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Title: Lonely Planet Iceland, Greenland & the Faroe Islands (LONELY PLANET ICELAND, GREENLAND, AND THE FAROE ISLANDS) by Graeme Cornwallis, Deanna Swaney ISBN: 0-86442-686-0 Publisher: Lonely Planet Pub. Date: May, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.91 (23 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: As solid as can be expected for unusual destinations
Comment: Despite the availability of internet resources, I think a printed guidebook is particularly helpful for unusual destinations such as these because it puts the hard-to-find information in one place under your fingertips. I used the previous edition of this book to take a week long trip to Greenland in January 2001. Even though a winter excursion to the Arctic is not a common vacation plan, this book told me how much sunlight to expect at what latitudes, estimated prices for air travel between towns, what sort of unpredictability to expect in the Arctic, whether or not it was feasible to do coastal travel by boat in the winter, the best times to see the aurora borealis, and the extent to which dog sleds are used as a 'normal' form of transportation, just to name a few. Of course it also provided detailed descriptions of towns which helped me choose my final destination. While providing the standard Lonely Planet maps, listings of places to stay, currency exchange options, restaurants, and whatnot, this particular guide also provides a healthy dose of reality. It makes clear that some places are quite difficult to visit unless you are well financed, and yet it also provides starting points for the extremely determined. Contrary to previous criticism, the previous edition (published in 1997) does in fact acknowledge the existence of the internet, providing email addresses and websites for further information. I can only imagine that this updated version is more complete. To quickly address the negative feedback that the guide is "outdated", please note the publication date of May 2001. That is quite current for any guide book. I do not think this book or say, "Lonely Planet : Antarctica" should be compared to the other Lonely Planet guides for the simple reason that the locales are some of the most remote on our planet with limited accessibility and unpredictable weather patterns. It's not nearly as easy for a writer or photographer to hop a jet to the Arctic as it is to Europe or Latin America. And once the person is there, he or she does not always have the luxury of roads or regular plane service to travel to the next destination. A person could end up waiting a week in northern Canada (as I did) to hop a plane to the next town on the itinerary. Furthermore, these are "niche" guidebooks which appeal to a very limited percentage of travelers. For economic reasons, they are not as likely to be frequently updated because the readership is not as substantial. My only criticism is as follows: because Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands are fairly remote destinations, I think there should be a deeper emphasis on what activities are available upon arrival, other than hiking, sightseeing, or organized tours. While the natural wonder of the area is amazing, the local cultures have just as much to offer. Furthermore, the Arctic can be a lonely place, even when you have traveling companions. Someone spending a few weeks in these northern wonderlands could benefit from more advice on how to best interact with the locals who spend their lives there.
Rating: 3
Summary: Nothing about the birds?
Comment: Iceland is famous for its millions of seabirds, especially puffins, that nest on the cliffs and shores. Unfortunately they all depart by September 1 (the puffins often in mid-August), and nowhere did I find that information, although I admit I didn't read the Lonely Planet guide from cover to cover. A group of us who visited in mid-September were very disappointed. In fairness, the other Iceland guides don't seem to warn of this either, nor do the travel brochures.
Rating: 2
Summary: Be aware of the agenda
Comment: While this travel gudie does cover Iceland in detail, one needs to be careful to note that lonely planet does have their own agenda. Many of the hotels they reccommend over other establishments are not the best accomodations. Their may even be other hotels in the area where they say there are no other places to stay. And from a guide in the west fjords, some of their contact information as well as their descriptions may be far off.
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Title: Insight Guide Iceland (3rd Ed) by Jane Simmonds, Insight Guides ISBN: 0887291767 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co Pub. Date: April, 2001 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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Title: Iceland Travel Map by Globetrotter ISBN: 1843302764 Publisher: New Holland Publishers (UK) LTD Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
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Title: Iceland : Land of the Sagas by David Roberts, Jon Krakauer ISBN: 0375752676 Publisher: Villard Pub. Date: 06 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Rough Guide to Iceland by Rough Guides, David Leffman, James Proctor ISBN: 1858285976 Publisher: Rough Guides Pub. Date: 03 May, 2001 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Footprint Reykjavik by Laura Dixon ISBN: 1903471591 Publisher: Footprint Pub. Date: March, 2003 List Price(USD): $11.95 |
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