FromDC

Has anyone read "To Asia with Love: A Connisseur's Guide to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos.."? I was trying to find the 2005 Insight Guide to Cambodia and Laos on amazon and up popped this title. I'm starting to plan our October trip to Bkk, Angkor and Luang Prabang. The board has been very helpful and I do have lots of other questions...but this first.

Craig

I also saw the Connisseur's Guide on Amazon. I read the reviews and concluded that it would not be helpful. I do have the Insight Guide which is ok. It has a lot of excess information since we also are only doing Angkor Wat and Luang Prabang (plus Bangkok). I just purchased and received "The Footprint Guide to Laos". It has an extensive section on Luang Prabang - much more info than Insight.

FromDC

This afternoon I went to a bookstore and found the book. I browsed through it and decided it was definitely not worth buying. Almost randomly compiled. I will look for the Footprint guides as you suggested. Do you have a recommendation for a Cambodia book?

laurieco

There's a Footprint Guide for Cambodia as well.

Craig

There is a Footprint Guide to Cambodia but there is also a guide dedicated to Angkor which is highly regarded on this forum. It is Dawn Rooney's "Angkor: Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples" - the fifth edition is supposed to be published this summer - the previous editions have slightly different names and are out of print but you could probably find a used one if you are in a hurry.

laurieco

Considering that Angkor hasn't changed much in a thousand or so years, I don't think you'll do harm to your trip buying an older edition.

Gpanda

I've read portions of "to Asia With Love" and I liked it. It is very undirected and contains various random vignettes. Some of which are interesting and others not. I lent my copy to Bob (RhkKmk). He can provide the conservative suburban view.

Craig

Andy - just wondering whether undirected and random vignettes can only be the product of liberal urbanites or whether conservative subarbanites are capable of producing this as well. Looking forward to hearing Bob's opinion on this.

Gpanda

Craig-It's been my experience that suburbanites usually relate some treacly sweet story including a dog, an illness and someone persevering in the face of overwhelming adversity. I grew up in the suburbs of NY and Washington, DC. I've heard these stories ad nauseum. Bob's stories have the amusing inclusion of a Marriott. Somehow, he remains interesting and informative. Of course, I gave him the book 3 weeks ago, so he's probably only on Chapter 2. The light in Needham is rarely good enough to read (How else can one explain his reactionary politics?).

laurie_ann

I have to Asia with Love. I would probably not bring it to SE Asia with me as it is more anecdotal, with suggestions for off beat things to do, for example quiet places, but there were a few tips that are worth the price of the book when you consider it hardly costs more than going to a movie, for example that there is a temple at Angkor that is the only one that shows scenes of daily life rather than the myths and that you can see right nearby that in many ways the lifestyle hasn't changed in all these years, fishing, cooking, farming. Such insights are why I travel. If you are looking for a guide book, sleeping, eating, shopping, transportation etc. and a good dose of history and culture, then I think the Footprint series are the best
I found. Enjoy planning your trip!

rhkkmk

andy--karen is almost finished with the book...she is loving it....i found a 3 syllable word on page one so i had to put it down....there is nothing wrong with our lite now that the sun is out!!!

Gpanda

Syllable itself is a large word for a banker. I found the book to be somewhat Vietnam-centric, but it had a number of good tidbits about other countries. I found myself reading it with a notebook handy to record interesting items. Bob, that's a notebook, not a ledger.

divediva

Bob...does karen read the book and then you enjoy it thru osmosis?
i just read a great book called "three moons in vietnam" by maria coffee...makes me rethink my trip to vietnam...now I want to expand my days in vietnam...