China (Eyewitness Travel Guides) | DK Publishing | good guide book, recommended over Lonely Planet

China (Eyewitness Travel Guides) | DK Publishing | Excellent China Travel Resource

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China (Eyewitness ...

	China (Eyewitness Travel Guides) DK Publishing DK Travel, 2005 - 672 pages average customer review:based on 31 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

good guide book, recommended over Lonely Planet

This is actually my fourth DK guide book. Prior to DK Eyewitness China, I've used Eyewitness Great Britain, Eyewitness London, and Eyewitness Paris on my previous backpacking/business trips. Never had any problems with any of the aforementioned titles. So this year, my wife and I decided to use the DK Eyewitness China for our 3.5 week vacation in the Middle Kingdom. We have also brought a copy of Lonely Planet, figuring it would give us more information over the image-intensive DK guide. The decision to bring along the Lonely Planet guide turned out to be a mistake and an extra pound or two that we didn't really need in our suitcase. The few times we attempted to use the Lonely Planet guide for information on various cities, we found exactly none of the information we needed. Instead, we got an earful of ramblings intended for college backpacking kids. DK guide, on the other hand, provided very easy to use maps and no-nonsense information. If you're exploring a major site, DK's 3d pictorial coverage is especially helpful in term of quickly orienting yourself. Sure, this book doesn't cover everything. Frankly, overall, Lonely Planet probably does offer more information - if you have the patience to read through all the horrible writings to get to the point. But if you want a highly usable and well-designed tour book that's lean and mean, this one is for you. Recommended.

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Excellent China Travel Resource

This guide proved to be an excellent resource for our trip to mainland China (Dec, 06). As a first-time traveler, I appreciated the tips on customs, eating, bathroom facilities, tipping, etc. The street guide for Beijing was extremely useful. The history section and timeline were interesting reading on the flight home. Our son, who is living in Yunnan Province, used to guide to plan some future trips of his own.

EYE WITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES

DK Publishing produces one of the very best travel guides: Best paper, best directions, photography, maps, etc. The only minus is that they are heavy to carry with you when trekking around the world. But that is what you have to endure for high quality. And I always have mine with me.

Also, their specialized editions on music, art, etc. are also great!

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DK Publishing THE BEST TOUR BOOKS!!

I love DK Publishing for their kids books as well as their travel books. Words can make a place seem great, and when you get there, the reality is VERY disapointing. DK SHOWS you most everything so you KNOW what they are talking about. I buy their books without the slightest hesitation. Buy with 100% confidence any DK Publishing product!

Good intro guide

I used two tour books to plan my trip to China: Eyewitness for the general details of the itinerary, and Lonely Planet for the logistical details. The Eyewitness guide has a massive amount of beautiful photographs and illustrations that help give the traveler an idea of the sights he or she can choose from, which is very important--unless you have a year or so to spare, planning a trip to China is as much about choosing what NOT to see as it is choosing what to see. I could also see this being the perfect guide for the more casual traveler; someone in a tour group or someone accompanying a designated "navigator."

That being said, if you are traveling solo (that is, not in a tour group or other organized group of some kind) you will also want to have a more "details-heavy" guide such as the Lonely Planet, which is full of details Eyewitness does not have, including bilingual maps and place names, as well as more and deeper descriptions of sightseeing locations, hotels, restaurants, and nightlife.

All tour books have their strengths and weaknesses, and although the lesser amount of logistical details is the main drawback of Eyewitness China, the large number of helpful photos and illustrations is its main strength. Although solo travelers will need a little more than this, for the casual or group traveler this guide alone would probably be more than enough to enjoy your trip to the Middle Kingdom.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5, 6, 7

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