almost perfectMarch 23, 2007 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Well I felt a wee bit smug with my Footprint guide when I saw other tourists in Sri Lanka struggling with their Lonely Planet guides. It's really in depth (particularly the sections on history, religion and economy) and enjoyable to read - you kind of get to like the author for some reason. Perfect if you're touring the country except it's very out of date, it was written before the tsunami. Just phone ahead when booking accommodation and ask locals when you need to use public transport. Expect to pay a lot more for things than the prices quoted in the book.
Needs updatingFebruary 5, 2007 2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book contains some really detailed and fantastic information. However, despite it's claim to be a "totally updated and revised guide" it is actually quite badly out of date. I have opted to take the Rough Guide instead, even though the detail is not as good.
Well DoneJuly 12, 2004 3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Congratulations, Mr Aves. A superb book. Still a best seller! CX
Sri Lanka - footprint guideMarch 23, 2004 9 out of 12 found this review helpful
I chose this book over lonely planet becuase it's layout and reference sections were much easier to follow. Also it was the latest version available in the shops.
I was a little disappointed that some of the information in the book was out of date already! Resturants recommended no longer existed, prices had changed and journey times were often out by a few hours (especially on trains). Often what the book told me to expect at a site / place wasn't the case.
Also the maps though handy for general direction could have done with a more accurate scale. And I thought more detail could have been covered about the sites of Sigyria....it was very sparse and this site deserves more than what was in the book.
An OK guide but nothing brilliant.
Great Stuff!November 13, 2003 24 out of 25 found this review helpful
I found this book to be absolutely bang on the money! I also had a Lonely Planet guide with me and didn't really need to use it once! In fact, the few times I did look at it (especially when I was in the North East) it was frequently wrong in comparison to the Footprint guide anyway. I especially liked the slight departure from Footprint's somewhat "formal" style of old, and reading Edward Aves's text was like being guided through the country by a trusted yet very informative old friend. An absolute gem!
