Customer Reviews

BAEDEKER'S BRAZIL (Baedeker's Travel Guides)

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I would also suggest Lonely Planet Brazil, as well as a music book, "The Brazilian Sound" (Temple University Press), which contains a huge glossary, maps and a lot of cultural history.

I have traveled extensively in Central America, Europe and North
America and I have found the BAEDEKER'S books to be helpful. Perhaps this book does not contain more detailed info as in other Fodor's books but there is a lot of information and the beautiful color photos really help. The book contains a very nice and useful map of Brazil. Most books do not give you maps !
I have used all the major guide books and have found all of them to be lacking in one manner or another that is why I generally look at 2 -3 books and take the best. I glean as much information from each book, thereby becoming a more informed traveler. Some folks have a favorite seriea such as the other Fodors's guides. I like Lonely Planet, Footprints, and the Moon Guides very much as well. Each guide will teach you something but however detailed they may seem they still go out of date, perhaps that is why this book is not as specific and probably more usefull long after the others have expired and are in their 100 th updated printing. I am not trying to say that this is my favorite guide book but I think it is definitely worthy of consideration, especially at the prices it is being offered here at Amazon.com...Sincerely ...a hunble traveler.

My wife and I are thinking about vactaioning in Brazil. Suprisingly, there is a dearth of travel guides for this large and diverse counrty.

I've travelled extensively and have come to rely on the gold covered Fodor guides. Fodor's guides are lively, well written, authorative, but most importantly compel you to read-on; making discovery of the country fun and engaging.

Baedeker's is nothing of the sort. While Baedeker's has color photos, gloss pages and sold in a handy vinyl jacket; it's colorless and lifeless next to a Fodor's product. With its color and gloss print and its fascination with numerical figures, I felt like I was reading a World Book encyclopedia for a sixth grade homewoork assignment. The prose within is equally as dry, which was the deciding factor for returning it to amazon for a refund.

City tours are reduced to sites (described in 8-12 word blurbs) that should be checked-off. There is not much detail about what you're seeing beyond the mandatory numerical figures. There are no winding city-walking tours. Likewise no driving tours. No fun, off the path places to stop for chow and a view.

With Fodor's I've come to except long 3 page narratives, written in colorful narrative that lead me down narrow streets and allow me to stop for lunch in wonderful cafes. Also unlike Baedeker's, Fodor's gives you histories of the stuff you are seeing, some it gained though intimate contact of the author, who has obviously lived in country. Fodor's goes beyond "just the facts".

In summary, Baedeker's Brazil is a fact-filled, do the job travel guide. But it lacks a human face that discerning travelers have come to expect from other brands of guide books.

May I suggest the Lonely Planet guide for Brazil.