Filling a needed niche in guidebooks, Penguin...

Filling a needed niche in guidebooks, Penguin has a new series directed at the experienced traveler. These are not pocket guides offering facts without mention of atmosphere, but instead are designed to eliminate the cumbersome lists of virtually every existing hotel and restaurant. Detailed information has been compiled from interviews with 35 savvy world travel writers. The series includes “Italy” ($14.95), “France” ($14.95), “Canada” ($14.95), “England and Wales” ($12.95), “Australia” ($11.95) and “Ireland” ($10.95). Special out-of-the-way places are detailed. The books capture the personality and excitement of each destination.

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“Hawaii for Free,” by Francis Carter, tells how you can improve on a vacation to this island paradise. It lists hundreds of fun and fascinating things to do and see throughout the islands. Among them are touring the wineries or breweries for a taste of the local product, and watching Japanese folk dancing.

For a lip-smacking experience, you can sample the goodies at the Kailun Candy Co. The guide demonstrates that there’s more to the islands than a lei and a luau. Available at most bookstores or send $6.95 (plus $1.50 handling) to Mustang Publishing, P.O. Box 9327, New Haven, Conn. 06533.

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The well-informed independent business traveler heading for South America can enjoy a more fascinating journey across a tapestry of distinct cultures with “The South American Handbook--1989.” It’s a complete source book of more than a million words.

This excellent reference gazeteer offers information about such topics as local laws, transportation, languages, currency and medical facilities, and includes bits on the history, people, geography, cities and economics. The capital is the first place covered in each country’s section, which is further divided into subsections with corresponding maps and listings of excursions, sights, routes and transportation.

The information on festivals, holidays and where to stay and eat is above average. As a bonus, the guide supplies comparative information for the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. It’s so complete that it even describes a home-style remedy for curing Montezuma’s revenge (Prentice Hall: $29.95).

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You may read about events happening in the country of Gabon, or the city of Surabaya, but just exactly where are they? “The New York Times Family Atlas of the World” furnishes the answers with a great supply of maps. All place names are in English, and indexed in alphabetical order.

Statistics include geographical comparisons of the longest rivers, biggest cities, highest mountains and largest lakes, oceans and seas. The maps help define the Earth’s climate, and pinpoint earthquake areas. The colors, symbols and codes offer rapid access to data. The illustrations, simulating views from outer space, offer a broader understanding of world travel and communication challenges (Salem House: $24.95).