I always prefer Rough Guides to Lonely Planets and this is no exception. For a start it's more up to date, published May 2005 and Lonely Planet was January 2004. Secondly, size matters! Rough Guide has 664 pages and Lonely Planet has 468.It has the usual Rough Guide lay out:
Colour Section on intro, where to go, when to go and things not to miss - all an overview to whet your appetite.
Next around 80 pages on the Basics including how to get there, visas, health, money, getting around, accommodation, food and drink - all the details you want to know before booking.
Then the main Guide (around 450 pages) with 8 sections focussed on Havana and around, Pinar del Rio, Varadero and Matanzas, Trinidad and the central provinces, Ciego de Avila and Camaguey, Northern Oriente, Santiago De Cuba and Granma and, finally, Isla de la Juventud and Cayo Largo.
Each of these sections are easy to find, start with a highlights page and contain maps, info on what to do on arrival, transportation and recommendations on accommodation, places of interest and restaurants (all with handy price guides).
Final sections are Contexts (history, wildlife, music, sport and books), Language (basic vocabulary and useful phrases) and Index.
I have used Rough Guides to travel through a number of different countries, on varying budgets, and have always found them informative and reliable.
Don't leave home without it!
