The following travel books are highly recommended and can be purchased through Amazon.
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South Pacific and Micronesia (Lonely Planet Country Guide)
This is the new edition (released 1st October 2006) of the book I used back in 2004 to plan my travels to Fiji, Cooke Islands, Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine and Bora Bora. South Pacific islands can be quite expensive and some of the islands in French Polynesia such as Bora Bora are some of the most expensive places on earth. This book helped me plan my accommodation and activities while travelling through these islands. This lonely planet guide also covers other islands including the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Samoa, American Samoa, Easter Island, Rarotonga, Tonga, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. |
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Eastern Europe (Lonely Planet Regional Guides)
This is a big book compared to many other lonely planet guides and gives a good coverage of each country within Eastern Europe including Albania, Belarus, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Ukraine. All the usual areas are covered such as sleeping, eating, finding your way around, what to see and how to stay safe. This is a good book for anyone contemplating visiting a few countries in Eastern Europe over a period of time but if you intending to visit only one or two countries for a few weeks or months, the individual Lonely Planet guides may be more useful as they will contain more information on each region. |
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South American Handbook (Footprint Travel Guide)
I hope to travel to South America in 2007 or 2008 and after carrying out a little research, this Footprint guide seems to offer better reviews than the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide equivalent. This handy guide covers all the major countries of South America including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia (now there's an adventure), Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, Galapagos and the Guianas. Footprint guides cover all the essential information for each country including how to get there, transport, accomodation, food and drink, what to see and shopping. |
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Hong Kong Insight Compact Guide
I have just visited Hong Kong in February 2007 and used the Hong Kong Insight Compact Guide as my main guide. It is an excellent book covering the main regions of Hong Kong: Kowloon, Western District, Central, Wan Chai to Causeway Bay, Victoria Peak, South Side, the Eastern New Territories and the Western New Territories. The inclusion of many high quality photographs adds greatly to the text information provided unlike many Lonely Planet guides which can seem a little stale by comparison. Hong Kong is a great location and provides something for everyone in terms of entertainment, food, dramatic scenery together with an exotic mix of eastern and western cultures. Just be prepared for the never ending crowds.
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Taiwan Insight Guide
I am currently using the Taiwan Insight Guide to travel around Taiwan in March 2007. The guide is a welcome relief from the text heavy Lonely Planet guide to Taiwan which I also purchased at an earlier date. The Insight Guide to Taiwan is well laid out with all the main areas covered in depth including Taipei, North Taiwan, West Central Taiwan, South West Taiwan and the the dramatic East Coast. In addition the travel tips section in the last section of the book outlines all the main information needed to enjoy Taiwan including planning information, getting around, food, nightlife, culture, accommodation, shopping, sport and language.
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