative, imaginative and accurate. The recommendations are reliable and I was never steered wrong in selecting lodgings and restaurants. Before I found this book, I had to combine four different guidebooks to get all the information that's included in this one. From a veteran traveler, I highly recommend the Lonely Planet guide.