Review and Giveway of Eyewitness Top 10 travel Guide to Munich
On my visit to Munich just before Christmas I used the pocket sized Eyewitness Top 10 guide to Munich as my guidebook of choice and now I’ve got a Top 10 guide to give away to one of my readers too.
Eyewitness DK Top 10 guide to Munich
I often take short breaks in Europe of just a weekend in one city and I’ve found the Eyewitness Top 10 travel guidebook series from Dorling Kindersley ideal in highlighting the best things to see on a short trip, while still giving some depth on a wide range of sites that might interest visitors.
You may have read my review of the Eyewitness Top 10 guide to Lisbon, and at the risk of repeating myself, I do enjoy the Dorling Kindersley coffee-table style of publishing, with loads of colourful photos and maps throughout the book.
Top 10 guide to everything
The guide is organised along the theme of Top 10 everything, and although this might normally make for shallow reading, there’s plenty of useful detail, and when you’re short of time it’s quite refreshing to be able to focus immediately on the key things to see. Personally I would still use any guidebook as a starting point and then seek out a few local recommendations or just wander around and see where the fancy takes you. But I hate to miss anything major just because I turned left rather than right on my wanderings.
There’s also a handy fold-out map in the back that also covers the transport system, although I find I’m increasingly that I have to squint to read the small print on guidebook maps. My Mother jokes that as every year goes by the books are publishing in smaller and smaller font - they must think that all travellers are twenty-something backbackers with eyes that aren’t yet worn out by too much blogging!
The Residenz in Munich
Top 10 things to see in Munich
On our visit to Munich we managed to see several of the Top 10 city sites that were recommended, such as the Residenz Palace, former home of the Kings of Bavaria and the area around Marienplatz, the town square at the heart of the old part of the city. Another recommendation was the Oktoberfest, one of the most famous folk and beer festivals in Germany, but we weren’t there in October so we visited another enjoyable festival, the Tollwood Winter festival that is held on the same showground for some ethnic food, Furzangenbowle mulled wine and crafty Christmas shopping. Other recommendations in the guide would come into their own in the summertime, such as the Starnberger See lake and the castles close to Munich.
Tollwood Festival in Munich
More information on Munich
The later sections of the Eyewitness Top 10 guide to Munich cover different areas of interest such as the best Markets, Festivals, children’s attractions and even Gay and Lesbian hang-outs. Then there are sections that cover each neighbourhood with a map, cafe and restaurant recommendations and extra things to see in each neighbourhood. If I had more time, I’d love to follow the recommendations of how to spend a day wandering in each neighbourhood, with recommended coffee and lunch stops and things of architectural interest. At the back of the guide there are sections with on getting around, planning tips and all the boring but useful information you might need to refer to like shop opening and restaurant hours.
Christmas market in Munich
Who this guide’s good for
Although there are sections on hotels and other accommodation, I’d say that this is not the best guide for someone who needs to find the cheapest hostel in a hurry - it’s more for those who have planned the practicalities in advance and want to spend their time sightseeing and enjoying what the ciy has to offer. I was a little disappointed to find that there was very little information on the Christmas markets of Munich that we’d come to see, although we found more than enough to enjoy just by walking around the central area. I was also pleased to find that the information on which S-bahn or tram to use to get to key sites was a bit more comprehensive than I found in the Lisbon guide, although the one time we tried to use the tram information, a local at the tram stop told us that it was incorrect, and directed us to the S-bahn instead.
Guide Book Giveaway
I should tell you that Dorling Kindersley kindly gave me a free copy of the guidebook for the purposes of this review, but I’ve either paid my own money or borrowed others guides in the Top 10 Series before and found them excellent, which is why I’m happy to recommend them to you. In fact, when I was in Berlin, our group had a choice of three well known guidebooks between us and this was the one we inevitably took with us, because it is such a convenient size to carry. I have noticed that although in the UK the Eyewitness Top 10 guides are priced at a moderate £7.99, when you buy them on Amazon.com they seem to be a lot more expensive.
Even more reason then to take this opportunity to enter for my giveaway sponsored by Dorling Kindersley of a copy of the Top 10 travel guide of your choice for one of my readers. To be entered for this draw, just leave me a comment telling me which guide you would like and your reasons for visiting that city. I’ll draw one of the names at random in a couple of weeks and the Eyewitness Top 10 Guide of your choice will be on it’s way to one of my readers.
To check out which of the guides might take your fancy, go to the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Top 10 page and start dreaming of where you might go next, from London, Venice and Rome to Las Vegas, San Francisco and Toronto to Bankok, Singapore and Hong Kong I think I counted almost 50 destinations to choose from. To be entered for the giveaway, just leave a comment on which guide you’d like and why.
Other Munich stories to enjoy
Visiting the Christmas Markets in Munich - Podcast
Location and Value at Hotel Falkenturm in Munich
Bavarian Pork Knuckle at Haxnbauer in Munich
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Passports with Purpose Thanks
January 11, 2010 by admin
Filed under Blogging, Giveaways, Media, Misc, Passports with Purpose, Travel products, World Issues
The Passports with purpose travel blogger’s fund-raiser completed just before Christmas raising a fantastic $26,000, which was double the original target. The money will be going to build a school in rural Cambodia through the charity American Assistance for Cambodia and should be built by this summer. Not only has enough money been raised to fund the school building, but the additional funds raised will mean that your donations have also provided water filters, a kitchen garden, books for the library and a school nurse.
Passports with Purpose builds a school in Cambodia
So now it’s time to say some big thankyous to all those who contributed to this amazing effort, not least all of you out there who pledged donations in the Passports with purpose raffles for some amazing prizes, from camera equipment to holidays to hotel stays.
Flip Ultra Video Camera
I’d like to thanks my sponsor, Flip UK who donated the Flip Ultra Video camera that I was able to offer as a prize. The Flip Video Camera was won by Rebecca Self of Xpat Adventures - hope you have fun making some cool videos Rebecca!
Thanks also to the sponsors of Passports with Purpose, supporting travellers with their services
Last but not least, thanks to Debbie Dubrow, Pam Mandel, Michelle Duffy and Beth Whitman, the bloggers behind Delicious Baby, Nerd’s Eye View, WanderMom, and Wanderlust and Lipstick who worked so hard behind the scenes to organise Passports with Purpose.
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Great photogear for travellers to be won at Passports with Purpose
December 8, 2009 by admin
Filed under Giveaways, Media, Misc, Passports with Purpose, Travel products
If you’re a regular reader of this and other Travel Blogs you’ll already know about Passports with Purpose and the great prizes you can win by making a $10 donation for the prize draw against the prize of your choice.
Flip Ultra video camera prize
The Travel Blogger’s Charity Fundraiser is in it’s second year, and this year we’re raising money to build a school in Cambodia. The initial target of $13K to build the school has been reached thanks to your support, and now we’re going for a further $13 to fund a school nurse, clean water and a vegetable garden for the school. Knowing how lucky I and my family are in the education we’ve received and take for granted, I’m pleased to try and give something back in a part of the world that’s still recovering from the 1970s, when the Khymer Rouge practically destroyed the educational system in Cambodia.
There are many great prizes on offer from books & music, cameras, hotels stays and holidays, great travel gear and product vouchers. You can read all about the Flip Camera I’m giving away on my previous post here, but let me remind you that this neat little video camcorder is perfect when you’re travelling light or want to have some fun with video.
Casio Exilim Ex S5 digital camera
In this post I’d like to focus on on some of the other great camera and photography prizes on offer - you can see all the Passports with Purpose prize details here.
At Whatboundaries there’s another Flip Mino Video Camera on offer - I don’t need any convincing on that one, and as I can’t enter for my own prize, I shall be crossing my fingers that I win this one instead.
My friend Anil at Foxnomad has a Casio Exilim EX-S5 10 Mega Pixel Digital Camera - this is the camera that Anil uses and recommends as it’s small, durable and has a great feature set for it’s size. As Anil’s a bit of a gadget fiend, I’ll take his word for that - I do hope it’s in blue as you’ve shown, as it’s my favourite travel colour, makes me thing of cloudless skies and crystal clear seas.
Kodak Zi6 pocket Video camera prize
Debbie at DeliciousBaby is one of the brains behind Passports with Purpose and has a Kodak Zi6 Pocket Video Camera as her prize which is another great pocket sized Video camera similar to the Flip, ideal for capturing those special moments with family and friends.
At Two and a half Travelers you’ll finjd a Fuji Instax Mini camera and film. Apparently this cute camera is your old-fashioned Polaroid’s younger, hotter brother. It instantly prints credit card-size photos and just happens to be one the holiday seasons hottest gifts. Read more on Photojojo.
Fuji Instax Mini Camera prize
And if there’s something photographic you have in mind then enter the draw for the $100 Gift Certificate to B&H Photo and Video on offer from Wendy at Escape from New York. Wendy’s a preofessional photographer and I always enjoy her interesting shots, each with a little story behind them.
So do take a look at the great prizes on offer and make your pick. I’m donating $10 against a prize for each member of may family, choosing the gift I think they’ll enjoy most. I’m sure you can also thing of lots of ways you can incorporate this into your Christmas giving, or perhaps ask your loved ones to make a donation for the prize you’d like as your Christmas gift.
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