Lonely Planet South-East Asia on a Shoestring (10th ed) [Paperback]

Hugh Finlay (Editor)

Book Description

Series: 10th ed | Publication Date: August 1999

The first, and still the best, guidebook to South-East Asia, now in its 25th year, and 10th edition. It includes tips on how to enjoy the best elements of South-East Asia, from the palm-fringed beaches to lush rainforests, ancient temples and sophisticated cities; up-to-date information on border crossings; and where to sample cuisine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 936 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 10th edition (August 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0864426321
• ISBN-13: 978-0864426321
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,992,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good, Grassroots Guide Gone Bad, October 24, 2000

By 

Michael (Silver Spring, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet South-East Asia on a Shoestring (10th ed) (Paperback)

This guide provided fairly reliable, basic information when I was trekking through Southeast Asia for seven months. When I landed by bus, taxi, motorcycle, truck, boat, trishaw, foot, or (sometimes) horse in a strange town at night where I didn't speak the language, it kept me alive. With its help I could always find the town center, the police station, and a bus stop.

Just don't expect it to enhance your experience, or even guide you safely. It's written in a rather smug, perfunctory style, and despite its budget approach seems aimed at very conventional travelers. There are none of the colorful, devil-may-care suggestions one finds in other guides, and it brings to mind the dour, conscientious tourists one meets on the road who are very nice but could backpack through Borneo without bringing back a single interesting story. This book has no spirit.

Maybe the reason it seems a bit inflexible and "un-hip" is because the editors are not responsive to the feedback of readers. I was very badly robbed a couple of times while using services recommended highly by this guide (for instance by the owners of the "Good Luck" Guest House in Bangkok), and after writing Lonely Planet with a polite request that they caution future travelers, I received no acknowledgment of my letters, and in fact the services in question are still touted by their guide.

This sort of apathy illustrates to me why their latest editions often seem years out of date, and why hotels and restaurants highly praised by them turn out to have closed down years ago. I understand that they have a limited number of researchers, but if they ignore input from readers who actively explore these regions, their book is naturally going to be out-of-touch, behind the times, and useless.

My advice is to buy the book if nothing else is available, because it does provide detailed factual information like phone numbers, addresses, etc. Just don't assume that it tells you all the interesting places and activities in a given city, because that's a laugh!! And don't ever take its advice on quality or safety.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book - South-East Asia on a Shoestring, February 20, 2007

By 

not happy "not happy" (central texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet South-East Asia on a Shoestring (10th ed) (Paperback)

i have been using lonely planet books for many years. a real bargain for info received. can easily save the cost of the book in one day using their recommendations.

6 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful for planning a trip around South East Asia, June 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lonely Planet South-East Asia on a Shoestring (10th ed) (Paperback)

A very useful and reliable, concise guide on South East Asia. Very good information on different highlights in each of the countries, good info on getting there and travelling around. Good to know where and when to go, as every other Lonely Planet guide featuring multiple countries.