Lonely Planet India (Travel Guide)

I bought this to inform my trip to India. I referred to this to book destinations, accommodations, eateries, trains and so on. But much more than that - it’s the narrative I like. Very much feels like a mate giving you advice after they’ve just come back. It’s a pretty big book, but worth taking with you.

Packed with really useful information

Before each trip I often hum and haw whether to splash out on a chunky Lonely Planet book to hawl around on my trip. And most often I am grateful I have bought one, particularly this time for India. Merely planning where to go in India is daunting. The sites are often so disconnected it’s hard to pick a route. The first few pages of itineraries are very helpful on picking out the best spots. But the book is most invaluable in-country. Internet out and about is almost non-existent so planning your day and where to eat (and not suffer the consequences) must be done swiftly in your hostel/hotel. In Delhi, the recommendations for eating (and even a drink) were spot-on – the food was delicious, and my insides didn’t complain. In the days when online reviews are often fake, it’s really good to have someone who has eaten there beforehand. In Fort Kochi, the recommendations for doing some shopping were also excellent and I wouldn’t have stumbled across them either on the internet or on google maps by random. The recommended walking map of Jaipur was really appreciated - would love more of these! Part of me thinks the layout or format of the Lonely Plant books could do with a revamp. A few more pictures would be helpful in determining what looks good to visit. The tuk-tuk tour routes are often determined by what site is nearest a tourist trap of a shop. Being able to point out to what you want to see would be useful. The book isn’t perfect, yes some bits are a tiny bit out of date (come-on, give them a bit of break), but overall you will really appreciate having bought this book when you are in India.

Don't bother buying this update because they didn't bother to update it. Nearly every review is out of date and useless. I bought it because the North east is now open to tourism. Sadly, it doesn't seem the "author" visited. I then checked a town I know very well. It still recommends a terrible, terrible hotel as "great". It has been awful for a decade. Now luxury places... Yes. They seem to have looked at a few of those. Go to town, eat in a fancy restaurant, stay in the most expensive hotel - job done! No. Job not done. This is supposed to be a BACKPACKERS guide. It's not. By creating hubs based on quality and value it used to create community. It now has zero value compared to using the Indian hotel booking apps (not mentioned!), Trip advisor, etc. This is just embarrassing. It reminds me of the hitch hikers guide to the galaxy. "Mostly harmless".

I did not expect a page to be torn out of the book.

I bought the Kindle version because it just isn't practical to carry the heavy book version. Extensive info. The only thing about the Kindle version is that it's hard to maneuver to the page that you want to get to. That's likely just something that will take getting used to.

I finally had to buy a new Lonely Planet Guide to India. My old edition has fallen apart after 8 trips and 18 months in India! Their recommendations of hotels (budget and luxury) and restaurants, tea houses, markets, shops are uniformly on target. Their info re: train schedules is accurate - mostly - but you should always double check anyway. The background info about history, sites and temples is so informative! A few blank pages at the back of the book would be helpful for notes. You cannot survive in India without this book!

Important to have to make your jorney easier

Wer Lonely Planet auf Reisen als Standardlektüre bevorzugt, wird auch von dieser Ausgabe begeistert sein. Wie gewohnt sind sämtliche Infos (von Sehenswürdigkeiten über Restaurants bis hin zu sämtlichen Öffnungszeiten) sehr genau recherchiert und auch aktuell; ich habe das Buch an jeder Ecke verwendet und es war mir immer eine große Hilfe. Mit weit über 1000 Seiten ist dieser Lonely Planet wirklich gigantisch und nicht jeder wird solch einen Wälzer durch die Weltgeschichte schleppen wollen. Aber Indien ist so gigantisch, vielfältig und komplex, dass man sich wirklich vor und auch während der Reise gut einlesen sollte, um das Land in Gänze zu erfassen. Die mannigfaltigen Infos zu Geschichte, Alltag und Gesellschaft im Land sind somit gerade in diesem Lonely Planet eine willkommene Ergänzung. Wie auch in vielen anderen Lonely Planets stört es mich aber auch bei dieser Ausgabe ein wenig, dass die Ausdrucksweise sehr komplex ist. Oft werden Adjektive verwendet, die in keinem Wörterbuch stehen und an vielen Stellen als Beschreibung für Örtlichkeiten etwas überzogen wirken.

Liked the comprehensive nature