Lonely Planet Seoul (City Travel Guide) [Paperback]

Martin Robinson (Author), Jason Zahorchak (Author)

Book Description

Series: City Travel Guide | Publication Date: June 1, 2009

Discover Seoul

Find out how eating with chopsticks made of metal can prevent assassination
Learn the secret to navigating Seoul streets - be the only traveler in town who isn't lost!
Check the dress code for a daytrip to one of the weirdest places on earth, the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea
Shop 24 hours a day at the raucous Namdaemun Market

In This Guide:

Weeks of rigorous on-the-ground research by two expert authors: one an experienced travel writer, the other based right here in Seoul
Discover Seoul's hidden, winding back-street alleyways - explore the city that even the local expats never find
How to indulge your tastebuds at any time of the day or night - where to sample the best fiery traditional barbequed beef strips or Italian-Korean fusion foods

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lonely Planet guides are a must-pack” --Toronto Star, February 2006
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 6 edition (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741047749
• ISBN-13: 978-1741047745
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Travel > Asia > South Korea > Seoul

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not useful at all, November 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Lonely Planet Seoul (Lonely Planet City Guides) (Paperback)

While I usually never go anywhere without an LP guide in my pack, this one really disappoints. Detailed descriptions and directions are totally lacking. I was able to find out more from my own exploring and using the Korea National Tourist info, than from this guide. If you go to Korea, buy the Insight Guide to Korea for a very informative introduction, and not to mention a great read.

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A threadbare and poorly written guide, May 30, 2001

By 

Tim Ciccone (Charlottesville, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Seoul (Lonely Planet City Guides) (Paperback)

I have been to Seoul several times, so my primary interest in using this book was to find places I haven't seen. For that, it was no help whatsoever. In the "places to see" section, it missed a number of interesting sights such as Tongmyo shrine, the Royal Tombs, and a number of others. It also gave threadbare descriptions of excursions outside Seoul. For example, I wanted to know how to get to nearby Kanghwa island. The book gives a few directions but then tells us to "ask how to get to such and such place." Why buy a guidebook with that advice? Even more infuriating, I noticed in the map section that it shows exactly how to get there, but the author failed to refer to his own map. I think this book needs to be fattened-up and re-edited.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning about Seoul, July 28, 2005

By 

C. Dugan (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Seoul (Paperback)

Being first time travelers to Korea, we wondered what it would be like. A friend recommended that we order this book. We found it very helpful in answering many of our questions. We also referred to the book on several occasions while in Seoul, confirming our memory of its contents, such as the custom in tipping for services and to remind us of the below ground shopping experiences available within the city. We would recommend the book to others. We also ordered the Korean Phrasebook which we did not use at all -- it was not necessary or helpful for our use.