Lonely Planet Trekking in East Africa (Trekking in East Africa, 2nd Ed)

Rating:
Summary: Good introduction, but not enough on the trekking peaks
Review: I found this book a good introduction to anyone expecting to go trekking in East Africa. It goes over, in substantial detail, all the factors you may face (medicine, visas, hotels, transportation, tours, trails, etc.). However, there is very little on the trekking peaks, which I thought would be the most interesting portion of the book. For example, on Mt Kilimanjaro there are only maybe 5-6 pages, with only an overview description of the routes. If you are looking for overall trekking in East Africa, this is good book, but if you are looking for info on the trekking peaks, there are other, more specific guides, that may be more helpful.

Rating:
Summary: Good introduction, but not enough on the trekking peaks
Review: I found this book a good introduction to anyone expecting to go trekking in East Africa. It goes over, in substantial detail, all the factors you may face (medicine, visas, hotels, transportation, tours, trails, etc.). However, there is very little on the trekking peaks, which I thought would be the most interesting portion of the book. For example, on Mt Kilimanjaro there are only maybe 5-6 pages, with only an overview description of the routes. If you are looking for overall trekking in East Africa, this is good book, but if you are looking for info on the trekking peaks, there are other, more specific guides, that may be more helpful.

Rating:
Summary: Essential luggage items: meds, visas and Lonely Planet
Review: I used this book to plan and complete a Kilimanjaro climb, a Tanzanian safari (Serengeti, Olduvai Gorge, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara) and a trip up the coast of Kenya. The book was more than helpful; it was essential to the success of the trip. Helpful information is complete, accurate and relevant: exactly what you will find in the Lonely Planet Trekking guide. The helpful information -- routes, housing, food, currency, gear, etc. -- are tools to keep you safe, healthy, prepared and even comfortable. The essential information is much more: it gives you a feel for where you are going and what's important about being there. Descriptions of languages, religions, customs, history, geography, geology, climate, etc., gave me a deeper awareness of the countries I was navigating through. This book is strong on both counts. Here's an example: The vocabulary lists were really helpful in opening conversations with staff, villagers and border officials. However, the book's essential advice was to just try your best at speaking Swahili, and the people you meet will respond very warmly to your having made the effort. The results were heartwarming, and they opened the doors to other discoveries I could not have made otherwise. The book itself is a valuable commodity. On Kilimanjaro I leafed through the chapters for maps and plant descriptions. The book so fascinated my guide that I gave him my copy as a parting present (though I couldn't part with it on the climb since it was the only map & route description we had!) Note that the Lonely Planet Trekking books do not promise to be field guides for the areas they describe: bring another volume(s) to help identify the flora and fauna you encounter.