Customer Reviews:
 useful, but not essential October 5, 2004
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Anyone heading to Vietnam should consider buying this book- lonely planet always do the job when it comes to providing basic information. However, I found that while I used the maps non-stop and found the sections on local and national history interesting and informative, I only used the sections on food, accommodation and excursions as indicators of average prices. Sadly, the places in the book were often overrun (and therefore overpriced) as a consequence of inclusion, and better deals could ususlly be found independantly. Another problem with the book is that I found much of the information to be out of date- Vietnam is a country in transition to the extent that it would be difficult for any guidebook to keep up with it.
Therefore while this book is definately useful, I don't think it's indispensible- providing you buy a map in each new town you go to, you could get by comfortably in Vietnam without it.
 Don't leave home without it! September 20, 2000
21 out of 24 found this review helpful
For those of you who are planning to make your way across Indochina, it's worth shelling out a bit of extra cash to buy this book (instead of getting one of those "Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos" jobs..). Full of useful information and planning tips, the book also is written in a very chatty style which makes it enjoyable reading. The section on beaches was particularly helpful. The only thing I would like to see more of is colour photos instead of those black-and-white sketches!
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