We hope to visit Vietnam and Cambodia in December. Can someone recommend the best travel information books. We live two hours from a book store, so will have to order on line without being able to check out the book. The public library has nothing. So insight from fellow travelers would be appreciated. We prefer economical expenses though not backpacking.

the "Lets go" series published in the usa is a good budget, but yet comprehensive series.....i am unsure if they have guides for these countries but you could check....amazon.com is a good place to start....

rhater than have a guide book for siem reap (angkor wat)..i would rely on a good guide...i feel that they are essential at that location....they are $20 (US) per day and worth their weight in gold...have a driver too for an additional $20/day...you will not need a guide book with them and they will save you tons of time and aggravation....any hotel will arrange them for you or look on this site...

Lonely Planet has a new edition of their VN guidebook just out. For Angkor, I recommend Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor.

I disagree with rhkkmk about a book for Angkor. Guides are ok and sometimes can show you things you would never find otherwise, but I have also overheard guides telling tourists incorrect information. I like Dawn Rooney's books on Angkor -- very thorough and informative. You can do a bit of reading before you get there as well.

What's up with Dawn Rooney's latest (5th) edition of her celebrated Angkor guidebook? I purchased it from Amazon in February, supposed to ship in April, Amazon still has an April shipping date on my order (!) but the new purchase page now says October 15 availability -- which is too late for my trip. Should I just go with the 2001 (4th) edition? Dawn needs to meet her deadlines a little better. Many thanks.

Clark, I'm not sure what is up with Dawn Rooney's book. (bu the way, I had the same experience with the new Nancy Chandler map of Bangkok) You'll be fine with the last edition.

I also have ordered Dawn Rooney's book - hopefully it will be released before my February trip. Other editions seem to be hard to get.

I was trying to get a copy of the new edition of Dawn Rooney;s book prior to my trip in early October. So I contacted the publisher to find out the status. He told me that the book is in galleys and couldn't give me an exact publication date. I found (with much difficulty) a copy of the 4th edition. The 5th will probably have a bit more upated info on whether certain temples are open to the public, more on hotels,etc. But I am pretty satisfied with the 4th edition for info on the architecture, temple groupings and descriptions, etc. Good luck trying to find a copy.

Hmmm... maybe I should auction off my copy.

I have a copy of the first edition as well. The difference between the first edition and the fifth is vast.

I just checked Amazon. There is an affiliated seller who has a used fourth edition for US$12.

Does the 4th edition have info on Kabal Spean, the site where there are figures and linga carved into the riverbed?

Dawn Rooney's book is the most complete, but, unless its been recently updated, it doesn't cover Kbal Spean. That's a great site and shdnt be missed. John Brandi's "Water Shining Beyond the Fields" mentions it as well as other Angkot Wat sites, but this is (fascinating) travel literature; not a per se guide.

I disagree with Marilyn's disagreement with rhkkmk's advice about a guide vs a book. If the guide gives him some incorrect information, so what? He won't know the difference because he didn't read the book!

And if he had read the book and then got wrong info from the guide then he would be confused. So, it's better that way, not reading the book. Less confusing.
Hope this helps!