IF EVER there was good timing for a new guide to Phuket, it's the September release of the Lonely Planet Phuket Encounter.
Blow away those airport siege blues. Grab this book and come see a fabulous island holiday destination.
This is a guide that takes one refreshing step forward after another as it explores the delights of the place we all love.
And it is in the new, small go-anywhere format.
Although there are 176 pages, Phuket Encounter slips effortlessly into a hip pocket or shirt pocket.
This is not so much an invitation to shoplifters as the chance for those who have been carting around the 896-page Lonely Planet Thailand guide to beat the weight limits imposed by budget airlines.
In the dog-eared office copy of the Thailand guide, Phuket is covered in a skimpy 26 pages. So for a Phuket traveller, the other 870 pages are dead weight.
And visually, the Lonely Planet Phuket Encounter is stunning. Great photos jump from the pages.
The guide is color-coded too, and to see it alongside the grey, grey pages of the old Thailand tome is to appreciate the difference a new century makes.
Author Adam Skolnick's approach is breezy, if a little rushed. At times you can sense him almost tapping into the laptop as he charges from one beach to the next, stopping only long enough to capture another short entry.
Time-ese, they call it, thoughts packed in tight. And my oh my, how brief they are. In some cases, perhaps a little too brief.
About Natural Restaurant (Thammachat) he writes: ''A Phuket City staple for 15 years, this is a good place for Thai food. The eclectic ambiance is a treat.''
Well, when we figure out what eclectic ambiance means, we will let you know. And a restaurant review in 21 words is perhaps cutting it a bit fine.
Has the author actually eaten at all these places and tried everything he writes about? Somehow, we doubt it.
Skolnick was apparently so rushed that he couldn't spot the difference between Phuket tuk-tuks, which have four-wheels, and Bangkok's, which have three.
However, because the phrase is in parenthesis like so (three-wheeled vehicle) perhaps it was inserted by the copy editor.
What the copy editor missed was John Gray, the local environmentalist, looming as large as the Big Buddha on one page, yet misspelt as John Grey in the thank-yous.
But these are small flaws in a fantastic new guide to the island and the region, easily the best of its kind that we have seen.
Especially noteworthy are the social and cultural comments Skolnick offers up. He may not be a Bill Bryson or a Paul Theroux, but he has a pretty good eye and ear.
About the crazy group of expats who choose to live on the island, he writes: ''Most of the expats are resort managers, restaurateurs, dive masters or retirees.
''And while there is some overlap among them, expat cliques are often defined by where they live, which makes sense considering the island's size.''
And under the heading Environment: ''Rampant, unchecked development continues along the west coast.'' Clearly, he stopped long enough to talk to John Gray (aka John Grey).
''Patong is the worst example of unplanned development on the island,'' Skolnick adds, and there's plenty more to have the property boosters steaming.
All in all, we think the Lonely Planet Encounter is best described as a small triumph.
We picked up a copy at a big bookshop in Jungceylon effortlessly, even though we have been told it will not be launched until mid-September in Australia.
When Lonely Planet replies to our email, we will let you know.
Meanwhile, we look forward to reading a whole lot more. So grab a copy quick, and come on over.
With Lonely Planet Phuket Encounter in one hip pocket and a digital camera in the other, you're set for a fascinating journey.
Lonely Planet Phuket Encounter (450 baht). There's a Lonely Planet Samui Encounter too, a slimmer volume but at the same price
Blow away those airport siege blues. Grab this book and come see a fabulous island holiday destination.
This is a guide that takes one refreshing step forward after another as it explores the delights of the place we all love.
And it is in the new, small go-anywhere format.
Although there are 176 pages, Phuket Encounter slips effortlessly into a hip pocket or shirt pocket.
This is not so much an invitation to shoplifters as the chance for those who have been carting around the 896-page Lonely Planet Thailand guide to beat the weight limits imposed by budget airlines.
In the dog-eared office copy of the Thailand guide, Phuket is covered in a skimpy 26 pages. So for a Phuket traveller, the other 870 pages are dead weight.
And visually, the Lonely Planet Phuket Encounter is stunning. Great photos jump from the pages.
The guide is color-coded too, and to see it alongside the grey, grey pages of the old Thailand tome is to appreciate the difference a new century makes.
Author Adam Skolnick's approach is breezy, if a little rushed. At times you can sense him almost tapping into the laptop as he charges from one beach to the next, stopping only long enough to capture another short entry.
Time-ese, they call it, thoughts packed in tight. And my oh my, how brief they are. In some cases, perhaps a little too brief.
About Natural Restaurant (Thammachat) he writes: ''A Phuket City staple for 15 years, this is a good place for Thai food. The eclectic ambiance is a treat.''
Well, when we figure out what eclectic ambiance means, we will let you know. And a restaurant review in 21 words is perhaps cutting it a bit fine.
Has the author actually eaten at all these places and tried everything he writes about? Somehow, we doubt it.
Skolnick was apparently so rushed that he couldn't spot the difference between Phuket tuk-tuks, which have four-wheels, and Bangkok's, which have three.
However, because the phrase is in parenthesis like so (three-wheeled vehicle) perhaps it was inserted by the copy editor.
What the copy editor missed was John Gray, the local environmentalist, looming as large as the Big Buddha on one page, yet misspelt as John Grey in the thank-yous.
But these are small flaws in a fantastic new guide to the island and the region, easily the best of its kind that we have seen.
Especially noteworthy are the social and cultural comments Skolnick offers up. He may not be a Bill Bryson or a Paul Theroux, but he has a pretty good eye and ear.
About the crazy group of expats who choose to live on the island, he writes: ''Most of the expats are resort managers, restaurateurs, dive masters or retirees.
''And while there is some overlap among them, expat cliques are often defined by where they live, which makes sense considering the island's size.''
And under the heading Environment: ''Rampant, unchecked development continues along the west coast.'' Clearly, he stopped long enough to talk to John Gray (aka John Grey).
''Patong is the worst example of unplanned development on the island,'' Skolnick adds, and there's plenty more to have the property boosters steaming.
All in all, we think the Lonely Planet Encounter is best described as a small triumph.
We picked up a copy at a big bookshop in Jungceylon effortlessly, even though we have been told it will not be launched until mid-September in Australia.
When Lonely Planet replies to our email, we will let you know.
Meanwhile, we look forward to reading a whole lot more. So grab a copy quick, and come on over.
With Lonely Planet Phuket Encounter in one hip pocket and a digital camera in the other, you're set for a fascinating journey.
Lonely Planet Phuket Encounter (450 baht). There's a Lonely Planet Samui Encounter too, a slimmer volume but at the same price
I'm sure the pictures are new. . . mostly, but I'm sure I could excerpt passages from numerous guide books, and the resemblance would be uncanny. Same old same old . . . (the beach is framed by a verdant tufted grove) how many times have you read that one?
Posted by ron twemlow on September 3, 2008 12:57