Footprint Colombia Handbook: The Travel Guide (Colombia Handbook) (Paperback)

by Peter Pollard (Author) "A thousand years ago, the indigenous peoples of Colombia were developing all manner of crafts, practical and ornamental, using the wide variety of materials available..." (more)
Key Phrases: salt cathedral, comida corriente, travelling text, Santa Marta, National Park, South America (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This award-winning series is jam packed with up-to-date, in depth travel information and fascinating background details, including highlights of every town and site, money-saving tips, health precautions, and anecdotes on local history, culture, and customs.

*Footprint Handbooks have been essential reading for almost 78 years, making these the world's longest-running travel series in the English language

*Features travel-tough paperback covers, color pages, and a more relaxed, user-friendly style for the traveler of the 21st century

*All authors are experts who have lived or worked in the countries they write about; these books will inspire readers to enjoy those places as much as they

About the Author
Peter has a degree in Geography from Cambridge University and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He has worked in South and Central America for 12 years, has a Guatamalen wife and three of his children were born in the Americas. He has travelled extensively through Colombia. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Passport Books; 2nd edition (December 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0658006606
• ISBN-13: 978-0658006609
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,457,004 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Though slightly dated this is very good, comprehensive guide, April 30, 2002

By	Allan M. Gathercoal "fdoamerica" (Norcross, GA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Footprint Colombia Handbook: The Travel Guide (Paperback)

I was in Colombia for three months and used this guide continually.

Peter Pollock writes for a broad audience, but he excels in providing insightful caveats for the adventuresome and ecologically focused traveler. He has information on shipping motorcycles and automobiles to Columbia. He has an excellent section on health, and his 'Background' section is succinct and informative (History, Culture Etc.). He covers the normal tourist destinations and encourages exploration of places that 99% of visitors to Colombia would miss (Tayrona National Park, Ciudad Perdia, etc.).

His accommodations and dining recommendations are adequate, generally accurate, reliable but are becoming outdated. Luckily, although this guide has been out for three years, the prices for lodging in Colombia have stayed relatively stable and accurate and eight out of the ten hotels I selected to visit in Bogota were still open.

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: A serious omission for this 2000 guide is the absence of hotel web pages and hotel email addresses. Electronic addresses have become a "must have" for any competitive guide book. A good hotel web page allows you to view the property, get current rates (and specials), view the
property and rooms and make an on-line reservations. This is a must for the next edition.

Good maps are essential in a guide. Bogota, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Cali and Medellin are sprawling cities that desperately need good maps. Bogota has four maps, but they are upside down! Normally maps are oriented with North at the top of the page, not so here, North is at the bottom and South at the top. I had a hell-of-a-time orienting myself, until I got my compass out and discovered this wacko lay out.

Also confusing are references to map numbers that don't exist. Pollard mentions a number, IE in the Bogota section, 'Hacienda Santa Barbra #3 on the map', but the publisher did not print the numbers on the map. His recommended sleeping locations are noted on the maps, but not restaurants. Needless to say, this is an important area that needs significant improvement.

The above shortcomings notwithstanding, you will not want to go to Colombia without this guide. I strongly Recommend it.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pragmatic travel guide, December 21, 2002

By	Bert Ruiz "Author" (Pleasantville, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Footprint Colombia Handbook: The Travel Guide (Paperback)

This is a valuable book. "Footprint Colombia Handbook: The Travel Guide," highlights Colombia's many wonderful assets. It also warns of its potential pitfalls.

In regard to travel...this book covers all the bases. Colombia is an immense nation with outstanding hotels, magnificiant places to eat and wonderful people. Moreover, its parks and natural beauties can hardly be matched anywhere else in the world.

However, one must not ignore the subtle warnings in this text. Colombia must be approached with open eyes. It can be a wonderful experience and this book allows one to take a bite of the best the nation has to offer.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Informative, February 5, 2001

By	"benson500" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Footprint Colombia Handbook: The Travel Guide (Hardcover)

I bought this book previous to my first vacation to Colombia to visit my wife's parents this year. This book is truly amazing because it explains the social and economic climate as well as providing detailed listings of destinations throughout the book, including small towns and remote destinations. Pollard's book does not ignore the fact that using common sense is important when visiting this beautiful country, but contrary to the US State Department warnings, he reminds us in his own words that this is indeed a wonderful country to visit and the people are as open and friendly as anywhere in the world. My friends and family who live in Colombia were truly impressed with the wealth of information presented in this book. The only criticism is that the book is now over three years old and some of the information regarding specific locales need updates. Overall, this may be the best travel book I have ever used.