Southeast Asia on a Shoestring

View other editions of Southeast Asia on a Shoestring.
View books by China Williams.

Good, Bad And Ugly!! - Rated
Lonely Planet - great for maps and local transport but thats about all! As any experienced traveller will tell you, the minute any restaurant, cafe or hotel gets it name in LP then its prices will double and the standards will half!
I also agree with some of the other comments here, why do they try so hard to be cool and why do they tell us what we should and shouldnt do?
An OK book but now and then leave it in your backpack and be adventurous.

Good, but rely on it too heavily - Rated
A good book, which his indispensable when travelling. However, you would be well advised not to rely too heavily on this book, as much of the information can be out-of-date by the time it is printed.

Buy the Let's Go guidebook instead - Rated
I thought it was a struggle to navigate South America using the Lonely Planet shoestring guide for that region, but I knew nothing about frustration and despair until I made the mistake of buying this.

Nothing as trivial as a guidebook should make a person shout and swear in public, yet that is what I was reduced to. I'm not proud of it, but there you go.

Large sections have clearly been updated only cosmetically, since information is often woefully inaccurate despite the fact it should be only a year or so old.

If you want to locate a "scene" or know where the "hipsters" are supposed to "hang," this book and its embarrassing attempts to be cool may be of some use. If, however, you'd like practical information, up-to-date prices, accurate descriptions, and help in planning what can be a daunting trip, just don't bother buying this book.

I sold mine while still on the road and haven't missed it once.

recent, yet not quite enough information - Rated
I've just got back home from travelling about a month in south-east asia, albeit just the countries Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. In this (according to some people) relatively short time, I've experienced that the information is lacking in certain areas. Transport prices and times, usually one of the big pluspoints for carrying a LP with you on your trip, are sometimes incorrect or dated (in this new edition!) and sometimes even lack to mention a specific transport option (nightbus, for instance). Also, I find that the Laos and Cambodia guidebooks are more complete in this respect, however sometimes outdated because they weren't published as recently as the shoestring guide. However, buying a guide that compasses a whole region, you should be aware of the fact that you will always receive some, but not all, information.
The other thing that bothered me about this guidebook (which cost it it's second star) is the moralism that is abundant in it. There's lots of examples where the authors of the shoestring tell you what you "should" or "should not" do. I think it's up to the traveller to makes his own decisions on how he behaves himself while abroad, and although I think there is some improvement possible with lots of people, the shoestring shouldn't play the parenting role in this respect.