More than just a rough guide
The Rough Guide
by Brice Minnigh and Stephen Keeling
Rough Guides, April 2007 (First edition)
ISBN: 1843535270
I earlier mentioned that Rough Guides had released its first Taiwan guidebook. I now have a copy and can write a full review.
The Rough Guide (RG) is divided into four main sections. The full color pages at the front of the book give a basic introduction to Taiwan followed by "30 things not to miss". The next section, "Basics", gives general information about transport, accommodation, food, festivals and outdoor activities. Next comes the main section of the guide which covers all the places in Taiwan. The final section is about history, religion, aboriginal tribes, arts and language.
I like the layout and design of the book. It reads almost like a book, not just a guidebook, but it is still easy to locate specific information. I think this is typical of the style of Rough Guides which I have used in several other countries. The maps are easy to read and many of the places on the map are clearly labelled avoiding the need to constantly refer to the key.
Information about accommodation is generally listed in the text for smaller places with more detailed listings for the larger cities. Rather than giving prices for each hotel or hostel Rough Guides uses numbers to indicate the price range. The authors seem to have chosen a good range of accommodation.
All the places that one would expect to be covered in a guidebook are included. There are also a few smaller and less well-known places that are covered. Of course there are many places that are still not mentioned. However, I think overall the choices are well considered.
One important thing that is key to the on-the-ground usability of any guidebook in Taiwan is its use of Chinese characters and romanisation. The RG includes tables through the text with place names in Chinese characters, Hanyu Pinyin with tone marks and the mix of English and romanisation that is commonly used on signs in Taiwan. I think this works well as it leaves the main text uncluttered and easy to read while all the key information is grouped together in one place for easy reference.
The RG has several features that make it stand out. These include the detailed list of festivals with dates and information about all of Taiwan's major aboriginal tribes. The section on religion in Taiwan is well written noting its syncretic nature and idiosyncrasies. It includes descriptions of all the major dieties one might encounter in Taiwan. Some pictures would have been nice here though.
The detailed coverage of how to climb Yushan (玉山) and Xueshan (雪山) is excellent. Everything you need to know from accessing the National Parks to obtaining permits and descriptions of the climbs is included.
Overall I highly recommend the Rough Guide as a great practical guide for anyone visiting Taiwan.
*purchase The Rough Guide to Taiwan from Amazon.com
Update: Also read Bradley Winterton's review in the Taipei Times: A new, updated and well-organized guide to Taiwan, Taipei Times, 24 June 2007.
Taiwan’s new Rough Guide
Taiwanease magazine out now
Smangus and the Atayal spirit
Summer of rock in Taiwan
The dragon lion team
Posted: May 24th, 2007 under Books, Taiwan, Travel.
Comments
Comment from David Reid
Time 25 May 2007 at 2:48 pm
I haven’t been through the text with a fine tooth comb, but there are some mistakes. In the main text the spelling usually just follows what you would find on signs in Taiwan. Whether this constitutes a mistake or not is arguable.
I found a couple of mistakes in the language section: a character omitted from one word and wangba instead of wangka for internet cafe. I am sure I could probably find a few more mistakes if I looked a bit harder.
In the boxed texts which include the Hanyu Pinyin italicised with tone marks some of the mistakes you mention occur quite regularly. i.e. incorrect word parsing, not using capital letters, omitting apostrophes.
Comment from Kaminoge
Time 29 May 2007 at 12:02 am
I wouldn’t say having the spelling in the book correspond to what is written on the signs is a “mistake”. After all, that is exactly what the traveler in Taiwan is going to encounter. As we well now, “official” romanization in Taiwan is in either Hanyu or Tongyong Pinyin, and unofficial romanization is something that goes beyond description. The new RG guide accurately reflects all this.
From what I’ve read so far of my just-arrived-from-Amazon copy, Rough Guide is superior to the last Lonely Planet edition. In all fairness to LP, at the time their last guide was being printed, a number of sightseeing attractions in Taiwan were undergoing transformation. It will be interesting to see what Lonely Planet puts out in their next edition.
Hopefully, both future LP and RG books will include much more detailed information on Taiwan’s high-speed rail system, especially on connections between the stations and the cities they serve, as well as on purchasing tickets.
Comment from David Reid
Time 1 June 2007 at 12:13 pm
I was a bit disappointed at the RG’s lack of info about the HSR. There was just a box that they must have inserted at the last minute.
I am sure LP Taiwan 7 will have some good updates and it will be interesting to compare the two books when the LP comes out.
Comment from Kaminoge
Time 3 June 2007 at 12:12 am
As long as Lonely Planet doesn’t ask Robert Storey to write their Taiwan guide again, their next edition should be good 
Comment from Mark S.
Time 24 May 2007 at 11:07 pm
I’m glad to hear Hanyu Pinyin is getting used. Is it done properly, with capitalization, word parsing, and apostrophes where necessary? “Yushan” instead of “Yu Shan” is not a promising sign, though “Yushan” (incorrect though it is) certainly is the more common form here.