I'm interested in any recommendations about guide books for Bali. More interested in content than pictures. Sights and activities are paramount. Thanks in advance.

picture books would be better

Lonely Planet has an excellent guidebook to Bali and Lombok.

I like the Periplus Adventure Guides. Good text and good pictures. Second choice would be Insight Guides Bali.

The guidebooks are effective for places that don't change like archeological sites, but are always seriously outdated on resorts, restaurants, shops and spas. There's just too much development going on in Bali right now to keep current.

There are several good magazines -- The Yak/The Bud is excellent for Seminyak and Ubud. Poleng for cultural events if you can find it.

I like the DK Eyewitness book series, which includes Bali. There are lots of pictures of places, and really easy to read maps, so you can decide what you want to see.

Back in the day (2002) I used Fodors, Lonely Planet and Rough Guide but even at that time I relied very much on the net - www.balitravelforum.com for up-to-the minute info (in spite of the Australian party-crowd bias) and for food - balieats.com.

mad

I second the Eyewitness Travel Guide to Bali and Lombok recommendation. Gives an understanding of the nature and geography of each area of Bali as well as the sights and activities.

Update-I already had the Insight guide and found it close to uesless. After reading your suggestions, I went to B&N and browsed. They did not have the Eyewitness guide. I chose the Persopolis guide over the LP and Rough guides. Its format seemed more accessible. I'll report later.

Try looking in the library for the different guides. Our town has several different ones and although a bit dated most info outside of restaurants and accommodations doesn't change much. Once I found one I liked I ordered the latest version to take along.

Gpanda, what is it that you're looking for guidance on? History, culture, restaurants, practicalities like maps and opening times? The different series have different objectives. I like Periplus because of its Asian editorial slant. I find their perception of what's really going on to be more accurate than other books (As if anyone really knows! ). However, it's impossible for any guide book to keep current in Indonesia when so much is in flux.

there are no libraries in cambridge....everyone there buys books for their "library" rather than getting soiled using books that others have used.....

this qualifies them as intellectuals.

some people have only picture books...

I look for several things in a guide book. One is a decent history/ culture overview. Another is an ordering of suggested activities, so we can pick the things we want to do. It helps if the guide differentiates between must-dos and suggestions. I also like suggestions for walks at variuos locations. In truth, I get hotel and restaurant suggestions primarily from this forum.

BTW, Cambridge is of course famous for its libraries. However, unlike cetain Needhamite cretins, i would feel uncomfortable marking up books from a libtrary. Oh, I realize the expression Needhamite cretin is repetitive.

andy---don't you ever use the globe book store??

I generally check out a bunch of guidebooks from the library during the begining stages of planning a trip, then buy the latest edition of the one or two books I find most useful. I couldn't mark up a library book either.

I found the Footprint Bali Handbook to be the best for me.

You can order a copy of "Ubud Surroundings" map from eMapStore in South Carolina for $7.95 which among other things shows the scenic walking trails around Ubud. http://www.emapstore.com/international/tmos3063.html

Once in Ubud you can get a walking map from the Ubud Tourist Information Office.