Traveler's Tool Kit: Mexico and Central America

I bought Traveler's Tool Kit because I loved Guatemala and am considering a trip to other countries in the region. The book told me everything I wished I'd known on my Guatemala venture and I need to know to choose which other countries I want to see. It's specific about itineraries, costs, food, health, safety and available adventures. This is really two books for the price of one. Beyond Central America, it contains comprehensive information and advice that I can use to travel anywhere in the world and deals with the obstacles that keep many people from enjoying the rest of the world - like money, time, safety, and health. For example, instead of listing a few of the "best" hotels in some city (advice that can become outdated almost overnight), the authors explain how to find good lodging anywhere, anytime. Since knowledge is power, this book makes the reader king.

I've read Leffel's other travel books and know that I can always count on him for solid, no-b.s. travel advice. Chapter 1's "How Travel Will Change Your Life" is right on the money and (in this reviewers opinion)is worth the price of admission alone for explaining why one should travel. This hefty reference guide answers every possible question I would have about traveling to Mexico or Central America: how to get around, safety, food, highlights, etc. across the whole region. It gives the kind of cost comparisons that you can't find in individual guidebooks and isn't afraid to point out the bad with the good. Now when I cross the border and head south, I'll be really ready.

This trove of invaluable information will inspire you! The authors are passionate about the impact travel can have--on the traveler as well as the places visited. They provide perspectives that will make yours the most fun, gratifying visit to Mexico and Central America. Unlike typical guidebooks that just summarize "what to see and where to stay," this book tells you how to plan and enjoy. It contains up-to-the-minute facts other books skip (such as 2008 prices for bottled water and internet access)--and resources others lack (want to volunteer, work or retire in one of these eight countries?)--it's all there. Check the table of contents. The Traveler's Tool Kit goes well beyond the eight countries the title describes, and helps you get the most from any international trip. There are criteria for selecting everything from a guidebook to a travel partner; there are practical, checklists to help prepare. The Traveler's Tool Kit has the BEST information I've ever read about how to travel alone as a woman (even though it was written by two men), and the ONLY information I've ever read, about how to spend the first few days after you've arrived home. Best, it's fun to read: its 550 pages will make you smile. Frankly, I was dazzled.

I chose Traveler's Tool Kit because I wanted to learn what Mexico and Central America have to offer, beyond their world class beaches. I am currently looking for other kinds of adventures when I travel. After reading this book, I can't wait to get to Chichen Itza on the Yucatán Peninsula and other Maya sites in Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. I also read about zip-lining among orchids and scarlet macaws in a cloud forest - and added Costa Rica to my list. The authors are so enthusiastic about rafting, kayaking, snorkeling and scuba diving in Belize and the Bay Islands off Honduras that I'm up for trying that too, at least some of it. After reading about deep sea fishing, jaguars, giant anteaters, incredible birding, and pristine lakes surrounded by extinct volcanoes, I'm completely hooked. Though I have traveled in this region before, this book has given me the master key to really experience the places and the people as I never have before. It contains so much information that no other guides do, information that has shown me the way to the kind of travel experience I am looking for. Can't wait to get going!

this is a great book to take along on your trip. it offers lots of useful information to make your dollars stretch on a trip. I found the information easy to follow and very practical. when i take my next trip to mexico or central america, you can bet i will bring this book along! The tools offered in this book will surely make a good trip, great!