rough guide that is just that - a rough guide (Rough Guide Thailand)

Member Name: kissy1

Product:	Rough Guide Thailand
Date:	07/05/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: opens the country up

Disadvantages: only champions certain places

I bought this book as I was planning my gap year and I wanted to browse what I could do once I reached Thailand, it was great for helping me plane in advance. When I bought this book I was unsure of which route I would take around the country, what I wanted to see, and what to avoid. I found the book really useful for this as it gives top attraction, recommended routes, info on everything from what to see, where to go, what to do, and how to get around the country. I told me how to avoid being hassled by the men (they advised to carry a picture of me with a man and some children and claim they were my family, I used my brother and god 2 nieces, and it worked a treat!) The information in the book was really accurate, the prices were slightly out, but prices and exchange rates change, so we can forgive the nice people at rough guide for that!

The only downside I found to the book was that t champions certain hostels, hotels, restaurants, bar etc. So everyone goes to those ones, meaning they put their prices up, they get booked up quickly and may not even be the best places anymore. I saw one restaurant with a sign that read "we're not in rough guide or lonely planet, but try us anyway"

The book is well worth the money you spend on it, the only thing I would say is try to use the net as well, read other traveller reviews and don't only stick to the things in the book.

Summary: use only as a guide, and not an itinerary