Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok (Bali and Lombok, 8th ed)

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

 

 

We have just returned from Bali (October 2000) and strongly recommend taking this LP with you. I have been a bit skeptical about the info of some LP's (Mexico-we hardly used it!) but in Bali whoever put this one together knew their stuff. FORGET THE PRICES MENTIONED, they've at least doubled for meals accomodation etc , but then so has the amount of rupee you'll get!! One interesting note. We took a taxi to the Temple of Gudang Kawi, an 11th century temple. LP justifibly raves about it. The only other tourists there we saw were holding a LP. Local tour operaters didn't seem to think tourists would be interested in it and must take them to more boring temples!(and believe you me, they get boring!)

I was so excited about my recent trip to Bali that I used 4 guidebooks. Lonely planet was one of the most useful - it pointed out the tourist traps as well as the great spots. Many of the recommendations are more suitable for backpackers than mid range travelers, but the maps are excellent and the coverage of the entire island is good. Bali will not be the most beautiful place you've visited (it is still a third world country)but it will be the most interesting,especially if you work at understanding the culture. I found the Moon Travel Guide,Bali Handbook, published out of Emeryville California to be the best Bali book. It had the most descriptive narrative (over 300 pages) of Bali's culture, history and customs. However, it is not widely distributed, but is worth searching out.

I have read Bali & Lombok guide and on visiting Candi Dasa(South East Bali)I fell in love with it. Candi Dasa has a by-law that forbids street hawkers - this alone sets it apart from other tourist areas(no hustle). Candi Dasa is a very beautiful village. There are many great restaurants and local sites. Taruna Beach Bungalows where I stayed is situated on the outskirts and is a superb place to stay. The cottage-style thatched bungalows have a view of the ocean. The bar offers a wonderful sea breeze, while I watched the dolphins leaping in and out of the waves - magical. Your book was a great help if I had not had it I would not have found Taruna Beach Bungalows or stayed in Candi Dasa and my holiday would not have been so superb. Don't travel without this guide folks! Thank you Lonely Planet

Accurate and informative are the two best words to describe this book. If you are coming to Bali, be sure to arm yourself with the latest edition of the Lonley Planet/Bali guide book. Unless you live in Bali, you won't find anything that comes as close as does the latest edition of the book. We like it so much, we link to it, and to Amazon.com from our web site.

In a word. Complete.

Webmaster, Bali Travel Web

I found this book quite informative and useful in its information about many different aspects of visiting Bali. The book provides wonderful cultural insights, historical background and detailed information.

The only major discrepancy we came across, for instance, was that the book said that Kuta has problems with tourists being hassled by street vendors, but when we went in April, we found that the main street in Kuta (where the Matahari Department Store is) quite the opposite. It turned out that the officials had just recently come down on the street vendors and put a stop to harassing tourists there. Instead, when we went to the center of town in Ubud, we were hassled a great deal by taxi/moped drivers to get us to hire them; this caught us off guard.

In response to concerns that the book isn't current on it's information, I feel that you shouldn't rely on a guidebook for prices, and that as a whole Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok gives the information that you need to know. It tells you in great detail about what there is to see and do, and where things are and how things work. I mean afterall, by the time any book reaches publication, isn't a lot of the information out-of-date? Otherwise, a book would never get published; it would be a newsletter.

I gave this a rating of 4 stars only because when we went to Bali, we didn't travel enough of the country (and we didn't get to Lombok) to give the book 5 stars.

As a resident of Bali year-round, the number one complaint by almost every lonely planet carrying visitor is how inaccurate and outdated the lonely planet guides are. Whether it is Thailand or Indonesia, information that is needed on a daily basis is history by the time the lonely books reach the traveling consumer. Bookstores throughout Asia are piled high with lonely planets discarded by weary travelers eager to lessen their load. Lonely planet books do offer historical perspectives that can also be found on the internet, but the insider's information the first time traveler needs to save money and sanity their first days in Asia is sorely lacking. Updated info on how to avoid being ripped off from lodging to transportation to moneychanging is of primary concern to almost all visitors to Bali that we meet. Books as heavy as bricks with pretty pics are nice but hardly handy when you are in need of fast, accurate information. Try "The Beginners Guide to Bali" on cd-rom- it has weekly updated info and prepares the first time traveler to Bali for the unexpected.

As a resident of Bali year-round, the number one complaint by almost every lonely planet carrying visitor is how inaccurate and outdated the lonely planet guides are. Whether it is Thailand or Indonesia, information that is needed on a daily basis is history by the time the lonely books reach the traveling consumer. Bookstores throughout Asia are piled high with lonely planets discarded by weary travelers eager to lessen their load. Lonely planet books do offer historical perspectives that can also be found on the internet, but the insider's information the first time traveler needs to save money and sanity their first days in Asia is sorely lacking. Updated info on how to avoid being ripped off from lodging to transportation to moneychanging is of primary concern to almost all visitors to Bali that we meet. Books as heavy as bricks with pretty pics are nice but hardly handy when you are in need of fast, accurate information. Try "The Beginners Guide to Bali" on cd-rom- it has weekly updated info and prepares the first time traveler to Bali for the unexpected.

Do not step on the plane to fly to Bali without this guide