Hey guys, I was just wondering, with the Lonely Planet guide what is the difference between the different split ups.
For example, I own the "Africa" is this edition a full combination of the Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa editions or does it cut out sections?
If it cuts stuff out how much does it cut out? Is it the same for every continent?
When buying Lonely Planet Guides how specific do you go? If you're touring a whole continent do you just buy the whole continent edition and not worry about the other stuff or do you split it up into countries etc?
Which editions are updated more regularly? E.g. Is Southern Africa updated more frequently than the full Africa edition? Thanks 😊
Reply to this Hello Krystie 😊
I find the ones that contain information about more than one country to have enough information. Anyway, I only use them as a loose guide and then flesh out anything I want to know more about by reading blogs and asking questions on the travel forums and from other travellers and locals I meet along the way.
I dont know exactly how much they cut out, but having tried individual country books and multiple book, I dont think the multiple ones cut out anything important. By important, I mean health, safety, customs, basic information about accomodation and transport. They also contain information about enough attractions to keep me amused.
If you're touring a whole continent do you just buy the whole continent edition and not worry about the other stuff or do you split it up into countries etc?
Yeah, I buy the whole continent, if it is available, even if I am just visiting one country. Being able to read about the other countries helps me decide if I want to venture over some borders while there and where I want to go on future trips.
I have the following multiple country Lonely Planets.
South East Asia
South America
Central Asia
I used to have E. Africa.
I have Rough Guide book for Europe.
Mel
Reply to this From what I've seen it seems that they reduce the number of recommendations like where to eat, shop or stay so it really depends how you use the guides whether it has an impact on usefulness.
Reply to this I figured out that the date of release is the most important about the guides. Hostels, restaurants and sights in different locations will change a lot when journalist from for instance Lonely Planet visited the place 4 years ago. The guides are basically the same, but look for the newest one.
Reply to this Also go to their website and look through the thorntree forum for questions/suggestions/recommendations, which has current information from travellers.
Reply to this I bought the Kenya one two years ago and liked it very much, then bought the East Africa one this year as I planned to travel around a bit more. Comparing the two, I didn't see much left out - and I liked the parts about travelling between the different countries. Made it easier to plan ahead, or at least consider alternatives. If I go back in another two years I'll probably try to get an updated one out of the library, and just note any differences.
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