Customer Reviews

Egypt Guide (Open Road's Egypt Guide)

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

 

 

Egypt was great, and I really appreciated all of the suggestions on how to see it and enjoy it. Guess I'll have to go back to try more. Pluses - the info was pretty much on target regarding tourist (and non-tourist) sites; the itineraries; the informational blurbs which enhanced the overall experience; and cost. Minuses - maps & pictures (lack thereof). Didn't mind the typo's so much once I got there - they kinda fit the place.

"Egypt Guide" is an excellent book as far as good detailed information about eveyrthing from hotels and restaurants to transportation and how to make sense of local culture and traditions. I found that the author's insight, which often differs from conventional tourist wisdom about Egypt, was very helpful and interesting. Best of all it doesn't (like some of the more popular guides like Let's Go and the Lonely Planet)come across as patronizing or trying to be funny at its subject's expense.

Why is it like a sphinx without a nose? It's comes across at times as being incomplete. There are few maps, no photos, and lot's of spelling and grammatical erros. I don't kow if this is the author's fault or the publisher, but it needs to be fixed. If this were done, this book will serve many as a a good alternative to mainstream guides.

Few destinations in the world are more worth visiting than Egypt, a land laden with ancient monuments of unsurpassed splendor and presently inhabited by a people whose generosity and kindness is unmatched. Anybody considering a visit to Egypt shoudl read all that they can, including "Egypt Guide."

The first twelve chapters cover a variety of "background" relating to general issues of travel to Egypt from basic infomation about the people and their history, to specific ideas for itineraries and how to handle a tripwith children. The following 7 seven chapters focus on spefici destinations beginning with Cairo. Each chapter includes dozens of write-ups for hotels, restaurants and historical attractions. Most of the information is relevant and accurate, and options are included both for budget and upscale travelers. In particular, those chapters relating to less traveled to regions such as the verdant oases of the Western Desert and the Christian sites of Middle Egypt which include some of the worlds oldest churches and monastaries. By in large the writing, while not gripping, is clear and easy to follow.

There are however some weaknesses, namely the lack of useful maps, and some shoddy editing. It is worth it for any traveler to rely on more than one source, however this one is well worth the $13.

In just the past week, I returned from a trip to Egypt which I took with several of my friends. We took with us a number of guidebooks including the Lonely Planet, Fodors, and the Insight Guide, as well as this Open Road Egypt Guide. Egypt Guide is far behind in terms of it's glossiness and sophistication. There are no fancy pictures or maps for example, however, the information was mostly accurate and in some cases - namely historical monuments - in which Egypt Guide was superior. We'd recommend taking, but you'll need another one as well, if only for better maps.

We recently returned from Egypt and found this book to very helpful. The information about hotels and historical attractions were acccurate, though at times the writing was uneven and not very polished.In terms of problems, we noticed some sloppy editing - there were lots of typose - and the maps were quite poor. It doesn't come up to the standards set by the Lonely Planet and the Rough Guide, but there is far more good information than in Let's Go, and more detailed info that in Fodor's. All in all, not a bad choice

This guide contains a wealth of good information about Egypt, including good write-ups for restaurants, hotels, historical sites and others, however there are typos, and the maps are not quite sufficient. The strongest points are the descriptions of historical sites and monuments, and the coverage of outlying areas. Though there are more detailed books, this one is not a poor choice

The sheer anticipation of going to Egypt on a business trip last month spurred me to buy this book. It seemed to be the most comprehensive, in-depth guide on the market and I was ready to begin my research on traveling throughout this Middle East land. Imagine my disappointment when I started reading the book and found typos on nearly every page ("Pyrmids" was my favorite one). These examples of poor writing and editing were huge signs that signaled the possibility of inaccurate information contained within the book. Arriving in Egpyt, I discovered that to be true. There were glaring errors about hotel information in Cairo, and it is apparent by the amount and levels of inaccuracies and falsehoods throughout the book that this John J. Bentley person has clearly never been to Egypt... at least not within the past 10-15 years. So, don't buy it. Mine has already found a happy home in a nearby landfill.

Tjis book was rubbish and don't ever read it again!!