Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet India

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is almost a crime to try to fit a great country such as India into a one volume guidebook. However, being such the understandable proposition -- tourists are unlikely to want to carry many guides -- this guidebook does a very nice job of putting it all together.

There are very interesting historical section which are often deeper than what one would get from a local tourist guide. It covers all the major attractions (at least in the places I visited) and gives the tourist a good idea about the culture, history and socio-economic conditions of the places being visited. The list of hotels, restaurants and places to go out at night is quite current, as of July 2006.

It is the only guidebook I used in India, so I cannot compare, but this is quite a good guide that is unlikely to let you down.

A couple months ago I decided to go travelling. I wasn't really sure where to, I just needed a change. In the end I decided on India, because I've never been, and I'd always heard what a great place it was to go.

I didn't take much; a backpack, some clothes, and the Lonely Planet Guide to India. To be honest, I didn't even start reading it until I got on the plane. What I discovered was that it wasn't just something you read once, it's something to have with you the whole time.

Whatever your plans, the chances are you're going to lose your way or make mistakes or just change your mind, and that's where this book is essential. It's like The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy - no matter what need you're in, it has an answer for you. Maps, essential sites, local customs, everything you need to get by in this incredible country.

At first, I wasn't sure if I could manage by myself. You realise how much you rely on other people for so much. I found myself retreating, thinking about home, wanting to go back. But then I'd pick up the Lonely Planet, and find something to do, somewhere to go. And soon I was relying on it less and less, and after a while, hardly at all. Before I knew it, I'd been gone two months and hadn't thought about home in weeks. The book isn't India, it's a way in.

Over the course of my time away, the only thing I came back with that I took with me was this book; everything else I left behind; I realised in the end nothing else really mattered.

If you plan to go to India whether on a guided tour or your own, get this book. I just got back from India, and this book had everything spot on. Our guide has been leading tours in India and Nepal for 12 years and said that he thought this was the best guide for India he's seen.

You will enjoy the trip a lot more if you read up on the history, culture, and sections on each place you are visiting. Knowing what to expect will help you avoid the culture shock many people experience arriving in India.

No guide has it all, and this one missed one thing. Do not mail anything from your hotel. The bell captains take the mail, steam off your stamp, and resell it. Unfortunately, we found out about this after we mailed our postcards.

Although we found this guide book very helpful for trains, buses and places to go to, We've been to many places where the book only lists the big hotels and not the nice and cozy guest houses We've eventually found on our own. Many travelers that We've met on the road were looking for the same thing: nice guest houses and not big huge hotels.Also there are fast changes in India that Lonely planet should be informed about. We did for some of these changes but it was ignored. This new one did not have any of the changes we wrote to them about.

Best overview on India. If you want more in depth you need to buy books related to a particular subject. This book gives an overview on everything Indian. Really important resource for a traveller in India.

This expanded and updated eleventh edition of India is the result of considerable research and study by Lonely Planet's expert staff including Sarina Singh and ten associates. India is an comprehensive and highly portable 1140-page paperback guide to the diverse country of India. Introducing travelers to a significant grasp of Indian culture and land, India offers readers a "user-friendly" reference for best accommodations for budget, historical information, lesser known locations such as national parks, remote tribal villages and serene secluded mountain treks, comprehensive understandings of Indian cuisine, and transportation information with over 200 precise maps. India from Lonely Planet is very strongly recommended to anyone planning to visit any part of this remarkable country either for business or for pleasure.

We just got back from a wonderful month in India. I have always had a special place in my heart for the Lonely Planet guides and have appreciated their willingness to encourage me to venture into places I might be hesitant to go. And I was happy to get an India guide that was revised so soon before my trip. The cultural information and tips were very helpful, but some of the info still needs to be updated (shops behind the Taj Mahal where they describe problems were closed by the government four years ago). There are actually two Rikhi Ram music stores in Delhi--each run by a very talented and charming brother, and people should check out both (the other is at 144 Bhagat Singh Market, about a kilometer from the original).

We were there for Art of Living activities with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and people should definitely schedule a visit to his beautiful ashram 21 km south of Bangalore on Kanakapura Road (not mentioned in the guide, though he is probably the biggest spiritual and social force in India right now; most of the auto rickshaw and taxi drivers knew the way), or even take one of his Art of Living Courses. We referred to the guide in Bangalore, Delhi, Rishikesh, Vrindavan, Mathura, and Agra. I don't know how they should do it, but there are very few hotels listed in each city. One option we took (with some risk perhaps) was to book a guest house on the internet, which worked well in high-priced Bangalore.

The challenge of this guidebook is to represent a country that is larger than the U.S. in a single volume. I have not checked out other guides to see if they are more complete on hotel options, but the background on the various areas and the shopping and eating clues make this one worth looking at in any case. However, they are a little light on the high-end options and we were happy to have a high-priced meal once in awhile at a five-star hotel such as the Oberoi in Delhi and Bangalore, delicious multi-cuisine food; fresh pineapple never tasted so good. (Though generally stay away from salads when not at a five-star place. Our grapefruit seed extract kept us from gettting sick from food in India, and we never drank water that was not bottled, even for toothbrushing.)

The sidebar on the Beatles in Rishikesh repeats old misinformation. In Ringo's current book he says that he did not leave because of the food-he has food allergies and had already taken food he could eat with him-and he had only planned to stay a short while because of his then-wife's aversion to flies. The others left because of a rumor about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's behavior toward a female participant , but it turns out that the woman was an actress who was hired by a Beatles associate who felt his position was threatened by Maharishi's new role in their lives. In her book, "A Twist of Lennon," John's ex-wife tells how the experience was the best thing that had happened to them, and how wonderful Maharishi was toward them all. She cried when the Beatles did not even ask Maharishi directly about what they had only heard, though he came and sat nearby when they were leaving (they did not talk to him though). Ringo himself maintains that his mantra was the only thing of value he had ever gotten. The song part is right, though, and John Lennon called Maharishi shortly before he died to ask if there was anything he could do to help. The ashram itself moved to another city, but the unused remains of this one are still there, with the property controlled by the Indian government for the last four years. Rishikesh itself is an incredible place to meditate. Watch out for the gem stores though (most reputable seems to be Hanumant Gems near the taxi stand at Shivananda Nagar, Muni-ki-Reti, run by the son of the charming Gita Press trustee).

I went back and forth on 3 or 4 stars. All India is such a big project that perhaps a different format is needed. The guide was heavy for taking in our day pack, though we did, and we kept wishing they had pull-out pages. (They do have a separate South India guide but we didn't see that one.)

Enjoy!

This is one guide book that is chock full of common sense wisdoms about India - it was really right on with its advice. I went to India for a couple of months in late 2004 and wore out my copy of this book. I found my hotels, and places of interest right there in the pages of the book. It was more than a guide - it was like having someone there with you telling you what to do and where to go. (And what to avoid!)

I have used other guide books for Vietnam and South America - but this one from Lonely Planet is the best I have ever used. Don't leave home without it if you are heading to India. A must have piece of equipment to drag along with you! My fullest recomendation!

As with all LP guides, success and industrial-style production have brought wealth to the owners but quality has suffered. This book doesn't have as many egregious errors as some previous editions, but it's still weak in many ways. Although sometimes it's delightful, like when the Great Value Hotel in Dehradun is praised for having a candle in each room "for romantic lighting"!! (Anyone who has been to India knows what the candles are really there for---emergency lighting for when the power fails, which can happen daily.)

Being an avid traveler, I have always trusted Lonely Planet guide books and I've never been disappointed. With India being such a big country, I am impressed with the amount of information provided in order to have a wonderful experience. I'm currently planning my trip to India and it has proven to be very helpful so far!