Travel to China

Lonely Planet Shanghai

Format: Paperback
Author: Bradley Mayhew
ReleaseDate: March, 2004
Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
Rating:

Not fitting to my expectations
I've found more in some Polish guides of China (whole), surprisingly I haven't been supported by exact Shanghai guide as I expected. I found this guide not exactly fitting to my expectations - I went to Shanghai for business and it was difficult to find some really practical informations.
For me - too many details of pubs & clubs, food etc. If yor're there you'll find your favourites anyway.
Also the historic part (sightseeing guide) not fully satisfactory. Honestly speaking, I do not why. . .

But I'd say - for students travelling around the world - it's a good starter for that incredible city.

OK but not as comprehensive as it could be
A few observations from having used the guidebook for the past six months:

As an introduction to Shanghai, the Lonely Planet does a decent job for anyone who only has a few days to a week to spend in this dynamic city. I moved to Shanghai in August 2005 and bought this guidebook to orient myself to the city. The author covers the typical tourist areas well, including the Bund, Old Town (Yu Yuan), and the French concession. The walking tours described in the book are very nice as they go into the architectural history of some of the amazing colonial and art deco buildings in town. The history of Shanghai that is noted in the guidebook is not exhaustive but adequate.

The guidebook falls short for anyone seeking more information on Shanghai. Shanghai is larger than New York city and the guidebook is "thin", literally and figuratively. The coverage is hit-and-miss as well, and the section on bars and restaurants does not begin to cover the plethora of fun and exciting western and Shanghainese restaurants in town.

My wish list for improving this book:
- note in the eating section which restaurants offer English menus and which do not
- provide Chinese addresses (to show to taxi drivers)
- provide more recommendations on some of the best values in town, e. g. , massages and buying CDs/DVDs (genuine ones)
- provide an online supplement for sections that have changed since the last edition

My advice to anyone coming to Shanghai would be to
- get the most recent guidebook available
- spend some time online browsing the Shanghai expat sites.
- once in town, look for a free Shanghai map from a hotel and
- for dining, arts and leisure activities, pick up one of the weekly magazines that are available in hotels, bars, and restaurants

This will help you come up with a more current flavor of the city and provide a must-see/do list while in this amazing city.

Not as much as I hoped for...
The background/history portion of the guide was extremely sparse. I hoped that this guide would have more background on the history of the city and its attractions. I have not read any of the other popular guides to Shanghai so I cannot make an alternative recommendation.

Related products:
click image or link for details on these China travel books.

	Lonely Planet Beijing
	Lonely Planet China
	Time Out Shanghai (Time Out Guides)
	Lonely Planet Hong Kong & Macau (Lonely Planet Hong Kong and Macau)
	Fodor's Pocket Shanghai, 2nd Edition: The All-in-One Guide to the Best of the City Packed with Places to Eat, Sleep, Shop, and Explore (Pocket Guides)