Exploring South Africa
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Fodor's; 5th edition (March 7, 2006)
ISBN: 140001624X
Overall Rating: 3 Stars 
Readability: 5 Stars
Practical Information: 1 Star
Historical/Site Information: 4 Stars
Photography: 5 Stars
Buy
this book
Seldom have I seen a more beautiful travel guide. Exploring South
Africa is a full color book, each page littered with a smattering
of photographs to compliment the rich text. The first 45 pages
of the book are dedicated to South African history. The text is
informative and educational, delving deeper into the complex history
of South Africa than the average travel guide. The rest of the
book is a traditional travel guide, exploring the wonders of South
Africa. The information provided on places of interest in South
Africa is comprehensive. Road maps are provided for the independent
traveler, yet despite their attractiveness, are lacking in detail.
The information for the traveler is brief, often offering only
a cursory description of the attraction described. The luxurious
pictures attempt to offset the factual deficiencies, yet fall
short of their intended goal. The recommendations on food and
accommodation are relegated to a brief section at the rear of
the book and offer little help to the reader. There are additional
sections on both Lesotho and Swaziland, and brief, page long descriptions
of Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. These extra pages
are of little use other than to simply introduce the countries
surrounding South Africa. An informative Safari guide can be found
at the back of the book that provides both a brief description
of the animals and a high quality, close up photo. In short, Exploring
South Africa is beautiful but not practical for the independent
traveler. It would be an excellent compliment to a more practical
guide.
