Lonely Planet Southeast Asia Phrasebook

I have visited 42 countries, mostly "adventure" style and Lonely Planet is THE guide to use! Their books are compact, concise and authoritative. I have often visited countries (usually less developed countries) for months at a time where I take only one carry on bag. As you can imagine I need to have a lot of information at my fingertips in a form that's small, lightweight and full of information. Lonely Planet is that book. It has general information on the country's history, culture, etc... good tips on highlights that you won't want to miss, descriptions of places to visit with precise information on how to get there using public transportation, and great tips (complete with maps) on accomodations, especially of the budget variety. If I were to travel with only one book (which I usually do), it would have to be Lonely Planet. And if I were to take 10 books (Insight Guide, Rick Steves, Foder's, Let's Go, etc.) I would still never be without my Lonely Planet. Too bad there's not a Lonely Planet guide on how to grow old and happy. If they ever print such a book, I'm going to buy it!

The reviewer who complained that they could not find the phrase "where is the toilet" in this phrasebook was not trying very hard. For every language, it is either present in the section "Around Town" under the question heading "Where is the ...", or else it can easily be created by combining that half question with the word for "toilet", found in the immediately preceding section, "Useful Words". One small annoyance is that the tone key in the Vietnamese section shows the tonal contours, but does not key them to the accent marks. However, the Quick Reference Vietnamese chart on the last page does give this information. Overall, the book is a handy compendium of phrases for eight different languages, and includes a modicum of cultural hints. No space is available for brief grammars or dictionaries, but if these are desired, the reader can purchase separate Lonely Planet phrasebooks for any of the individual languages.