Books : Hong Kong (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide)

Rating: - Good but not completely up to date.
Despite saying that this book was revised in 2006, some entries were already out of date. For example, it lists "James Bond" Bottoms Up in Tsim Sha Tsui. This bar closed in 2004 (and is different to the bar with the same name which is now operating in Wan Chai).

Apart from a few exceptions, most things are still accurate, and the "10 best..." format works well for a concise and pocket-size guide, and with several thumbnail pictures per page, is light and easy to dip into.

It ranges in detail from "10 Highlights of Hong Kong" to "10 places to People Watch in Tsim Sha Tsui", with pages on bars, places to eat, 10 Security Tips, the 10 best sights in each region etc. Around 85 "10" lists in all (by my reckoning), plus overview pages and some "one day itinerary" ideas.

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Rating: - Ideal book with no fuss
Having travelled to many places I love the Eyewitness top 10 books. They dont go into massive detail - just enough for the virgin traveller to the country/city. The information given is clear and very easy to understand, especially if you are short on time (we were in Hong Kong for 3 nights) it gives you ideas on the top (surprising 10!) places to see from tourist spots to hotels to places to eat and drink. They also come with handy hints of what to do and dont do. I think these Top 10 books are great, they have never failed me - perfect to fit into a small bag and they dont overload you with too much info. I buy one for every city or country I go to. Top 10 marks!

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Rating: - Better than Lonely Planet, from a LP fan
I've always bought Lonely Planets before, whether i'm going somewhere for a long weekend or a month. So I got the Lonely Planet to HK, but this guide also caught my eye for its compact format.

And I have to say, it works much harder. Although it may look at first glance like one of those cheap airport Berlitz guides with photos of places from the 70s, its packed with information and written in a very consise, witty way. The 'Top 10' format could be a restriction but actually encourages the writers (of this guide anyway) to be selective.

Against this, the Lonely Planet seems much more long-winded and, with its new revised target market of more up-market vacationers and well as its core backpacking fraternity, much more like simply a directory of places to eat, drink, shop, sleep.

The detailed maps on each inside flap and each mini-map for places to eat and shop in each district are also very handy to refer to in the street without looking like a complete tourist, and much easier than the LP's enless cross-referencing

Aside from a few absent practical facts (exact addresses, websites etc.) which is inevitable in a book less than a quater of the page count, this served me very well for a full week in Hong Kong and easy to slip into a small bag or, like me, your back pocket. So this book would be ideal for the majority of people who spend a few days there.

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Rating: - Good basic guide
Good basic guide, covers all the standard items with good text overviews and great little pictures. Well structured and overall very good.