National Geographic Traveler: Taiwan (National Geographic Traveler)

I found this book to be about the most useful travel book I have ever purchased. I work for a major US airline, was formally a college Geography professor, and have traveled to over 30 countries, so I have used just about every kind of travel guide. I purchased it because I read a review by a person who also swore by Lonely Planet (as I have always done), but ended up using this more on her trip--which was exactly what I ended up doing. I purchased both this one and the Lonely Planet Taiwan, and hardly used the Lonely Planet. This National Geographic guide made my whole trip better, and enabled me to see more than I ever would have using the other guide. I rented a car from Taipei and drove almost the whole country in 3 days--stopping at all of the major interest points along the way with the help of this book. It has driving maps with all of the important things listed along the routes, and best of all has glorious photos of things, so you know what you want to see in the first place. I would suggest anybody going to Taiwan purchase this fantastic book! I would also suggest that anybody driving in Taiwan purchase a Taiwan map before you go. It is hard to get a good map over there. Driving over there is pretty easy, as long as you stay out of the big cities. You can't see the many beautiful national parks on the east coast without a car.

Of course, this being a National Geographic travel guide, one can expect a fantastic array of visual delights and in that regard the National Geographic Travel Taiwan edition gets full marks. Within its covers you'll find a wide variety of high quality, glossy photographs. But that's not all. There are plenty of decent diagrams and maps too, on top of some fair descriptions and a good amount of general information. However, in and of itself, it's probably not enough for a jaunt around Taiwan nor would it work as a prepatory volume for working or studying there. Travelers will probably need another book (Rough Guides and the Lonely Planet are both good choices) while those planning on longer stays might want to look for something more substantial. Enjoy your travels.

Troy Parfitt, author

I purchased this book based on reviewers' comments. I'm delighted with the book and will use it, in conjunction with Passport Taiwan, to map out our itinerary. I would certainly recommend both books -- and a map of Taiwan -- to anyone considering a trip to that country.

Beyond some nice photography, there's not a whole lot of substance to this guide book. Descriptions are brief and not entirely comprehensive. One positive was the introductory pages that explained the history and culture.

I brought both the Lonely Plant and National Geographic Guide to Taiwan. The Lonely Planet book was great, because the names of places were given in both English and Chinese characters. The Chinese characters are a must for taxi drivers. There are not a lot a pictures, so the National Geographic Guide came in real handy as well. If you are only buying one, the lonely planet guide is esssential.