I noticed that Fodor's doesn't have a guidebook specifically focusing on Kenya alone, so i looked at Rough Guide and Lonely Planet. Between these two, which ones have people found most helpful? Specifically regarding information about things to do/places to go in Nairobi, Mombasa, Amboseli, and other areas around the country, what book is the best for your money?

On a side note, i will be there for 4 months studying abroad, so i need more practical suggestions for places to go, as opposed to more expensive tourist oriented suggestions.

I found the Rough Guide to Kenya to be very good. I've read very bad reviews about the Lonely planet guide. Apparently the author wrote it after a very short trip to Africa and it has very very outdated information (hotels that have been closed for year, etc). Another guide you may want to look at is the Brandt Guide to Kenya. That and Rough Guide were the most recommended to me.

Very interesting. Thank you for that information. I did notice at the store that the Rough Guide book was a little bit larger and used more space explaining things more in-depth. Thanks for this.

I agree with divingprincess. We just returned from Kenya and found the Rough Guide to be more up to date and more comprehensive, with far superior writing. And as an added bonus, you can contact the author for advice on Tripadvisor, where he is the "destination specialist" for Kenya.

I just noticed that a new Rough Guide 9th edition came out in May. Is that the one that you two used or was it the 8th? Just wondering, because the new one is from 2010, but the 8th is from 2006 and i was wondering how out of date it might be by now.

I have the new edition (2010) and found it very up to date. Although I had previously associated the Rough Guide with budget travel, I found it comprehensive resource with great historical and cultural info.