The Amazon: Including the Gran Sabana and the Pantatal (Cadogan Guides)

Rating:
Summary: Much to cover
Review: Although a little out of date this is still the best book on the area on the market. The flora and fauna section are comprehensive and written by professional botanists and biologists and this is the only book properly to cover areas like Manu, Tambopata and Noel Kempff. It is a shame it is not larger as there is much to cover - 9 countries and an area bigger than Australia.

The previous reviewer is incorrect to say that there is no information on conservation or the pillaging of the Amazon by multi-nationals. This is all in the text either contextually or under the history section; which also spells out in detail the abuses wrought on indigenous peoples. However it would have been good to see it have its own designated section as well.

Let's hope that Cadogan do a new edition adn give it a good deal more pages.

Rating:
Summary: Much to cover
Review: The Amazon is a world unto itself and this guide will help you explore this world. This guide introduces you to the various cities and towns, vast jungles and the myriad of rivers that flow through this world. Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, the Guianas and Venezuela all lay claim to this world and all are covered in this guide.

The practical A-Z section is basic but good. Statements like "Avoid eating endangered species" are a bit moronic, especially when no list of endangered species is offered. The 50 pages devoted to `Amazon Wildlife' are helpful, but your chances of seeing most of the wildlife documented in the book are slim. After five days on the rivers and camping on land in the Manu Biosphere Reserve, my medical group had yet to see a single form of wildlife, other than the occasional spider monkey. The brochures that you are handed at the travel agency have beautiful photos of the animal life that you probably won't see. However, what the Amazon lacked in visible wildlife, it made up for with its insect population. And, to the guides credit, it does start off the "Fauna" section with a the insect section. The Amazon Spirituality (Rainforest Shamanism) and the Music and the Amazon sections were delightful.

I relished the forthright and candid critiques of the agencies ("the elevated price of this agency hardly justifies the modest increase in comfort"), hotels (it is the best cheap hotel in town) and restaurants (one of La Paz's best Italian restaurants). That said, you will only get a handful of recommendations for major cities and if you plan to stay longer it is best to get a country guide.

There are no prices, or costs, for anything! This is a substantial omission. No prices for agencies service, no prices for the restaurants nor for the accommodation. Nor does the author take to task the serious damage that is being done by multinational mining, logging or petroleum companies. Scant is said about the escalating ecological damage that each country is allowing in the Amazon. And then there is the bare bone "further reading" section and an absence of any any films or documentaries set in, or about, the Amazon. All of these are significant short-comings.

Be aware that this guide will not help you decide where to go, it gives no recommendations, it only helps you whittle down your choices; by laying out all the possibilities before you. When you consider that the Amazon is a world, spanning 11 countries, each with scores of places to explore, you are somewhat lost in the jungle, so to speak. So, it is a useful, but not great guide.

Rating:
Summary: A useful but not a great guide.
Review: The Amazon is a world unto itself and this guide will help you explore this world. This guide introduces you to the various cities and towns, vast jungles and the myriad of rivers that flow through this world. Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, the Guianas and Venezuela all lay claim to this world and all are covered in this guide.

The practical A-Z section is basic but good. Statements like "Avoid eating endangered species" are a bit moronic, especially when no list of endangered species is offered. The 50 pages devoted to 'Amazon Wildlife' are helpful, but your chances of seeing most of the wildlife documented in the book are slim. After five days on the rivers and camping on land in the Manu Biosphere Reserve, my medical group had yet to see a single form of wildlife, other than the occasional spider monkey. The brochures that you are handed at the travel agency have beautiful photos of the animal life that you probably won't see. However, what the Amazon lacked in visible wildlife, it made up for with its insect population. And, to the guides credit, it does start off the "Fauna" section with a the insect section. The Amazon Spirituality (Rainforest Shamanism) and the Music and the Amazon sections were delightful.

I relished the forthright and candid critiques of the agencies ("the elevated price of this agency hardly justifies the modest increase in comfort"), hotels (it is the best cheap hotel in town) and restaurants (one of La Paz's best Italian restaurants). That said, you will only get a handful of recommendations for major cities and if you plan to stay longer it is best to get a country guide.

There are no prices, or costs, for anything! This is a substantial omission. No prices for agencies service, no prices for the restaurants nor for the accommodation. Nor does the author take to task the serious damage that is being done by multinational mining, logging or petroleum companies. Scant is said about the escalating ecological damage that each country is allowing in the Amazon. And then there is the bare bone "further reading" section and an absence of any any films or documentaries set in, or about, the Amazon. All of these are significant short-comings.

Be aware that this guide will not help you decide where to go, it gives no recommendations, it only helps you whittle down your choices; by laying out all the possibilities before you. When you consider that the Amazon is a world, spanning 11 countries, each with scores of places to explore, you are somewhat lost in the jungle, so to speak. So, it is a useful, but not great guide.

Rating:
Summary: Great pictures, practical information, and background info.
Review: This was the only Amazon guide I found which really covered the whole area. The background information was easy to read, fascinating, and written by genuine experts - senior scientists, field researchers, members of the U.N working group on indigenous peoples, and by indigenous people themselves. The practical information covers, and extensively reviews tour operators and jungle lodges in all the main Amazon countries. The beautiful photo essay captures the mystery and majesty of the region. Good for on the road or at home reading.