Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Vietnam Travel Atlas (Travel information in Five Languages) (English and French Edition)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I spent this summer studying in Vietnam, and it became clear that the Vietnam in the LP is quite different than the real Vietnam I saw with my own eyes.

I think the book was intended for travelling businessmen who only plan on staying in Vietnam for a few days, and have plenty of money to spend for plush hotels. This is regrettable since there is so much more to Vietnam than tourist traps, tourist-oriented restaraunts, and hotels.

For example, in my first couple weeks in Hanoi, Vietnam, I followed the book's suggestions for restaraunts, only to realize they were severely overpriced, and not nearly as tasty (or exotic) as the more "local" restaraunts. Before long, I stopped going to the LP's preferred restaraunts altogether. Only when I stopped following the LP altogether did I really start to delve into Vietnamese culture, both the good and bad.

Also, the LP tends to whitewash the more unpleasant aspects of Vietnam, such as being harassed by people on the street, who are more than eager to rip you off, and the grueling poverty. If one really wants to appreciate Vietnam, these less pleasant factors have to be taken into account.

If you plan on just "visiting", but don't really plan on getting to know the culture, this book may be enough. However, to truly appreciate both the good and bad of Vietnam, I suggest avoiding this book, or at least not relying on it too much.

I make regular trips to Vietnam and I've used both the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet. Having seen the two latest editions, page by page, Lonely Planet is, simply, better. LP provides far more detail, more maps (all of which are much more user friendly and accurate), is loaded with contemporary information (NGOs, motor-biking etc), has better photographs, good illustrations, and entertaining side-bars. The book introduces us to the personalities and characters who run guest houses, restaurants, bars, boutiques, and so forth, and it really makes you feel like a local. The "reader from France" seems to have a personal animus against the writers and Lonely Planet. But otherwise, what could be the problem? I found this guide well researched, consistently useful, and fun to read - that's what I want when I'm on the road.

I travelled to Vietnam in Sept/99 and unfortunately was loaned this LP handbook so thought I would take advantage and use it. I was as usual disappointed with the type and presentation of the information provided. I grew tired of all the commentary in the book and so much so that it is difficult to select the facts. For example, instead of providing factual information on transport, hotels, etc., the book is filled with tidbits which are essentially useless for everyday travelling and end up being conversation between a bunch of backpackers in the travel cafe. This LP handbook has managed to dominate the minds of all travellers to Vietnam and, as in my case, I found everyone reading it and complaining, but they had no other option. I hope travellers to Vietnam can find some other guidebook so they do not follow the all to well beaten track through Vietnam as so many other backpackers do and perhaps may discover some things on their own.

Vietnam is changing so quickly that it must be very difficult for the guide books to keep up. In general, Lonely Planet did a good job, but I often felt that they wasted precious space in an effort to be cute. Some of the little anecdotes were so dumb, and it is frustrating to think about what information they left out in order to print them. Also, the book was a little misleading about the tourist track in Vietnam. It is MUCH more difficult than the book says to get around on your own. You have to book practically everything through travel cafes. Also, EVERYONE uses the Lonely Planet guide, so everyone goes to the same places. I didn't look at the Rough Guide, but one by Ian Flemming looked very good. A little competition is needed because Lonely Planet is getting a monopoly on the tourist industry!

I travelled to Vietnam earlier this year with this guidebook, having been very favorably impressed with the Lonely Planet Guides to China and Turkey. This time, though, I found that I couldn't trust the information given on places to eat or places to stay. Eateries that were given excellent reviews turned out to be mediocre; some hotels which were barely mentioned turned out to be excellent, while others that were given very good reviews were non-descript. I wound up trusting the advice of the xi-clo drivers rather than relying on the book.

This guide book is the best out there for anybody traveling to Vietnam. Most of the information was current except for some of the out of date information on Saigon(aka Ho Chi Minh). The Vietnamese are more relaxed about tourists then the book lets on. The format is also excellent because you don't have to read the book cover to cover to find what you are looking for. Skip some of the other guides because they are just not as detailed and easy to read when you are traveling.

I bought the Vietnam LP on advice from my roomate who never travels to a new place without one. The Vietnam LP soon became my bible in Vietnam, not to mention every other travelers that I met there as well. In fact kids on the streets of Hanoi and Saigon often sell photocopied versions of these LP's to tourists. No other tourist book is more popular there, and for good reason.
I used my LP all the time. I kept a bottle of water under one arm (Vietnam in July is hot) and my lonely planet under the other. Every question I could possibly think of LP had an answer for and a story and a map to go along with it. Honestly I can't recommend a book higher.

I have recently been on my third trip to Vietnam. This time I visited Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi and did some excursions around both cities like Gu Chi tunnels and the Perfume Pagoda, close to Hanoi.

On the trip my companion and I used to LP guide mainly as a source of planning ( where to stay, how to get there, where to eat) etc. The value of the guide for doing this is excellent. People critisizing should not forget that generally they pay a fortune in flight cost and other things to come to the country and than expect a full comprehensive view of the $ 15 investment.

Vietnam, of course, is a country with a lot of history, not in the least of recent times and to really enjoy your trips you have to read one or two books on the subject. The LP guide is not meant for that.

For going around the guide is excellent. Information is accurate and pretty comprehensive ( of course, the country changes rapidly one should not forget. The getting around sections are good, although it should be emphasized that it is not as easy as it looks to travel by yourself. If I have one critizism it is that I feel that perhaps they should extend the food recommendations. There are many, many excellent restaurants and in those recommended you see, virtually literary, the crowd sitting reading their LP's.

LP Vietnam, as several others have mentioned, is misleading and out of date. But even worst, is that it tries to scare most travelers into following its suggested itinerary instead of venturing out on their own. I was going to outline some of the more glaring mistakes, but other reviews beat me to the punch.

In defense of LP, who have produced decent guidebooks in the past, Vietnam may be changing at such a fast pace that as soon as it was published much of the information was already out of date. However, not all the mistakes can be blamed on a country in the throws of rapid changes and as such as easily dismissed.

Hopefully the next edition will have greatly improved and won't be written in such an amateurish way. However, I think I'll pass and try the Rough Guide or take my chances without a guidebook! What a novel idea...

I used this new edition of the LP Vietnam on a two week trip from Hanoi to Saigon shortly after its release in April/May 1999. I found the book to be very useful and accurate at all my stops: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba Island, Nha Trang, Dalat, and Saigon. In addition, it's well written with lots of interesting (and often humorous) historical and cultural footnotes along the way. This new edition is a complete overhaul of the previous edition with new authors, and is tons better in my opinion. A must-have if you're going to see this beautiful country in the near future.