South Pacific Phrasebook (Lonely Planet) [Paperback]

Hadrien Dhont (Author), Carrie Stipic Fawcett (Author), Naomi C. Losh (Author), Te 'Atamira (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

Full of cultural tips and hints on local protocol, the South Pacific Phrasebook will help guide you through situations ranging from visiting a New Zealand marae or enjoying Tonga's Heilala celebrations, to joining in a Samoan kava ceremony or checking out a Hawaiian hula competition. Open up communication with local greetings and conversation starters, and discover the culture through traditional dance, legend and songs.

In This Guide:

Covers the languages of the Cook Islands, Easter Island, Fiji (Fijian & Fijian Hindi), Hawaii, New Caledonia, New Zealand (Maori & NZ English), Niue, Norfolk & Pitcairn islands, Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga.
Favorite local dishes and traditional ways to cook up a feast.
Maps locating each island within the region.
Festivals, ceremonies and placenames.

Editorial Reviews

Review

National Geographic Traveler, September 2006
'Lonely Planet Phrasebooks. Portable, pocket-size, cheap, and available for almost any country you might want to visit...'

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0864425953
• ISBN-13: 978-0864425959
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 3.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,501,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great guide to the cultures, but not the lingos, June 8, 2006

By 

Laszlo Wagner (Hungary) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: South Pacific Phrasebook (Lonely Planet) (Paperback)

This fat little book is the only cheap resource available to a number of obscure languages of the South Pacific.
It basically covers the languages of Polynesia, including those of tiny Niue and Easter Island, plus Fiji and a minor language of New Caledonia.

Unfortunately, the coverage given to each individual language is very, very limited, pretty much restricted to hints on pronunciation and a few essential wordlists like numbers, plus basic phrases like greetings.
What fills up much of the book is lenghty and insightful descriptions of the local cultures instead, with great tips on etiquette.
However I couldn't help feeling those should actually be in the relevant guidebooks, not in this phrasebook!

Still, the info included is interesting and there is nothing better, so this book is worth buying - just set your expactations right.