South-East Asia

View other editions of South-East Asia.
View books by Mark Elliott.

For SE Asia this is the business - Rated
We used this book recently to get aroung a number of countries in SE Asia and to be quite honest was the best guide book we used on our whole round-the-world trip. The maps are easy to understand and point out the important things you need and its not bulked out with excess info that you probably won't read anyway.
As we forgot a China guide and couldn't find one for looking once inside Yunnan this saved us no end. If only these guides were available for other parts of the world!

still up to date - Rated
still up to date when i was there end of 06. this is the future of guide books (i hope), i just wish they did more for other countries. instead of carting round hefty guide book with hundred of mini reviews of hostels and restuarants that are generally out of date anyway, this book is packed with user friendly maps, and points you in the direction of websites constantly updated by fellow travelers. Here you can get hold of the most up to date and relevant info.

i would recommend this book to all but the most inexperienced travelers if they are in search of a guild book to hold their hand around s.e asia.

Wish there will be similar books for other areas! - Rated
This is a great book for "the basics": finding your way and finding a place to sleap and eat as well as finding the attractions. Actually for these things it is so much better than the Lonely Planets, that I was actually quite upset when I lost the book during my 5 month trip through SE-Asia last winter(fortunately near the end). If you prepare your trip well, and know where you want to go, then this is the only book you will need. However it is not (and I am sure not meant to be) a book which explains in great detail what you can see at the tourist attractions.

The Best Book About SE Asia!! - Rated
After using LP and Footprint ... this book is a revelation as I found myself not needing to read reems of information to get to the one bit I needed as the maps and keys are simple and the info in there is spot-on.
As an example, when we'd come into a town I'd open the book, straight to the necessary map, know where I wanted to go and was away before most others had worked out what page, what map, what key and then read 4 pages to find out what they wanted to know.
If you have any independent streak in you ... buy this book and enjoy Asia in amuch less restrictive way.
Excellent work ... I just wish there were more in this style for more countries.

simply brilliant - Rated
this guide book is almost too good to be true, where ever you are heading mark elliot has been there and drawn the map. its really like being given a set of hand drawn maps by a friend, and the best thing of all this guidebook is tiny compared to the weightier and weighteir tomes by lonely planet and rough guides.
basically each chapter deals with one of the south east asian countries giving you a few facts and then a compendium of hand drawn maps littered with useful symbols that once youve got used to them are quite simply amazing.

one of the great strengths of this book is the travel connections, detailed graphically its very easy to see how to get the bus/boat/train anywhere and even how to find the station or bus terminal, or indeed how to quickly get into town from there.

the book doesnt hold your hand to the degree the other books do, and so it gives you enough info on where to find a hostel, and a couple recomendations where needed, but things like finding food usually isnt too much of a challenge.

the guides to cambodia and laos are particuliarly strong, and in truth you just dont need another guide book for these areas, in fact following some of the maps here i ended up in much more out of the way and interesting places in both counties.

for thailand its useful to get another guidebook as really this is such a very big country with so much to do, this book is great for planning and transport, but is wel backed up by another guide, i personally found the rough guide thailand book a very good match. theres lots of tips in the graphic guide about what you need for thailand and the hows and wheres of aquiring extra guide books while on the road.

for malaysia again i used only this book, and found it suprisingly comprehensive, although here i followed again the books advice and used the various websites listed to get in depth knowledge for accomodation.

mr elliot uses a system of stars to highlight his highlights as it were, and on the whole id say i agreed with 2/3 of them which isnt bad as its all so very subjective, on occasion i would wonder quite what the attration was but each to their own.

an essential book for the independant traveller to se asia, and one which will endlessly enhance your trip, not to mention the fact it will slip in your pocket.