Lonely Planet Indonesia

Average customer rating:

Another Bible for the Journey
Comprehensive Guide for the Whole Country
The Only Updated Guide to Indonesia - still far from perect though
Perfect Indonesia travel guide update

Indonesia (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
Justine Vaisutis , Neal Bedford , Mark Elliott , and Nick Ray
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Indonesian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
Lonely Planet Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei
Bali & Lombok (Lonely Planet Travel Guide)
A History of Modern Indonesia
Lonely Planet Best of Bali (Lonely Planet Encounter Series)

ASIN: 1741044359

Book Description

Stretch your hand through ancient stone latticework to touch the lucky Buddhas atop Java's majestic Borobudur.

Drink with the deceased (and try not to slip on buffalo blood!) at an elaborate and riotous Torajan funeral.

Sniff out the infamous durian, scaly salak or spiky rumbutan at a local fruit market.

Step aside as a giant Komodo dragon swaggers slowly by, with the confidence only 100kg of top-of-the-food-chain lizard can exude.

Eleven authors, more than 300 days of in-country research, 73 ferry trips, 197 detailed maps, 205 bowls of nasi goreng. Includes in-depth information on volcano trekking, surfing, diving, orang-utan watching and the best adventure opportunities across the entire archipelago.

Customer Reviews:

Another Bible for the Journey.......2007-03-08

For those of you who know the expression "The Bible" when referring to lonely planet guides you know that this book is a must have when heading into distant lands. It is a great source of information both historically and on a day to day use. In its own, it is a great traveling companion.

Comprehensive Guide for the Whole Country.......2007-02-22

Indonesia is amazingly diverse. Their national motto, "Bhinneka tunggal ika" ("Unity in diversity") is a testament to that. As such, writing a guidebook encompassing the whole is a feat in and of itself. This guide provides a historical overview, potential itineraries based on your time availability and interests, and lots of useful practical information. The section on each province provides more detailed background.

See this as an initial guidebook to help plan your trip. If you know where you're going - say, Bali and Lombok - you may be better off finding a specific guidebook. But if one is not available, this is a great choice.

The Only Updated Guide to Indonesia - still far from perect though.......2007-02-02

This is currently both the best overall guide to Indonesia for independent travellers, and the only one that is remotely up to date.
The competition (Moon, Footprint, Rough Guides) seems to have given up covering this vast archipelago years ago. For this reason alone, the book still gets 4 stars from me, despite some shortcomings and amusingly striking errors outlined later.
It definitely covers enough attractions to keep people occupied for months, and is more than enough for those with an average interest in the country.
As usual with this series, it is reasonably strong on practical details like prices, public transport and city maps, though one should never forget that prices in particular will have changed by the time one gets there - this 8th edition was researched in early 2006, and reflects the situation as it was then.
There is also more than enough background information about culture and history for most readers, although unfortunately some useful things that were still present in the previous edition, like an overview of national parks and the longer lists of recommended books about various aspects and regions of the country have now been removed. Many less frequented islands, towns and areas that were still described in several previous editions have now been omitted, too.
On a brighter note, there is realistic, up to date assesment of the much-improved security situation in formerly strife-torn regions like Aceh and Maluku, encouraging tourists to return there.

Unfortunately, coverage of the remoter, less-visited regions remains poor.
The chapter on Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) has finally seen some long overdue changes, with non-existing attractions removed and real ones added, but info on almost anything outside the big, boring, modern coastal cities (which are covered in masochistic detail) is so vague that it makes one wonder if the author has ever left the urban jungles at all. My impression is that if she did, she certainly didn't get far!
That is still better than the chapter on Papua (Indonesian New Guinea).
Long the weakest, nearly useless part of this guide, one gets the impression that the Japanese lady "updating" it for this edition has never set foot there, and thus simply lifted all content over from the previous guides, updating hotel and transport prices with the aid of her telephone. Her information about how to cross the border with Papua New Guinea is spectacularly wrong, and there is almost nothing in that chapter that hadn't been there in the previous editions.

There are also some striking errors in the general sections dealing with the whole country.
As in the previous edition, the color section on "Indonesian" fauna proudly includes a shot of a Green Iguana from South America, this time with the added caption "Iguanas can be found in parks such as Taman Nasional Bali Barat" - in reality there are no iguanas anywhere in Asia. Similarly, the "Beguiling Beasties" itinerary recommended for wildlife fans says "you can try spotting the rare bird of paradise on the islands around Pulau Biak". Ironically, Biak and its neighbouring islands happen to be the ONLY part of Papua where there are NO birds of paradise! ;-) Plus covering that entire itinerary would take you several months (which your visa won't allow), and even then you would still have to skip the Foja Mountains of Papua (highly recommended by the author based on news reports) which are in reality so remote and inaccessible that even well-supported scientific expeditions have only made it there a few times.
But my favourite blunder is in the Getting there & Away chapter at the back of the book, listing international border crossings, where the author says "...there are two boats a week between Dili in East Timor and Oecussi in [Indonesian] West Timor." A boat on that route does exist, the only slight difference being that both of those towns are in independent East Timor, outside the borders of Indonesia!
Couldn't LP get authors who at least know where Indonesia ends and its neighbours start this time??? :-)

So those with a deeper interest in Indonesia, or with an interest in a particular region, might prefer more detailed, regional guides to those areas - there are several covering Bali & Lombok to choose from, Lonely Planet has great (if ageing) guides to Java and Nusa Tenggara, while Periplus has eight separate ones to all parts of the country, though the Periplus ones are best backed up with this book for practical details.

Those who have already been to Indonesia and own the previous edition of this book, might as well just keep it instead of investing into this new effort. Most of the content is exactly the same (or missing), with only the layout and prices changed - and the prices will have changed again by the time you get to Indonesia anyway.

For first-timers, this remains the best single-volume guide to buy though.

Perfect Indonesia travel guide update .......2007-01-28

Just received this brand new 8th edition of Lonely Planet's Indonesia. In one word: perfect! I read some chapters about Bali and Moluccan islands and every page is really filled with recent information, completely rewritten in the second part of 2006 by a professional team of specialized authors. Besides the wealth of practical travel information, much effort is taken to write about political en geographical backgrounds. Short paragraphs deal with the dramatic developments of the last few years, like those in the Moluccan and North-Sumatran regions and disasters like tsunami in the west and earthquakes on Java. The people who wrote this fine edition of Lonely Planet's Indonesia did their job with enthusiasm and give the best up-to-date travel information you can get!

Lonely Planet Best of Bali (Lonely Planet Encounter Series)

Average customer rating:

Great Bali Book

Lonely Planet Best of Bali (Lonely Planet Encounter Series)
Michael Day , and Marian Carroll
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Indonesia (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
BALI & LOMBOK (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Lonely Planet Best of Singapore (Lonely Planet Best of Series)

ASIN: 1741049245

Book Description

Ease into the best of sophisticated Bali, with its pampering, relaxation and shopping. Against a backdrop of rice terraces, beaches and forests, Bali constantly reinvents and reveals itself through vibrant culture, exotic flavours and world-class design. Such a little island, but so many experiences - Best of Bali gathers them all into a pocket-sized guide.

Customer Reviews:

Great Bali Book.......2007-01-09

I leave for Bali in 2 days. This came in time! Perfect pocket guide. The big Lonely Planet Guide is more in detail. Get both if you can. If not this one is the right one. Great maps, specific quick reference.

Average customer rating:

Excellent!!!
Excellent resource for travelling
If you have only the place for one book, take this one

Java (Lonely Planet, 2nd edition)
Peter Turner
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Lonely Planet Indonesia
Java (Periplus Adveture Guides)

ASIN: 0864427468

Book Description

This indispensable guide to Java, an island of astonishing beauty, leads you through a rich blend of cultures and religions, where Hindu-Buddhist empires reached their zenith before Islam made its mark. <ul>

62 maps including a full colour islands map </li>

where to stay, what to eat, what to see in ancient cites, modern beach resorts and isolated hill towns </li>

full details of trekking in some of Indonesia's best national parks </li>

16 page colour section on the architectural wonders of Borobudur and Prambanan and other religious sites </li></ul>

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!!!.......2004-09-08

This is a very well-written book, containing both exhaustive background and practical travel information on Java! It is MUCH better than the Java section of Lonely Planet's general Indonesia guide - lots of "off the beaten track" places included. Despite being a few years old now, it remains highly recommended - you just have to be prepared for the prices being higher!

Excellent resource for travelling.......2000-07-26

This is one of the better travel books I've ever used. It provides information about food, lodging, and activites that are helpful whether you're travelling on an unlimited or, like me, a shoestring budget. The maps are helpful; very detailed and usually only showing the parts of cities that are interesting to tourists. There are excellent and insightful cultural essays that really add to the traveller's enjoyment.

Take this book if you're off to Java. It's a wonderful wonderful place, so don't miss it if you've ever considered going East!

If you have only the place for one book, take this one.......2000-03-27

This is the book, that you have to take with you. Its not the first time I took Lonley planet books with me. Its saved me a lot of money with very good b&b recommendations. The money you spend for the book you probablly earn the first night you take the advice about the hotels.

Average customer rating:

Indonesian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
Laszlo Wagner , and Lonely Planet Phrasebooks
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1740592972

Average customer rating:

New one coming out December 06
completely essential
Good, but Could Be Better
Good Starting Point, Reference Material
Lonely Planet Indonesia

Lonely Planet Indonesia
Patrick Witton , Mark Elliott , Paul Greenway , Virginia Jealous , Etain O'Carroll , Nick Ray , Alan Tarbell , and Matt Warren
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Lonely Planet Indonesian Phrasebook, Fourth Edition
Teach Yourself Indonesian Complete Course Audiopack
Indonesia: Peoples and Histories

ASIN: 1740591542

Amazon.com

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

Indonesia is a country of incredible natural diversity and beauty rivaled only by its cultural diversity and wonder. This guide will help you make the most of a short or long journey, with details on Indonesian culinary delicacies; places to stay, from beach huts to resorts; important information on national parks and trekking to out-of-the-way places; 200 maps; extensive transportation details; plus a special 24-page color guide to Indonesia's arts and crafts. Don't miss the surfing section--it's reputed to be "totally gnarly." --Kathryn True

Book Description

Island-hop Indonesia - the ultimate adventure. Explore cobalt-blue volcanic lakes, steaming rainforests and dreamlike coral reefs. Immerse yourself in the archipelago's unique spectrum of cultures. Experience it all with this indispensable guide. <ul>

219 detailed and easy-to-read maps </li>

thousands of accommodation and restaurant options </li>

detailed info on Indonesian crafts, including ikat, gold and silver jewellery, and pottery </li>

colour section on climbing and surviving Indonesia's 129 volcanoes </li>

mini-guide to the best surf breaks </li></ul>

Customer Reviews:

New one coming out December 06.......2006-03-05

This is a good book, but an updated edition is supposed to come out December 2006 so wait until then if you want this book.

completely essential.......2006-01-26

this is the most useful and necessary guidebook not only for indonesia but for any destination you may have!

Good, but Could Be Better.......2004-04-07

This is currently the best overall guide to Indonesia for independent travellers. It covers enough attractions to keep people occupied for months, and is more than enough for those with an average interest in the country.
As usual with this series, it is strong on practical details like prices, public transport and city maps, though one should never forget that prices in particular will have changed by the time one gets there - this 7th edition was researched in 2002, and reflects the situation as it was then.
There is also more than enough background information about culture and history for most readers.
Note however that coverage of remoter, less-visited regions is poorer - the chapter on Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) is nearly useless, and the one on Papua (Indonesian New Guinea) is little better.
Those with a deeper interest in Indonesia, or with an interest in a particular region, might want more detailed guides to those areas - Lonely Planet has great guides to Java and Nusa Tenggara, while Periplus has eight separate ones to all parts of the country, though the Periplus ones are best backed up with this book for practical details.

Good Starting Point, Reference Material.......2003-12-07

This is a good guidebook and fairly accurate. In a country like Indonesia, however, things change quickly so use this book as a reference not as a bible. Do you own research and talk to other travellers. Since LP Indo is the default travellers' guide to this region, most of the restaurants and hotels are not the best values. Many get a steady stream of customers just because of a good review and never bother to maintain the facilities. The best deals require a lot of footwork and bargaining! Also, bus/boat schedules always change. So don't plan a rigid itinerary based on the data in this book. I know a couple that lost a week because they planned a trip around a ferry described in this book but didn't actually exist! Be prepared to wait if you're going off the beaten path. Some boat services are infrequent between the islands.

Learning some bahasa indonesia always helps bargaining. The language section is adequate but the phrasebook is much better.

Lonely Planet Indonesia.......2003-09-27

This book is great for giving you ideas as to which places to visit. But seeing now that it's 3 years out of date it has a lot of errors. I just used it in august of 2003 and all the prices are way off. Expect to pay about 2-3 times (sometimes 5-6 times) what the guide says because Indonesia's economy has picked up since the book has been released. For example: Borobudur is listed as 10,000Rp (~$1.80CDN) for entrance in the guidebook, now it's 58,000Rp (~$10CDN). They should be putting out a new one soon so if you can, wait for the next one to come out.

Lonely Planet Indonesian Phrasebook (Loney Planet Language Survival Kit)

Average customer rating:

A handy source to use in Bali.
Selamat makan.
Small size gets high marks
Your Indonesian Language Survival Guide

Lonely Planet Indonesian Phrasebook (Loney Planet Language Survival Kit)
Paul Woods , Kristiana Sarwo Rini , and Margit Meinhold
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0864421478

Customer Reviews:

A handy source to use in Bali........2000-12-31

This book is a handy source for getting by speaking Bahasa Indonesia, the national language of Indonesia, and will serve you well if you go to Bali. In Bali, they speak Bahasa Bali and Bahasa Indonesia, and as I have read in Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok guidebook, apparently, Bahasa Indonesia is easier for the visitor to learn.

My husband and I used this book on our trip to Bali in April, and found it very useful. We pleased many Balinese by trying to speak in Bahasa Indonesia, instead of expecting them to speak English.

This is a very small book (126 pages, 3.5" x 5") and fits nicely in the pocket of the very lightweight clothing you will want to wear while in a hot, humid, tropical climate. The book is organized according to topics (food, taxi, shopping, emergencies etc.), rather than alphabetically like a dictionary, and we found the organization helpful when we really needed it, like when dealing with vendors or when going to a cafe. The only thing different that I would have liked to be added, is a small dictionary of Bahasa Indonesia at the back of the book to accompany the small English one. Although we were not at a loss without and Indonesian dictionary.

Selamat makan........2000-08-10

Selamat siang. Saya hanya tahu sedikit bahasa Indonesia. Dimana setasiun kereta api? Bagaimana jika kita makan pagi di warung ini? Saya mau beli kelambu. Terima kasih.

Small size gets high marks.......2000-06-14

This fit-in-your-pocket phrase book is nicely designed, and I really use it.

The grammar section alone outperforms bigger Behasa Indonesia language courses for simplicity and clear explanations.

Categories like "Getting Around" and "Food" are well organized, and it really is possible to find what phrase you are looking for, standing at the market in front of Mister Banana Seller, in a few seconds. Glossary is English to Behasa Indonesia only (and not the other way around).

Your Indonesian Language Survival Guide.......1998-02-28

Unfortunately Echols and Shadilly's two volume Indonesian dictionary is a little too bulky to carry when back-packing in Indonesia. On my first two visits to Indonesia I took the MIP Concise Indonesian Dictionary, which fits comfortably into a pocket, and it never really left my person. While I really like this dictionary (and will probably buy a copy of the new edition), with about 4000 entries in each section its limitations were always fairly obvious. For my most recent trip I bought a copy of Tuttle's Concise Indonesian Dictionary. With more than twice as many entries as the smaller dictionary, I expected this to be pretty solid. Most of the time it was, but there were a few problems: some words I expected to find - "swap" is one, "retribusi" is another - weren't included (though there is a somewhat obscure entry for "tank steamer"); there is an entry for "polemics" rather than for "polemic"; and explanation of meanings is limited, creating problems with polysemic words which even reverse lookup often fails to resolve. On the plus side, Tuttle's Dictionary just fitted into my trouser pocket, and its sturdy plastic cover is a godsend given the wear and tear of travel.

Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok (Bali and Lombok, 8th ed)

Average customer rating:

A wonderful source of information.
Definately worth taking to Bali
obsolete before published
obsolete before published
Good Guide

Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok (Bali and Lombok, 8th ed)
James Lyon , Paul Greenway , and Tony Wheeler
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1864502525

Amazon.com

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years, and as a result has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money. This completely updated guide to Bali and Lombok covers accommodations for all budgets; how to eat Indonesian style; notes on history, religion, and culture; plus important advice on trekking, surfing, and diving. A special section on arts and crafts provides a superb encapsulated overview accompanied by evocative color photographs. --Kathryn True

Book Description

With its rich culture, lush landscapes, white beaches, excellent surf and legendary nightlife, Bali is almost the definitive tropical paradise. Across the water, Lombok offers superb diving and trekking, plus fascinating traditional villages. This indispensable guide has everything you need to appreciate the magic of both these tantalising and rewarding islands.

Includes: 59 easy-to-read maps; hundreds of accommodation recommendations, from village losmen to top-end luxury hotels; tips on how to enjoy Kuta and when to head for the hills; the lowdown on trekking, surfing and diving comprehensive coverage of Bali's culinary delights; practical language sections covering Bahasa Bali, Bahasa Indonesia and Sasak.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful source of information........2000-12-31

I found this book quite informative and useful in its information about many different aspects of visiting Bali. The book provides wonderful cultural insights, historical background and detailed information.

The only major discrepancy we came across, for instance, was that the book said that Kuta has problems with tourists being hassled by street vendors, but when we went in April, we found that the main street in Kuta (where the Matahari Department Store is) quite the opposite. It turned out that the officials had just recently come down on the street vendors and put a stop to harassing tourists there. Instead, when we went to the center of town in Ubud, we were hassled a great deal by taxi/moped drivers to get us to hire them; this caught us off guard.

In response to concerns that the book isn't current on it's information, I feel that you shouldn't rely on a guidebook for prices, and that as a whole Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok gives the information that you need to know. It tells you in great detail about what there is to see and do, and where things are and how things work. I mean afterall, by the time any book reaches publication, isn't a lot of the information out-of-date? Otherwise, a book would never get published; it would be a newsletter.

I gave this a rating of 4 stars only because when we went to Bali, we didn't travel enough of the country (and we didn't get to Lombok) to give the book 5 stars.

Definately worth taking to Bali.......2000-10-13

We have just returned from Bali (October 2000) and strongly recommend taking this LP with you. I have been a bit skeptical about the info of some LP's (Mexico-we hardly used it!) but in Bali whoever put this one together knew their stuff. FORGET THE PRICES MENTIONED, they've at least doubled for meals accomodation etc , but then so has the amount of rupee you'll get!! One interesting note. We took a taxi to the Temple of Gudang Kawi, an 11th century temple. LP justifibly raves about it. The only other tourists there we saw were holding a LP. Local tour operaters didn't seem to think tourists would be interested in it and must take them to more boring temples!(and believe you me, they get boring!)

obsolete before published.......2000-07-28

As a resident of Bali year-round, the number one complaint by almost every lonely planet carrying visitor is how inaccurate and outdated the lonely planet guides are. Whether it is Thailand or Indonesia, information that is needed on a daily basis is history by the time the lonely books reach the traveling consumer. Bookstores throughout Asia are piled high with lonely planets discarded by weary travelers eager to lessen their load. Lonely planet books do offer historical perspectives that can also be found on the internet, but the insider's information the first time traveler needs to save money and sanity their first days in Asia is sorely lacking. Updated info on how to avoid being ripped off from lodging to transportation to moneychanging is of primary concern to almost all visitors to Bali that we meet. Books as heavy as bricks with pretty pics are nice but hardly handy when you are in need of fast, accurate information. Try "The Beginners Guide to Bali" on cd-rom- it has weekly updated info and prepares the first time traveler to Bali for the unexpected.

obsolete before published.......2000-07-28

Good Guide.......2000-06-13

I was so excited about my recent trip to Bali that I used 4 guidebooks. Lonely planet was one of the most useful - it pointed out the tourist traps as well as the great spots. Many of the recommendations are more suitable for backpackers than mid range travelers, but the maps are excellent and the coverage of the entire island is good. Bali will not be the most beautiful place you've visited (it is still a third world country)but it will be the most interesting,especially if you work at understanding the culture. I found the Moon Travel Guide,Bali Handbook, published out of Emeryville California to be the best Bali book. It had the most descriptive narrative (over 300 pages) of Bali's culture, history and customs. However, it is not widely distributed, but is worth searching out.

Lonely Planet World Food: Indonesia (Lonely Planet World Food Guides)

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet World Food: Indonesia (Lonely Planet World Food Guides)
Patrick Witton
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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Lonely Planet World Food Mexico (Lonely Planet World Food Guides)

ASIN: 1740590090

Book Description

Thousands of islands. Thousands of flavours. The boldness of buffalo curry. The beauty of Balinese food offerings. This is the cuisine of Indonesia: a realm of flavours that stretches from mountain gardens, through manic markets, across the Spice Islands and into the pages of this culinary guide. Prepare to explore what feeds this diverse nation, a country where fruit is as fresh as the land, and chillies are as hot as the hospitality. <ul>

photography, maps, recipes and local insight reveal lush islands with a vast culinary repertoire </li>

profile of Indonesian family life and festivities </li>

funerals that are party-central </li>

food offerings that appease the spirits </li>

bicycle tour of local small producers making rice wine, soy sauce, tempe and tofu </li>

buying fish in the town of Pangandaran going from boat to wok in a matter of minutes </li></ul>

Lonely Planet Indonesian (Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit)

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Indonesian (Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit)
Lonely Planet Publications
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0864422784

Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok (Lonely Planet Bali and Lombok)

Average customer rating:

Good buy but not essential
Bali For Everyone
Fantastic guide
Asia 101
Bali Bali Bali!

Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok (Lonely Planet Bali and Lombok)
Ryan Ver Berkmoes , Lisa Steer-Guerard , and Jocelyn Harewood
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Rough Guide to Bali & Lombok 5 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
Lonely Planet Best of Bali (Lonely Planet Encounter Series)
Indonesia (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
Lonely Planet Indonesia
BALI & LOMBOK (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

ASIN: 1740596811

Book Description

Treat yourself to an invigorating mandi lulu massage, breathtaking sunsets from cliff-top temples, an underwater world alive with vividly colored fish, and the simplest island pleasures of golden sun and fresh seafood. Go on, you deserve it! Pamper, party, play and plunge into Bali's rich and hospitable culture - our bestselling guide tells you how.

• CONNECT WITH CULTURE - lively, authoritative Architecture and Culture chapters are your invitation into an exotic and inspiring new world

• GET ACTIVE - dive, snorkel, surf or trek with insider tips for every outdoor activity under the sun (or sea!)

• REST EASY - from castaway island huts to blissful boutique hotels, we show you the best places to lay your head

• LOAD UP - on paintings, carvings, weaving, jewelry, sarongs, t-shirts and toys. Our shopping sections are full of tips and listings that will ensure you exceed your baggage limit

• GO BEYOND BALI - detailed coverage of Lombok and the famed Gili islands

Customer Reviews:

Good buy but not essential.......2006-11-29

Had the lonely SE asia book but had to buy this one because Bali is not covered in enough detail in the big bible. Found it to be useful and wouldn't want to have gone without it but at the same time I didn't find it absolutely essential. There are so many hotels, restaurants, sightseeing tours, spa places that you can easliy figure out online or when you're there.

Conclusion: found this book good to give me good ideas of where to go/what places are like and the rest - well, you can figure out when you're there ;)

Bali For Everyone.......2006-11-12

I bought this book when I revisited Bali with my wife. I was last there some 15 years ago using a different guide book. I bought and used this book to explore a few off the beaten track places I didn't see the last time. I find the recommendations on food and lodging excellent. The standard Lonely Planet layout makes it easy to find the info you need. This rewritten edition is not just informative but full of its own unique flavour as well.

Not being a trekker, my wife found the info on restaurants and shopping to be very useful too.

Fantastic guide.......2006-07-23

I'm just back from Bali and took three guidebooks. The Lonely Planet guide was far and away the best. It was funny and in the best guidebook tradtion, it did a great job of stearing me away from popular places like Gunung Agung and Besakih Temple - which are two of the worst tourist traps on the island. The author seems to have actually spent time posing as a tourist in these places to uncover all the scams. The rest of the book does a good job of finding all the new places to go for dinner and drinks in hot places like Seminyak. Make this your only Bali guidebook.

Asia 101.......2006-06-26

This book will help you find your way around. No problem. The maps were very good. I would have appreciated more restaurant and shopping reviews:ie.. What to look for in the way of bargains found only in Bali, how to tell if you are being ripped off, that kind of help. On that matter, you can tell it was written by a man. In fact this book felt more man friendly than woman friendly. I too, like the above reader, live in Asia. I take my family when I travel. Lonely Planet doesn't cater to my "crowd". I wanted to be told to avoid specific locations or tourist traps and to be told not to miss other places, and I felt sorta let down. I think the author could have given better information on hotels. For instance I found our hotel on line. The book didn't help at all there. For more family oriented guides I usually go with Frommer's (wish I would have had it on this trip). If you venture anywhere in Asia, you must do your homework and that means Internet, and generally more than one guide book. I would recommend this as a companion guide. We liked Bali so much we are going again in 6 months.

Bali Bali Bali!.......2005-09-01

When I used to work in Korea, one of my best vacations was to Bali. Despite a strange and sudden stomach ailment, I managed to enjoy this tropical paradise. And the LP Guidebook was my faithful companion, showing me where I could track down a good burger when the local food proved too exotic for me. It also tipped me off about the best watering holes.
Bali is an exotic island with a wonderful local culture. You have to see it to believe it. One of the best Hard Rock Cafes anywhere too!

Lonely Planet Books:

Lonely Planet Books

Lonely Planet Books