Lonely Planet Venezuela [Paperback]

Thomas Kohnstamm (Author), Sandra Bao (Author), Beth Kohn (Author), J. M. Porup (Author), Daniel Schechter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2007

Discover Venezuela

Get drenched by nearly 1km of cascading water beneath the world's highest waterfall.
Sink your toes into sugar-white sands on an uninhabited island in Archipelago Los Roques.
Crunch on chocolate-coated hormigas culonas - deep-fried Amazonian ants with big, juicy rear ends.
Hear howler monkeys roar as you cruise the wildlife-rich channels of the Delta del Orinoco.

In This Guide:

Five authors, 187 days of in-country research, 495 arepas, 52 detailed maps, one paragliding accident.
You asked for it, we delivered: more off-the-beaten-path coverage of the Andes and Los Llanos.
Expanded focus on sustainable travel helps readers plan environmentally and socially responsible adventures.
Content updated daily - visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews and traveler suggestions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lonely Planet guides are a must-pack” --Toronto Star, February 2006

From the Publisher

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

What We Do
* We offer travelers 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.
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* We challenge our growing community of travelers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travelers; 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: 392 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 5 edition (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741045452
• ISBN-13: 978-1741045451
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,068,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Travel > Latin America > South America > Venezuela

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable for the maps, but little else!, March 18, 2000

By 

Kevin Brown "Rex" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Venezuela (2nd ed) (Paperback)

This guide has superb maps that are invaluable in a country that does not believe in signs. Unfortunately, that is about all the positive press I can give it. First, it is out of date and many of the hotels and resturants it recommends no longer exists. Second, the index is horrifically inadequate. Third, many of the descriptions are down right wrong. The Hotel Colonial in Ciudad Bolivar, for example, was called "Old World" and the "the best in town". Hardly, the places is overpriced and poorly decorated. The "Gran Hotel Amazonas", however, in Puerto Ayacucho, which is most likely the most beautiful hotel in Venezuela and only 20 per night for a double, is hardly credited a mention.

The coverage of the Amazon and the Gran Sabana is much better in the Bradt guide, especially if you are taking a car.

In the abscence of a solid Venezuela guide, we recommend a combination of Lonely Planet and either the Bradt or another guide.

One last note, this book, like all Lonely Planets is quite well made and can be trusted not to fall apart, not something that can be said of most budget travel guides.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a joke!, April 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Lonely Planet Venezuela (2nd ed) (Paperback)

We normally swear by Lonely Planet guides (to southern Africa, Central America, SE Asia), but this one to Venezuela is far and away the most inadequate: Sometimes I wondered if the author had even set foot in the country, or if he just called up his buddies who in turn passed along 2nd-hand information. For starters, many of his write-ups are meant for people traveling in private cars; this is by no means a "back-packer's" guide. Sometimes, for example, we'd be interested in a particular place the author described, only to be disappointed that the place was accessible only by private vehicle or you could walk to it but had to cross 6-lane highways (quite common in Caracas). Furthermore, this guidebook provides nothing that other guidebooks on the country provide: in sum, Lonely Planet Venezuela rides on the otherwise strong LP reputation; it's of no merit and could actually be the source of a lot of headaches. I hope for the upcoming edition the author actually visits Venezuela! LP should know better...

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Lonely Planet Guide - Venezuela, February 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lonely Planet Venezuela (2nd ed) (Paperback)

The Lonely Planet guide to Venezuela had a lot of inaccurate information! The prices quoted in the book were way off. The budget hotels they recommended were very dirty and usually had a "bad reputation" amongst the locals. I would not recommend this book to people traveling to Venezuela. There are better guidebooks out there. Basically, we threw out the book after 3-4 days as everything in it seemed to be outdated or grossly inaccurate. For very general information, it's ok - but take it with a grain of salt.