Guide To Northern Thailand And The Ancient Kingdom Of Lanna

Rating:
Summary: The Other Thailand
Review: Northern Thailand, the location of the ancient kingdom called Lan-na whose capital was at Chiang Mai, is less well-known than Bangkok and the south. However, now that interest and tourism in this area is increasing, there is more of a need for information about this part of Thailand; Freeman's book is both timely and welcome.

As with the other books in Freeman's series, this is a guide to the temples, not a full-service guidebook. You still need a Fodor's, Lonely Planet, or whatever guidebook to plan the day-to-day practicalities of your stay. Once you get there, however, you will find Freeman's book to be essential in deciding what to see and in understanding what you are looking at. His expertise, writing, and photography remain unsurpassed.

The only criticisms I have about the book are that (1) it lacks a glossary (I recommend you jot down the definition and page location of unfamiliar terms, the first time they come up; you will thank yourself later,) and (2) the index is not up to par (for example, there is no index entry for the Emerald Buddha.)

But these are only minor criticisms. If your travels or studies take you to the temples of Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand, this book will be a very useful and valued companion.