Customer Reviews

Yemen (Bradt Travel Guide)

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

 

 

This guide is a perfect introduction to Yemen for those who've never been, but would work equally well as a guidebook for those who have already explored the country and are eager to travel there again. With a montage of descriptions, anecdotes and instructions, Mr. McLaughlin has crafted a succinct travel guide that will both charm and inform.

For a book that was published in 2008, a lot of the information in here is out of date, e.g., a restaurant visited in 2010 had been closed for five years, and perhaps half the phone numbers out of date. The maps are execrable. Offers to provide the publisher with updated information went unanswered. Still, the writing is pleasant and there are not many books to choose from in this area.

Overall this is a good guidebook. I used it on my trip to Yemen.
Especially good is the introduction where the history is covered in depth.

The Guide not only provides critical, practical information but it also provides intelligent socio-cultural, economic and political background to help the travelor try to better understand Yemen's amamazing diversity and confounding complexities. The Guide's author has a close connection to Yemen and the guide is therefore a good companion. As always, more detailed maps of the major cities would be welcome.

Maps fail to include key landmarks.

Wadi Do'an is scarcely even mentioned.

Many of the better budget hotels in Sana'a are not mentioned at all.

The author's writing is inelegant and rote and his grammar and spelling poor. The editors have failed to correct these problems.

The difficulty for the prospective traveller to Yemen is that there is, as far as I know, no other (up-to-date) guidebook devoted solely to that country.

This fact may compel you to consider buying Bradt's guidebook. My advice would be not to waste your money.