Eyewitness: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur

I have just come home from a trip to Dehli, Agra and Jaipur. The travel guide gave a really good introduction to the places visited, and will be a good remembrance from my visit

I have seen nothing like this in guide books, and that is an affirmative statement. The tourist triangle of Delhi,Agra, Jaipur abounds is exotic architecture, markets and planned sites. Here they are colorfully illustrated in both detail and birds-eye views. It is great preparation for a visit and visual enjoyment for the armchair traveler.

It's tough to pick the "best" guidebook for a particular destination, and the proliferation of free travel information on the web makes choosing "the one" even tougher. My wife and I always start with a copy of an EyeWitness guide for the destination: there are pictures on every page, and we find the images help us plan our trip: the guides are particularly good for architecture and art. The practical guides in the back cover currency, hotels and restaurants. This guide to Dehli, Agra and Jaipur is a particularly good example of the DK offerings: the images, paper, text, all are up to the high standards of other books in the series. Having written that, there is really only one page that matters in deciding whether to buy: the newer the better. This book appeared first in 2000 and my wife and I used that edition two years ago on our trip to North West India. It was substantially revised in 2007 so be sure you check the copyright page before buying. If you like the Eyewitness series and have any interest in the destinations, armchair or on the ground, your decision is made. Whatever guidebook you decide on, consider adding a copy of The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow (Little Book) to your baggage. It's in the style of Eyewitness Travel Guide to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, and delightful and educational as well. Robert C. Ross 2007 2008 Note: DK maintains an excellent website with updates on many of its guidebooks.

It is not as detailed as Frommer's but I like the color photographs and just the highlights it points out. I was in a group so I didn't need the complete detail other books gave. I really like all Eyewitness Travel Guides...I always look for their books first!

As I first-time traveler to India, I spent much time searching for a travel guide that would offer the perfect combination of history and culture, while providing insightful advice. The Eyewitness Guide provided both excellent and detailed information, while offering regional and cultural snapshots of the "Golden Triangle." This piece proved extremely helpful and insightful to a first-time traveler.