Customer Reviews

Trekking in Nepal: A Traveler's Guide

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is without a doubt the best travel guide I have ever read. It's incredibly comprehensive (especially the medical section--required reading for anyone travelling anywhere in Asia). Bezruchka writes in much more detail than any other guide about trekking in Nepal, and does so with a social consciousness. His ideas about staying in people's homes, contributing to the local economy, and how to leave Nepal the way you found it, are not the usual fuzzy feel-good travel-guide schlock but concrete, practical suggestions. This book made travelling so much less stressful and problematic. Seriously, even if the closest you ever want to get to Nepal is a Discovery Channel documentary, this book is an excellent introduction to a unique society. When you're ready to graduate from Let's Go and Lonely Planet and truly experience another culture, buy this book.

This is the most fantastic travel guide I've ever used and the only one you will need in Nepal. Bezruchka's love and respect for the Nepali people is evident in every line and will enhance your journey to Nepal as well. We followed his advice and had a much richer experience for it. We watched other tourists who didn't follow his advice being laughed at and ignored. The language book and tape that you can order were incredibly helpful, way better than any dictionary. We were able to converse competently which made a huge difference in our experience. Don't bother with the Lonely Planet guide, which just tells you how to get through the country as cheaply as possible. There is so much more to experiencing Nepal than saving a buck here and buck there.

Stephen Bezruchka has prepared a valuable and complete guide to trekking in the Nepal / Everest region. The book offers practical advise from years of personal experience for anyone thinking about a trip to the area. Bezruchka also creates a much needed ecological awareness and offers substantial insight into the culture of Nepal. The book is much more than a travel guide and just plain interesting. I don't often give books five stars, but this work was beyond my highest expectations - a labor of love. Highly recommended!

This is the book that first opened my eyes to Nepal and its culture. It's much more than a guidebook: it has a sensitivity and compassion for its subject that is almost unique in the field of travel writing. It doesn't coddle you with if-it's-day-three-this-must-be-Namche route descriptions, but lets you find your own adventure and gain profound insights along the way. It also has an extensive medical section.

This is the ONE BOOK I would tell anyone to buy about Nepal, either for specific travel or a general introduction (since it's hard to understand Nepal except from an outsider's perspective).

Although the whole book is superb, Bezruchka's advice I most appreciate is about clothing and modesty. I lived in a Nepal village for two years and always hated to see tourists strutting around in public or trekking in underwear-sized garments (short-shorts, bikini tops, etc) and how it not only shocked and upset the Nepalis but that the (stupid) tourists DIDN'T CARE! Great book.

Fifteen years ago I started my trekking company's operation in Nepal with information from this book! The trek descriptions and the information on organizing a trek offer all the nuts and bolts. The background information is fascinating as are Dr. Bezruchka's views on poverty and culture shock.

I lived for a year in Nepal, and this book was absolutely indispensible to me (the medical advice alone probably saved my life). Moreover, it was as relevant to me after a year as it was the day I stepped off the plane. Bezrushka is keenly aware of both the damage and the benefits that tourism brings to a country like Nepal, and his highest priority in this book is to make travelers sensitive to their own cultural, economic, and social impact. He does this, however, without sanctimonius finger-wagging. The book is consistently eloquent, perceptive, deeply informative, and highly practical at every level, and it stands in stark opposition the exploitative spirit that pervades all too many contemporary travel guides.

While the completeness of Bezruchka's guide cannot be faulted the tone and style certainly don't compare to Jamie McGuinness's book on the same topic. In comparison this book was quite a chore to read especially since it is peppered with sermons on globalization. An extremely capable guide but there are good alternatives you may find more enjoyable.

Trekking in Nepal is an excellent guide for anyone seriously looking to travel there. The upside of this book is it is all inclusive. This book walks you through every category of information you will wonder about before you go. It thoroughly discusses all preparations you'll need to take, customs you'll want to be aware of, and realistically where you can expect to go and how to get there. It also has lots of great information about how to realistically make a trek to Nepal with minimal funds, and how to travel lightly there without negatively affecting the local community.

The only downside to this book is it is getting a little dated. Some of the statistics are already obsolete. Many of the routes and roads also need to be updated. While this book is a goldmine of great information, it is probably necessary to purchase updated trail maps. Either way, I'm sure anyone interested in learning about trekking in Nepal will enjoy every page of this great book.

-Szen