Customer Reviews

Knopf Guide: Route Of The Mayas: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador (Knopf Guides)

5 star:		(8)
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This wonderfully illustrated portable guide is a wealth of information not normally seen in the regular travel guides. Such information as the geography, animals, different ethnic groups within the Maya, how the commuinities are structrured, festivals, musical instruments, furniture, food, and alot more. The format for the guide is 2 or more pages on each topic, lots of drawings, or paintings, or photos (new and old). The book uses lots of colour, is fascinating to go through even after you have read it. It has some helpful tourist information as to hotels, shops, restaurants, but is not a primary source for booking reservations information. If you have any interest in this area or these people, this is a great book to have for a really good price. It is a treat to look at.

Lots of informative text and splendid pictures make this portable guide well worth its relatively modest price. The book deals with almost every aspect of both ancient and modern-day Maya life, as well as with practical travel information. I have been through La Ruta Maya on five different trips and am a fan of travel literature on Central America, but I still learned many new things from this book, especially about present-day Maya practices. There are a few typos, but still, it's perfect for actual or armchair travel to La Ruta Maya.

This is simply a spectacular accompaniment for anyone who is planning, preparing for, in the midst of, or who has returned from a trip to the Mayan regions; particularly Guatemala and southern Mexico (i.e. Chiapas and Yucatan), though also Belize. It is also a wonderful book for an armchair traveler or reader interested in these regions and their setting, history, and culture.

Though the book is practical enough to fit in a handbag or larger pocket, the design is elegant and can easily serve as a coffee-table book. The paper, printing, and layout are lush and lavish, and chock full of useful photographs, and illustrations. There are several sections that fold out, and the book has a cloth bookmark built in. It is simply a beautiful book, especially for a travel book.

The focus of the book is on the sort of deep background information which enhances understanding but isn't essential for getting around. The 50 pages or so of "practical information" at the back are useful enough to think about planning a trip - the calendar of local festivals and events is particularly useful - but overall this section is not adequate for planning or logistics of travel across the wide region covered. You will want to supplement it with a more ordinary and up-to-date tour book. But the value-added in this volume is incredible, and is not the sort of information that will go out of date any time soon.

Approximately the first half of the book is taken up with general historical, cultural, and contextual detail focusing on the region (with a particular emphasis on things Mayan). Chapters include Nature, History, The Maya Today, Mayan Textiles, Architecture, and the region as seen by both artists and writers. Here the book really shines. The sections on history and architecture provide a foundation for archeological sites. However, the 40+ pages covering The Maya Today and textiles really make the book provide wonderful enrichment for day-to-day travel. The colorful and thoughtful illustrations and photographs, combined with a keen author's eye to understanding the connections between past and present, add essential meaning to what visitors see as they head through these places.

The second half of the book is focused on the regions and places that a traveler is likely to visit. The topics covered are similar to the first half, but focus a bit more on the particulars of the region, including illustrative sections on topography, rich photographs and discussion for particularly important sites.

One practical note: Amazon currently (11/10) lists this book as being published in 1995. The copy I bought from Amazon (in 2003) lists the book as being "Completely updated and revised in 2003." Comparing the 2003 edition with the edition on Amazon (i.e. the Table of Contents and Index), the only differences appear to be the cover and the small "practical information" section in the back. Since that's not the strength of the book, I'd be really surprised if a reader would go wrong with any edition of this treasure, provided they supplemented it with a more practical guidebook.

I love this book. Lots of wonderful pictures, history, and explanations of the Maya, their culture, the ruins, etc. Even if you don't plan a trip to the area, it is a beautiful book to look at.

I used this guide in 1998 while touring the Yucatan and its fantastic pyramids. While preparing for a spring trip to Guatemala, I re-discovered this guide and will use it throughout the Maya Highland areas of Guatemala. In addition, I use portions of this guide to teach my freshman-level anthropology students about Maya Traje. If you are a traveler and not a tourist, this is the guide for you! Of all of the guides I have used for Southern Mexico and Guatemala, this is the best.

Although this book was published in 1995 and is now in its 3rd edition, the information is very useful. The compact
size is a plus feature for carrying it on tour to these countries. Someone on my recent trip ,The land of the Maya,
had borrowed this book from a friend and when I briefly scanned it thought it was worthwhile purchasing it when I got home as momento of my trip.The information found in this book is not the usual tour guide to hotels/restaurants
etc but rather detailed descriptions of places one would encounter as well as unusual illustrations of the Mayan
people today. Facts are clearly presented in a terse but
interesting manner. I am most pleased with this book and would recommend it to anyone planning a trip to this area.

Having used this book while traveling through six Mexican States, visiting at least 28 ancient Mayan sites, I can only compliment the quide as to ease of use and wealth of information. The scaled drawings of topography are nothing less than spectacular in giving perspective, the same is true of the sight illistrations and accompanied by many photos makes this a MUST HAVE guide for the region. Lots of modern and ancient cultural insights.

This is one of the most user friendly information packed guides on the Maya Route I have found! the 3D style maps give a good indication of the kind of territory and the transport networks in the region.

I coupled this with Footprint's Central America and Mexico Handbook and lonely Planet's Guatemala, Belize and Yukatan guide and I reckon I am set! The other 10 or so guides will be relegated to the bookshelf or garbage!!