Travel to Latin America

Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)

Format: Paperback
Author: Danny Palmerlee
ReleaseDate: 30 November, 2006
Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
Rating:

New 7th Edition Offers Important Updated Information
I bought the previous book 2 years ago and, even at that time, was struck by how out of date and inaccurate some of it's information was. I purchased the latest edition of this book shortly after it's release on November, 30 and was very impressed with it's significant improvements over the 6th edition. My wife grew up in Ecuador, still has family living there and goes back every year to visit (I go there with her every 2 years). So we, especially she, have a pretty good idea about what is happening in the country in terms of politics, prices and other information relevant to travellers. But we were disappointed how the previous book barely mentioned the major impact of dollarization on the Ecuadorian economy and the substantial increase in prices it has caused. So much so that most Ecuadorian families now have at least one or more family members working overseas in order to send money home just so the family can survive.

Fortunately, the 7th edition provides much more up to date information on this subject and others. Of course, prices for travellers are also more accurate since this edition is "hot off the presses". The book does a good job of covering all regions of the country - the Andes mountains, the Pacific coast and the Amazon rainforest. Lonely Planet, as usual, includes not only the big cities and major tourist attractions. But also small towns and other "off the beaten path" places that may be of interest for those exploring the tremendous natural beauty and cultural diversity that Ecuador has to offer.

Lonely Planet is still among my favorite publisher of travel guides. But, this book, like many LP guides, seems to have moved away from the free-spirited, adventurous approach to travel that characterized it's early years. Nowadays, the guides seem much more inclined to politically correct lectures - no hitchhiking, no intoxicants, be a good little backpacker, blah, blah, blah. Of course, I understand the importance of being respectful towards the environment and local culture, making safe and responsible decisions, etc. But I also feel that LP's writers sometimes have their own political agenda to push and take an overly self-righteous tone that is more indicitative of Western values than Ecuadorian ones. Heck, I'm part of an Ecuadorian family myself now and I know that they would find alot of LP's advice and commentary about "how to behave" to be exaggerated and ridiculous. Ecuadorians are generally a very laid back and fun loving people. Of course, you should be respectful of Ecuador's beautiful nature and diverse cultures. But also relax, enjoy yourself and don't let LP's excessively "politically correct" attitude bog you down.

Still the 7th edition is a big improvement over the 6th and I recommend it for those travelling to Ecuador in the near future. .

6th edition 3.5 stars... time for update, guys


Quito is rather different nowadays, bus lines are new, and there are different security issues. I'm a Lonely Planet addict who knew better than to blindly buy this edition (if you order one now -6th edition, as I did, you'll get 2003 info), but addicts usually are not known for using their heads.

At least I can say that 6th ed authors err on the side of caution (eg it's risky to expect to book last minute space on Galapagos boats; or take a taxi at night even if you're going one block), but the exceptions to these dicta are too great to accept that this edition is up-to-date. The errors in museum hours and bus info (Mitad del Mundo, for one) need revision.

Worst thing about ANY Lonely Planet is their system of maps. Reader never gets text of an attraction or restaurant or hotel referenced to map location. AND if you need reading glasses, just forget about using these maps when you're in a dark taxi or dark restaurant (often the places you need to read them). Bringing a magnifying glass is not always easy.

Another grouse. . . while authors want to tell the traveler that the most conveniences are in the Mariscal Sucre area (gringo landia), they don't leave it at that. They list almost no restaurants & resources outside that area. I thank the authors for including my fringe area hotel in the book, for I can walk to grungy backpacker-ville any time I want to, BUT there is a true pressure towards a kind of "this is where you will stay because most travelers do. " Get off the beaten path, fellas!

So, thanks for the tips, but I'm glad I used travelwise. com and other resources. Lonely Planet system may be a thing of the past soon.

You can take it with you
Once you get the book, you are invited to go on-line for up-dates. I've used LP before for trips. There you are directed to "The Thorn Tree" forum. I used it just about every day to keep well-informed and prepare for the trip. The guide is an easy ready and full of useful information. Prior uses were very accurate.

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