Lonely Planet Southern Africa (Multi Country Guide) [Paperback]

Alan Murphy (Author), Kate Armstrong (Author), Matthew Firestone (Author), Mary Fitzpatrick (Author), Michael Grosberg (Author), Nana Luckham (Author), Andy Rebold (Author)

Book Description

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

Discover Southern Africa

Climb atop a scorching sand dune in Sossusvlei, Namibia, and listen to the overpowering silence.
Fall asleep to the sounds of grunting hippos and howling hyenas in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
Stand on the sidelines during Swaziland's Umhlanga Dance, while potential wives parade before the king.

In this Guide

8 authors, 249 days of in-country research, 109 maps, 97 buses.
Specialist music chapter and full-color wildlife section.
Incorporating 1073 traveler tips and suggestions.
Don't take our word for it - find out what travelers think at lonelyplanet.com

Editorial Reviews

Review

For sheer global reach and dogged research, attention must be paid to Lonely Planet…' --Los Angeles Times, February 2, 2003

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: 812 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 4th edition (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740597451
• ISBN-13: 978-1740597456
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,015,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It holds up, but just barely...., April 21, 2008

By 

N. Proctor - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Southern Africa (Multi Country Guide) (Paperback)

I purchased this book for a month long trip that I took throughout the countries of Namibia and South Africa, and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed when it came to the details. In normal fashion, Lonely Planet does a great job with historic and cultural information pertaining to a certain locality, but once again falls short on the in-depth info that many travelers would be interested in. For instance, national parks and world heritage sites are usually not covered in enough detail, and sometimes they're not mentioned at all. Much of the information is very basic as well, and doesn't really paint a solid picture of the park. Sure, we all know there are animals running around, but what makes it stand out? Notable exceptions would be Etosha and Kruger, both of which have good coverage, but so many other options exist and are just barely mentioned. Major cities are covered well, but so many exciting points of interest are over-looked that sometimes I wonder if the publishers think that most travellers are going to spend their entire trip in wine bars and discos. If you're interested in truly seeing this region and some of the fabulous, remote places that it has to offer, Lonely Planet will get you close, but other guides will actually get you there.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Rotten Guide, September 15, 2007

By 

Sarah B "Sarah" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Southern Africa (Multi Country Guide) (Paperback)

This book may have everything you need about Southern Africa... that is unless you plan to travel there. It is full of background facts and history, but of no use if you actually want a guide to attractions, accommodations or local culture.

I bought it for a trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe. Big mistake. For South Africa, it misses several of the major attractions altogether, including Seal Island and Gold Reef City. When the book does mention attractions, it rarely gives any information on how to see them. In an illustrative moment, it mentions the Sterkfontein Caves in the introductory section on Africa's ancient past--but no where in the book does it mention that they offer a museum and guided tours in South Africa an easy distance for Joberg. (The Sterkfontein Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, not a minor attraction by any measure).

So that's what you can expect for the most well-traveled of the countries in this book. I won't bore you with details on the political diatribe that Lonely Planet calls its guide to Zimbabwe. It suffices to say I would not rely on it for a trip there.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Too brief to be of any real use, August 2, 2010

By 

Zach A. Leigh (India) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Southern Africa (Multi Country Travel Guide) (Paperback)

This book is little more than a list of tourist destinations in Southern Africa. Budget accomodation is limited and information about the places listed is non-existant. Everything in this book could be found out with a few quick google searches. Save your money.