Eyewitness Travel Guides: India (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

Rating:
Summary: Postcards from India
Review: "Greetings from New Delhi. The city is fascinating, troubling and exhausting all at the same time." ~postcard with a picture of the Taj Mahal from a friend who seems to travel a lot lately and was very sweet to send me a postcard

I was just about to review "Eyewitness Travel Guides: India" when a postcard arrived. In a few minutes I had located "New Delhi" on a map on page 71. I've been fascinated with India since I was very young. My father used to travel to India and bring us back little trinkets and fans and tell us fascinating stories about rickshaws, exotic breads and curry. Later we moved to Africa and learned to make curry and other fascinating foods. My Indian friends taught me how to make Chai tea and even Biryani/Bryani.

This book doesn't have any recipes, but it will give you an overview of the foods you could expect to find while traveling. I highly recommend "Tandoori" anything. Naan and mint chutney are also a favorite. I also found this book useful while watching the Apu Trilogy. You can look up information about various cities and see where they are located.

Features in this Travel Guide:

Over 2,400 color photographs
Information on mythology, religion, regional food and Mughal palaces
Where to find the Tiger Reserves
Advice on Local Etiquette
Visiting Temples and Going by Rickshaw
Cutaways and Major Sights
Easy-to-Use Maps and Plans
Information on more than 3,000 sights, stores, restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues

There are all sorts of intriguing facts. Who knew the popular paisley motif was derived from the shape of the manogo fruit. Calcutta is now Kolkata and you will even find pictures of women picking tea around Darjeeling. Ever wondered what a saffron flower looks like? See page 62. The Buddhist architecture and Hindu Temples have always fascinated me and you can find diagrams and pictures on page 23. Page 24-25 explores the areas of Hindu Mythology and The Great Epic Poems that have had a lasting impact on Indian culture and philosophy. Want to brush up on the History of India? This book is an amazing overview and is so much more than just a travel guide.

I am often amazed at how one book leads to another or how you will find common threads within a number of books you just happen to be reading at the same time. After reading the paraphrase of the 30th poem in Rabindranath Tagore's The Gardener in "Love Poems," I found more information on his life in this book.

Tagore was India's ultimate Renaissance man and his influence is still felt in all branches of the arts, particularly in Bengal. ~pg. 292

If you are interested in India, this book seems to be essential reading. (...)

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating book
Review: As an Indian and Indophile, I found the layout of this book quite unique. It is not only a travel guide but also a concise historical, cultural and culinary guide.
The photographs, plans and descriptions are so well done that I am reading it as I would a novel, reveling in every page!
I am learning so much about the land of my birth through this book.
Thanks to the writers and the editor for a magnificent job.

Krishna Jayaraman

Rating:
Summary: Best guide on any country I have ever seen!!
Review: DK's India is a work of joy. Very thorough and informative (including phrase books for five languages and tons of practical tips). Bought it in India and browsed through it as we visited places doubling the wonder of each experience. Written and put together by obviously a great team of writers, illustrators, art historians, photographers, editors and seasoned travellers. I am now finding that it is great for easy-chair travel around India also.
Wonderful. Shabash!

Rating:
Summary: Just a Beautiful and Comprehensive Guide to India
Review: I have to confess up front. I love these books. I must have a dozen. I really like the Paris book, and the ones for Prague and Stockholm, and South Africa, and ... now India.

On a cold day back here in the USA (or Canada) or elsewhere, have a glass of wine and sit in a nice chair or in the garden on a warm day and read this book. For a moment you will be back in India.

The photos and descriptions and cutaway drawings are excellent. Actually when I say excellent I have to say that - words cannot really give credit to the photographs. India is rich in ancient architecture and that is brought to life by the excellent photos - a specialty of the DK books. These photos jump out of the pages with bright colors. Also there are many nature photos of rivers and mountains that look more like Switzerland or western USA something new for many travelers.

Plus you find as in other DK books history time lines tied to politics, art, culture, and details on many other things of interest. It has all the regular travel information such as hotels and maps, but again the visuals are stunning. A solid 800 page plus effort - lots of stuff to see and absorb.

You will be amazed when you get the book - 5 stars.

Jack in Toronto

Rating:
Summary: The Real India
Review: I was delighted to read your review of the Eyewitness Travel Guide to India. As the project editor of this title, I would like to add a few words on why this guide is special. First, it is the only international guide to India written entirely by Indians. This makes it more accurate, more authentic and more full of insights into Indian culture, customs and lesser known aspects of the country than any of the other guides. Apart from the well known sights, this guide also covers fascinating off-the-beaten track places and subjects that most other guides do not cover. Our special features on themes such as religion and iconography, Indian music and dance, and the great epics make these complex subjects easily accessible to a foreign visitor. This guide is like a visual encyclopedia, and is as much a book for the armchair traveller, or an India enthusiast, as for the first time traveller.
Please do however give the correct names for the editors of the 2 Eyewitness travel titles on India. The editor of the Delhi, Agra Jaipur Eyewitness Guide is Aruna Ghose. The editor of the India Eyewitness Travel Guide is Nandini Mehta.
I look forward to reading reviews of these titles by your readers.

Rating:
Summary: Heavy but Worth it!
Review: These DK white books are uncommonly heavy. They don't have as much detailed information as the Blue Guides or Rough Guides, but are good for brief visits or first timers. Where they excell is their outstanding illustrations and diagrams, often cutaways. The maps are good, but the labeling system makes it difficult to locate things easily. Lots of full page color photos give a preview of the trip. It's a daunting task to try to cover India in a single guide, but this book almost does it. It's well organized, color coded by region. The picture of Palitana in the Gujarat section became the foundation for that section of our 2003 trip to India [ cascoly.com/trav/india.asp ], and the diversion provided one of the highlights of the entire 6 week trip.

Bottom line? Your best bet is to get the Rough and Blue Guides, then be sure that someone else on the trip is carrying the DK. Or buy the books you need, and then just scan the pages you need to bring with you.

Rating:
Summary: What more can I say?
Review: This book is a guidebook only in the broadest sense of the term. In 800 hefty, glossy, photo-filled pages you will find everything you need to know as a Westerner to make a trip to India an amazing experience.History, culture, art, religion, architecture, food--for every region!--are all covered, accompanied by lavish photos,drawings and maps. There's a cursory section in the back listing hotels and restaurants that's already outdated, but there are othere more mundane guides for that sort of thing, not to mention the internet. I wouldn't even consider hauling this book with me on a trip, though--too heavy, and it would be ruined. It's worth it to copy the pages for the areas you'll be visiting, and keep this book on your travel treasures shelf.

Rating:
Summary: Indiafan-by Mason
Review: This is probably the best Eyewitness Travel Book yet. It's BIG (824 pages), got lots of cutaways, floor plans, and history. And also includes great Indian cuisine. And the in-depth coverage on Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai, and Madras is amazing! THIS IS A GREAT BOOK! Any travel fun MUST buy this definitely!