<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Moon Mexico -- a fine guide, indeed.
Review: I used the guide in 2000 and found it quite solid. Everything mentioned in it was there, and I generally agreed with the assessments.
I like Moon Guides because they strike a practical balance between high-brow analysis of, say, the Blue Guides and cultural vacuum of Fodors. If you like to decide for yourself where to go, this one is a good start.
Rating: 
Summary: Good or Bad?
Review: It is tough to say if this book is the Good Mexico Guidebook or the Bad one on the market today. I don't want to jump to the hyperboles of my fellow reviewer. I have used Lonely Planet books and had an awful time of it before (see my review of Lonely Planet Brazil). So many people use Lonely Planet books that these "off the beaten path" travellers end up forming their own beaten path: they all stay in the LP-recomended hotel, eat at the LP-recomended restaurant, etc. LP is the Microsoft of independent travel books, and so you should use their books with caution. On the other hand, like most LP Asia books, LP Thailand is a classic - it served me well in the 1980's. So when I saw that Joe Cummings had traded his Thai travelling boots for a pair of Mexican ones, I jumped at the chance to use his guidebook for my Mexican travels. The results are mixed. Mexico is so big, there are so many places to go, and there are so many things to do, that it is a daunting task fitting it all into a single book (even a book this big!). Like LP's "On a Shoestring" guides, this Mexico book appears to actually be a synthesis and summary of some of Moon's other, more in-depth books, such as Pacific Mexico, Cabo, Cancun, etc. For that reason, it would appear that some of the Moon regional guides contain the details and nitty gritty. So if you aren't planning on criss-crossing the country from north to south, east to west, you might consider investing in one of the regional guides which covers a smaller area of Mexico in more detail. As an aside, if you can read a bit of Spanish and want to get really nitty gritty in the "Places to Go / Things to Do" category, check out mexicodesconocido.com.mx. They don't publish any guidebooks, but their travel magazines and on-line content is rich enough to replace any of the Mexico guidebooks on the market.
Rating:
Summary: Good or Bad?
Review: It is tough to say if this book is the Good Mexico Guidebook or the Bad one on the market today. I don't want to jump to the hyperboles of my fellow reviewer. I have used Lonely Planet books and had an awful time of it before (see my review of Lonely Planet Brazil). So many people use Lonely Planet books that these "off the beaten path" travellers end up forming their own beaten path: they all stay in the LP-recomended hotel, eat at the LP-recomended restaurant, etc. LP is the Microsoft of independent travel books, and so you should use their books with caution. On the other hand, like most LP Asia books, LP Thailand is a classic - it served me well in the 1980's. So when I saw that Joe Cummings had traded his Thai travelling boots for a pair of Mexican ones, I jumped at the chance to use his guidebook for my Mexican travels. The results are mixed. Mexico is so big, there are so many places to go, and there are so many things to do, that it is a daunting task fitting it all into a single book (even a book this big!). Like LP's "On a Shoestring" guides, this Mexico book appears to actually be a synthesis and summary of some of Moon's other, more in-depth books, such as Pacific Mexico, Cabo, Cancun, etc. For that reason, it would appear that some of the Moon regional guides contain the details and nitty gritty. So if you aren't planning on criss-crossing the country from north to south, east to west, you might consider investing in one of the regional guides which covers a smaller area of Mexico in more detail. As an aside, if you can read a bit of Spanish and want to get really nitty gritty in the "Places to Go / Things to Do" category, check out mexicodesconocido.com.mx. They don't publish any guidebooks, but their travel magazines and on-line content is rich enough to replace any of the Mexico guidebooks on the market.
Rating: 
Summary: DO NOT BUY or USE THIS BOOK
Review: This book was absolutely useless. I used this book in 1999/2000 and found the majority of the information contained in this book to be inaccurate or very outdated. I encountered numerous situations where services, i.e. trains, buses, hotels and museums had closed down or not existed for up to 10 years in the past! The 2nd addition did not update any of even the most basic of information. After countless experiences of "wrong advise/info" I tossed the book. Please bear in mind that I lived in Mexico for one year and traveled extensively during this time with my Mexican wife. Buy any other book but this one! You have been warned.
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT BUY or USE THIS BOOK
Review: This book was absolutely useless. I used this book in 1999/2000 and found the majority of the information contained in this book to be inaccurate or very outdated. I encountered numerous situations where services, i.e. trains, buses, hotels and museums had closed down or not existed for up to 10 years in the past! The 2nd addition did not update any of even the most basic of information. After countless experiences of "wrong advise/info" I tossed the book. Please bear in mind that I lived in Mexico for one year and traveled extensively during this time with my Mexican wife. Buy any other book but this one! You have been warned.
Rating:
Summary: useless
Review: Utterly useless! I found myself in mexico with this waste of space. Luckily after only two weeks I found the Lonely Planet book. Buy it if you need something to keep a door open, or rest you foot on, but that's all. Some important towns are not listed, hotel and restaurant listings are brief and often prices are not included. Do yourself a favour and buy the Excellent Lonely planet guide to mexico.
<< 1 >>
|
