Customer Reviews

Moon Handbooks: Guatemala

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
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General Info: Introduction and On the Road section has general information about the country. These sections talk about History, Government, Economy and some other topics in good detail. It even gets into the issues like photographic etiquette and people customs, that are very important in a country like Guatemala.

Places Info: It details the most important places to visit. It tells you what it's worth seeing and what not. Information is accurate and shows that the writer has spent very good time in Guatemala or doing research, just don't trust the movie theathers suggested in the book.

Comments: The book seems to be written by a very informed author. Some of the stories told in the book show a great involvement in the culture and that the author really knew deep details about some places and events. It has very good side notes about interesting people, traditions, history and events.

This book is much too old (2001) and has almost nonexistent internet coverage. Hold off and buy the new, updated second edition of Moon Guatemala due out in September. It's written by a new author who is very familiar with Guatemala. See the link below:

Moon Guatemala (Moon Handbooks)

This book isn't like a Fodor or Frommer that put all the emphasis on Restaurants and hotels (the restaurants will probably no longer exist) It complements the lonely planet guide. Get it.

I have just returned from Guatemala (my sixth journey) and was there for 10 days. I took this guide with me and, honestly, wish I hadn't.

Though Bernhardson covers all the standard guide topics in his Introduction Section (Land, Flora & Fauna, History, Government, Economy and People) but his writing is uninspired and you will find yourself skimming past much of it. ie. "Independence from Spain was achieved indirectly, as Mexican General Iturbide declared Mexico's independence in 1821 and demanded that Guatemala join it." At the end of the book the `recommended reading' section does contain adequate recommendations in Literature, History, other Guidebooks and Archaeology and is worth considering. His writing of the archeological sites, his strong suit, is good, howbeit, dry and languid.

Each hotel and restaurant that I checked out did conform to his evaluations (though some were definitely pre-2000 evaluations) and you can trust those that he does recommend. The indexes for accommodations and restaurants are excellent time-saving additions and should be in all guides. Kudos.

A CRITICAL FLAW. Missing from this guide is any significant reference to the Internet. There is no connectivity in this book. This is a huge short-coming, especially considering the publication date (2001). You will get zero Internet references for additional information, zero webpages for hotel or tour operators... nada.

Guatemala excels in having excellent Spanish language schools (and cheap too!). In Antigua alone there are over 50 schools, yet Bernhardson lists only 10 and does not give you significant information that would help you make an intelligent decision. Again, the fact that there are NO website addresses (and every school worth its `buenos días' has a website), and the fact that he gives you very little information on selecting a school, makes this guide virtually worthless. Try http://www.123teachme.com for more information on Spanish language schools.

Maps are an essential and critically important aspect of any guide. And the maps themselves are good as maps go, however, the city maps in this guide don't have the usual "user-friendly" reference numbers for locating the recommended restaurants and accommodations. Thus, you have to scan the map for the name of the establishment, and when you're in a bouncing vehicle, on Guatemala's roads, this task is more difficult then it should be.

Bottom line: Save your money. This guide is not up to the quality of other `Moon Handbooks' and you will be better off purchasing `Lonely Planet' or `Rough Guide'. Conditional Recommended

Veteran guidebook writer and trained geographer Wayne has done a nice job on this book. It's interesting to read and has a great deal of practical information. In addition to a full range of hotels, language schools, restaurants and the like, there's also a comprehensive history and politics section. The other background info is in the mark as well. There are many budget hotels here, and the author has definitely done his homework.