4 comments about Lonely Planet Hiking in Hawaii.

1. I picked up this book because of Lonely Planet's good name. For general reading it's okay for an overview but for solid trail advice and exact information that a hiker really needs, it misses the mark. I only visited one island and there weren't enough listings to make purchasing this book worthwhile.



2. This book hits on just the tip of the iceburg. There are hundreds of trails on these islands and since I only visited two I wanted it to tell me more. So if you do buy it, use it for just an overview. It makes a good companion to the Frommers Hawaii book.



3. A note to any prospective purchasers: Lonely Planet released several books on Hawaii, both about the state in general and also about some of the individual islands. This book only covers state and national parks, and known hiking trails on the five islands you can get to (thus excluding Lana'i, and the inaccessible Kaho'olawe and Niihau. Therefore, it's best used in conjunction with the other general books on the subject.
   
   I found this book to be of value for the three islands I visited. There's a little bit of outdated information about climbing the Diamond Head volcano crater on Oahu. More useful to me were the extend portions about Waimea Canyon State Park on Kauai (absolutely gorgeous even if you're only driving up, as my wife and I did) and the material about Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. This latter section was especially helpful in terms of providing background information, as we had a poor commercial tour guide who frequently missed the points we were interested in.
   
   I recommend this book even for the non-hiker (we limited ourselves mostly to the "easy" trails) because the level of detail about the two state parks mentioned above, surpasses both what I found in other books and even from some tour guides.



4. I found this book quite useful while hiking on the big island, where I did the majority of the recommended hikes (excluding the Mauna Kea, admittedly). I used it in the planning phase and, in conjunction with a topographic map, during the hikes. The descriptions of the hikes are accurate both in terms of the path to take, the scenery, plant and animal life to expect as well as in regard to the time the hikes will take. The warnings it contains, especially regarding the need to carry enough water are to be taken seriously! As a fit but not expert hiker, I ended up finishing the hikes in about the lower estimated duration given by lonely planet.
   
   What made me, as a biologist, sad while hiking in Hawaii was the abundance of non-native (invading) species, which in many cases have a detrimental effect on the endemic Hawaiian species. There is not much in this book about this problem, which is quite striking to anyone interested in nature who hikes around the Hawaiian islands.
   
   In addition to the sections about the hikes, I found the information on hostels and cheap dining places on the big island informative.

No comments about Fodor's Oahu, 2nd Edition: with Honolulu, Waikiki, and the North Shore (Full-Color Gold Guides).

5 comments about Maui For Dummies (Dummies Travel).

1. Loved getting a bit of "history" along with what to do and what to see! You'll get a better feel for the island with this book. Very detailed (right down to the best roadside stand to buy fruit at on the road to Hana). We love this book....it will be our "bible" when we go...



2. This is a pretty decent book, with some good information and tips on the island. The post it not tabs are nice to mark information you want easy access to. Some of the icons (heads up, kid friendly etc) are also helpful. Beware - there is some word for word duplication with the Frommers book.
   
   For anyone traveling to Maui, this is a decent resource. But the ultimate is Maui Revealed.



3. The book seems a couple of years old (although it says it's published in 2005). There are certain places that have moved or closed. However, the general idea of the book is to familiarize you with Maui which I thought it fulfilled the overall purpose. There are great tips which I corroborated with locals including good snorkeling spots, best snorkel gear, best luaus, restaurant, shops, etc. It lists out the places you SHOULD go while in Maui and suggests what to avoid and refuse. This is my first Dummies travel book and I plan to use future Dummies along with the current year's Frommer's for updated info. By the way, Cakewalk in Paia....no longer there.



4. I have both this book and Revealed and by far I recommend the Revealed book. This book is ok to use as a companion guide with Revealed, but I did not find it nearly as helpful. I mainly bought the Dummy book to see if I could get a different point of view about sites, restuarants, etc. and I did in some cases, but I will be using the Revealed book as my main guide when I go back to Maui this year.



5. I am a regular visitor to Maui and I got this book cheap at a library book sale because I am always interested in anything to do with Hawaii. It was surprisingly informative and accurate. The author has even covered some 'local' restaurants (unlike other guide books) she's now blurted to the world, but also missed a few, so some of my favorite finds are safe.
   I liked the very detailed, personalized info on hotels etc: 'the owner leaves notes in your room saying things like bang the top of the TV twice if the reception is bad'.
   This is an author who clearly enjoyed her research. I gave her four out of five only because she spills the beans on my favorite hideaway restuarant. Now I'll never get in!!!

4 comments about How to Live in Hawaii on $1000 Per Month.

1. The book is nicely written but it needs more frequent updating if it is to be of much use. Hawaii is changing more rapidly than perhaps the author would like to admit.

   Too many pages devoted to names and address of food markets etc. This information can better be found in phone books and such.




2. For starters, I was dissappointed to find out that this book is mainly about the Big Island of Hawaii, although it devotes a few pages in the back of the book about the other islands. Another caution: there are many parcels of cheap land on the Big Island due to the volcanic, and seismic hazards to these lands, and one's exposure to vog, risk of tsunamis, or living with lots of rain. Many areas of the Big Island lack electricity and city water. The author of this book makes little metntion of these hazards and inconveniences, unfortunately. There is also much "filler" in this book, things which, like the other review said, one could easliy find in a phone book or online. Nonetheless, there are some interesting tips scattered throughout the book. Overall, I think this book could have been reduced to a 5-10 page pamphlet with no loss in its utility. I have also read Affordable Paradise and So You Want to Live in Hawaii, which, as far as I know these are the only books devoted specifically to this topic. However, these books were somewhat lacking as well (in different respects), so you will need to consult many other sources in your quest to decide if you want to live in Hawaii.



3. The book is actually about the big island and not Hawaii as a whole. Little mention anywhere on how to live comfortably on $1,000. The other book mentioned "So You want to live is Hawaii" is so much better. Amazing that this book is a new addition at all.



4. I'll save you some money on this one. How can you live in Hawaii on $1000 a month? Get three roommates or live in a tent. Most studio and one bedroom apartments where I live in Hawaii are $1000+ a month.

No comments about Hawaii Off the Beaten Path, 8th (Off the Beaten Path Series).

No comments about Hawaii, Wild & Scenic 2009 Deluxe Wall Calendar.

1 comments about Reference Maps of the Islands of Hawai'i: Map of Moloka'i the Friendly Isle Lana'i the Private Isle (Reference Maps of the Islands of Hawai'i).

1. I purchased this map so that I could locate the rental property I was considering. It was tremendously helpful. I am able to find landmarks and make informed vacation plans. A wise purchase! I would recommend this to anyone considering a vacation to this "less travelled" island.
   
   

1 comments about Road Guide to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

1. an excellent resource full of detailed maps, full color photographs, and detailed explanations of the geological features of each area of the Park. It will greatly enhance your exploration of the park.

5 comments about A Pocket Guide to Hawaii's Birds.

1. I need the scientific names, that unfortunately were not listed in the book. The development in the bird changes is also so quick, ( I did not see Frigate Birds over Waikiki. Also the colony of Laysan Albatrosses on Kaohikaipu Island deed not seem to be mentioned, even there was a picture of the island in the book. Maybe the colony is new???) that some changes should be maid, or foreseen in the possible next edition. I also saw a bird that was not listed in the book. I wonder if that could have been an apanane female. But the book does not indicate whether male and female are alike or not. The bird I saw was very alike the apanane in shape an bill. Bill a little shorter grey top of head and green on side. What bird could that have been? Seen in Hosmer Grove. The bird list in the back should be a clean bird list, which ought to be complete. (Ex. Mallard is not in the list. Geografic names should be kept in another list.

   If you read this yourself, mr. Pratt, could you please forward the scientific - english list to my e-mail adress - see above. That would be appreciated very much.




2. This book is intended for the casual observer of birds, not the dedicated birder. (Serious bird-watchers should use Pratt's Field Guide to the Birds of Hawai'i and the Tropical Pacific together with his Enjoying Birds in Hawai'i or Rick Soehren's Birdwatcher's Guide to Hawai'i.) But within its limits, this is a fascinating and readable book. Pratt discusses the native birds, especially the endemic passerines, and illustrates the evolutionary processes which produced their astonishing variety. Then he describes the introduced birds, including their effect on the native avifauna when that is significant. The result is a clear though brief analysis of Hawai'i's avian world.

   Pratt is a fine photographer and bird illustrator, and Jack Jeffrey is a true master of avian photography. The result of their collaboration is one of the best-illustrated books on birds I know.

   Pratt's writing style is direct and clear. His straightforward narration of the destruction of a large part of the native Hawai'ian avifauna is heartbreaking in its simplicity.

   This is an excellent introduction to Hawai'i's birds.




3. I bought this book in Hawaii because it was the only bird book I could find. It at least showed me some of the birds I would see, but the organization (if there is any--can't tell) is horrible. Next time I would go online ahead of time and buy an actual field guide to birds. It is a nightmare to find a bird in this book, and it doesn't give any information about them, such as their size, or male/female differences; also, it lists some birds more than once--weird. This book should be named differently...perhaps, "A glimpse into the history of birds in Hawaii." Overall, it did help me identify the birds I saw, so was better than nothing, but I would definitely not choose it again.



4. ...which is how I found this book and became interested in the subject. The book is ubiquitous in Hawaii in ABC Stores you see everywhere, especially in Waikiki. I'm not a birdwatcher, however I am interested in conservation of native species. This book gives some historical background behind previous conservation efforts, has colorful pictures of most of the birds you're likely to encounter while on vacation in Hawaii (most of which are introduced species) and includes some sad footnotes about birds endangered or thought to be extinct. The latter are largely due to destruction of habitat and introduction of predators/diseases/non-native species. It also includes a chapter with some better-known "hotspots", which may have led some readers to believe that this little book is trying to masquerade as a field guide for serious birders.
   
   No, if you're an Audubon Society member or serious birdwatcher, this book won't sate you, and you should purchase a true field guide, as the other reviewers have suggested. And no, it is not perhaps as well organized as members of those aforementioned groups would like. But it is written in a personable style, and reads very well in a hotel room at the end of a long day of sightseeing. In fact, I've read it several times.
   
   If you're interested in a more thorough treatise of Hawaii's birds, then I'd recommend the encyclopedic (but dated) Hawaiian Birdlife by Andrew Berger, also an interesting read. It's out-of-print, but still available used as of this writing.



5. A short guide to the local flying guys, with emphasis on the problems they face.

4 comments about Frommer's Hawaii from $80 a Day.

1. On my trips to the Islands, I've found this book to be an excellent source of hotel, B&B, and restaurant recommendations. It is not the best overall guide, but it IS the best source of info for the above items. I've found that by taking this book along with the Lonely Planet (which is the best overall guide but is weak on lodging & restaurants) I have all the info I need to plan & enjoy my vacations to Hawaii.

   I've used this book for travel to Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island, and have never found any of the reviews to be far off base. Highly recommended!




2. Overall a pretty good guide to the islands. However, I did have a few complaints:
   Some of the places off the beaten path were not well described in terms of directions (and if not for helpful locals, I never would have reached them)
   Restaurant data was often out of date (restaurant closed or completely redone), and poorer restaurants were sometimes recommended while the better ones were left off.
   I was able to find a lot of better deals (or found out after the fact about better deals available) than listed in the book.
   If you know nothing about Hawaii, it's a good bood to have. I will look for a different guide for my next trip.



3. I have been very fortunate. I have had the oportunity to visit Hawai'i three times: The Big Island once, and Maui twice. I used a prevoius edition of this Frommer's Guide for a lot of my planning.
   
   I like the listings of inexpensive hotels, B&B's, restaurants and activities in the book. Inexpensive does not mean poor quality. I have never been disappointed when following the advice in the Guide. I also enjoy the recommendations and maps included.
   
   I find the Frommer's Guides to be very helpful, and have used other Frommer's Guides for trip planning: The Canadian Rockies, New Mexico, Yellowstone National Park, Florida for $ a Day, and San Francisco to name a few. They are a good starting point for planning a vacation.



4. If you buy this guide, don't bother buying Frommer's Hawaii 2006. Most of it is word for word.