Read about Africa, the Lonely Planet way

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Lonely Planet has reissued its comprehensive "Africa" guidebook in an 11th edition on the 30th anniversary of its original publication.

The book runs more than 1,100 pages and covers 49 countries:

• Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia in North Africa.
• Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo in West Africa.
• Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome & Principe in Central Africa.
• Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somaliland (with Puntland and Somalia), Tanzania and Uganda in East Africa.
• Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe in Southern Africa.

The travel guidebook publishing company says the book was once designed purely for travelers on a shoestring, but the new edition also has listings for more sophisticated or affluent travelers who prefer not to go the do-it-yourself hostel route.

Recommendations for Mount Kenya National Park, for example, include listings for all-inclusive packages that cover park entry, camping, food, huts, a guide, cook, porters and transfers to and from the mountain. Mountain Rock Safaris Resorts & Trekking Services -- www.mountainrockkenya.com -- can take you on a Mount Kenya climb, including accommodations in the Mountain Rock Lodge near Naro Moru, for $135 a day, while all-inclusive trips from Naro Moru River Lodge run as high as $220 a day.

As an accompaniment to your Africa travel-planning, consider Lonely Planet's new "Africa" phrasebook, with useful words, phrases and pronunciation in several languages.