Amazon.co.uk Review
From the guesthouses in the Himalayan foothills to beach shacks in Kerala; at Anjuna's flea market or riding a
rajdhani express train from Delhi to Bombay, two topics dominate traveller's conversations--should you give money to beggars, and which is the best guidebook? The latter may seem a trivial matter, but when it's going to be the heaviest item in your bag to be dragged round for months on end its importance is elevated. In William Sutcliffe's classic India backpacker satire
Are You Experienced?, the debate was won easily by what became known as "The Book" (a.k.a.
Lonely Planet India).
Footprints India Handbook 2001, the tenth edition, enters the fray and many, Amazon.co.uk readers among them, praise it as a good, if not better, option for the independent traveller. It certainly crams in the information. Of the 1,400 pages, some 1,178 are a densely packed guide to the maddening, magical, diverse India, from the most obscure temples to off-the-beaten track villages. Though small-type, the text is pleasingly designed and easy to read. Stylish, simple maps add to its user-friendliness.
Although Footprints, covers transport, eating and sleeping for a wide budget range, price isn't the key factor. Where at LP and others, budget is the number one consideration, at Footprints this comes second to sights and culture. History, politics, art, food, religion, architecture and contemporary Indian life are enthusiastically documented in easily digestible boxes, which pepper the pages. A colour atlas, language guide and background section round the book off. Running at something like 700,000 words, Footprints India Handbook 2001 is an incredibly detailed, weighty competitor, aimed at "free-spirited individuals". --Sarah Champion
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Amazon.co.uk Review
It's almost a rite of passage to backpack around India, a country where "history and culture are not just packaged and brought out on show for the tourist, but lived". India's plethora of cultures, landscapes, sights, sounds and smells makes it a richly rewarding destination. The Footprint India Handbook 2000 is an indispensable guide for the independent traveller or armchair India enthusiast.
The Footprint series made its name with the excellent South American Handbook. The same production values and thorough research are evident in the Footprint India Handbook 2000. Divided into regions, the book lists places to visit, suggests accommodation and places to eat to suit various budgets, and gives information on history, festivals, shopping and entertainment. Maps and charts break up the text, and the authors, Robert and Roma Bradnock, throw in quirky facts to enhance your experience. Their love for India is evident, as is their understanding of travellers' needs.
The back of the book contains large-scale colour maps of the country. There are few colour photographs, but what the guide lacks in gloss it makes up for in substance--particularly in its guides to India's main religions and special-interest travel. The cardboard cover and book-marking flaps make for a sturdy, hard-wearing format. It's time to get out your rucksack. --Anna Hornsey
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