Customer Reviews

Footprint Patagonia

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

 

 

We just returned from a six week tour of Patagonia using this guide. We enjoyed all of the hikes, treks and tours recommended in the guide. We stayed in some of the recommended hostels and found them to be as described. Restaurants, addresses, telephone number, and e-mail addresses listed in the book were mostly obsolete; to be expected in a rapidly changing area swarmed by tourism. Except for public transportation costs, the costs of all services listed in the guide were off by 30 to 40 percent (too low).

The reasons we purchased this guide for our trip was that it had the most current publication date and it addressed the primary area that we intended to visit: Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia.

The primary reason for awarding a low rating to this guide book is the guide book's abominable design (risk of ordering on-line):
1. It is printed on heavy large format glossy paper and contains many pages; hence, it is very heavy. Too heavy to take with you in the backpack. Small format books like the Lonely Planet guides are more convenient to pack and haul with you.
2. The maps in the guide book are illegible. Use of color and small print on the maps and in the reference symbols makes them unreadable in low light conditions. Guides like the Lonely Planet that use simple monochrome line drawings for maps are superior.
3. Including ads in a guide book not only adds to its weight but is ethically questionable.

I haven't gone on the trip yet so I can't comment on the accuracy of the book. I can say that it has help immensely with the planning process as it provides websites for most of the reviewed hostels and transportation services. It is very informative and was recently updated so I am assuming that the information is good. I can only give it four stars due to the fact that I haven't gone on the trip yet. Also, the book is smaller in size compared to the LP guidebook so you could easily take it with you on your trip without it being a burden.