I've discovered the DK guides only recently. I tended
to leave them on the shelf for a number of reasons: they are more
expensive than e.g. Lonely Planet or Michelin.
Worse of all, they tend to be heavy. But I had to admit that they have
some strong arguments in favour: they are well written, full of
information but very concise and, most important, they have
stacks of illustrations. Of course, Insight
Guides have lots of illustrations as well - but DK guides use lots
of high quality small pictures, schematics and three dimensional maps,
which really help you to navigate the streets of unknown cities.
I don't know about you, but I travel to see beautiful
things. When I have to decide whether to go to a country, city or
monument, having an idea of what I can expect to see, helps me in
making my decision - in a matter of minutes.
Also, I love seeing those cutaways and floorplans -
they really help to understand the structure of a building.
A section at the back contains practical information
on "Travellers' Needs": where to stay, where to eat. A
"Survival Guide" contains practical and travel information,
including pictures of electrical sockets, taxes, tipping, personal
security, etc.
The guides are the nearest thing to a multimedia
experience, without the hassle of carrying around a laptop. I don't
have all of the guides, but my collection is growing with each new
trip. |