HK$56 each

Those who hate clutter will be drawn to the Sydney Pocket Map & Guide. The book consumes no more space than a mobile phone. A fold-out map stuck to the back pages takes in essential Sydney,

but the Blue Mountains, which skirt the city, are out.

Despite being concise, the book makes some engaging points, not least how fast the old penal colony has become gentrified. Less than a century ago, the guide reveals, the harbourside neighbourhood known as The Rocks consisted of rat-infested slums. Its streets now feature designer boutiques, delicatessens and five-star hotels.

Unlike, say Bangkok or London, the guide states, Sydney is a safe destination, so long as visitors steer clear of direct sunlight and the riptides that bedevil beaches such as Bondi's neighbour Tamarama - or 'Glamorama', as the locals call it.

Beyond the beaches and usual attractions, some offbeat suburbs crop up. One is Glebe, the densely populated vintage-clothing and fine-food paradise. Another, Balmain, wins praise for its village charm though the guide omits to mention that it has excellent bars, unlike the rest of Sydney.

The bars in Melbourne have more class, as does the city itself. The DK pocket guide to the Victorian capital describes the elegant tree-lined boulevard that extends from St Kilda as 'the spine of the cultural precinct'. Also mentioned are the Heide Museum of Modern Art (a 'modernist architectural gem') and Federation Square ('Melbourne's most vibrant public space').

Alas, Melbourne's major monuments have less immediate impact than Sydney icons such as the Opera House and need more context than the guide has room for. The result makes Melbourne seem comparatively dull.