Frommer's South America Guide (3rd edition) gives a good general introduction to the major destinations on the continent.
Title: Frommer’s South America 3rd Edition
Intro: The collection of scaled down guides from Frommer’s, a sampler dish if you well, is a good place to glimpse into the major destinations in South America.
-The book packs nearly 800 pages of information on everything from hotels, restaurants, sites, background information, maps, tips, and transportation.
-The information is focused on major destinations and cities, therefore there isn’t a lot of details about small, out of the way places that few visit.
-A large trip planning section.
Negatives:
-Two countries are lumped into a difficult destination category 1.) Antarctica 2.) Colombia. While I can accept Antarctica in that group, Colombia I cannot. The country is far from difficult. It has a bad reputation from things well in the past, however, the days of terrorism are well behind the country outside of a few isolated incidents.
-Several countries are left out of the guide including Paraguay and the Guyanas. Not that many people visit any of the countries, but still, it’s a guide to the continent.
-The hotel and restaurant write ups tend to be lengthy, adding some unnecessary bulk.
-Not a single photo.
Authors: The authors are a collection of writers form all of the Frommer’s South American guides. Considering there are 8 authors, the editors do a good job of make the chapters run together smoothly.
Other: The What’s New in South America section lists many details, great and small, of new developments in every country. It’s a great way to see what has changed since your last visit.
For Purchase: www.frommers.com/bookstore/0471778974.html
