2 comments about An Underwater Guide to Hawaii.

1. This book is packed with SPECTACULAR photos of fishes, corals and inverts found in Hawaiian waters. It includes a common name, scientific name, Hawaiian name (if applicable), and description with each photo. It is a good guide in helping to identify and learn more about these marine animals.



2. Ann Fielding has put together an informative book that is very useful for snorkeling.

2 comments about Map of Maui the Valley Isle: Reference Maps of the Islands of Hawaii Folded (Map).

1. This map is very colorful. It also shows the typography (I hope I have that spelled right)or high spots and low spots such as the volcanic craters, etc. The beaches and airports are marked very well and the insets are detailed enough to figure out where you actually are. Street names are included at the top of the map and various points of interest around the perimeter. I have it hanging in my kitchen as a constant reminder that this is where I will be retiring!



2. I'm a geographer and a cartographer, have been to Hawaii many times, and have even taught geography courses there. Take my word for it - this is the map to have with you when you explore Maui. It gets the spelling right (most don't), shows all the important and interesting places, and isn't cluttered up with advertising and commercial pitches (like the rental car maps). Part of a series that covers all the major islands.

No comments about Hawaii Wish You Were Here.

No comments about National Geographic, Trails Illustrated, Haleakala National Park: Hawaii, USA (Trails Illustrated - Topo Maps USA).

4 comments about Exploring Hanauma Bay (A Kolowalu Book).

1. This was an excellent book. We went to the Bay to do snorkeling and used this book as a complete and comprehensive reference guide.



2. Beautiful full color guide to what you will see while walking around, and swimming in Hanauma Bay. Page after page of quality photographs of the wildlife living within. Suggests several tours for walking, and various snorkeling and scuba abilities. All with appropriate safety cautions sprinkled throughout. If you need to know the differences between a moray and a tang, or even several kinds of tang, this is the book for you. It also serves as a nice momento of a day spent swimming with the fishys!



3. This guide was extremely helpful in planning several snorkeling trips to Hanauma Bay over the last three years. The ariel views of the bay and the detailed directions for the different levels of abilities were both accurate and informative. I believe this information would prove beneficial to anyone planning on visiting the park, whether they are a swimmer, begginer snorkeler, or advanced scuba diver. Although the park staff stand ready to answer any questions you may have, this book's overview of the bay definitely comes in handy. I especially liked the information on all the wildlife and marine critters that call the bay their home.

   I would also suggest getting a hold of two other books to compliment this one: The O`ahu Snorkeler and Shore Divers Guide by Francisco B. DeCarvalho and Hawaii's Fishes by John P. Hoover. Both these books contain information on Hanauma Bay and its inhabitants, as well as covering many of O`ahu's other snorkel and dive sites and would make any diving/snorkeling trip to the bay a success.




4. This is a great book on Hanauma Bay, and one I often recommend for visitors. It is very different from the other books about Hanauma Bay, in that it is organized as to where you are and what you'll see, as opposed to a grand listing of everything. Are you planning on just walking along the beach? Going out to the deeper water? Wading? These specific ecosystems and habitats have their uniqueness, and this book points them out. Inexpensive, well organized, and with David Schrichte's superb photography (and I mean superb), this book is a great reference to obtain prior to visiting the Bay. Ironically, I also recommend that folks get a copy just for the photos, cutting out what they like for their scrapbooks. Schrichte's photos are much better than you can take with your underwater point-and-shoot camera, and the price is about the same.

No comments about The Price of Paradise, Vol. 2.

No comments about Sailing in the Wake of the Ancestors: Reviving Polynesian Voyaging (Legacy of Excellence).

No comments about Zagat Hawaii Guide.

3 comments about Reference Map of Oceania: The Pacific Islands of Micronesia, Polynesia, Melanesia.

1. This map covers an area of the world that is not well represented in most world atlases. Excellent index. Fifty-one detailed inset maps.



2. I've been looking for a map for a long time of Oceania because after college I'm settling on an island by myself in search for waves. I could'nt believe all the islands I've never known about. If I was to purchase one map in conjunction with nautical charts, it would be this one.



3. This map will only be useful to you if you don't have any other basic resources, like a general world atlas or travel guides, at home.
   The main map itself shows the entire South Pacific region, with country boundaries clearly marked, but individual islands reduced to the size of dots.
   Major islands are shown on inset maps, however even these are still tiny - you will find bigger, more detailed, and more accurate maps of the same islands (and many more) in travel guidebooks to this region by Lonely Planet or Moon.
   In short, unless you just want a general map to hang on your wall, don't waste your money on this one!

2 comments about Short Bike Rides(tm) Hawaii.

1. If you are planning a trip to Hawaii with your bike this is the best guide available. Has rides of all difficulty levels and good descriptions of local settings and lore without overloading you with a lot of fluff.
   
   I just want to know when the author's guide to illegal watershed hikes of Oahu will be published.



2. Nice bike rides in this book. Hawaii is kind of tough to get lost and also hard to find low traffic roads to ride on. You can pretty much see them on the map. It was helpful though.