I barely knew the location of Muscat until the day I read the headline, “Avicii found dead in Muscat, Oman.”
Oman, located in the southeastern corner of the Arabian peninsula, has the “right ingredients” to be one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Muscat, the capital and the main port city, is a breath of fresh air compared to the stuffy Dubai in the neighboring U.A.E.
Like many seasoned travelers and vacationers who want to escape the norm, I seek out places away from the crowds. While visiting non-touristy sites can be exciting, planning a trip to the unchartered places requires a lot of research.
If you’re like most busy folks, you won’t have the time to scour the web and read hundreds of travel blogs (hopefully the information is accurate) to find the information you need to plan a trip.
So, what do you do? Look for the best travel guidebooks – books that covers everything you need to know about a country or a region.
My go-to travel guidebooks are from Insight Guides and Rough Guides. Here are 6 you must read when planning your next trip.
1. Insight Guides Oman Pocket Guide
Why this guidebook?
- Pocket-size, concise and has a pull-out map
- Top 10 attractions guide with photos and detailed information
- 24-hour itinerary in Muscat
- Short read but doesn’t compromise on essential facts about Oman – history, itinerary, attractions, a guide to food and hotels.
- Plenty of color photographs
- Free eBook available through Walking Eye app
The place I am most looking forward to visiting in Oman is Salalah and Dhofar in Oman’s southern province, bordering Yemen. The region is best known as the ancient frankincense trade route. You can read all about the frankincense trade since the Queen of Sheba, find out where is the Land of Frankincense Museum and the Mughsayl Beach in the guidebook.
2. Insight Guides Bulgaria Pocket Guide
If you love mountains, seas, and eye-catching ancient architecture, you’re going to love Bulgaria. In fact, I’ll be there this fall. To help with my research for my trip to Bulgaria, I use Insight Guides’ Bulgaria Pocket Guide.
Why this guidebook?
- Pocket-size, concise and has a pull-out map
- Top 10 attractions guide with photos and detailed information
- How to spend 24-hour in Sofia, the capital
- Itineraries for day trips to take from Sofia
- Plenty of photos
- Free eBook available through Walking Eye app
I can’t wait to discover the favorite Bulgarian dishes like shkembe chorba (tripe soup), kashkaval pane (fried, breaded cheese), kavarma, kiopolou, gevrek, chuski biurek and more. Information about these foods and where to eat them can be found in this little pocket-sized guidebook.
3. The Rough Guide to Bolivia
Did you know, “despite being among the poorest countries in the region, Bolivia has lower levels of theft and violent crime than neighboring Peru and Brazil?” (page 40).
I spent two weeks in Bolivia while traveling in South America for eight months. Two weeks was just enough to see the highlights of the country, but not enough to dig deeper. After reading The Rough Guide to Bolivia, I realized I had missed more than I thought. For example, I didn’t know it is possible to join a half day tour to the Tarapaya hot springs, situated 15 miles northwest of Potosi. The Rough Guide to Bolivia shows you how to get there on your own.
Why this guidebook?
- Basic facts – how to get there, how to get around, food and drink, safety, etiquette, travel essentials and more
- Detailed information on crossing the Argentine border via Villazon (just one example, there are more)
- Many maps showing the highlights of the region
- Suggested itineraries according to your preference – the Grand Tour, Nature and Wildlife, Indigenous Culture and Spanish Colonialism, and more.
- Not to miss things to do (written like a blog accompanied by beautiful photographs)
4. The Rough Guide to Greece
Greece has been on my travel bucket list for a long time. Greece has 6,000 islands, and I’m using The Rough Guide to Greece to help me plan my trips to The Cyclades – Milos, Santorini, Serifos, and Folegandros.
The Cyclades is a group of 21 (listed in the guidebook) islands in the Aegean Sea. The Rough Guide to Greece gives a short description of each island, ways to get there and highlights of the region. This information is enough to help me plan my trip to the islands.
Why this guidebook?
- Written for an independent traveler or anyone wanting to plan a trip beyond the usual touristy places in Greece
- Many maps showing the highlights of the islands
- Basic facts about Greece and travel essentials
- 25 things not to miss in Greece with photographs
- Sample itineraries – island hopping, non-mainstream places, and more
- How to get there, get from island to island (by sea, plane, drive)
- Places to eat, sleep and play
- Books to read about Greece including books for kids, fiction and non-fiction
5. The Rough Guide to Cape Town, The Winelands, and The Garden Route
If getting vaccinations, taking malaria pills, and tropical diseases are some of the concerns that deter you from traveling to Africa, don’t worry. According to The Rough Guide to Cape Town, “tropical diseases aren’t typical of Cape Town and the Garden Route, and malaria isn’t an issue here at all” (page 30).
Even upset stomachs from food are rare, and no specific vaccinations are required when you travel to South Africa.
Why this guidebook?
- Full of helpful health, driving, tour and safety tips
- Plenty of maps and photographs
- A list of 18 things not to miss when traveling to Cape Town, The Winelands, and The Garden Route
- Specific sample itineraries to suit your interest
- Basic facts on how to get there, where to stay (homestays too), a guide to food and more
- Easy to follow guide for self-drive, independent traveling and guided tours as well
6. Insight Guides Central America
Central America has the ancient Mayan pyramids, colonial architecture, the second longest barrier reef, rainforests, cloud forests, beaches, lakes, best surf waves and the locally grown coffee for you to enjoy for a week, a month or a year.
Why this guidebook?
- Features Central America‘s early history (Mayan), European conquest, independence and the modern history (civil wars, foreign intervention, and natural disasters)
- Filled with maps and photographs of people and places
- Offer lists of editor’s choice and top attractions
- Where to go in each country
- Free eBook available through Walking Eye app
- Travel tips – health and medical care, crime and safety, climate, when to go, etiquette, how to get there, getting around and more
- Fact file showing electricity and currency so bring the right converters and adapters, and be prepared with the local money
Did you know, El Salvador uses the US Dollar?
I’ve been to six out of the eight countries featured in the Insight Guides Central America. But if you were to ask me where you should go next year, I would say El Salvador. I spent just two days there this summer, traveling from Antigua Guatemala through the La Ruta del las Flores. I got a taste of El Salvador, but I didn’t see much. Insight Guides Central America pointed out that El Salvador is for the “traveler looking for Central America’s next big thing.”
Looking for travel guidebooks? Check out a full range by Insight Guides and Rough Guides.