Frommer's China: The 50 Most Memorable Trips

By J.D. Brown

Book Overview

You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go--they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, authoritative cultural coverage, and dozens of accurate maps. You'd be lost without us An in-depth and extremely personal guide written by an experienced China traveler, Frommer's China: The 50 Most Memorable Trips brings a new approach to the standard guidebook formula. China is still unfamiliar territory to most travelers, and other guides are a daunting 1,000 pages long--readers are overwhelmed with too much information when they first try to decide where to go. Our guide, however, chooses the top highlights, and our author describes his own experience at each destination, in a personal and highly entertaining article. Each piece is then supplemented with all the practical details you need to plan and replicate the author's experience if it appealed to you. You'll also find gorgeous color photos that bring to life the majesty and diveristy of this vast country, plus a Chinese character key, valuable cultural insights, and practical information on everything from transportation to etiquette.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0028636732
• ISBN13: 9780028636733
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: *Frommers
• Length: 656 Pages
• Weight: 1.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.5" x 5.7"

Customer Reviews

Amazing secondary guide

Seasoned travellers know that you can't go to a country where you don't speak the language without a translatable dictionary and a guide that just lists sites and hotels - Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Let's Go, Rick Steves. But, true insight into a country and it's travel secrets cannot be found in a list of accommodations and things to see. To this end, the aforementioned guides offer little. This is where 50 Memorable trips comes in. It gives you a walk through a town with commentary on hidden places and eateries so all you do is follow the path on the maps provided. We even used this hiking several mountains and the maps proved invaluable. Since the book is about a person's experience, of course it showcases the author's frustrations but also his sheer amazement and delight. As we got stuck on the top of Huang Shan after 5 hours of hiking, we were overjoyed that at least we got beds and a roof over our head, unlike Mr. Brown and his night on the mountain. His accounts are real experiences, both the good and the bad, creating a connection with readers and their own journey.

An almost perfect guide to China

I have lived in China for most of the past year and travelled extensively in China for the past five years. Often on my travels, Brown's book is a trusted companion when visiting one of his 50 sites. His insightful and personal accounts of his experiences are both entertaining and educational. What I like most about this book is that Brown likes China and appreciates its differences. This is not true of all guide books, especially Lonely Planet's China who delights in complaining about just about everything. Unfortunately, for guide book writers, China is changing so fast, much of Brown's information on hotels and restaurants is out of date. Restaurants and hotels sometimes disappear and new ones take their place. With that one exception, I found his information to be accurate and useful. Whether you are an old hand in China or making your first trip, this book is a must buy.

Great selection as a collaborating guide for China.

In Frommer's China expert J. D. Brown gives us more of a travel log than a travel guide, which in this case is a refreshing change. Very few people have seen China as extensively as J. D. Brown. His recording of his actual experience at each of the 50 destination will stimulate new itineraries for you to consider. Brown states, " In this guide I've recorded in as frank detail as possible 50 of my most memorable travels in China." If you are going to Cruise the Yangzi River (Three Gorge Dan) this is is best description in a travel book available today. Also superb is his "Great Wall" write up. Brown's `Summer Palace' write up, while good, criticized the British and French for their terrible act of destroying the original palace, but said nothing of the destruction caused by Mao's henchman.His recommendations for accommodations often have web site address and email (an important additions that many other guides omit), and Brown's restaurant and hotel recommendations are reliable and commendable.On the weak side this 'travel log' lacks the interesting information that is found in other guide, i.e., understanding of Mao's Communist China, Tiananmen Square commentary, modern China, etc. The accommodations and dining recommendations are very light and maps are few and far between. What Brown has done is give us a valuable supplement to use in conjunction with your China travel guide (see my reviews on Rough Guide China and Lonely Planet China for highly recommended guides). Again this is not my first choices in guides for selecting hotels, restaurant etc. BUT it is often my first choice for descriptions of select sites and my first selection as a collaborating guide to supplement my primary guide. Highly Recommended.

Current and helpful

We received this book just before leaving for China. I found the information on the cities very helpful--key sites, hotel & food recommends. It also documents well the Yangtze River cruise that many Westerners are including in their travel plans prior to the opening of the Three River Gorges Dam.The "common phrases" that are summarized in the book were all we really needed to get around and be understood. In addition, the brief overview of the lengthy Chinese political history helped us to keep the various sites we visited in perspective. Overall, a solid guide book to take with you on your next visit to China.

it is a very good book

i have look at all the different kinds of books out there for traveling to china.. this book was a second friend. the book showed me where, what, when and even maps were included.i was barly ever confused or lost.. with out the book i would have wasted my trip.. thanks Frommer!