Customer Reviews

Moon Handbooks: Philippines (3rd Ed.)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you have a short time in the Philippines and want easy, but good, trips laid out in detail Lonely Planet is better. But if you really want to learn about the Philippines, get a handle on the remote areas, leave the tourist track and plunge into wilderness or hang out with remote tribes, Moon is much better. I use them both.

While it may not be as up to date about practical info (like prices or schedules) as say Lonely Planet, I found this book unbeatable for its in depth coverage of the country!
It covers every single province (out of ca. 80) making sure that no remote corner of the country is overlooked.
The emphasis on regional clutures / ethnic groups was particularly interesting to me.
It is THE best book for those planning to spend a longer period in the Philippines going off the beaten track, though carrying a LP as a back-up for practical info is useful.
Certainly for those only going on a 2-3 weeks beach holiday the in depth info contained in this book may be irrelevant, and they might be better off with another book stronger on resorts and prices...

Moon guides are in general well researched, balanced, informative and truly valuable travel companions. Northern California, for example is quite excellent.

This "new" edition of the Philippines Handbook, published in late 1999, is, however, a sharp contrast to Moon's normal standards.

Sloppily edited and badly out of date its errors are too numerous to mention, the accomodation sections being especially unreliable. I checked out accomodation comments for several cities which I personally know well including Manila and Cebu and the data in this book are either very out of date, very incomplete, or just plain wrong. Information on shopping in both Manila and Cebu is similarly outdated or just plain absent.

No travel guide, unfortunately, takes this interesting, challenging and rapidly developing country seriously. The "new" (1977) Lonely Planet guide is little better than the Moon guide

In summary, if you have an older edition of either guide, use it. These "new" editions are a sham.

Unlike the great South Pacific handbooks by Moon this book lacks detail. It mentions areas you can go to, but not how to to get there or where to stay. It has general information but is not worth it. Would rather like to depend on Lonely Planet, am going to check out Jens Peters book as well. I'll pass on this guide.

This was our guide to our last trip to the Philippines, and was priceless. Was enjoyed just as much by our relatives there. Would never have enjoyed the 'Hobbit House' so much if it hadn't been mentioned. This is a must have guide for anyone travelling there.

It's the greatest book on culture I ever read!!

It's a good book and I think the world should read it