Lonely Planet Korea

Average customer rating:

Completely weak
Needs Reworking
Lonely Planet
Helpful for Newbies
Learning about Seoul

Lonely Planet Seoul
Martin Robinson
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Lonely Planet Korea
Lonely Planet Korean Phrasebook
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Korea (Culture Shock!)
Insight Guide Korea (Insight Guides)

ASIN: 1740598466

Book Description

Find your own way in Korea's buzzing capital, with Lonely Planet's guide to Seoul. Discover the culture; savour the cuisine; and take your pick of palaces and museums, markets and malls, cafes, bars and clubs. Packed with insider tips, straight-up reviews, comprehensive cultural and historical information, Korean script throughout, grid-referenced maps. ELIMINATING THE GUESSWORK - opinionated hotel reviews make the decisions easy. SHOP YOUR SOCKS OFF reviews and tips take you to the city's best traditional markets, glitzy malls, boutiques and galleries. DISCOVER the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) - we take you on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the formidable and fascinating North-South border. FEAST LIKE A KING - eating reviews serve up the city's finest Korean fare, from spicy tofu and barbeque to Korean fusion and Hanjeongsik banquets.

Customer Reviews:

Completely weak.......2007-06-03

This is one of the only travel books on Seoul that is easy to get. I have taken it with me on three trips to Seoul so far, and have found it almost useless. I got a better idea of places to visit from the map I got from the hotel and searching the internet than I did from this guide.

Needs Reworking.......2007-03-10

Lonely Planet Seoul is poorly organized and riddled with inaccuracies; unfortunately it is the only comprehensive, recent Seoul guide (in English) on the market. I used the book to get an overview of Seoul, but shockingly, found the tourist information office maps and guides more useful and accurate. The website Seoul Style offers much more interesting eating, entertainment, and shopping suggestions, but very occasionally I'll refer to the Lonely Planet for further ideas.
The book ought to be organized by neighborhood rather than subject; it's aggravating to visit an area of Seoul and flip between different chapters, looking for the two inches of print on a given activity in a particular area. Other Lonely Planet and Fodor's guides usually integrate all suggestions by neighborhood and accurately portray those suggestions onto maps. One can get an overview of the different areas when the descriptions are integrated, especially if the author writes an introductory paragraph about a neighborhood's feel; to Robinson, it seems that places are just places, with no 'there' there. In reality, each area of Seoul does have a unique feel and meaning.
In the LP Seoul guide, the maps' numbered descriptions are often mis-categorized (e.g., under 'Shopping' the author suggests the bookstore Seoul Selection, but when you look for the location on the map, it is listed under 'Entertainment'; when poring through dozens of suggestions in tiny font, it is frustrating to check all the categories to compensate for his carelessness). The layout and selection of maps in general is mediocre, and leave little sense of the scale or organization of Seoul; for instance, Robinson devotes two pages of maps to Jamsil to depict just a few activities, and leaves the bottom half of those two pages devoid of suggestion, but gives the large, very happening area of Gangnam / Apjugong just one page. Adjacent Cheongdam, which a favorite hangout for younger Koreans and in 'feel' and location is much closer to Apjugong, he places on the Jamsil map, but doesn't provide any activities.
The transliteration between Hangul and English is frequently bizarre, which makes it difficult to decipher the names of neighborhoods and places. It is better to use the Tourist Maps (in other cities I've never relied on tourist maps, but Seoul is different), for the transliteration and neighborhood names are more commonly understood by Koreans. His language guide is also transliterated ineffectually; a traveler trying to follow his phonetics would never be understood by a Korean. For vowels pronounced 'e' he writes 'i'; the number 1 is correctly pronounced like eel; he writes 'il', which is perfect if he means the French pronunciation of 'il'; same for 2: pronounced e, he writes i - again, great for French, but he's transliterating to English, so it's wrong.
LP Seoul needs to be rewritten by a very organized, clear thinker who possesses a current understanding of Seoul and Hangul-English translation, yet who recalls the needs of a first-time visitor to this dynamic city.

Lonely Planet.......2006-08-19

Short passages about all sights and sites one might want to visit. Would be a good book to have there with you as you sightsee.

Helpful for Newbies.......2005-12-29

Having never been to Seoul this book was very helpful for finding attractions. I did not use the book for accomodation or dinner recommendations though. A particularly convenient aspect of the book was that it told you which subway exit to leave from for a lot of the attractions. When subway stops commonly have many exits it makes it that much quicker.

Learning about Seoul.......2005-07-29

Being first time travelers to Korea, we wondered what it would be like. A friend recommended that we order this book. We found it very helpful in answering many of our questions. We also referred to the book on several occasions while in Seoul, confirming our memory of its contents, such as the custom in tipping for services and to remind us of the below ground shopping experiences available within the city. We would recommend the book to others. We also ordered the Korean Phrasebook which we did not use at all -- it was not necessary or helpful for our use.

Average customer rating:

Many deficiencies
Decent, but lacking...
Good Korea coverage in onl y 400 pages
Does the job adequately
Lovely walks, could have been a better guide

Lonely Planet Korea
Martin Robinson , Ray Bartlett , and Rob Whyte
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Lonely Planet Korean Phrasebook
Lonely Planet Seoul
Moon Handbooks South Korea (Moon Handbooks)
Teach Yourself Korean Complete Course Package(Book + 2CDs) (Teach Yourself Language Complete Courses)
Korea (Culture Shock!)

ASIN: 1741045584

Book Description

Dirty yourself clean at the Mud House - one of Korea's many public baths, p.320. Forget hot dogs - snack on dried squid at a baseball game, p.133. Vow to get fitter as a wizened Korean lady overtakes you on the climb up Seongsan Ilchulbong, p.282. Steady yourself for the sight of 100,000 people participating in the North's Mass Games, p.355. Four expert authors, 68 detailed maps, 189 boiled silkworms. Expanded information on North Korea tours. New Activities chapter including detailed advice for hiking up Hallasan.

Customer Reviews:

Many deficiencies.......2006-10-15

I always purchase Lonely Planet (LP) books when I travel, and they have never steered me wrong. But, this LP Korea edition doesn't seem to follow the standard format to which I have become accustomed. To start with, the table of contents is almost non-existent. The table of contents in many LP books can be up to 10 pages. In this book, the table of contents is half a page. It is very difficult to find the section you are looking for.

Secondly, this book breaks up the useful facts for the visitor into two sections. For example, the sections regarding health, money, food, embassies and visas are in a chapter called "Directory" at the end of the book. In most if not all other LP books that I have read, these items appear at the beginning of the book, before they start discussing the individual locations. I wish that LP would maintain some consistency.

Lastly, the index is incomplete. They do a good job of listing all the place names in the index, but many key words which you might be searching for are not present. For example, neither "electricity" nor "weather" are listed in the index. For electricity, I just gave up looking in the book, and found the answers on line.

In summary, I believe that this book contains all the information one needs to travel in Korea, but the information can be very difficult to find within the book.

Decent, but lacking..........2006-09-03

To say that this guidebook is lacking would be a bit of an understatement, unfortunately. Why? Because, for example, it includes absolutely NO coverage of one of South Korea's larger cities, Ulsan, which is famous for being the home of the international Hyundai motor company, and was also one of the host cities during the World Cup in 2002. The population is over 1 million people, and to think that such a significant (if slightly industrial) city could be overlooked is proof that the authors of this guide have only scratched the surface of what Korea has to offer the world. Otherwise, I have to give them credit for producing a guide for the country AT ALL, considering that there are hardly any worth buying out that now as it is. I just recommend that for the next edition they do a little more research before publishing it.

Good Korea coverage in onl y 400 pages.......2006-05-22

I travel to Korea on business trips lasting 2-3 weeks, and the many sightseeing days mixed into those frequent trips has allowed me to evaluate this and several other Korea guides. This Lonely Planet's guide covers Korea efficiently, in 400 pages, by including details you'll need, and leaving out details on obscure cities rarely visited, and omitting rambling historical notes found in guides such as Moon Handbooks' South Korea (~850 pages!). For example, Lonely Planet covers Busan's Geumgang Fortress in less than half the text used by Moon Handbooks; however, the latter fails to provide adequate directions on getting there, and forgets to warn of the maddening crowds found on holidays, and weekends - important info included in Lonely Planet Korea. Faced with the challenge of Busan's tens of thousands of restaurants, Moon Handbooks chooses to review NONE and only suggests city areas to look for them, while Lonely Planet Korea gives us helpful reviews of specific restaurants. If like me you plan on spending more than a few days in Seoul, you'll find it useful to combine Lonely Planet Korea with Lonely Planet Seoul, because the latter includes far more detail for your Seoul visit. Be sure to visit the tourist information centers (found in major airports) upon your arrival and get the free city maps. I suggest you withdraw extra Won from the ATM's in Seoul (or Busan's Gimhae airport) because you'll find ATM's that accept international cards very difficult to find in cities outside Seoul. Don't buy Moon Handbooks' South Korea unless you're planning a Korea trip length of over a month and need details on obscure cities, and want pages of historical info on every city.

Does the job adequately.......2005-10-15

I always buy Lonely Planet guidebooks for the destinations I go to. They are informative, organised, well laid out, list a number of activities which most visitors to the Land of the Morning Calm would be hard pressed to complete. The latest edition of the Korea guide book is no exception, and is a great introduction to this amazingly deceptive country. South Korea is full of contradictions, sprawling metropolises juxtaposed with ancient Buddhist and Confucian temples. The book helps visitors explore those contradictions. Those planning on living in the country (ESL teachers) may find it lacking after they have exhausted all the sights and activities, but for visitors staying a few months or less, and travelling around Korea (not just sticking to Seoul) will find it plenty sufficient.

I reviewed the last edition, and cross referenced the new with old, and it has been thoroughly updated, accomodations, prices, eateries, and so on. No doubt this was aided by the fact that this was one of the first travel guidebook editions to come out in Lonely Planet's new format. A previous reviewer commented on the lack of personality (for lack of a better word) in this edition of the book, and I would have to say I agree with that assessment. The older edition is a little more personable. But hey, this one still does the job, and gets you from A to B. However, note that at the time of review (mid October 2005), the guidebook has been out for well over a year, and thus is already out of date. Realistically, it was out of date that day it rolled off the printing presses, things can change quite rapidly in Korea!

My own personal recommendation for Korea highlights is that visitors should try and do a tour of the DMZ, and make sure it includes Panmunjom - it's a surreal experience, and proves the Cold War is not quite over yet. Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul is definitely worth a visit, and make sure you visit the museum next door. Another must see is the Buddhist temple complex Bulguksa at Gyeongju.

Lovely walks, could have been a better guide.......2005-06-25

I just spent a week in Seoul and I used this book along with the Moon handbook. I didn't purchase any of the Seoul focused books because they hadn't been updated recently. While some aspects of this book were good there were a few drawbacks. The good parts -- there were two good walks which allowed you to see parts of Seoul, the average tourist may not. The only non-Koreans we passed on these walks had the same guide book.

The downside is that much of the information was not current. Prices have changed for sights, for base taxi fare, etc., etc. Also, this book did not focus on the very clean, quick, and useful subway system.

While it was better overaall than the Moon book (less encyclopedic) -- I'd still rely on the KNTO, local websites, and a good concierge.

Lonely Planet Seoul City Guide (Lonely Planet City Guide)

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Seoul City Guide (Lonely Planet City Guide)
Chris Taylor
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0864421850

Average customer rating:

very poor..
Useless, left at home!
get a different travel guide
Good enough for me.
not bad

Lonely Planet Korea
Robert Storey , and Alex English
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Lonely Planet Korean Phrasebook
Lonely Planet Seoul
Teach Yourself Korean Complete Course Package(Book + 2CDs) (Teach Yourself Language Complete Courses)

ASIN: 0864426976

Book Description

From teeming Seoul in its mountain cradle to remote offshore islands and secluded monasteries, Lonely Planet's comprehensive guide will help you discover this land of dramatic natural beauty. <ul>

88 detailed and reliable maps with English and Korean script </li>

the best advice on how to visit the world's last Cold-War nation - North Korea </li>

from galbi to gimchi, Korea's unique cuisine explained - plus listings of the best places to sample it </li>

climbs and hikes, boats and bikes - how to get around in style without missing a thing </li></ul>

Customer Reviews:

very poor.........2004-06-14

I don't know how good the new edition is.
(heard that the south korean national tourism organization
helped a lot the LP team to revise the new edition)
but the last edition is no match for the moon's handbook.
go get the moon's one, if you plan to visit this country.

Useless, left at home!.......2004-03-20

I just come back from Korea for 2-3 days.
This LP book is really disappointed me.
It lack of information, inaccurate data and undetailed map.
Ok I know that i published about 2-3 years ago, the data
might inaccurate but it almost inaccurate, also the bus route???
If you follow the book guide on the way to Tongdosa you will probably get lost! Thats unacceptable.
It is nothing more than a good introduction to Korea to read at home.

Try Moon Guide or something else

here is my tips
1 Need map? just go to Korea, find Tourism Information kiosk
and you will find everything you want, good illustrate map
valueable advise and everything you want to know about Korea!
2 Use International cashcard (PLUS CIRCUS) will save you from deadly banknote exchange rate, but dont expect an international ATM in country side. (you can find a lot of them in subway Seoul) keep money, not credit!
3 Dont use a network ATM (like Han-net, Easy-money) It will charge you! Use bank ATM (CHB KB)
4 Dont bring this LP with you, burden!

get a different travel guide.......2003-10-21

You have to wonder when a guidebook starts off practically every section about a new city with: "Not many people come to (fill in city's name) but if you get stuck here then try this... I find Lonely Planet Korea to be very negative about the country and the cities within it (with the exception of Seoul). It gave very little practical information. I haven't seen the new edition, but I bought the previous one and was truly disappointed by it.

A much better, more comprehensive, and upbeat guide is the Moon Handbook by Robert Nilsen. I see he's just come out with a new edition too. He seems to know a lot more about Korea than the Lonely Planet writers and offers a better view for the traveler who is going to be in Korea for a few months or more. If you are going for a week, maybe Lonely Planet is o.k., but for anything longer disregard it and use the internet or the aforementioned travel guide.

Good enough for me........2003-06-08

I was lucky enough to live in Korea for a year teaching English and while I was there, the LP Korea was pretty much my travelling "Bible". While other people may not consider it indepth in locations to visit, it still has more than sufficient details for your average visitor who is going to travel around for a month or two. I was working so my travelling time was limited to weekends, so as it was, the LP Korea was perfectly adequate for my needs. There was always plenty to see and do. I wanted to see the most important and interesting stuff, which typifies what Korea is all about. If you are going to be visiting Korea for an extended period of time, or living there, then maybe after a while the guide book may appear to be superficial. However, all the major regions are covered, including Jejudo Island (and North Korea gets its own section at the back). All the usual hotels, resturants and transport details are there, as well as the bog standard travel advice. So if you are a short term visitor, then the LP Korea will, in my opinion, be more than sufficient.

Besides, if LP does not meet your needs, the KNTO is reasonably well developed, with tourist maps and info of most destinations at railway stations, bus stations, and airports. At major tourist points, guides will speak english, and advise you of other interesting features of the area you are in. University students wanting practice their english are also good travel guides. I had my first introduction to Daegu in this manner.

I disagree with some of the opinions expressed by other reviewers of this book. To be realistic, the minute this title came off the printing press it was out of date. For example, one cannot expect all the eateries listed to still be there by the time an individual gets to Korea. When I lived in Kumi (or Gumi, which ever way you prefer) for a year, there was a resturant down the street from where I lived that changed ownership three times, being reincarnated as something different each time it reopened. Some places stay, some go. Nor can one expect all interesting destinations to be featured; what would people want more; a small compact book with sufficient info for tourists planning to be in country for 2 months or so or alternatively an immense brick like book jammed with enough destinations to keep a traveller travelling for years and which cost a bomb and throws your back out every time you lift it. I know which I prefer.

not bad.......2002-11-27

Some reviews of this book make it sound terrible. In fact, it's alright. You'll get the cultural and architectural information in much, much greater detail from the Moon Guide to Korea, and I think that's worthwhile. But you'll get lost if you use that guide; LP has better maps and practical information. So, with apologies to your wallet, I suggest getting both. If you're not going to leave Seoul, maybe just buy the Moon Guide and a map of Seoul; but still, you'll be missing LP's very practical recommendations.

Lonely Planet: Korea & Taiwan (Lonely Planet Korea: Travel Survival Kit)

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Lonely Planet: Korea & Taiwan (Lonely Planet Korea: Travel Survival Kit)
Geoff Crowther
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Taiwan | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0908086717

Living and Surviving in South Korea: What You Wont Learn in Lonely Planet for Ethnic Koreans

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Living and Surviving in South Korea: What You Wont Learn in Lonely Planet for Ethnic Koreans
Stan Y Lee
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Lonely Planet Korea

ASIN: 0595420931

Book Description

Over the years, Koreans all over the world have been visiting and living in their native land. Many travel books have been written about Korea but books written for the overseas Korean audience are far and few between. Finally, here is a book written not only for Koreans who are curious about or want to visit Korea, but one written from a Korean-American point of view. This is important because Koreans who have lived most of their lives outside of Korea are viewed and treated differently from people of other ethnicities who come to Korea. This book will teach you how to live, teach, and survive daily life in Korea written by a person just like you. I welcome anyone, though, Korean or not, to give this a try if you have so much as a passing fancy of life in the land of the morning calm.

Korea on the Move (Facts About Korea, Cultural Heritage, Tour Guide, Participatory Government, Busan ITU, Yellow Pages, Special Issues)

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Korea on the Move (Facts About Korea, Cultural Heritage, Tour Guide, Participatory Government, Busan ITU, Yellow Pages, Special Issues)
Korean Overseas Information Service
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: B000K841UW

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