Lonely Planet Israel & the Palestinian Territories (Country Guide) [Paperback]

Michael Kohn (Author), Roxane Assaf (Author), Miriam Rafael (Author), Amelia Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Series: Country Guide | Publication Date: March 1, 2007

Discover Israsel and the Palestinian Territories

Listen for church bells and the call to prayer as the golden light of late afternoon illuminates Jerusalem.
Dig your feet into the sand at a Tel Aviv beachside bar.
Tend organic vegetables and fertilize your mind at Kibbutz Lotan.
Start a conversation in the West Bank - how do you pickle olives?

In This Guide

Six authors, 234 days of research, 12 army roadblocks, countless falafels.
History and Environment chapters by renowned experts.
The only guidebook with detailed coverage of the West Bank and Gaza.
You asked for it, we researched it: more sustainable travel experiences than ever, from eco-hotels to hiking trips.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lonely Planet guidebooks are, quite simply, like no others.' --New York Times

From the Publisher

Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travellers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.

What We Do
* We offer travellers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
* When we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travellers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travellers; not clouded by any other motive.

What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 5 edition (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1864502770
• ISBN-13: 978-1864502770
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #875,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Too little information, too much commentary, March 9, 2008

By 

Eddie F. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Israel & the Palestinian Territories (Country Guide) (Paperback)

I am generally a fan of lonely planet books, and have used them as a guide on other trips. This particular lonely planet guide disappoints. I found this book to provide precious few details about important Jewish sites. Significant space in the book is devoted to the authors' (one-sided) political commentary. The Let's Go guide is more comprehensive and informative (with less political fluff). I recommend skipping this particular lonely planet guide.

52 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, March 28, 2008

By 

F. Moghul "Knowledge Seeker." - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Israel & the Palestinian Territories (Country Guide) (Paperback)

As a center for Judaism, Christianity, & Islam I was really excited about reading up on the section on Jerusalem. I'm planning to visit in May but after reading this guidebook, I'm left disheartened. This is the first time I've been disappointed by LP. This book doesn't do a good job of representing the 'Holy Land' traveler. The attitude that the best reason to visit sites with religious significance like the Church of the Ascension & The Mount of Olives are their 'spectacular views' is a let-down. Give me a break! The "Haram Ash-Sharif/Temple Mount" is covered very poorly. And forget about The Dome of the Rock which they didn't cover because it was only open to Muslims that day (probably because it was Friday- so SMART). I was expecting a guidebook on the 'Holy Land' to be a little more sensitive to the religious significance of the sites & would not try to serve as a reader on history tinged with political bias. I was expecting useful info like: what time to go, what is the best entrance, tips & shortcuts. For GOD'S SAKE get a Jewish, Christian, & Muslim correspondent to cover their respective sites so that they're adequately & accurately represented. This way pilgrim will find useful & relevant information. We don't need cut & paste history lessons.

24 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wait til you get there, October 23, 2009

By 

O Shepard (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Israel & the Palestinian Territories (Country Guide) (Paperback)

The lack of available travel guides to Israel is amazing if you consider the amount of attention the world gives to this tiny state on the western Med. Most that are available are often outdated. Frommer's Israel 5th edition is perhaps the best overall but should have been updated better. Lonely Planet's guide, biased and ill informed, is the worst. Eyewitness's guide is great for background info. Fodor's guide is new and I haven't looked it over yet. If you are visiting Israel, you might be better served to buy guides when you get there. Several I have seen that are area and city specific are a lot better than what is available in generic country guides. If you must purchase ahead of time, or need to research your trip before leaving, Frommer's book will serve you well, not this one however. Lonely Planet's books are often amusing as the editors tend to editorialize a lot in many of there guides. Not here. The editor's prejudices are all too obvious.