Moon Handbooks: Pacific Mexico 5 Ed: Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Oaxac, Guadalajara, and Mazatlan [Paperback]

Bruce Whipperman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Moon Handbooks Pacific Mexico | Publication Date: September 9, 2001

Opinionated, insightful, and entertaining, Moon Handbooks are more than just travel guides-they're reference tools, ideal for independent travelLers who desire complete immersion in the culture of their destination. The only guidebooks to win Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers for six years in a row, Moon Handbooks deliver a wealth of practical advice, as well as in-depth coverage of each region's history, geography, people, arts, politics, and social issues.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It is the age of specialization, which is a good thing if you're traveling to Pacific Mexico. Let's say you're heading off to Mazatlán or Guadalajara, Oaxaca or Acapulco, you no longer need to lug along every detail on every town, city, and hotel in Mexico. Just the pertinent particulars will do, and that's what Bruce Whipperman delivers in his Lowell Thomas Award-winning Pacific Mexico Handbook.

Stretching over 1,000 miles along the Pacific coast from Mazatlán in Sinaloa down to Bahias de Huatulco in Oaxaca, the choices of tropical, palm-lined lagoons and soft sandy beaches seem without end yet easily accessible, thanks to Mexico's Highway 200 on the Pacific coast and a plethora of airplane access. Yet not each beach resort town is the same in character and opportunities. One of the great services rendered by Whipperman's handbook, before you ever set foot on Mexican soil, is the concise yet evocative description of the distinguishing personalities of the many towns and cities along the water. Especially useful if you're venturing south for the first time, Whipperman's introductions help you plan your itinerary to suit your mood and style. Of course he backs his narrative up with all the facts one might need, the hotels and restaurants, means of transportation and nightlife, shopping, sports, sights, and beaches. But he fleshes these guidebook details out with his sensitive and scholarly attention to the people, history and culture, the land and sea, the vegetation and the animals to be seen and experienced. All the options are spelled out, from the hedonistic immersion in resort relaxation to a glossary of helpful Spanish if you choose to explore further afield. --Stephanie Gold --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Moon Handbooks exude a road-wise, close-to-the-ground authority. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 600 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing; 5th edition (September 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566913292
• ISBN-13: 978-1566913294
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,082,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Travel > Latin America > Mexico > Acapulco
  • #44 in Books > Travel > Latin America > Mexico > Puerto Vallarta

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Among many others, this was the most comprehensive of all!, May 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pacific Mexico Handbook: Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta Oaxaca, Guadalajara, Mazatlan (3rd ed) (Paperback)

We have traveled repeatedly to Mexico since 1988. We have investigated numerous travel guides during that time. Discovering this book ended our search for a guide that was comprehensive, detailed, up to date, and not rephrased advice covered by all the other guides. Time after time the advice in this book has guided us to unforgettable excursions both on and off the beaten path.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for a Mexican road trip, September 12, 2002

By 

Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Moon Handbooks: Pacific Mexico 5 Ed: Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Oaxac, Guadalajara, and Mazatlan (Paperback)

I used this book extensively this past summer for an epic driving trip into Mexico that took me almost to Manzanillo. I found the book extremely useful for discovering those off the beaten path sidetrips. I also used Fodor's but found this book a notch above in terms of helpful recomendations.Since the bulk of the 3+ weeks was spent in Puerto Vallarta(actually Mismaloya) the book proved to be a good guide for excursions into the surrounding states of Nayarit and Colima. For the most part the details given were accurate but with any travel book there are problems with current information as things are usually in flux in the tourist trade. I suppose that is why they can come out with new editions every year. Some of the information when missing can be a letdown, for example one day we went out for an adventure in the hopes of seeing the turtle rescue attempts in a not so nearby bay only to find out it was not exactly natures right time. There were other let downs such as the time we wet out to Mexicalitlan ," House of the Mexicans", where the ancient Aztecs/Mexica supposedly set out from Aztlan to establish Tenochitlan where the eagle would be found on top of a nopal devouring a snake. The description calls it a "scenic little island town." If you consider peering into the open doors of the living rooms of the locals I guess it was scenic! For my part I found it to be a waste of a drive. The museum was closed also which brings to a point one should consider whenever driving to a destination in Mexico. Do not arrive during the tradional siesta time or one will have to wait until 4 or 5 in the afternoon to enjoy the local musem etc! By contrast unexpected pleasant surprises can result by the books ommision of information as in the opportunity to see the hatching of baby crocodiles at the end of the jungle cruise on La Tovara near San Blas. All in all the guide is very, very useful to plan out a trip and see things and experience different parts of Mexican culture. The short histories, hotel recomendations, restaurant guides etc are pretty accurate and invaluable in planning a trip within a trip. There is diversity in recomendations for the earthy camper or the posh five star luxury hotel traveler. I would recommend this book for any traveler along the lovely Pacific Mexican trail.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic for the Independent Traveller, January 22, 2001

By 

John Powers (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moon Handbooks: Pacific Mexico (4th Ed.) (Paperback)

My friend and I used this book, and a wrinkled photocopy of a map, as our only guides on a bicycle trip from Mazatlan to Salina Cruz, Oaxaca. This is the rare travel book with an authorial voice that enhances the information rather than distracts. Mr. Whipperman obviously has a deep love of the region (especially Oaxaca and Indigenous regions of Guerrero)and a love for the kind of travelling that makes travel worthwhile. Laudable detail on the places you end up, rather than seek out, and the tasty bits of history he includes make you glad you did.