Rating: 
Summary: Dull and Proud of It
Review: Lonely Planet has a bad habit of using grim Peace Corps Puritans to write their guides, and the one who wrote this one is even duller and more pedantic than most. He resolutely ignores all that might help you enjoy this wonderful country in favour of long disquisitions on Buddhist cornices. If you are touring Laos in order to learn more about the architecture of temples, this is your book. If you'd like to have a good time in Laos, look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: great copy, sketchy maps
Review: The book is tops for content, but watch the maps! We went following it in the central coast, and were very surprised to spend three days hacking through the jungle looking for Nokai, becuase even the road it was supposed to be on didn't exist. The towns are mislabled as well, nokai and laksao, so it was tough to get locals to offer advice as we couldn't understand why they were having such troubles finding and explaining where we were ( and weren't!). In general, lao is growing so fast- you can take the number of guest houses listed in any town, and double it. Overall great-- Joe knows his stuff!!
Rating:
Summary: Guide to nonexistent restaurants, old residences, old hotels
Review: The problem with this guide is that, even though things have changed since the last revision, the guidebook hasn't. I would strongly recommend the Rough Guide and a curious spirit over the Lonely Planet guide to Laos, even the new 4th edition. Either way you're going to contend with some bad information, but at least with the Rough guide you won't have to put up with Cummings' writing. I'm sure he's a brilliant scholar, but there are other reasons people go on vacation besides research. Don't miss Luangphabang and the villages up and down the Mekong, whatever you do. Beyond that, everything in Laos is hit-and-miss. Relax and enjoy it. I've never had so much fun on a vacation in my entire life, and it was cheap as dirt, too.
Rating:
Summary: Guide to nonexistent restaurants, old residences, old hotels
Review: The problem with this guide is that, even though things have changed since the last revision, the guidebook hasn't. I would strongly recommend the Rough Guide and a curious spirit over the Lonely Planet guide to Laos, even the new 4th edition. Either way you're going to contend with some bad information, but at least with the Rough guide you won't have to put up with Cummings' writing. I'm sure he's a brilliant scholar, but there are other reasons people go on vacation besides research. Don't miss Luangphabang and the villages up and down the Mekong, whatever you do. Beyond that, everything in Laos is hit-and-miss. Relax and enjoy it. I've never had so much fun on a vacation in my entire life, and it was cheap as dirt, too.
Rating: 
Summary: Wait for the 4th Edition
Review: Tourism in Laos is expanding rapidly. The LP 4th Edition should be in the works by now. Buy it. This, the 3rd Edition is now pretty badly out of date. Though, compared to other guidebooks, it's still the best around.
Rating:
Summary: Wait for the 4th Edition
Review: Tourism in Laos is expanding rapidly. The LP 4th Edition should be in the works by now. Buy it. This, the 3rd Edition is now pretty badly out of date. Though, compared to other guidebooks, it's still the best around.
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