No comments about Maui Handbook Including Molokai and Lanai.

No comments about Kauai Hiking Trails.

5 comments about Beaches of the Big Island (A Kolowalu Book).

1. This is a great book which could benefit from being updated. With the focus on just beaches, it was extremely useful and I found many great beaches I wouldn't have found otherwise during my three week visit. If beachgoing is your thing, this book will help you find plenty, expecially non-resort ones that are virtually empty.



2. This book displays black and white pictures and is totally outdated. Out of all the tour books on Hawaii that I ordered (Frommers 2000, Fodors 2000, Best Places to Stay in Hawaii and the guides books written by Andrew Doughty and Harriet Friedman, Lonely Planet) this was by far the worst. I should have returned it while I could but I wanted to give it a chance. What a waste of time and money.



3. The best informative book you can buy on the entire coastline of the big island. Much historical info adds to the richness of the general information provided. If you are looking for an out of the way place on the big island, this book will help you find it



4. My favorite part of this book is how the author reveals what happened to the beach along bayfront in Hilo. The diversion of the waiolama river project removed about half of the beach. If you're wondering what this has to do with a book review, it's in the details.

   This book gives details. It obvious that the author spent a great deal of time here and listened intently to locals when researching his work here. This book enables you to become intimately familiar with the beaches here on the big island.

   If you want to learn about big island beaches from a local's perspective, get this book. For those of you just looking to visit for a few weeks, you'll also enjoy the book for it's maps, directions and "what to expect" perspective.

   I especially like that fact that only the major beaches are covered. The private, small, secluded, beaches we enjoy locally, aren't always mentioned. When you get here, hire a local guide to reach those truly hidden spots. A local guide will get you to the 4x4 only access areas devoid of other visitors.

   Why 4 stars? As a surfer, I cannot give this book more than 4 stars. It deserves 5 stars. It's the best book on big island beaches that I've read (more than 15). It's just too good and it will probably cause more people to surf our already crowded surf breaks. :)

   Brent Norris
   BigIslandFun.com




5. I purchased this book in 1989 and used it then, and again, later in 1994. I now live on the Big Island and can tell you that this book is not up-to-date on the easily accessible beaches. There have been marked changes in the 4WD beaches, also. What was once my Beach Bible, is no longer useful. It WAS a great book.

No comments about Hawaii from the Air (World from the Air).

No comments about Magic Maui: The Best of the Island.

1 comments about Hawaii (On the Road Histories).

1. This book was a great overview of the Hawaiian history. This book was excellent to carry on trip and gives one a quick overview about Hawaii and it lists nicely the "must see"s for each island.

5 comments about Surfer's Guide to Hawaii.

1. stun



2. While this is A great guide for beginners with lots of surfing tips, the author only seems to offer good detail and research about Oahu, and many of the other major well known breaks. For the most part, the other islands don't get very good coverage. The author only lists 4 surf spots for the Big Island! If going to one of the other islands, the Beaches Guide books to each of the Hawaiian Islands by John Clark is much more informative about finding surf spots, as well as giving snorkeling and local history of the places.



3. FEW REALIZE THAT GREG IS A STAFF WRITER @HNA (HAWAII NEWSPAPER AGENCY). THE MAN KNOWS HOW TO WRITE AND HAS A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT AND WHERE THINGS ARE HAPPENING. THE BOOK IS A VIRTUAL ROAD MAP OF OUR SURF SPOTS IN THE ISLANDS. IF A SURF TRIP TO HAWAII IS IN THE CARDS, BE SURE TO PICK IT UP. I ASSURE YOU THAT YOU WILL HAVE NO REGRETS.



4. it was the best book of surfing Ihave ever read. I live in Colorado and I'm going to Kauai in a couple of days and now I am so stoked to go



5. I read this book in one breadth -- it's not the deepest book you will find on surfing but it is very pleasant to read. It goes over all majjor techniques and discusses a bunch of different wave situations. At the end of the book, there's a small chapter dedicated to exotic styles of surfing which is really hip. There's detailed descriptions of styles like Rendell Jump Jones and Mauaian Dancing. They are pretty advanced and the book doesn't go into too much detail, but you can deffinitely get the gist of it and start exercising.

   The best about the book is that it has a number of pointers to other sources, which are really good. The bibliogrpahy lists a bunch of the classics of wurfing and where they could be found. I would definitely recommend this book for a casual and informative read.

No comments about Insight Fleximap Hawaii.

5 comments about Moon Handbooks: Maui 6 Ed: Including Molokai and Lanai.

1. Until Andrew Doughty's "Maui Revealed" was released, this Moon handbook was the best you could get. We used it on our first trip to Maui. Like other Moon Handbooks, it is rich in history and background info, but the practical detail can't compare to "Maui Revealed." We now use this Moon Handbook mainly as a supplement for historical background -- still useful but not our first source. (Most other Maui guides are superficial rubbish.)



2. This book is written for intelligent and inquisitive tourists who want to really understand what Mauai is all about. It outshines Mauai Revealed by 100%. I found myself using it every day as it offered a far more indepth look at places not found in any other tourist publication. If flash and hype are not your style, buy this book. Good index, well written, excellent maps. It had plenty of things to do to keep me amazed every day of my two week vacation.



3. You're spending 1,000-2,000 bucks to go to Maui -- go ahead and spend 20 bucks to have your own in-depth personal tourguide.

   This handbook helped make for one of the best vacations of my life. The "insider" information is absolutely indispensible. For instance, there are many, many beaches on Maui, but there are many, many different kinds of beaches. Some with murky water. Some with huge waves. Some not navigable unless you swim beyond volcanic rocks. But there are one or two absolutely perfect beachs. And the Moon Handbook explains it. My girlfriend and I found the beach in front of the Sheraton at Ka'anapali to be the best all-aorund beach. We waded out into the calm waters and swam with sea turtles, right there in front of the Sheraton. This handbook explains, though the "little" details like, parking is difficult near the Sheraton so where to park, what the rates are, even shortcuts between buildings and such. This kind of info is just completely impossible to get anywhere else.

   There are discussions of the personalities of various snorkle tour boat crews -- from adventurous, to laid-back. Some snorkle boats provide lunch, others don't. All this info is in the Moon Handbook.

   We checked out Haleakala Mountain and Red Hill. With the handbook, we found how to get to Iao Needle. We found which Luau Party was the best for us, etc. Which restaurants to go to. Where to shop in Lahaina. The Sugar Cane Train for an easy-going afternoon. A drive out by the blow-holes on the NW end of the island.

   I highly recommend this book before going to Maui. If you don't feel like shelling out 20 bucks, another option is always looking into your local library. Most good public libraries carry Moon Handbooks and they're absolutely free. A must before traveling to Maui, the Valley Island! (the 6th edition also includes info on the islands of Lana'i across the Auau Channel and Moloka'i)

   Happy vacationing!

   Stacey




4. My wife and I have used the Moon: Maui book over three different editions from 1985 until relocating permanently in '99. One copy has been to the island three times, lent to friends. There is no part of the island left uncovered, and authors provide good insight on how to be pleasant guest and not get yourself into unpleasant situations.

   This is quite unlike "Maui Revealed", which is quickly becoming "Maui Reviled" for locals. This perception is driven by a considerable increase in trespassing on private property to and bodily waste at spots that used to be local favorites, caused in large part by masses of visitors cluching M.R.

   Stick with the Moon: Maui book, and you'll avoid a lot of unnecessary stink eye.




5. This book contains a plethora of information about Hawaii. It has a break down of each part of the Island, activities to go do, and even lists shop names for making reservations or locating once you get to the island. My wife and I have found this book to be very helpful in our planning.

1 comments about Diving Hawaii (Aqua Quest Diving Series).

1. Once again we have an excellent combination of Author and Publisher who have collaborated to provide an invaluable guide book for any diver contemplating a trip to Hawaii. "Diving Hawaii" is another Scuba Diving guide book in the medium size format favoured by Aqua Quest. These publishers have a reputation for high standards - in terms of quality of information and standard of photography, and it is easy to see why.
   
   "Diving Hawaii" is clearly laid out with chapters on; An introduction to the Hawaiian Islands, Diving in general, the specific dive sites of Oahu, Maui, Hawaii and Kauai and local Marine Life. The book concludes with some very useful Appendixes containing; Emergency information, details of local Scuba Diving centres, miscellaneous useful numbers for visitors and some brief notes on another 20 dive sites.
   
   Chapter One begins with an all-important historical précis of Hawaii. This gives the visitor a brief insight into the country's first Polynesian settlers, the way in which the country was then ruled by it's own system of chiefs for something like 1,000 years, the islands' discovery by Captain Cook, the importance of sugar plantations, the time when Hawaii became a US territory and, eventually (in 1959) the 50th State. All of which is followed by equally important notes on present day Hawaii and all the essential information the visitor needs to know.
   
   Chapter 2 is an overview of Diving in general with notes on; boat, shore and night diving as well as conservation. There is also a very important and well written description of the unusual underwater lava tubes and cave formations created by the flow of volcanic lava into the sea. These are probably very different from any other form of Cave Diving found anywhere else in the world and Page 21 is rightly devoted to a full-page warning of the dangers involved here.
   
   We now come to those Chapters individually dedicated to each of the four main islands in the Hawaiian group and these take in any smaller adjacent islands as well. Once again, we are treated to an introduction to the island itself before getting down to diving specifics. This commences with a map of the island(s) showing the primary dive sites as numbers - each of which is then described in more than adequate detail and headed by the relevant depth, experience level required and access.
   
   Altogether a well-rounded book containing all the information required by anyone considering a diving trip to Hawaii.
   
   According to the Author's biography on the back page, Steve Rosenberg specialises in underwater photography. As a fellow professional "Underwater Photographer & Author," I congratulate him on some truly outstanding pictures.
   
   NM