Customer Reviews

The Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is tremendous. It has extremely detailed history sections which provide an excellent overview of Armenia and Karabagh. The photos are worthy of being framed. It also provides good cultural explanations for an area that needs much clarification. It is very easy to navigate and has a detailed Armenian language guide for those of us who are Armenian clueless. The Karabagh section is excellent and details the complicated conflict. It's a must buy for a trip to Armenia and Karabagh.

My husband and I took our second trip to Armenia in November, and we used this book extensively. The book was absolutely marvelous! We carried it everywhere and we would have missed out on so so much if we didn't have it.

The photos were wonderful, and helped us decide where to visit. The information was quite comprehensive and the book actually suggested skipping some sites, which I found quite refreshingly candid. The coverage for the far south of the country, near the Iran border, was rather thin. But they made up for it by covering Karabagh very thoroughly (this was our first time in Karabagh). I would definitely recommend it.

I hadn't planned on buying another Armenia & Karabakh travel book, since I've been to these two wonderful countries before, but as I was leafing through the "Armenia and Karabagh" guide (looking for a particular piece of information), I realized how much knowledge this book contained that was different from other guidebooks, such as the "Lonely Planet: Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan" guide or the "Armenia (with Nagorno Karabagh): The Bradt Travel Guide." So I broke down and bought it! The Nagorno Karabakh section looks very good in this one. Such a wonderful little land, full of ancient Armenian monuments, incredible vistas and truly amazing people.

I really appreciate the perspective of the authors, who have written a text for people who are somewhat environmental-conscious and perhaps looking for some experiences that may be slightly off the beaten path. I particularly like the book's organization, impressive photos and the authors' practical insights. I like it when guidebook authors actually offer opinions and don't just list information that may turn out to be a poor choice. Well done!

There's very little available to guide travelers who wish to explore Armenia and Karabagh, making The Stone Garden Guide Armenia & Karabagh unique. Now consider the authors are two experts who have each spent a decade traveling the area and you realize you have a gem in hand for any bound for Armenia. Maps and color photos are literally on every page. In-depth discussions of health, water quality, nature and conservation provide a focus most tourist guides only pass over briefly. And tips from tour operators to sights make for an exciting guide indeed: very highly recommended for any comprehensive travel library as something very different from the norm.

I volunteered in Armenia for two months and this book was an indispensable guide throughout my time in Yerevan and beyond. The photos are beautiful and the writing is excellent. I am looking forward to an updated version that includes sights from historical Armenia.

Please don't be discouraged by those who have given the book poor reviews. They are looking at the book in a political context rather than as a guide book.

Highly recommend this book, gives good and accurate information on Armenia and Artsakh. Used it to my trip to Armenia. Was very helpful and gives comprehensive coverage on the country. I think this is the best guide book ever made on Armenia.

I haven't finished reading all sections of this travel guide yet, but I can say confidently that this is a very helpful, succinct, and insightful guide. (I think that an excellent travel guide should be very enjoyable to read cover to cover, but one sign of an expertly written guide is that it delivers meaningful info even when read in snippets only.)

The writing is very straight-forward, jargon-free, and easy-to-understand. I've been also impressed with all the detailed info such as how to make phone calls, where to wash your laundry, which bus or train to take to go from point A to point B, how to deal with the local culture, etc. One thing I did not expect to see from a travel guide to Armenia was the in-depth discussion of the environmental concerns and issues bound to arise during a trip to this neglected land. It was good to hear that there are many out there who are paying attention to improving Armenia's environment, and to learn how even those of us who are not as conscious and committed can contribute to preserving this precious heritage.

This guide will be most helpful to those who have only a minimum of knowledge about Armenian culture, history, language, etc. The authours have thought of everything one would need to enjoy the trip to its maximum.

In my case, although my planned trip to Armenia will be my first ever, I am not overly concerend about how I'll manage since I speak Armenian and feel confident I could get around fairly easily. Nevertheless, the info in this guide makes me feel I could pretend I've been there and done that many times before!

Another important point for those who, like me, will do brief and hasty trips only and will not fully explore this tiny land before your retirement, is that reading this book makes you feel you have a good feel for how life is in the out of the way spots. You will become an armchair expert on Armenia's flora and fauna, the topography, the local habits, etc.

Finally, one point I really found neat was the description of the B+B scene. Not only did I learn that Ottawa's own Antoine and Sheila Terjanian operate a cozy B+B an hour's drive south-east of Yerevan, which I hope to visit, but it was reassuring to know that there are a few simple alternatives for those who are seeking a more intimate setting for their sejour.

Overall, I think this guide is a great read and can help plan your trip with minimum fuss and worry.

This book lacks in presenting the whole picture on Armenia and it's future perspectives, and some well-known facts about Karabagh are not shown(intentionally or due to the lack of research by the author???)

The issue of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a complicated and dramatic part of the history. From both sides, thousands of people died, milions became refugees as a result of the conflict. 20 % of Azerbaijanian lands were occupied by armenians. Fair enough, Azerbaijan blocked it's energy supply to Armenia.

The book fails to present these important facts, rather trying to concentrate reader's attention on the facts protecting armenian side only.

The book contains a lot of factual error and represent one-sided pro-Armenian version of the history and the culture of the region. For those who want to know the history of Karabakh I strongly recommend Black Garden by Thomas de Waal.