1: Lonely Planet's Madagascar & Comoros
Writing a review of a travel guide that one has not yet used presents fundamental difficulties in judging the usefulness, accuracy, and validity of the information given. Nonetheless, I have lots of experience using guides and, further, I have the 2007 edition of Hilary Bradt's Madagascar book to compare with the Lonely Planet publication. To begin with, the Lonely Planet guide is of a smaller format and shorter in length than Bradt. It covers an additional subject, the Comoros. The net effect is a more surface treatment of the sights and regions of the country, but a heavy emphasis on such practical aspects as where to stay and eat and how to get around. There are excellent maps of towns and small local areas. Lonely Planet authors give opinions about destinations that have become too popular for their own good and suggest itineraries. One irritating feature, however, is the index. Numerous times, when I attempted to look up a place, I could not find it until I studied the two-page color map at the beginning of the book (you have to have an idea where in Madagascar this place is) and found out how it was listed. For example, I couldn't find Isalo until I looked under Parc National d'l'Isalo. Overall, I believe that the Lonely Planet guide to Madagascar is an indispensible companion, but I believe, too, that the Bradt has so many other assets that the two books complement each other and I would not want to travel in Madagascar without either of them.
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