BRADT TRAVEL GUIDES-ARMENIA REVIEW

You will find plenty information about Armenia (history, culture etc.), many detailed descriptions and maps of monasteries, there are maps of all Armenian provinces etc. But those maps are rather inaccurate, don't use them to estimate distances between two spots. There is no data about the scale, anyway. About towns there are only two maps of Yerevan plus additional two of Echmiadzin and Gyumri. Why are maps of other towns missing? The ones for Sevan, Garni etc. would be more than welcome. And at existing maps there is no mark about spots from where buses and minibuses depart back to Yerevan so you'll have to rely on locals.

The worst part is about something that many backpackers would find most interesting: the public transport. The author only mentions that it's bad (it's not good, indeed) and gives some information in few sentences (BTW, if heading to Geghard, take the bus all the way to Goght, 3 km from the monastery, not to Garni as the book suggests). About major sights it should at least be mentioned that "one bus per day stops at ...., ... km from the sight" and that piece of information should be immediately after the description of a sight or a town, not at the introduction of each province! It's obvious that the author travelled around by a hired car (there are plenty of instructions like "drive 5 km, at a brown house turn left etc.") and hasn't used public transport at all.

More info about accommodation (not only expensive hotels where the author most likely stayed) would also be welcome. After all, if you search the web you will find at least 3 well known ladies offering reasonably cheap homestays in Yerevan.

So, if you intend to travel by car (hired or arranged with locals) then this book will be quite good. If you are a real backpacker relying on public transport, think about some rival guides and buy this one as a supplement if the competition has worse descriptions of monasteries.