Lonely Planet a book full of Bull Crap

byronic

I don't drink the tap water in California, or Bangalore...

Hotel water pot water is generally filtered, so I fill my empty water bottles with that

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Merchant

This really doesn't make any sense in 2005. India deals in some of the world's most sophisticated technology (not just computers), including plenty of industrial processes in steel, plastics and chemicals, to produce items for export. This is the global economy.

Plus, Trojans may be made in India.

Trojan condoms, world renowned, are the brand name of Durex, which is produced by a company called SSL. They also make surgical gloves and Dr. Scholls products.

From the company's press release archive:

"SSL remains the leading branded condom manufacturer and distributor in the world, with condom manufacturing facilities in Thailand, Spain, India, China and the UK."

Seeker710

agreed. i wasn't going to ask...but since someone else notice the odd syntax and run-on sentences... where exactly are you from originally lovelyindia?

regards,

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Phillip

"I am a firm believer that EVERY person, every once in a while, needs a good ass kicking."

-anon

camelgirl

Apart from sounding like English might actually be her 3rd or 4th language, all that carrying on about a guide book seems over the top. Obviously, I don't expect anyone to think of it with reverance, but it was the first and best of it's kind for a very long time and tried to keep up-to-date with travelers writing in tips and corrections as they traveled. I've moved on to other guide books for India, like those from Footprint publishers. The operative word is "GUIDE" and it was very helpful to me in my first 5 trips to India starting in 1975, when there was no such thing as bottled water, internet cafes or most of what makes travel so easy now. Oh, and plumbing in Goa was "pig toilets" and Colva beach had one small hotel. We travelers just asked for some room at someones home and for $5 for a week, that was just great! I'm perplexed by all the anger in that first posting. I thought you said you had a great experience and want to go back.

Rob_The_Pom

The LP isn't perfect, but it's fine. There's plenty of things that drive me mad in it.
I'm just perusing the latest Rough Guide, and perhaps that seems a little better.

I don't think there is really that much of a need to rant about a guidebook - just chuck it away if you don't like it.
The main use of a guidebook on India, for me, is just to indicate the location of the sights that I want to see and where the pubs are - and that's simply because it's a huge country.

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davey

I think youve picked it anonymous, cant wait for the next posting lets have a guess what it will cover, drugs, beggars, or westerners treatment of the Indian people.

Paagla Dashu

LP is what it is - a guidebook. I don't think it claims to be a noble-winning effort. Please do not forget that rapid changes can make guidebook editions obsolete - after all a country like India is a tad bigger than any guidebook, right?

I do not drink anything other than bottled or aquaguard or boiled water in India - that is not because I do not love India - I just do not want to commit suicide. Do some Indians drink unfltered water? Yes many do - but immunity levels build up depending on the level of exposure. My children need vaccine to protect themselves from Hepatitis A but having grown up in India, I developed the immunity (antibodies) and do not need the jab. And oh, don't forget to check the seal on that bottle.

Is the LP racist? I would not know - I have not read all of them. I do know that they quite regularly do point out controversial issues - I was reading the LP on Australia and their observations on Aborigines(treatment of), Rabit-proof fence and "nationalist" vibes in Qeensland won't exactly please Pauline Hanson or her followers who look for hotels that do not allow natives when they adventure abroad.

DoDi

good point anonymous

For instance I was pondering this phrase:

It first struck me that an American would not have focused on 'well mannered', except perhaps in an amused way. The Brits however.... hmmm.

On the other hand her spelling is right on the mark.

Nick-H

Come to Chennai and drink the tap water ---if you want to get sick. The locals don't, if they can afford not to.

Someone may say that they lived on tap water here 30 years ago when there was no such thing as bottled water. Sure, it was probably fine then: it isn't now.

As to the quality of Indian consumer goods; yes there is a difference. Look at the prices! The cost of living here is a fraction of what it is in UK, but do not expect an item to be the same quality at 10% of the price. Can't claim any experience of Indian condoms.

I agree entirely about the fear factor. Where would the insurance companies be without it? I would say that India is not a country of end-to-end risk, it is a great place to be with friendly and helpful people. But there are risks and guide books have to mention them. Also the area that I have some knowledge of is Southern India, and, even here on IM I read that I would experience a great deal more hassle in some Northern Indian cities.

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tadka

I'm normally howling along with the politically correct brigade, as I'd prefer to make my errors as thoughtfully as possible. I personally feel like many orientalist attitudes are sadly commonplace, and people don't try to challenge themselves in the predjudice department much.

So.....I'm going to reluctantly defend LP a bit by observing that there are eleven separate authors and 1088 pages to the last edition. It includes only two short paragraphs on HIV and two-and-a-half pages on "dangers and annoyances." That doesn't seem like pervasive bias to me, only a sort of reasonable familiarizing. Am I missing more?

wonderwomanusa

Please, ask your MD to send you to the lab for a parasite test. Last time I drank tap water in India, they found I had amoebic cysts. No, I had no problems, but had I let them go, I certainly would have had full-blown amoebic dysentery.

You may, of course, use any guidebook or no guidebook and have just as good or as bad of a trip to India as your karma demands.

jens

No I think not, and I think it's quite useful. Fear mongering schmongering the economy thrives on it. But most of that wayward travelers I've met anywhere in the world could have avoided the mishap especially of the scam sort by reading/researching ahead of time. LP is great for this of course not absolutely 100% but I'm sticking with it, I've meat a ton of naive travelers out there and they should all read LP front to back. As far as I'm concerned its' well worth the effort and saves tons of time and frustration (esp on a short trip) to know what to expect when you take a taxi from the airport, try to refund train tickets, whatever. Of course it goes w/o saying that the IM folks are the greatest most knowledgeable....and fellow travelers are the best. Everyones right. Yeah lemme say again this wouldn't be a typical Arizonian way with the potable verse.

edwardseco

A pretty good and lengthy one, not often found on this site. I like it. Much better than the "current" generation tends to throw up. Lemme takes me back eons..

kiwi_razz

Well, I fail to see that LP is guilty of scaremongering for the sake of it. And I really can't see why some people take offence by it.

Bad things can happen to tourists. Whether in India or New Zealand or anywhere else. Tourists have been killed/murdered. Its not paranoia to safeguard yourself against these sort of things happening. And its actually responsible of LP to remind you that the world is not disneyland and that these things can happen.

You're in India for a holiday and possibly it will be lifechanging, but hopefully not for the worst.

guerik

I think a combination of guidebook + common sense is a good way to travel. If you can afford the airfare, bottled water for a 6 month trip probably didn't cost you a fortune. It's maybe $180 if you drink 3 litres a day, and if you thought it was a waste of money you could have stopped at any time.

Everything comes with a warning label these days so why not travel? If they warn you about it at least you're prepared for the possibility - I've had my money and camera stolen, been "eve-teased" and had people attempt to scam me in a variety of ways but that hasn't stopped me from travelling in and loving India as I've met at least 100 lovely people for each scammer. I live 5 kilometres from Australia's Parliament House so I'm sure the crooks to honest people ratio is much higher here

(English usage is because they're an Aussie company!!)