Traveler's Tool Kit: Mexico and Central America (Paperback)

~ Rob Sangster (Author), (Author) "Shall we live lifeor watch it pass?..." (more)
Key Phrases: keeping healthy, travel gear, ideal travel partner, Traveler's Tool Kit, United States, Costa Rica (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a 700-page bible of insights and inspiration...treasure trove of information...entertaining and useful reference... -- Travel with a Challenge, April/May 2008

...covers every thinkable aspect of trip-planning, and some unthinkable ones as well...detailed, up-to-date advice...valuable and entertaining...before heading south of the border, buy, read, and memorize this book. -- Gillian Kendall, Perceptive Travel Book Reviews, July/August 2008

...for the independent traveler...as philosophical as it is practical...read and study well before the trip...will send you off fully prepared. -- J.D. Brown and Margaret Backenheimer, Chicago Tribune, July 13, 2008

...from safety to shopping..packing tips to preserving memories, this encyclopedic reference will help travelers better enjoy their journeys. -- International Travel News

...loaded with great tips for every right-minded, cost-conscious traveler. -- Jeff Greenwald, author, Scratching the Surface

Aimed at travelers who want to dive deep and fully experience the region. -- Jim Benning, coeditor, WorldHum.com

To ensure you feel fully prepared and confident, Traveler's Tool Kit is in a class by itself. -- Bob Sehlinger, executive publisher, The Unofficial Guides series

Product Description

Traveler's Tool Kit Mexico/Central America was named Best Guidebook for 2008 by planeta.com

Rob Sangster and Tim Leffel are not typical travelers, nor is this a typical travel guide. Instead of rating Mexico's "best" (read: most expensive) hotels, the authors shows how to locate comfortable, affordable lodging anywhere in the country. Traveler's Tool Kit does the same for everything from dining to entertainment to sightseeing in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Individual sections cover it all: drafting itineraries, calculating costs, eco-sensitive travel, unusual tours, managing money, staying healthy, woman-alone travel, and much more. Sangster and Leffel show how to connect with a network of travelers who've discovered the most enjoyable things to do and can provide guidance on how much to pay for them. The book also tells how to memorialize the adventure through photography and blogging, and even how to earn money from the trip after returning home. Sangster and Leffel are both authoritative and encouraging, drawing on years of experience to help travelers maximize the fun, savings, and security without compromising quality.

Product Details

• Paperback: 562 pages
• Publisher: Menasha Ridge Press (April 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897329848
• ISBN-13: 978-0897329842
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #838,446 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TWO BOOKS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE, May 2, 2008

By	Ann N. Holmes (Napa Valley, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Valuable and wide-ranging reference, May 2, 2008

By	Michael Shapiro (Sebastopol, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and fun to read!, April 27, 2008

By	Paola Gianturco (Mill Valley, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.