South India (Lonely Planet Regional Guide) [Paperback]

Sarina Singh (Author), Amy Karafin (Author), Rafael Wlodarski (Author), Adam Karlin (Author), Amelia Thomas (Author), Anirban das Mahapatra (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2009

South India is distinct from the north and Lonely Planet knows how. We've explored the lush waterways of Kerala, bartered in Mumbai's bazaars, taken tea in charming hill stations and sampled seafood in Goa's beach shacks. Of these, we've picked only the best and our 5th edition takes you to them.

Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip.

In This Guide:

Spicy full-color section reveals the tastiest local delicacies
Exclusive itineraries guide you to the top temples, beaches and more
Green Index helps you tread lightly

Editorial Reviews

Review

…Lonely Planet for honesty, history, irreverence and budget.' --Esquire
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travellers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.

What We Do
* We offer travellers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
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What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 5 edition (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741791553
• ISBN-13: 978-1741791556
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,238 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars short on detail, February 6, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: Lonely Planet South India (Paperback)

India is really too big to be adequately covered in a single guidebook. That was one of the main reasons I used Lonely Planet's "South India" while travelling there in December 2003. Some of the information, particularly prices for accommodation was out of date, but this is to be expected of a guide book that has been in print for more than two years. What disappointed me about this book was that even though it only covered part of India and should be less constrained by space considerations it was frustratingly short on detail in various ways. Some places could have had more detailed coverage and there were still many places omitted completely. I also think Lonely Planet stretches the definition of South India a bit far by including chapters on Maharashtra and Orissa. Less states and more detail would make this guide book much better value for money.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another strong title from Lonely Planet, February 6, 2006

By 

Hallie Engel (Doha, Qatar) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet South India (Paperback)

I ventured to South India, Bombay and Goa, last January, and this book never left my side. As a first-time visitor to the country, I was nervous at first, but the information found in this book helped me to prepare adequately for the trip and navigate my way through this often confusing (but always amazing) country. The guide caters to travelers on a variety of budgets, and offers tips for escaping the white-washed tourist trail to really get a taste of local culture. I would recommend ordering a copy a couple months before leaving- there is much to peruse in the book and region, and it will help you to plan out what you want to see, what you need to pack, and how to get by when the culture shock is hitting hard.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, well balanced coverage of the region, December 1, 2006

By 

William S. Weir "Traveler" (Flagstaff, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet South India (Paperback)

This book proved helpful on my recent biycle tour of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. It's one of Lonely Planet's better guidebooks, however some sights suffer from rushed research. For example, the fort at Gingee--one of India's best--has three sections, but the authors failed to mention the most spectacular of the three. The authors should have mentioned Suchindram Temple, just north of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu; the beautiful stone temple is famous for its musical columns and 6-meter-tall statue of the monkey god Hanuman. I found the book weak on off-the-beaten-path destinations. I would have liked more information on culture--places to visit and background; if this is your main interest, I recommend that you also check out the Rough Guide edition on South India.