Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
TWO BOOKS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE, May 2, 2008
This review is from: Traveler's Tool Kit: Mexico and Central America (Paperback)
I bought Traveler's Tool Kit because I loved Guatemala and am considering a trip to other countries in the region. The book told me everything I wished I'd known on my Guatemala venture and I need to know to choose which other countries I want to see. It's specific about itineraries, costs, food, health, safety and available adventures. This is really two books for the price of one. Beyond Central America, it contains comprehensive information and advice that I can use to travel anywhere in the world and deals with the obstacles that keep many people from enjoying the rest of the world - like money, time, safety, and health. For example, instead of listing a few of the "best" hotels in some city (advice that can become outdated almost overnight), the authors explain how to find good lodging anywhere, anytime. Since knowledge is power, this book makes the reader king.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Valuable and wide-ranging reference, May 2, 2008
This review is from: Traveler's Tool Kit: Mexico and Central America (Paperback)
This is an ideal planning tool for a trip to Central America. The authors have thoroughly researched the region and provide a compendium of ideas for places to see and activities for the adventurous traveler. I appreciate the progressive approach that encourages interaction with local people and traveling in a way that benefits, rather than exploits, them. The earlier negative review from Dan Watts doesn't understand that this is not a guidebook - it's a tool for planning and research that complements a good guidebook. I would, however, have appreciated seeing this book come out in a smaller format -- it would be good to take on an extended trip to Central America. Its heft makes it too big to easily carry on the road, which is too bad because it could be as valuable on the road as it is at home. With smaller format and type, and thinner paper, the publisher could have gotten the same amount of advice into a more portable book. But don't let that deter you from buying this Traveler's Tool Kit. The book lives up to its name with hundreds of handy nuggets of info ranging from advice on preparing a savvy budget to suggested itineraries like "If you have a week in Guatemala." This itinerary recommends highlights such as Lake Atitlan and the colonial town of Antigua, places travelers won't want to miss. And the trip planning chapters will be especially valuable for first-time visitors to the region. I also like the chapter titled "The Day You Get There" with advice such as don't joke with immigration officials, and take buses not taxis to have more interaction with local people. I've ridden buses throughout Guatemala and can attest that cramming five to a seat with local families might not be the most comfortable way to travel but it will be the most memorable. Tool Kit is a $15 investment in your most precious commodity: your vacation time. It will pay off many times over, even if you just use some of the many great suggestions in the book.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiring and fun to read!, April 27, 2008
This review is from: Traveler's Tool Kit: Mexico and Central America (Paperback)
This trove of invaluable information will inspire you! The authors are passionate about the impact travel can have--on the traveler as well as the places visited. They provide perspectives that will make yours the most fun, gratifying visit to Mexico and Central America. Unlike typical guidebooks that just summarize "what to see and where to stay," this book tells you how to plan and enjoy. It contains up-to-the-minute facts other books skip (such as 2008 prices for bottled water and internet access)--and resources others lack (want to volunteer, work or retire in one of these eight countries?)--it's all there. Check the table of contents. The Traveler's Tool Kit goes well beyond the eight countries the title describes, and helps you get the most from any international trip. There are criteria for selecting everything from a guidebook to a travel partner; there are practical, checklists to help prepare. The Traveler's Tool Kit has the BEST information I've ever read about how to travel alone as a woman (even though it was written by two men), and the ONLY information I've ever read, about how to spend the first few days after you've arrived home. Best, it's fun to read: its 550 pages will make you smile. Frankly, I was dazzled.
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