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| India (Country Guide) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Sarina Singh, Joe Bindloss, Rafael Wlodarski, Amy Karafin, Paul Harding, Lindsay Brown, Mark Elliott, Simon Richmond, Virginia Jealous, Tom Spurling
Publisher: Lonely Planet
Category: Book
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $18.78
You Save: $11.21 (37%)
Buy New/Used from $18.76
Avg. Customer Rating:  (60 reviews)
Sales Rank: 17095
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 12th
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 1236
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 1.9
ISBN: 1741043085
Dewey Decimal Number: 915.404532
EAN: 9781741043082
ASIN: 1741043085
Publication Date: September 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 madam ,everything is possible in India... March 24, 2006
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
Although we found this guide book very helpful for trains, buses and places to go to, We've been to many places where the book only lists the big hotels and not the nice and cozy guest houses We've eventually found on our own. Many travelers that We've met on the road were looking for the same thing: nice guest houses and not big huge hotels.Also there are fast changes in India that Lonely planet should be informed about. We did for some of these changes but it was ignored. This new one did not have any of the changes we wrote to them about.
Good Cultural Info--Needs to Update and Expand Some Items March 14, 2006
13 out of 17 found this review helpful
We just got back from a wonderful month in India. I have always had a special place in my heart for the Lonely Planet guides and have appreciated their willingness to encourage me to venture into places I might be hesitant to go. And I was happy to get an India guide that was revised so soon before my trip. The cultural information and tips were very helpful, but some of the info still needs to be updated (shops behind the Taj Mahal where they describe problems were closed by the government four years ago). There are actually two Rikhi Ram music stores in Delhi--each run by a very talented and charming brother, and people should check out both (the other is at 144 Bhagat Singh Market, about a kilometer from the original).
We were there for Art of Living activities with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and people should definitely schedule a visit to his beautiful ashram 21 km south of Bangalore on Kanakapura Road (not mentioned in the guide, though he is probably the biggest spiritual and social force in India right now; most of the auto rickshaw and taxi drivers knew the way), or even take one of his Art of Living Courses. We referred to the guide in Bangalore, Delhi, Rishikesh, Vrindavan, Mathura, and Agra. I don't know how they should do it, but there are very few hotels listed in each city. One option we took (with some risk perhaps) was to book a guest house on the internet, which worked well in high-priced Bangalore.
The challenge of this guidebook is to represent a country that is larger than the U.S. in a single volume. I have not checked out other guides to see if they are more complete on hotel options, but the background on the various areas and the shopping and eating clues make this one worth looking at in any case. However, they are a little light on the high-end options and we were happy to have a high-priced meal once in awhile at a five-star hotel such as the Oberoi in Delhi and Bangalore, delicious multi-cuisine food; fresh pineapple never tasted so good. (Though generally stay away from salads when not at a five-star place. Our grapefruit seed extract kept us from gettting sick from food in India, and we never drank water that was not bottled, even for toothbrushing.)
The sidebar on the Beatles in Rishikesh repeats old misinformation. In Ringo's current book he says that he did not leave because of the food-he has food allergies and had already taken food he could eat with him-and he had only planned to stay a short while because of his then-wife's aversion to flies. The others left because of a rumor about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's behavior toward a female participant , but it turns out that the woman was an actress who was hired by a Beatles associate who felt his position was threatened by Maharishi's new role in their lives. In her book, "A Twist of Lennon," John's ex-wife tells how the experience was the best thing that had happened to them, and how wonderful Maharishi was toward them all. She cried when the Beatles did not even ask Maharishi directly about what they had only heard, though he came and sat nearby when they were leaving (they did not talk to him though). Ringo himself maintains that his mantra was the only thing of value he had ever gotten. The song part is right, though, and John Lennon called Maharishi shortly before he died to ask if there was anything he could do to help. The ashram itself moved to another city, but the unused remains of this one are still there, with the property controlled by the Indian government for the last four years. Rishikesh itself is an incredible place to meditate. Watch out for the gem stores though (most reputable seems to be Hanumant Gems near the taxi stand at Shivananda Nagar, Muni-ki-Reti, run by the son of the charming Gita Press trustee).
I went back and forth on 3 or 4 stars. All India is such a big project that perhaps a different format is needed. The guide was heavy for taking in our day pack, though we did, and we kept wishing they had pull-out pages. (They do have a separate South India guide but we didn't see that one.)
Enjoy!
 The Essential February 1, 2006
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
If you plan to go to India whether on a guided tour or your own, get this book. I just got back from India, and this book had everything spot on. Our guide has been leading tours in India and Nepal for 12 years and said that he thought this was the best guide for India he's seen.
You will enjoy the trip a lot more if you read up on the history, culture, and sections on each place you are visiting. Knowing what to expect will help you avoid the culture shock many people experience arriving in India.
No guide has it all, and this one missed one thing. Do not mail anything from your hotel. The bell captains take the mail, steam off your stamp, and resell it. Unfortunately, we found out about this after we mailed our postcards.
How can you NOT like Lonely Planet? October 19, 2005
10 out of 24 found this review helpful
The book is GORGEOUS - so informative! Our only problem now is that we have just 8 days to visit - I want to see it ALL! Descriptive to the max - Lonely Planet has done it again - for travelers, historians, or collector - this is a MUST!
Simply the best... September 20, 2005
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I traveled through northern India relying solely on Lonely Planet's advise on hotels and places to see - it never let me down. It gave great advise that saved much time and expense regarding the unreliability of airlines running to and from Leh, in Kashmir. If you're going outside of a structured tour package, this book is a necessity - no other guide compares.
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