Lonely Planet Arab Gulf States: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Oatar, Saudi Arabia & the United Arab Emirates [Paperback]

Gordon Robison (Author)

Book Description

Series: Lonely Planet Arab Gulf States | Publication Date: October 1996

54 Maps

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 2nd edition (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 086442390X
• ISBN-13: 978-0864423900
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,138,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Travel > Middle East > Saudi Arabia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very practical, essential reference, September 28, 1998

By 

Stephen H. Franke (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Arab Gulf States: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Oatar, Saudi Arabia & the United Arab Emirates (Paperback)

This is an essential reference for any tourist, traveller or expatriate relocating to the Arab Gulf states.

The book's information and advice enable a new-comer to develop a sense for local atmospherics and sensitivities so one adapt, integrate and thrive in the host country culture and in the supportive expatriate communities.

Good coverage of cultural, commercial and logistical (i.e., "Where can I find...?") details.

Highly recommended. Written with imagination, humor, and attention to detail.

FWIW, the earlier (1993) edition of this book I used when I was in the United Arab Emirates and Oman in 1995 was 100% accurate. The maps and guides to local services in the smaller cities were exceptionally helpful.

An impressively well-researched and high-quality work, as is typical of Lonely Planet Press titles.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Wrong mileage, September 7, 2006

By 

Reza Saberi (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Arab Gulf States: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Oatar, Saudi Arabia & the United Arab Emirates (Paperback)

I used this book for my travel to Saudi Arabia following the footsteps of Nassir Khusraw, the Persian poet and philosopher who went to Mecca in 1045. According to this book the distance between Medina to Jeddah and Mecca is 390 and 410, respectively. Nassir Khusraw in his "Safarnameh" says the distance between Medina and Mecca is 100 Farsang (about 600 kilometer). I was wondering why he overstimates the distance. In my book, then I added a paragraph explaining the reasons and theorizing that he might have travelled a longer route, due to dangers on the road and search for water. He was always correct in his estimation of the distance between many cities he travelled. Then I found out about MSN Encarta World Atlas. I typed the name of these cities and found out the distance was 629 and 605 kilometer, respectively.
Well done Nassir Khusraw a millenium ago! and Mr. Robison, correct this big mistake as soon as possible. The book has little practical use as far as Mecca and Medina is concerned

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worked well for me, February 12, 2000

By 

"d_w_b" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Arab Gulf States: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Oatar, Saudi Arabia & the United Arab Emirates (Paperback)

Having just returned from a 5 week trip through Oman, UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain I can say that Lonely Planet has again produced an accurate and useful guide. And despite the fact that it is several years old, prices and descriptions were still right. The guide's advice to try to get to the Musandem Peninsula in Oman was a fine piece of advice--it is amazingly beautiful.

And to the person who gave one star to this guide because of it's reference to the "Arabian Gulf": relax. If you say "Persian Gulf" to anyone in the Arab Gulf states they will have no idea what body of water you are talking about. I suppose you would be equally upset if 25 years ago a guidebook to China refered to the capital as "Beijing" instead of the Western imposed name "Peking"?