I was once told that you could tell what kind of guidebook someone was carrying by where they stayed. A guesthouse owner in Thailand revealed that those who had a Lonely Planet guidebook stayed with him, while those bunking across the street most likely all carried a Rough Guides guidebook. For my first trip across Asia, I bought myself both: The Rough Guide First-Time Asia, and Lonely Planet�s Southeast Asia on a Shoestring.

The main and most obvious difference between the two books was when I used them. When planning out the first stages of my trip, I turned to the Rough Guide. It told me where to go and when, how to plan your route, preparing for things like visas, tickets and insurance, money, what to bring, and a wealth of other very valuable information. There was even a directory full of discount flight agents, specialist tour operators, official advice on international trouble sports, and travel equipment suppliers. The country profiles give you information on the main attractions, average temperatures, and points you in the direction of helpful websites, books and films. There are also several great tips and questions throughout the book, such as whether to go solo or find a travel companion.

Once I had a route and a time picked out, I turned to my trusty Lonely Planet. The first stop on my itinerary was Singapore. I flipped to the Singapore section of the book, and was surprised to see over 20 pages on everything from history and current events to highlights and orientation. For such a tiny country (HOW BIG), there was a lot of information. But not compared to my second stop, Indonesia. This country, made up of (how many) islands, spanned from page 149 to 338. After the country highlights and general information, there were sections for the individual main islands, such as Java, Bali, and Sumatra, to name a few. Each islands was further broken down by main cities and attractions, where there were plenty of accommodation, food and other helpful recommendations. I found my favorite guesthouse in Bali, Sania�s House Bungalows, in my Lonely Planet.

In this case, there is no winner and no loser. Both guidebooks have their strengths and weaknesses. The Rough Guide First-Time Southeast Asia is the perfect starter guidebook to help pre-plan your trip. Once you are actually overseas however, The Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring will help you find everything from great accommodation anywhere you are, to local customs and phrases and great places to see.