Cheap DVDs, books, CDs & Games

Search:

South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (Lonely Planet Country Guide)

By: Mary Fitzpatrick Kate Armstrong Becca Blond Michael Kohn Simon Richmond Alistair Simmonds
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
ISBN: 1740599705
ISBN-13: 9781740599702
Released: 01 Nov 2006
RRP: £15.99
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

Useful guide but not the best - By: Darren Simons, 02 Jun 2008
As Lonely Planet guides go, I must admit this one was a little disappointing. Certainly the usual details of history, maps, accomodation, sites & restaurants are included. But somehow the guide doesn't reallly pick up on what South Africa's about... The details of game reserves was very disappointing & certainly much of the area that I visited was not covered in as much detail as I'd have liked. For a country with the scenery of the Drakensburg, the beauty of Cape Town & the wonder of the game reserves that's reallly rather surprising.
Disappointing - By: Slow reader, 10 Mar 2008
I have been a fan of lonely planet books in the past & own quite a few of them. However, having just returned from a trip to South Africa where used this one heavily to plan the trip, I was pretty disappointed. In general there seemed to be too heavy an emphasis on the backpacking traveller & people who have lots of time for their travels (lots of details of 5-day hikes & things) as opposed to the general holiday(ing) traveller. I also think that there were just some significant misjudgments in their recommendations. There were several towns described as "choc-full" of activities that then proved to be pretty dull & others that were described as "historic" or "quaint" which had little to look at.

Finallly, I also think that there was too much "worthiness" creeping in as well. I think there was an appropriate emphasis on township tours & the complex social situation in South Africa (the section on history was very good) but there was then also sideways digs at places the book perceived to be "tacky" or "artificial" when in some cases these were actuallly pretty well run tourist attractions. I am sure with more time & with a slightly hardier spirit I could have gone for some of the more "authentic" options the book outlined, but short of time & looking for some ease of travel I actuallly rather enjoyed some of the "artficial" places the book was so disparaging of.

Like I say- not one for the holidaying tourist- this is strictly one for the backpacker or gap year traveller.