Moon Handbooks British Columbia, Sixth Edition

Rating:
Summary: My favourite guidebook for British Columbia
Review: I know of no better book to my home province of British Columbia than this Moon guide. On my travels as a semi-retired geologist, I also carry copies of the Lonely Planet and Frommer's book and have reviewed both of them and others at Amazon.com, but Moon Handbooks British Columbia stands alone for its usefulness. The other books have their good points, but this one encapsulates everything one needs to enjoy the wonders of the province, whether it's their first trip or they live here. It covers every single corner of BC and is thorough and up to date.

The Moon guide is cleverly written and arranged to appeal to all budgets. The bulk of the text relates to towns and parks of BC, with informative coverage of everything from museums to fishing opportunities and wildlife viewing. Each section ends with details of the best places to stay and recommendations for dining. If you're camping out or RVing I'd suggest also getting a campground guide, but the Moon book suggests at least one campground in each town, each of which the author has obviously visited. Motels are also detailed, and over previous editions I'm yet to find fault with the author's choices. Ditto for bed and breakfasts and restaurants.

In my opinion, thois is definitely the best allround guidebook for British Columbia

Rating:
Summary: Moon Handbooks rule!
Review: I've used Moon Handbooks for years and they are simply the best! I have the Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Alberta, and now the British Columbia book, and I've never been disappointed. These books include the usual stuff, such as lodging, restaurants, and recreation, but they also include local history and cultural information that makes them far superior to most guides. Buy a Moon Handbook that covers the state you live in--you will be surprised at how much you can learn. If you're going traveling, they are indispensable.

Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably helpful!
Review: Relatives left this book with me after returning to England. I had never considered using a guide to my own country but have used it religiously this summer. The book somehow juggles basic facts about each area with insider tips and some excellent dining reccommendations (such as a great golf course restaurant just a few miles from our summer cabin at Radium that I never knew existed).I highly reccommend this book to all visitors to our country and have been doing the same to my Canadian friends. I have since bought the Alberta Moon book by the same author and am equally impressed.

Rating:
Summary: Very helpful, accurate and informative
Review: The book was a birthday present to me two months before a trip to Vancouver to visit my daughter. The Vancouver downtown map showed me the nearest hotel to her address and the prices quoted for hotels were a good guide. She has been in Canada for eight months, but did not know of a restaurant (Roosters Quarters) recommended in Denman Street which is 10 minutes walk away. This book saved me money, was a pleasure to read, and made the many other guides I looked at in the library totally redundant.

Rating:
Summary: Belongs in Your Backpack
Review: There is a percpetion out there that BC consists of Vancouver, Victoria and some other bits. This is the book about the "other bits."

I took a copy with me on a recent road trip from Prince Rupert to Vancouver, and it more than paid me back with useful information (not the least of which was the names of towns; apparently BC Highways doesn't believe in posting signs telling you where you are). Lots of history, which is always great, besides the usual road info. Take it, 'cause without it, you'll soon be on that unique BC mountain highway feature, the Runaway Lane!

Rating:
Summary: Great, but previous edition better.
Review: This is indeed a terrific guidebook for B.C. Previous editions, however, included Banff and Jasper National Parks, which admittedly are in Alberta, not B.C., but are usually included in Canadian Rockies travel itineraries. There's no excuse including Yoho (which is just over the border) but not Banff and Jasper, except to sell more books. So this is not an improvement.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Help
Review: This was the first of the Moon books I'd ever used and I was very impressed. There was a ton of useful information on general Canadian travel, but the bulk of the book is devoted to the various regions and the best of what there is to see and do. In places like Vancouver, where there are lots of museums, he discusses these; on Vancouver Island he tells all you'll need to know about water activities; in the Okanagan Valley he chooses his favorite wineries, etc. I'd been to BC previously, but visited a few great spots that I wouldn't have found without this book. The author concentrates on 3 or 4 places to stay and a similiar number of restaurants in each town and he has obviously done his research well as I couldn't find fault with the recommendations that cover all price ranges.

Also importantly, the book is very well organized and the maps were very helpful. I also liked the thorough bibliography.

Rating:
Summary: Up to date, informative and well written
Review: We've used the Moon books for many years in my travels through the U.S. and have generally found them superior to all other travel guides. We used the British Columbia and Alberta editions on a recent to trip to Canada, and found them equally valuable.

The British Columbia book begins with an overview of the region and then a chapter on just about everything you need to know about planning your trip, with dozens of helpful contact numbers and websites. The rest of the book is devoted to each region. While coverage of all the major cities and resorts is strong, out of the way places that I found to be equally delightful are also covered. All the best museums, hikes and tours are covered as well as places to stay and dining options for each town. Unlike other guides I've used, these reccommendations are detailed and accurate, giving me the confidence to make an booking and knowing that I'll be satisfied with the motel or restaurant. The book is also organized in a way that makes it easy to navigate, both before you leave home and also out on the road traveling.

Overall, I highly reccommend this book. It was worth every penny and made our trip through Canada all the more enjoyable.