On a recent trip Gadling blogger Brenda Yun and friends compared the 4 main travel guidebooks to Cuba:
Lonely Planet Cuba by Brendan Sainsbury
Moon Handbook Cuba by Christopher P. Baker
Frommer’s Guide to Cuba by Susan Boobbyer
The Rough Guide to Cuba by Matthew Norman & Fiona McAuslan
Frommer’s and Rough Guide were worst, as usual.
Moon and LP best. As usual.
LP reinvented the travel guidebook genre. Others were forced to copy them. Or lose market share.
Here’s the most common criticism of Lonely Planet. It’s too popular.
Conclusion
Based on Christopher P. Baker’s wealth of experience in Cuba, Moon is a sure thing. Sainsbury’s Lonely Planet Cuba is also a rich and trusty companion. …
I think it’s worth mentioning that too many people carry the Lonely Planet guidebook around — not just in Cuba but around the world. In Cuba, it’s the only one I saw in at least five different languages (the content is the same). While useful, Lonely Planet is suffering from a unfortunate hipster effect: the same restaurants, hotels, and sights are becoming overrun by “budget backpackers,” and travelers are relying too heavily on LP-specific travel tips and suggestions. …
Get the basics from Lonely Planet. Look for alternative ideas in Moon.
Rick McCharles 