South India (Insight Guide South India) [Paperback]

Insight Guides (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Langenscheidt Publishers; Updated edition (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887297722
• ISBN-13: 978-0887297724
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,875,401 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great background reading, February 6, 2004

By 

David Reid (Earth) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: South India (Insight Guide South India) (Paperback)

I used this book while travelling in South India in December 2003. As a practical guide book with details about logistics such as transport and accommodation it is not particularly helpful. I would not recommend this book for the independent budget traveller for this reason. However, to dismiss this book as unhelpful would be a mistake. Firstly, it contains many beautiful photographs to illustrate the text. These alone make the book worthwhile and it is something that can be kept as a reference long after your travels are over. Secondly, all the essays are written by local writers with expertise in their fields. They are not written by a traveller who is only briefly passing through the country so the information given is far more insightful (perhaps this is where they got the name Insight Guides).

As mentioned above the independent budget traveller would be better off with Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. This book is clearly aimed at people on organised tours looking for additional background information. It would also make excellent background reading before you travel or even a great general reference for the armchair traveller.