Central America (Shoestring)

Central America (Shoestring)

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Editorial Reviews

Dig into history along the Ruta Maya, zip through the rain forest canopy or spend the day searching out that perfect hammock spot by the beach. Adventures are born every day in Central America. And this comprehensive guide - with expanded Yucatan and Chiapas coverage - gives you the tools to avoid spending an arm and a leg on the journey of a lifetime.

Explore More - expanded do-it-yourself features help you create your own adventure beyond the 'Gringo Trail.'

Get Lost - detailed language and cultural coverage and more than 120 maps means you'll never get lost...unless you want to.

Immerse Yourself - volunteer as a game warden, study Spanish, or simply learn how to extend your stay.

Culture Club - candid local interviews reveal the true nature and spirit of the isthmus' No. 1 natural resource - its people.

ALL NEW
Highlights & Planning Sections
Cutomized Itineraries
Snapshot Coverage
Responsible Travel Tips
Cross-referenced Maps

Customer Reviews

Can't find a better book to travel with in Central America

Reviewed by Giuseppe, 2009-10-19

If your traveling in Central America I highly recommend this book, I've never seen one that does the job better, as is the case most of the time with lonely planet. If you're going to more than one country in C.A. than get this, carrying a guide for each country can be annoying and those issues don't provide that much more information. Nothing you can't find out online really quick anyway.

Muy util la guia Lonely de Centroamerica

Reviewed by Sebastian Clerico, 2009-05-30

Compré la guía por internet en Amazon y el delivery fue excelente (en solo 4 días estaba en Argentina el libro)
EN mi viaje la guía fue de gran utilidad,la información es específica y no está sobrecargada de info innecesaria.
El tamaño de la guía es muy práctico para llevar en tu bolso de mano y los mapas son muy útiles.
Es un producto mas de Lonely PLanet muy recomendable para cualquier viajero.
Mis felicitaciones!!!!!!
Sebastián

Missing important information. Poor recommendations

Reviewed by S. Bowers, 2009-04-15

Lonely Planet fails yet again with this book. Especially poor are the Guatemala and Honduras sections.
My main problem with Lonely Planet is that they focus way too much on bars and restaurants. As a consequence, they leave out more vital information. For example, I arrived at the border of Guatemala. The book had no information about where to find a bank or ATM. Not knowing, I paid a scammer with a cab about $5 to drive me one block to the bank machine.
Once I arrived in Tikal, I met a representative of San Juan Travel, recommended in the guide. The guide also recommended to reserve a seat on the late shuttles to Flores. The rep (Cesar Carrera, avoid him) proceeded to take my money for a shuttle that never arrived. The rep was driving a van labeled "San Juan Travel" in case you think I just stupidly paid some random hustler.
Later, I found out that San Juan Travel is charging 50% more for shuttle services than other companies in Flores. This is yet another one of the problems with the Lonely Planet. Once they recommend a company, that company often ceases to try, and the standards are lowered and prices are raised because they now have virtually guaranteed business. Too many travelers blindly flock to their recommended places. But, those very hotels and restaurants tend to quickly become run-down. Lonely Planet becomes a victim to their own success.
Another issue I have is that this "traveling on a shoestring" rarely mentions the possibility of camping. The authors will recommend against certain places because "no accommodation for those on a budget." I went to some of these places anyway to find that it was often possible to camp... sometimes with the campground lending equipment.
I have found many of the Lonely Planet guides to be poorly researched (other than the history section which is well researched), and this guide is no exception. I am always amazed at the percentage of incorrect telephone numbers in the LP guides.
My recommendation... If you need a guide book for your travel, you are better off with one of the competitors.

Just as I expected

Reviewed by Bruce Hale, 2009-03-28

I'll say it again - everything to do with my purchase of this book was executed perfectly.

Lonely Planet Central America (Shoestring)

Reviewed by C. B. Henn, 2009-01-19

I was really disappointed in this product. I used the book for a couple days and it never gave me any useful information. My first complaint would be the maps. The maps are confusing and a couple of them don't even have street names listed. This makes it very difficult to find anything. Also, I was reading through suggested bars one night and found one I wanted to go to. No address was listed. I then looked at the map, and the bar was not listed. I walked around the town, but with no idea where the bar would be located, I obviously never found it. This made reading Lonely Planet's suggested bars somewhat useless. I also found that just by being in Lonely Planet, the restaurant would no long be a good choice. Even if it was a good, cheap option before being in Lonely Planet, as soon as it is a suggestion the number of tourists is going to go way up. Therefore, every restaurant listed in the book was about double the price as everywhere else. So I would never go to the listed restaurants. The same is true for the hostels. Every backpacker is going to show up at the ones listed, so if you are the type who is hoping to pay for a dorm room and have it to yourself, or just a couple other people, don't go to a Lonely Planet hostel. Also, I would say Lonely Planet uses "hot showers" a bit loosely when describing hostels. I went to a "hot shower" hostel with freezing water.

My suggestion is to of course get a guidebook. It's nice when you show up in a town to have some idea where you are and a few ideas of what to do. But get a less used guide so you aren't surrounded by tourists every time you want a cup of coffee. And really just asking other tourists where to stay, eat, and what to do is the best idea.