Product Description

Recognized the world over by frequent flyers and armchair travelers alike, Eyewitness Travel Guides are the most colorful and comprehensive guides on the market. With beautifully commissioned photographs and spectacular 3-D aerial views revealing the charm of each destination, these amazing travel guides show what others only tell.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9825 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Turtleback
• 400 pages

Review
Encyclopedic in scope, it's meant to be used before, during, and after your stay. (Travel & Leisure) Both novice and experienced travelers will be captivated. (U.S. News & World Report) Each book is a visual as well as informational feast about a particular place. (The New York Times) The best travel guides ever. (Sky Magazine) For comprehensive advice that is attractively presented, publisher Dorling Kindersley's guides for serious travelers are tough to beat. (US News & World Report) Hats off to DK for the Eyewitness Travel Guides...[they] raise the bar for all others. (Dallas Morning News) The most graphically exciting and visually pleasing series on the market. (Chicago Tribune) Eyewitness Travel Guides are marvels of writing, color photography and illustration. What makes these so special is their thoroughness. (New York Times Syndicate) This is a guidebook series that always seems to inspire smiles...You feel, looking at them, as if you could close the book and step into the street. (Contra Costa Times ) Want to know where to get a great espresso on your way to the Uffizi? Or how much to tip a hotel maid in New York City? Try these travel guides, each an intricate trove of 3-D aerial views, landmark floor plans, color photos and essential eating, shopping and entertainment info. With titles covering Paris, Prague, and London, these pocket-sized guides are like a Michelangelo fresco: deliriously rich in detail. (People Magazine) Eyewitness Travel Guides, considered to be the world's best travel resource to over 30 destinations around the world, make it easier to plan a splendid vacation. (North American Press Syndication) Each new Eyewitness Guide adds more of the world to this wonderfully visual series.... What sets these guides apart from others is their striking, three-dimensional cutaways of key sites. (New York Daily News)

Customer Reviews

Useful, but needs a supplement
I love the Eyewitness Travel Guide series but they generally suffer from certain limitations and the New Zealand guide is no exception. It starts off with the standard historical chapter before getting to an area-by-area description and summary of both islands that form the country. This is where the book shines because it offers color photos on every page that are invaluable in helping you decide which sights are must-see and which ones you can skip if you are short on time. As you would expect, every region is covered, from Auckland in the north down to Stewart Island in the far south. All of the major attractions are covered although perhaps not as comprehensively as you might like.

Next, come the sections on hotels, shopping, restaurants, and other practical needs. These sections are not as comprehensive as you'll see in some other guides such as Frommer's New Zealand (Frommer's Complete). And this really is what it comes down to. The Eyewitness guides are not as detailed as most of the other guide books. They are, however, the only series to offer hundreds of color photos to help you visualise your trip and this is an invaluable planning tool. I highly recommend that you buy this guide as well as one of the more detailed books and use them both to plan your trip. That's the only way to get everything you need to plan a great vacation.

Eyewitness New Zealand
As an airline employee, I have found my new bible. This book is an excellent (pictoral) reference guide, skipping the usual 2 page historical write up on every attraction. It is very concise, has pictures of the area/attraction with an accurate two paragraph description of the place depicted with maps included. I purchased two other New Zealand books prior to this one, and borrowed 5 additional ones from a friend. This book was equivalent to having all 7 books in one. I would give the book a '10' if it contained the hours and admission prices to the attractions/events, however, it does not. I would also recommend to venture beyond the hotel/restaurant section listed as we found many fine establishments beyond their limited list. A great line of books to have if you want a quick overview of things to do in other countries. Once you've determined what to visit, then purchase the book with the historical write-ups.

Used it throughout my trip
I spent over 6 weeks traveling in New Zealand, driving from the Bluff in the South to the Cape in the North, and this Guide proved to be very useful. It is better illustrated and more narrowly focused on top attractions than the Lonely Planet which i used on my previous trips. The Lonely Planet was also excellent, and it was better on history and geography, but this Eyewitness Guide made choosing easier. Highly recommended.
PS - my own book about New Zealand is Straying from the Flock: Travels in New Zealand