Customer Reviews

Blue Guide Southern India (Blue Guides)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have spent something like 50 years writing books on India and traveling there. I went to Madura first in 1959. Took a boat once in 1960 from Madras(now Chenai) to Singapore for $10 along ( a 14 days deck passage trip)with 1400 Tamil workers, who wre headed for new lives in Singapore. Ah, the old days ...

Reading these book reviews herein posted I can only lament at the fools, nerds, idiots and generally feckless whimpy and clueless people who now "travel" if that is what you can call travel now to unbelievable, otherworldly places like South India.

This book by George Michel is absolutely the best South Indian Guide ever written on South India ....which takes up the sites, and culture of India that has ever been written. Period. If you want cheap eats and cheap kips buy Lonely Planet, or the Rough Guide. They are your meat and quite good meat at that. If you want to know about South India buy George Michel's book Southern India.

Let me quote one of the clueless and brainless reviews herein posted on this "review column".

By A Customer

"Just returned from my trip to Southern India. I made the mistake of taking only one guidebook with me as they were all quite heavy and unfortunately this was the one I chose. This book is totally useless for a trip to India. Its emphasis is primarily on history and the sites of interest in this region of India. Take with you either Lonely Planet or Rough Guide instead and use the Blue Guide as an adjunct."

And if you are an intrepid soul - if you want another great book - try to scout up the hard to find Murray's Guide to India (begun in the 1880s) called A Handbook to India, Ceylon, etc.( John Murray).

...

Just returned from my trip to Southern India. I made the mistake of taking only one guidebook with me as they were all quite heavy and unfortunately this was the one I chose. This book is totally useless for a trip to India. Its emphasis is primarily on history and the sites of interest in this region of India. Take with you either Lonely Planet or Rough Guide instead and use the Blue Guide as an adjunct.

If you plan on carrying one guide book to Southern India with you on your trip, make sure this is not the one. Gives very detailed descriptions of the historical sites, which is valuable on it's own, but absolutely no assistance with the practicalities of travelling around the country. It will not give any information with regards to hotel, restaurants, local customs, etc. as one would find in those published by Lonely Planet or Rough Guide. Unfortunately this was the guide I grabbed to take with me and it was not helpful at all with assistance once I entered the country.