The Rough Guide to Nepal

by James McConnachie, David Reed

A new edition of the Rough Guide to Nepal, ranging from the easternmost tea hills of Ilam to the grasslands of the Far West, from Tibet to the Indian Border and from Everest to Kathmandu Valley. There are in-depth accounts of all the attractions,from Hindu temples and Buddhist stupas to wildlife reserves and spectacular mountain viewpoints. For outdoor enthusiasts there are dedicated chapters to trekking, rafting and mountain biking.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

561 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1991

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went to Nepal last year as part of a group tour. I was armed with this guide in order to do some exploring on my own in Kathmandu & Pokhara, and to have the right background for hiking a few days along the Annapurna trek. Wherever I go, the Rough Guide is usually my first choice as it contains a well-balanced mix of background info, dependable information on hotels/restaurants/transportation, fantastic topic-related inserts (e.g., the people of Nepal), and good pictures of the top attractions. For example, I was very happy when I visited several UNESCO World Heritage sites in Nepal - the Rough Guide came in very handy with its detailed descriptions of walking routes and associated maps (no local guide was necessary).
The book has two major shortcomings, though. First, trek descriptions are very brief, and not very informative with regard to the villages and its amenities/restaurants that you come across (idea: maybe the guide should be split in two books, general/culture vs. trekking). Second, the maps of Kathmandu do not capture the complexity and size of this city.
Overall, not a bad guide, but not delivering the depth I am used to in the Rough Guide series.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I've read every page in this book at least twice, I may as well count it as a book read. A pretty good guide all-around, though it could use more options in the shoestring budget zone, as could all guides. Overall, a good intro, great basics, helpful details. A good tool.

[Guy Ferguson]

Looks like the best of about five I borrowed from the library in the last few weeks to plan my Nepal trip next montrh ([excitement])