Best tour guide BOOK on China?

[hanxue]

Hey guys, I'm looking for a China tour guide book, so what would you recommend as the best choice?

I'm looking for a neat book that will describe the must-see places in Chinese provinces/cities and provide pictures.

So far I've been looking into these:

- China (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

- China (Lonely Planet)

Are these good? Anything else?

Thanks

[abcdefg]

Buy either or both of those and read them to whet your appetite and help you decide where you want to go and what you want to see. Then search out current specific information on the internet. Such books are always out of date before they ever get into print.

[Daan]

The Lonely Planet's definitely the best, but it's never a bad idea to have more than one, and to do internet research beforehand as abcdefg suggests

[Lu]

I found the Lonely Planet very good for China. For pictures, go to the internet or buy a separate book with pretty pictures of China. Once you get to China itself, you want to know which bus goes from hotel to highlight, not drag around a load of pictures when you can go and see the real thing and take your own pictures.

[liuzhou]

I haven't looked for a while, but I always found Lonely Planet very patchy. Some coverage good; others utter nonsense. Certainly the descriptions of the two cities I know best in China were total nonsense. It was very clear the writer had never left the railway station, if (s)he had even passed by.

Top tip, though. Tear the thing up. Don't carry around the whole thing. Tear out and staple up the pages for the places you are actually going to visit. You don't need to carry all those pages on Xinjiang if you are only going to Yangshuo!

[Meng Lelan]

I still have the very first Lonely Planet guide on China that came out in 1986.

I just got a Dk Eyewitness guide to China last week, the cross sections of various sites are really something. And the photos too. If I go to China this summer, I'm taking that one.

[knadolny]

I had the Lonely Planet on my first trip to China and it was a huge help. But...

I haven't looked for a while, but I always found Lonely Planet very patchy. Some coverage good; others utter nonsense.

I agree with this comment. I found that true in some of the cities I passed through. Use the guide to just guide you to a hostel on your first city. Then connect with other travelers and hear their stories. Then you don't need much of a guide. The book will tell you the major attractions, but local ads, fellow travelers, etc will give you a much better idea of what is actually there when you arrive.

I bought my guide back in 2003 so it's been a while. I can't compare to the other books out there.

[chrix]

I actually love DK Eyewitness guides, but I can't speak to the quality of their China one.

I used to be a Lonely Planet fan, but in this internet age, their approach is getting less important, though it might be different for truly off-the-beaten track places where no reliable info is available through the internet, though I've also seen cases where the reporting on these places was quite strangely done (as others have mentioned).

But still I think DK guides with their visual approach have a real advantage, you won't get that from the internet...

[hanxue]

Where in Beijing can I buy DK Eyewitness guide book on China? I would especially like to buy the latest edition which came out last month if possible....

[nazreal]

I used Lonely Planet before in Vietnam and that was the latest edition for the time - as someone has already mentioned, it was very patchy too. Some restos where listed but when we got there we'd found out that resto had been replaced by a clothes shop a year ago or so. So later, I switched to the Rough Guide and I find them a lot more reliable, to the point, and quite realistic and accurate about things.

Hope that helps!

nazreal

[hanxue]

Thanks Nazreal.

Any ideas where in BJ I could purchase the Eyewitness travel guide?

[simonlaing]

I have used lonely planet mostly. I also think lonely planet quality has gone down, or perhaps China has become more tourist friendly so people don't need as much help as before.

I had some British friends who really liked the Rough Guide to China. I hope they still publish it. I did most of my China traveling in 2001-2003. (after SARS I was a bit pampered)

It was really good for telling people of hostels and outdoor activities that people could do. Like places to rent bikes and go caving. It's luxury listings were sparse or non existent though.

I liked it's descriptions though it's maps we're as good as the lonely planet ones as I remember.

Good luck,

Simon:)