Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Dominican Republic & Haiti (Country Travel Guide)

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

 

 

Our Lonely Planet guide was used every day as we made our way through the Dominican Republic on our honeymoon. Information wasn't always easy to find in the smaller towns (even for a Spanish speaker), so we relied on it a lot. The maps were especially helpful.

However, we did occasionally run into small typos or sentences that didn't make sense. While this wasn't too big of a deal, we were more concerned that some sections were inaccurate. When we paid $10 in a taxi to go across Santo Domingo to catch a bus that the LP said went to a certain town, we were extremely irritated to learn that that bus station did not provide transportation to our destination and never had. We had to pay for another taxi to get to the right spot. We also found that the prices listed for hotels and restaurants were much higher than listed in the LP. We were not there in the very low season, but it also was not the highest season. Perhaps the places listed have been "discovered" and the hotels and restaurants took advantage of LP's high following. And the writers' favorite places were often some of the most expensive in town (and a little posh) - not what I have typically found in LP editions. If you're able, use the guide to as just that - but not as a bible. Ask around about places when you get into a town.

Overall, we are very glad we had this along. We used it to plan out routes, get reviews on restaurants, learn about the country, do walking tours of each little area (instead of paying someone who "offers" to show you around), etc.

I couldn't have traveled to Haiti without this guide! A MUST HAVE! It gives contact numbers of hotels, (almost impossible to find anywhere else) recommendations on where to stay, and also some useful phrases in Creole. Buy this book if you're traveling to Haiti!!

Great book, especially for great initial information about an area. Helped us find a cool hostel and restaurants that we would have missed if we hadn't bought it.

(I've tried to post this twice under the 2011 updated version but Amazon has moved it here each time)

First off, Lonely Planet should be commended for taking on Haiti when none of the other travel guides will. That alone is worth a couple of stars. The information about things to see and do, where to stay and eat, contact info, the difficulties and need for patience to get from Point A to Point B, etc... is all very good. This was true in their previous version and is even more helpful and appreciated in this post-earthquake Haiti edition. The one drawback to this book is the disease that afflicts so many of the Lonely Planet books -- their approach to history, culture, religion, the environment, and other issues through a mostly liberal lens. The authors seem bemused that Christians would find Vodou (Voodoo) counter to some of their most basic tenants, and they fall victim to telling just half the story when it comes to history and politics, particularly those parts addressing past U.S. involvement, or Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Let's take Aristide as an example: While the former priest came to the presidency with tremendous promise and potential (particularly in comparison with the thugs and tyrants who had ruled Haiti for most of its history), his three reigns were filled with arrogance, an unbelievable string of missteps, and hypocritically bashing the U.S. and other nations while accepting their financial support and even asking for the 1993 invasion that restored him to power. He incited murder against his opponents, sacked military officers who had stood by his election while political opponents were plotting coups (thereby saving a fragile new democracy), refused to form a cabinet that reflected the parliamentary majority (thereby alienating potential allies and partners in economic reforms), and lived in splendor while in exile outside of Washington, D.C. while pretending to be an advocate for the poor back home. He sabotaged his democratically-elected successor out of political spite, put supporters in do-nothing government jobs rather than privatize or streamline core industries to make them more efficient, and pocketed $50 million in book royalties rather than invest it back into his poverty-stricken nation. None of that is mentioned here as he's mostly treated as St. Jean, who was not allowed to fill his potential through the plotting of opponents, but also the USA, World Bank and other evil forces. In all, this is a great book for travel but read Philippe Girard's "Haiti" or another history book to get the full story on this wonderful country with tremendous potential and beauty, but a mostly tragic history.

Good information, well put together but the type is smaller than I expected and made it difficult to use. Otherwise it gave me the info I needed.

When traveling to Dom. Rep. this guide is very useful and reliable. I have tried many of its places and services and was very satisfied. Prices are a bit higher now but not much, in some cases $5 usd, in others more.