The Rough Guide to Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei (Rough Guides)

Well laid out with essential information for any traveller Tips and guidelines are most useful and have whettted my apitite for my holiday

I have used Rough Guides before. I like the way they are organized, what they cover, how they cover it and their format. Using Rough Guide to the Philippines last year, I was rarely disappointed when acting on a recommendation . Additional comments on this particular Rough Guide will have to wait until I try it out next year. NOTE: I bought this guide used from an Amazon vendor. It was listed as in very good condition. The book looks like it was a new one

It gives a good overview of the country, and was helpful in many aspects. There are some confusing places to negotiate in Malaysia, especially the Singapore/Johor Bahru border, when riding a bus, and the book is not helpful at all, and actually added to the confusion. Also the Lavender Bus Terminal in Singapore has been demolished for about 9 months now, and will not be finished for a couple of years. Overall, though it's helpful and informative.

Thinking that it is time to replace my 2007 Lonely Planet guide to these countries, and impressed by previous editions of this Rough Guide as well as by the fact that it now finally gives you actual prices of accommodation, I bought this book yesterday right here in Malaysia. After reading through it last night, I wish I could get my money back! :-( First of all, while older editions of it actually covered more off the beaten track places than Lonely Planet, this new edition no longer does. In fact, even its coverage of relatively major attractions is severely lacking! For example, Malaysia's new administrative capital Putrajaya, with its amazing futuristic architecture, already covered in my 2007 Lp, is missing from this book altogether. For God's sake, the capital!!! Even places that are included are covered very poorly. For example, the wonderful royal town of Kuala Kangsar has 3 palaces, only one of which is currently open for visitors - and is stunning. Guess what, the authors of this poor excuse for a guide failed to notice the mere existance of that palace, neither covering it in the text nor putting it on the town map (it is right on the main road!) and only note the other 2 palaces, one of which has never been open for visitors, the other is tiny and indefinitely closed for renovation. Even for most other states, this book simply covers far fewer places/attractions than Lonely Planet's Malaysia Singapore & Brunei . Save yourself the disappointment - don't buy this book!

I would not buy another Lonely Planet on Kindle. It was not say to navigate through the book and did not have links to pages or places. As we had a book we ended up using this all of the time. Not a good buy!

We used it this year in Malaysia and found it tolerably useful - the fact it was a recent edition did help to ensure that information was reasonably up to date. Malaysia is a big place, diverse and impossible to cover properly in one volume, I don't want to seem to be damning it with faint praise but this is probably the best of any of the all-in-one volumes. It is fine for tripping about and picking the best of the tourist attractions, but if you wanted to put down roots for any length of time then this will provide the basics then you just have do your own local research. In any case that's the joy of travel. Some of the maps are tiny so you'll need your reading specs. Malaysia is calling out for a new type of in-depth guide book where they don't try to do Sarawak, Sabah, peninsula Malaysia plus various islands all in one. Meantime this is about the best and most up to date, although even being recent it didn't have the new major bus exchange information for KL. Steve Riches, Northampton, UK.

El formato de la guía es muy cómodo para la consulta y tiene información completa y actualizada. Aciertos en recomendaciones de restaurantes y alojamiento, 100%! La mejor del mercado para Malaysia y Borneo. Sólo echamos en falta alguna mención a las condiciones de seguridad en la zona oriental de Borneo, pero el problema es relativamente reciente, así que supongo que no les habrá dado tiempo a incluirlo.

I purchased a copy of the Rough Guide, as it is currently the most up to date guide for Malaysia (published 2012). I used it to plan my backpacking itinery/route and also as reference while travelling. It provided me with a comprehensive overview and necessary information to plan my trip and decide where to go/what to do. Supplemented with some independent online research, I was able to get by fine. The structure is logical and ordered by region. Found prices, hints and tips generally helpful/accurate. In comparison to other guides, there seems to be a higher number/detail of street maps, which was quite helpful when navigating in the cities. You will find most things you need to know in this guide and I found the information provided reliable. As with any guide, it will not have every last detail, but after all, travelling is about your personal journey and making your own discoveries. I can recommend the RG Malaysia to any independent traveller looking for an up-to-date, accurate and reliable guide book for Malaysia.

The book was dispatched to me very prompty and received before the expected date. As usual the Guide is detailed, very well written and incredibly useful for those who, like myself, prefer to find our own way around the world. Fully recommended

Chose Rough Guide for 'details' based presentation as against a picture-laden glossy type of guide. I found it comprehensive, useful and reasonably accurate. I notice this Guide had been quite recently revised but I wonder how recently Richard has been to Malaysia. I suppose the impression we get of a place we visit is balanced against what we expected. I found Malaysia, relatively safe, with naturally pleasant people and none of the pestering of say, Sri Lanka. The expansion of towns, modern road network and the huge manufacturing and administration facilities impressive – but not something you would travel half way round the world to see. What I think Rough Guide or any of the others fail makes clear is the devastation that such rapid expansion has brought. I found the vast areas of Palm Oil plantations, the hardwood logging, and the complete disfiguring of the Cameron Highlands with strawberry farm polytunnels all over the hills, truly shocking. All at the expense of natural forests. And the local guides explain how permission is achieved. The wildlife sancturies only go to show the wholesale damage being caused. Rough Guide, in my view, does not make this clear. But then again if it did perhaps less people would go, and fewer guides would be sold.