Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland (Paperback)

by Mary Fitzpatrick (Author)
Key Phrases: game reserve, caravan park, forest reserve, Cape Town, South Africa, Getting There (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Nobody covers the world like Lonely Planet.' --New York Post, May 2004


Product Description
South Africa is the most popular kid on the block in Africa and it's easy to see why. The southern end of Africa teems with adventure: hike, bike and fly amid craggy peaks and open plains, catch a tantalising glimpse of streakily painted zebras in the savanna, encounter the vibrant cultures of San, Khoikhoi, Zulu and Xhosa. And when you're ready for the high life, tour the vineyards or live it up in cities bursting with food, wine and culture.

TICKLE YOUR TASTEBUDS - take our insider tips for the best restaurants, wineries, cafés and bars

UNRAVEL THE PAST - in-depth coverage of the region's eventful history

GET ACTIVE - handpicked listings so you know where to surf, dive, horse ride, sail, bike, hike and fly

BE THE EXPERT - know your impala from your steenbok with our wildlife special section

TRAVEL SAFELY - we keep you worded up on the scams, health issues and no-go areas

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Product Details

• Paperback: 680 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 7th edition (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740599705
• ISBN-13: 978-1740599702
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,269 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #3 in	Books > Travel > Africa > Swaziland
  #3 in	Books > Travel > Africa > Lesotho
  #12 in	Books > Travel > Africa > South Africa

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars They're getting there..., January 23, 2002

By	Raf (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland (Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland) (Paperback)

I used the 3rd edition of this guide on my first trip to South Africa in 1999. Back then, this guide would recommend places to stay in the most dangerous streets of Jo'burg, and guarantee the readers that the area was even safe to walk around at night. A taxi driver in Jo'burg told us he was appalled at their reccommendations on where to stay and where to go out, saying they were simply too dangerous, especially for white backpackers. The guide also had an aggressive attitude towards any predominantly white bars or clubs dismissing them as "artificial"... as if the only option was to go out in Shebeens.

Racial issues apart, they seem to be reversing this trend, and have been doing constant progress. This edition recommends mostly well-located places and acknowledges that some areas are just too dangerous to stay in. Otherwise neglected entertainment areas are being put into this guide too.

But the issue is that this guide is mostly useful in planning your trip, by telling how to get from one city to another, and what are the costs like, etc. It is also more useful in smaller towns than the larger ones. The fact is that there isn't a 100% reliable guide to South Africa, but this update is about as good as it can get.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great travel guide, October 6, 2007

By	Norbert Reuder - See all my reviews

I bought this exact lonely planet guide for a friend a year ago and now I need it myself, it's great! It's very practical, it allows you to be prepared, it's easy to read and it makes travel so much easier. (I'm hooked; each time I travel I get the lonely planet guide for where I'm travelling to first).

6 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lonely Planet scores again!, March 13, 2006

By	L. Hawkins (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (Paperback)

Just like the rest of the Lonely Planet tour guide books - it's awesome! Everything is the same in this book as the others, except it's about South Africa. So, if you liked their other tour guide books, as I do very much, you'll like this one too. Check it out!