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Product Description
Review
'For tens of millions of globetrotting readers, the Lonely Planet guides are the gospel of adventure travel.'
-- New York Times Magazine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
Discover Syria & Lebanon
Smile your thanks when the elderly caretaker of a Damascus house opens the door just for you
Test-drive your Arabic as you fly through the Syrian desert in a 1960s Dodge taxi
What conflict? Find your peace hiking amid waterfalls, hermitages and monasteries in Lebanon's gorgeous Qadisha Valley
Lather up with olive oil soap from Aleppo's famous souq - and learn how to pick one fit for a queen
In This Guide:
Three authors, 140 days of on-the-road research, one international conflict, countless invitations to tea
Ask the archaeologist: all your questions on Syria's stunning ruins answered by a specialist
Get the local lowdown: special color chapter featuring travel tips from Syrians and Lebanese
Smile your thanks when the elderly caretaker of a Damascus house opens the door just for you
Test-drive your Arabic as you fly through the Syrian desert in a 1960s Dodge taxi
What conflict? Find your peace hiking amid waterfalls, hermitages and monasteries in Lebanon's gorgeous Qadisha Valley
Lather up with olive oil soap from Aleppo's famous souq - and learn how to pick one fit for a queen
In This Guide:
Three authors, 140 days of on-the-road research, one international conflict, countless invitations to tea
Ask the archaeologist: all your questions on Syria's stunning ruins answered by a specialist
Get the local lowdown: special color chapter featuring travel tips from Syrians and Lebanese
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This guide was very useful to me while in the country - to tell me a bit about what I was looking at, allow me to plan along the way etc. The maps were generally pretty accurate (except for the location of the post office in Hama - it must simply have moved location, 'cause they were way out!)
However, some of the opinions and judgements were highly subjective. This impression was further reinforced when one of the authors announced on the Thorntree forum that she now prefered Homs to Hama - despite a strong feeling the other way being expressed in the current edition. Granted, cities change - but this example does highlight the necessity of going by your own judgement and feeling as much as anything else (I personally love Hama). Of course this is true of any guidebook, but is particularly the case with this one, as I am unimpressed by the bit about the authors in the front. They both seem well travelled and at least have a fondness for Lebanon (Syria doens't get a specific mention, being lumped with the rest of the countries under "middle east"!) but they live in UAE. It seems a great shame that someone with more experience of living in the two countries, and more fondness for Syria, couldn't have written the guide.
This leads to the final criticism - the lumping together of two sometimes very different countries, when each easily warrants its own guidebook.
I would very much like to see an LP guide to Syria, written by someone who has both travelled and lived there. Until then, this guide is helpful but more flawed than even the average travel guide.
However, some of the opinions and judgements were highly subjective. This impression was further reinforced when one of the authors announced on the Thorntree forum that she now prefered Homs to Hama - despite a strong feeling the other way being expressed in the current edition. Granted, cities change - but this example does highlight the necessity of going by your own judgement and feeling as much as anything else (I personally love Hama). Of course this is true of any guidebook, but is particularly the case with this one, as I am unimpressed by the bit about the authors in the front. They both seem well travelled and at least have a fondness for Lebanon (Syria doens't get a specific mention, being lumped with the rest of the countries under "middle east"!) but they live in UAE. It seems a great shame that someone with more experience of living in the two countries, and more fondness for Syria, couldn't have written the guide.
This leads to the final criticism - the lumping together of two sometimes very different countries, when each easily warrants its own guidebook.
I would very much like to see an LP guide to Syria, written by someone who has both travelled and lived there. Until then, this guide is helpful but more flawed than even the average travel guide.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought my first Lonely Planet guide back in 2000 when I started my backpacking trip around Australasia. My New Zealand, Asutralai and USA books were my bibles, they were full of great information.
However, I have bought a 3 Lonely Planets that have been updated within the last 3 years including this one and I have to say, it is not up to the same standard at all.
We bought the book for Lebanon and used it whilst spending a week travelling around. The book was really not that helpful. Money changes in a country so I never use that as a guide but the accomdation information was completely incorrect. Either places were closed or were nothing like they suggested.
The maps were wrong.
Also there just wasn't anywhere near enough information in the book about any of the places we visited.
We could have managed quite easily without it which is not something I would have said back in 2000 when backpacking.
We have noticed the same problems with our other Lonely Planet guides.
Definetly not recommended.
However, I have bought a 3 Lonely Planets that have been updated within the last 3 years including this one and I have to say, it is not up to the same standard at all.
We bought the book for Lebanon and used it whilst spending a week travelling around. The book was really not that helpful. Money changes in a country so I never use that as a guide but the accomdation information was completely incorrect. Either places were closed or were nothing like they suggested.
The maps were wrong.
Also there just wasn't anywhere near enough information in the book about any of the places we visited.
We could have managed quite easily without it which is not something I would have said back in 2000 when backpacking.
We have noticed the same problems with our other Lonely Planet guides.
Definetly not recommended.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This edition printed July 2008 is lacking in so many respects that I was left very frustrated. For example departure tax in Syria by land border is SYR£500 and by air SYR£1500, not the stated SYR£200 in the book. A lot of the maps were inaccurate. Adding 20% to most prices not the usual 10% seemed to be the order of the day. This guide seems too concerned in plugging 'the authors choice' (any kick backs involved...?) or showing pictures of people that could be 'nearly like us' with a personal profile and other nonsense. Having bought and used LP books for over 10 years, this is a poor effort and hugely dissapointing. It lacks the impartiality of other guides and the editorial stance seems to have shifted considerably since the BBC Worldwide buy out (no coincidence eh?). I met several people who had the same 2008 edition and they were of the same if not similar opinion. This book is aimed at time-poor-cash-rich travellers rather than backpacker budget types (for example the entry in Homs the budget hotel options start very cheaply approx US$8, yet the 'authors choice' is approx US$100) even though it attempts to address the needs of both it does it badly. Bus stations are mentioned that either no longer exist or services reportedly arriving/departing no longer exist. While I accept that things are subject to change to be so out of date 2 months after publication is a bit much. Where the book is actually really good is in its descriptions of sites and the LP way of packing a lot of historical information into a few pages concisley remains. But this is not going to stop me switching to Rough Guide because I reckon LP have lost their way if not the plot...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The best travel guide to Syria and Lebanon, but lacks historical...
This is a good effort by the LP, and in terms of practical information, it is a worthwhile travelling companion. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Rich Slater
good book
4* we bought (2008) some informations out of date but still good for all details Syria and Lebanon (Lonely Planet Multi Country Guide)
Published 12 months ago by maxsaensing
guide book classic
Lonely planet guides are a classic nowadays..helpful (whether it's a short 2 week trip or longer)
.. give you a basic idea but they're not THE book if you know what I mean.. Read more
.. give you a basic idea but they're not THE book if you know what I mean.. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Sam
Usual Excellence
As usual we found this Lonely Planet Guide to be invaluable. Full of information and explanations of history and different religions as well as hotel and restaurant... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Willow
Good if you're going only for a short while
I travelled around Lebanon and Syria for approximately one week. For that time, the book was fine, although the descriptions for each place were rather short. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Spliid
M.Akkaya
It is a must have if you are visiting Syria, It gets a perfect score about touristic sites especially the souqs of Damascus. Read more
Published on 15 April 2010 by M. Akkaya
Lonely Planet, Syria and Lebanon
Wonderful book, easy to read, up to date info on both countries. Lots of stuff on history, current life, politics. Descriptions of hotels, restaurants, sites are spot on. Read more
Published on 17 Jan 2010 by Mrs. K. Rayman-bacchus
Unfortunately the best of a bad lot
For a practical guide for travelling this is probably the best. I actually bought the Bradt Guide, but it was hopeless for hotels unless you're intending the spend a lot. Read more
Published on 29 July 2009 by blackrose
LP could do a lot better
I bought this guide because I sometimes buy LP guides when I travel to new areas. Unfortunately, this guide does not measure up to LP standards. Read more
Published on 10 April 2009 by Know-all
Outstanding new edition!
The new July 2008 edition recently arrived. I think it's a great advance over previous editions, although I agree with Lara that Syria warrants its own Lonely Planet guide. Read more
Published on 26 Aug 2008 by J. A. Bartle
Listmania!
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