by Keith Bain, Pippa de Bruyn, Lizzie Williams, Philip Briggs

Frommers, $24.95, 532 pages

If you don’t already have a desire to visit Africa, you’ll surely catch the travel bug after reading Frommer’s Kenya and Tanzania. Known worldwide, Frommers guide books offer the most current travel information and serve as a crucial resource for trip planning. Each book begins with a list of “The Best Of…” You’ll read about the most romantic safari destinations, the wildest animal encounters, the best tented camps, and the best places for culture and history. Other introductory topics covered are when to go, what to bring, health concerns, and suggested itineraries. Safety suggestions are plentiful. Readers will enjoy the bits of trivia scattered throughout the book. For example, spitting in public can get a local three months in prison. Blowing into an elephant’s trunk is the pachyderm equivalent of shaking hands. One chapter is devoted completely to the Masai, Africa’s best known tribe who, despite encroaching modernity, have held on to their traditional ways. Everything you need to know about where to stay, where to eat, and what to do is at your fingertips. The helpful wildlife guide will prepare you for safari sightings and you can practice Swahili phrases using the included dictionary. (Jambo = hello!).

Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin