2 comments about Frommer's Maui Day by Day (Frommer's Day by Day).

1. We enjoyed this handy guide to Maui on our trip. Easy to carry with lots of little information on Maui. While many of the locals provided excellent tips, this book kept it handy for us!



2. Maui Day by Day is the one guide you should put in your travel bag while in Maui. It has a great map along with all the information you could possibly want as you spend your time vacationing. There is no need to wade thru pages as it is well indexed. Time in paradice is short no need to spend all your time reading about it....BE THERE!

No comments about Frommer's Honolulu & Oahu Day by Day (Frommer's Day by Day).

1 comments about Frommer's Maui 2008 (Frommer's Complete).

1. The book was good as it did detail many restaurants and beaches. In addition, it provided a detailed map which is especially useful if you are planning on hiring a car. However, I would not recommend just using this book. There were some eatery's that were recommended in this book that were regarded by the "maui revealed book" as not as good. I would recommend using this book in addition to Maui revealed book. The later book is excellent. There is no fluff and will let you exactly what you need to know about Maui.

5 comments about So You Want to Live in Hawaii: The Guide to Settling and Succeeding in the Islands (Second Edition).

1. Hawaii is probably a wonderful place that I hope to visit someday like other destinations. I remember somebody I went to college with who told me that she planned to teach English in Hawaii and her husband would work in the construction trades. Once they got there, they learned that their jobs weren't enough. They started a business on the side which took up their evenings and weekends. They don't regret moving for a moment. She never finished her college training to teach and never got her bachelor's degree. As beautiful as paradise is, it is still far away from the mainland. I know people who want to pack up and move there from New Jersey but the reality is that even Hawaiians have moved to the mainland for work and more opportunities. I'm not dissing Hawaii for all it's beauty. It's paradise on earth but I don't think people think things through with such a move. For starters, you have to have money to live there or a job that pays well to afford the high cost of living. Do research in moving there, don't expect that it'll be easy. It won't. Don't think your problems won't follow you there because they will. Most important, you must take classes to be able to find work in any field. Retirement is another story but if you move anywhere, you have to do research. The book describes people who have made the move there. It's like an "aaliyah" that Jewish Americans do when they immigrate to Israel with their families. DOn't expect it to be easy, nothing in life is ever easy. Visting the islands is one thing, moving is quite another drastic step.
   As far as negative, the author puts a realistic view of moving to paradise. People uproot and move thinking it would be easy. I knew a postal worker who transferred there from New Jersey only to share an apartment with four other roommates. I'm sure Hawaii is truly paradise but maybe for those who have money to afford to live so far away.
   This book gave me a better understanding of the struggles even for those who have white collar jobs for less money. The cost of living in Hawaii is higher than most places. I live in New Jersey and it's just as expensive but you have the choice and opportunity to find products cheaper elsewhere.
   
   The author interviewed over 140 residents for her book. She does not leave out crime, violence, homelessness, poverty, etc. out of this book. You won't find that information in any guide book about Hawaii. Those books are designed for tourists. This book is designed for residents or prospective residents of the islands. I think the author tries to show a realistic point of view rather than an idealistic point of view. Yes, some of us would love to pack up and move and leave our troubles behind.
   
   But the author points out that things are not always easy on the islands.



2. This is a really thorough compilation of information. Ms Polancy has done her homework. Like others, I found the book to be a bit negative, though, almost like the author was trying to convince her readers to look elsewhere for a place to live. The general ambiance of the book seemed to be well characterized by one reviewer, who said, "Hawaii's still lovely, but is fast becoming a crowded place for very rich people, leaving the rest of us to reconsider our options."
   
   This reviewer, like Ms Polancy, speaks mainly about Maui and possibly Oahu. There is another option, where Aloha is still very much alive, people are friendly, employment opps abound and the whole Island is not on its way to being paved. It is covered in another book, "Affordable Paradise," that projects pretty much the opposite attitude from Polancy's book. Reviewers have said that they were disappointed in that it is mainly about the Big Island of Hawaii. Well, it's about "affordable" Hawaii, and that's the only part of Hawaii that still is affordable. Anyway, to read both books will give you a well-balanced view of the reality of living in Hawaii. The author of "Affordable Paradise" also devoted a whole chapter on reasons why not to move to Hawaii, pointing out that Hawaii is clearly not everyone's Paradise. We've seen enough recent transplants turn tail and return to the mainland to know that it's true.
   
   Polancy's book includes lots of charts, statistics and other data you won't find in "Affordable Paradise."
   
   If you add "Affordable Paradise" to your Hawaii collection, be sure to get the Third Edition. It has a lot more info and the real estate prices are fairly current.



3. Wow - My mother purchased this book for my husband and I when we were in Hawaii getting married earlier this year. It is a fantastic book that focuses not only on the good, but also the negatives of moving to such a beautiful place.
   
   I agree with one of the other writers who left a comment - if only every place had a guide book like this!



4. It's cute how the new comer wants to know how only they will be affected or inconvenienced when they move to Hawaii, and not how they will affect, Inconvenience
   or why most of the people of Hawaii feel or treat them the way they do!
   
   Why not investigate why the Hawaiians and local people of Hawaii no-longer invite or welcome new-comers to Hawaii with open arms and lei?
   
   Could it be because there are already too many that have came here that changed and impacted Hawaii's Aloha life style (that once did exist) for the worst?
   
   In the early plantation days when the Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Puerto Rican and Portuguese came during these hard-times, they worked along-side, blended in-with and learned from the Hawaiian people, their culture and beliefs and were accepted and treated as equals without being a threat of change or being taken advantage of.
   
   Later and present people coming to Hawaii are educated, financially well-off and flexing their U.S. rights, most being arrogant and taking advantage of the situations, resources and the now easy-times for the rich here, making the Hawaiians and local people second class citizens in their own home State.
   
   Most new comers have no respect for the Islands Aloha and life-style and start making changes to Hawaii (by voting or complaints)



5. I can't say enough about the honesty in this book. This book does not sugar coat, living in Paradise. When we decided to move to Hawaii, we bought the book, and read it cover to cover. It gave an excellent summation of cost of living, cultural factors, and the thing that helped us the most to cope when we did move here, was that we were warned in the book about the large centipedes and roaches that fly (both are up to 6" long, and spiders as big as your fist....it's true!! Once you get past that, life is good here, and well worth the move. If you're seriously considering moving to Hawaii, this is a must read book.

1 comments about Frommer's Cruises & Ports of Call 2008: From U.S. & Canadian Home Ports to the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii & More (Frommer's Complete).

1. I found this book to be a valuable resource as I prepare for my first cruise. I'm sure I will refer to it again & again for any future cruises (which I hope are many!).

5 comments about Hawaii (Regional Guide).

1. I can very much reccomend this book to everyone planning to go to Hawaii. It has a section about every Hawaian Island open to travellers. You find general background information about the islands as well as very detailed information about things to do and see, lodging, dining and activities. It also picks out places that are usually less crowed than the major tourist accumulations.
   Lonely Planet Guide Books are an absolute MUST before I go on a trip.



2. I could barely read any of this book. The type is so tiny and hard to read, and the maps are all grey and difficult to read as well. Everything is just scrunched in there and you have to pore over that map to figure out what the heck you're looking at. They're way too busy. They cram too much detail into one map.
   
   Its information is segmented well, and it's good that they list operating hours and prices where they can, but I just can't squint at that little type. The lettering on some of these maps is literally as small as the head of a pin. I'm supposed to be able to whip this out of my backpack on the island and use it as a quick reference tool? This book is going back to the library; I'll just have to find another book to use.



3. I bought this for our honeymoon since we were visiting all the islands and this seems to cover everything. It was an entertaining read with good information.



4. I can't help but look at a Hawaii visitor guide and check out whether my favorite eateries, locations, and activities are included. This one has a lot, but it covers all the Hawaiian Islands that visitors may, well, visit! That's a lot of material for one book to cover if its intent is to be complete. There are island-specific books that give more info (for example, the "revealed" series), but this one is darn good. It certainly focuses more on the activities for the low budget traveler than most do.
   
   I know Oahu better than the other islands, so how accurate is Lonely Planet's Hawaii? It's pretty good. There are so many eateries in Honolulu than many are not included. Maybe its good that you will be steered away from my favorites! Seriously, I like The Shack in Hawaii Kai, Island Manapua in Manoa, and Volcano Joe's Island Bistro across from the UH campus for some delightful vegetarian. There's the Xcel outlet store in Haleiva, BBQ in Wahiawa, super diving off Makaha, and a less exploited trail and waterfall in Lyon Arboretum, right next to the heavily-used Manoa Falls trail.
   
   There were some favorites included. Willows is a buffet treat in Makiki, Deep Ecology in Haleiva is a very pleasant and knowledgeable dive shop, and the Honolulu Zoo, although okay as zoos go, has its Wildest Show in Town summer music series every week (only a $2 donation requested... cheapest deal in Waikiki).
   
   This isn't a bad choice for a guide book if you are only going to take one book. Nothing beats asking a local, however. Be friendly, and show aloha to the residents and to our special places. Don't litter, and pass a site by if it looks too crowded. There are plenty of things to see and do.
   
   Mahalo.



5. My husband and I honeymooned in Oahu and we took this AND the Frommer's guide along. I'd take either or both again.

4 comments about Hawaii: Honolulu Oahu (Nelles Maps).

1. I have used several maps of Honolulu and Oahu, but without question this is the best of the bunch. Not only is this map detailed and current, it is logical and complete. There is an overall map of Oahu, and several smaller inset maps of key places including Honolulu, Waikiki, Kaneohe, the Mokapu Peninsula, Laie, and Mamala Bay (including the huge Ala Wai Harbor). The Honolulu map is very detailed and continues far enough to the West to cover the airport and the publicly accessible parts of Pearl Harbor. Note that this map, unlike many others, uses the traditional Hawaiian spellings complete with accents and pronunciation marks, which makes it the ultimate in accuracy, although when comparing it with many more anglicized works, the spellings may differ slightly.
   
   This map is without question the best overall map for navigating the sometimes very convoluted (and busy) roads of Oahu: if I could only take one map to Oahu with me, this would be the one. I highly recommend this map to anyone traveling to Oahu.



2. This map was very helpful. The description is not very complete. Basically the map has very detailed areas, Honolulu, Laie, and Kaneohe, Kailua. If you want detailed roads in other areas there is only a general overview. But, overall very clear and got us around just dandy!



3. Having never been to Honolulu or Oahu the map was invaluable. We became completely confident because of the helpful map.



4. Thank goodness I finally found this Nelles Map a month before my trip to Oahu! It honestly was the only thorough map I found for this island in 8 months of searching both Hawaii visitor sites and book companies. This map gave great detail and was not so miniscule that I had to squint to read it. The only drawback (I felt) was the too large hard cover. The firmness of the cover was fine-it was just too large to squeeze into compact luggage pieces or vehicle cubbies. (This was my lone reason for withholding a star.)
   
   side note-I had located the Kauai and Big Island sister maps months before and used all 3 maps daily on our trip. The only map I found to offer better detailing of downtown areas was the Hawaiian airlines map-and they only offered ones for Kauai and the Big Island. All that said, my Nelles maps are the ones I have kept for return trips to Hawaii.

3 comments about Honolulu Waikiki & Oahu (Regional Guide).

1. My sister-in-law and I used this book daily on our trip to Oahu. We started referring to it as "the Bible"! Lots of info but not overwhelming. Fun tips on how to navigate popular tourist attractions. All information was accurate and up to date for our January 2007 trip. Highly recommended.



2. I just get back from Oahu for my engagement trip. I can say, all my 7-day trip is on this book, from attractives to restaurants. The informations are accurate and comprehensive. Highly recommended guide book.



3. I used this guide along with "Oahu Revealed" and was thoroughly happy with both purchases. This particular guide, while missing color photos, had awesome walking tours and many useful maps. Each area was divided into easy to follow categories such as eating, sleeping and activities. And the reviews are short, but accurate!

5 comments about The Hawaiian House Now.

1. Whether your style is contemporary, traditional, or eclectic this book has something for everyone. I've gone through it again and again, and each time I've seen something new or gotten an idea for something I can do in my own home.



2. I enjoyed this book very much. It was well written, well researched and contained a wealth of beautiful photographs. The author captured the beauty of simplicity. The Hawaiian House is a wonderful coffee table book.



3. This book transported me back to those years when I grew up in Hawaii and was exposed through friends and parties to so many of these kind of houses. I see Hawaii house decor being such an accumulation of all that is good about Hawaii - reflection of its spirit and early settlers and Hawaiian aspect. I live in New Zealand and decorate ALL my houses with a strong Hawaii/South Pacific/New Zealand flavor - this book has given me such inspiration for my next house. If you grew up in Hawaii or love the spirit of Hawaii this book is a must. I was thrilled when I received the book and as I am about to start a new adventure with a house I am going to incorporate so much of what I see and read in "The Hawaiian House Now" - It is not just a book with nice photos it is a book with some great information on all that is Hawaii.



4. I got this book so I could get some decorating ideas for my own house here in California. I found the book to be helpful in what I needed it for. It shows good interior design ideas for houses in Hawaii that could easily by used in other parts of the world. I love the Hawaiian styles and I am working on recreating them in my home.



5. This book is beautifully produced, with a nice variety of types of homes presented.

5 comments about Oahu Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Snorkel, Surf from Honolulu to the North Shore (Trailblazer).

1. So far these have been our favorite Hawaii guides and authors. We cranked up the volume here since we only had five days to see it all. It was a tremendously exciting adventure. Independent travelers, this is the book to use.



2. We found this to be an extremely well organized book for getting around and not feeling lost. It's a good one to read well before leaving to get an idea of what's there. Driving can be tricky and their maps inside were much needed.
   
   Places we never thought to explore delivered big payouts. Lanikai Beach for instance, was the most beautiful walk we've ever taken and famous Waikiki was wall to wall sunbathers, what we expected.
   
   This book has plenty of maps and photos, step by step driving directions and was a perfect size for carrying right along on our daily escapades. It was indispensible for our first vacation on Oahu.
   
   Our familly is looking forward to returning to Hawaii for a reunion on the island of Kauai this spring break. The Trailblazer book will be first choice.



3. It was a tremendous advantage having this Trailblazer guide along. The large walking maps of Waikiki and Honolulu were extremely helpful. Not having to drive made this a relaxing vacation since bus and trolly transportation stops were everywhere. Long beach strolls, great little restaurants, surf lessons, free entertainment and shopping were right at our fingertips. They directed us to San Souci Beach and Kapiolani Park where we grabbed a little alone time. They include the island's history, something most guides don't bother to do. There were so many great excursion listings all around the island, we were sorry we didn't have more vacation days.



4. I'm glad we brought this book with us. It's the second in the Trailblazer series that we own.
   
   It's very comprehensive and covers all the highways and offshoots, places that our friends who live there didn't even know about. Everyone knows about Waikiki, but there are better beaches to be found right in this book. The tone is positive and a splash of humor comes along with their valuable advice.
   
   We do a great deal of hiking and this one contains just about every recreational activity you can think of. It sure beats researching on the internet. Having all the info collectively right by our side made all the diff.



5. This is the one with the most adventure outings and the one that is the most accurate. We went to Oahu with another couple and this guide provided all the fun.