Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet British Columbia

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

 

 

The basics in this book are okay, but it looks like Lonely Planet hasn't used the original author and instead this edition has been updated by people with dubious qualifications and no link at all to Canada. This shouldn't translate to a poor guidebook, but in this case it does. The research was obviously done very quickly and some in some regions not at all. When I compared some sections to the previous edition, it looks like the prices had simply been raised a few dollars. In one case, a restaurant had been closed since 2001 (just as the first edition came out), yet the listing was identical, except for the prices. Even if the writers didn't visit, I'd at least expect them to call and check to see if it was still operating - I suppose changing the price makes it SEEM like the job is done. As this was in Whistler, a major tourist area, I would have expected them to have at least visited the town. They didn't - this restaurant alone was a giveaway, as was the lack of correct info center location (changed three years ago).

It was the same throughout, the writers have simply failed to up date the book. I guess they don't need to do a thorough job as naive travelers continue to buy Lonely Planet books regardless of the content.

I've been a fan of Lonely Planet books since using them to backpack through Asia in the 1980s, but it seems to me they are in the middle of an identity crisis. Case in point is the British Columbia book, which I've added to my collection of guides to my home province. It retains the "Backpacker" feel but includes multiple listings of upmarket hotels and restaurants with scant regard to actually desrcibing individual places, which is why I buy a guide book in the first place. The result is a watered down version of what was once a great series, with the great descriptive and personalized writing replaced by page after page of listings that any reader could find in a phone book. For example, in the Vancouver chapter, instead of critical apprasial of the places to stay that appeal to budget travelers, literally dozens of places in all price ranges are listed, with little more than an address and price given for each. There's a privately run hostel in Vancouver that is nothing short of digusting and has been closed down and reopened under new names on two occassions. And yet the author lists this place along with the excellent choices that do exist as if all are of the same quality. I doubt whether the author has ever visited any of these places, but even if she has, some kind of description is what is missing. In a similar vein, out near the Vancouver airport, an RV park lies right under the flight path. Again there's no mention of this very basic information, just a phone number, address, and price. Finally, prices are almost always wrong. Prices haven't risen that dramatically over the last two years and as this is the first edition of the book my guess is that they've transfered information straight from the Lonely Planet book that covers all of Canada.

Further afield, in recent travels, I noted the same lack of perception in the writing about other areas of the province. It's obviously useful for young budget travelers to know which bars have cheap drinks, but I still expect more, such as some good solid descriptions of what there is to see in each town and coverage of all the great outdoors opportunities. These things
are sorely lacking.

On the plus side, the introduction chapter is very strong, with detailed coverage of history, geology, and wildlife. History might not be that exciting, but the author has obviously done her homework in this department. The maps are also much improved from the old days and even the smallest town has a map.

In conclusion, the fact that the author is not from Canada does not worry me, but she needn't have even visited to put this book together. Even if you're a young backpacker from overseas desperate to fit in by traveling with a Lonely Planet guide, I'd skip this book and buy the Lonely Planet Canada book.

I recently took this book on a trip to British Columbia. No idea why I bought it (except that I thought Lonely Planet put out decent guides), but this book was of far less value than the freebee tourist bureau handouts that one finds along the way. I'm absolutely certain that the authors did not visit any of the locations, as they provide no insights at all into the destinations, and their recommendations seemed outdated and sketchy at best. Bottom line is, I left it at a hotel because I didn't think it was worth the weight or effort to carry it around.

I've been a fan of Lonely Planet books since using them to backpack through Asia in the 1980s, but it seems to me they are in the middle of an identity crisis. Case in point is the British Columbia book, which I've added to my collection of guides to my home province. It retains the "Backpacker" feel but includes multiple listings of upmarket hotels and restaurants with scant regard to actually desrcibing individual places, which is why I buy a guide book in the first place. The result is a watered down version of what was once a great series, with the great descriptive and personalized writing replaced by page after page of listings that any reader could find in a phone book. For example, in the Vancouver chapter, instead of critical apprasial of the places to stay that appeal to budget travelers, literally dozens of places in all price ranges are listed, with little more than an address and price given for each. There's a privately run hostel in Vancouver that is nothing short of digusting and has been closed down and reopened under new names on two occassions. And yet the author lists this place along with the excellent choices that do exist as if all are of the same quality. I doubt whether the author has ever visited any of these places, but even if she has, some kind of description is what is missing. In a similar vein, out near the Vancouver airport, an RV park lies right under the flight path. Again there's no mention of this very basic information, just a phone number, address, and price. Finally, prices are almost always wrong. Prices haven't risen that dramatically over the last two years and as this is the first edition of the book my guess is that they've transfered information straight from the Lonely Planet book that covers all of Canada.

Further afield, in recent travels, I noted the same lack of perception in the writing about other areas of the province. It's obviously useful for young budget travelers to know which bars have cheap drinks, but I still expect more, such as some good solid descriptions of what there is to see in each town and coverage of all the great outdoors opportunities. These things
are sorely lacking.

On the plus side, the introduction chapter is very strong, with detailed coverage of history, geology, and wildlife. History might not be that exciting, but the author has obviously done her homework in this department. The maps are also much improved from the old days and even the smallest town has a map.

In conclusion, the fact that the author is not from Canada does not worry me, but she needn't have even visited to put this book together. Even if you're a young backpacker from overseas desperate to fit in by traveling with a Lonely Planet guide, I'd skip this book and buy the Lonely Planet Canada book.

You know that this is a rushed slacking off LP job when the index on page 4-5 with the map of places to visit still shows names of places with placeholders. For example, it would say "see Victoria (pp XXX)", etc. Suprisingly, newer editions do not have this print error.

Avoid this book. Its just not researched enough.

Cheers.

After combing 3 other travel guides before my trip, I realized that my Lonely Planet guide had it all. Where other guides miss the mark, Lonely Planet nails it. Everything in Fodor's, Off The Beaten Path and some other one I can't recall was in the Lonely Planet guide. As well, Lonely Planet honestly tells you the truth about why "this" is a winner and "that" is a loser. Information was up to date and accurate and most importantly opinionated and honest! Had a fantastic vacation!

a solid british columbia guide book that i used as a reference while exploring the area for three days lonely planet is always gearded towards those not wanting to spend a lot of money and that perspective kept my spending in check