Customer Reviews

Driving & Discovering Hawaii: Maui and Molokai (Driving and Discovering Hawaii Series)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After using this book on our 5th trip to Maui, it was like rediscovering the island all over again. We bought 4 Maui guidebooks this time and checked 3 others out from the library to see what might be new since our last trip three years ago. We ended up using this book for 95% of our trip, The reviews most recently posted on this page are oddly on the negative side, which seems strange given all the previous rave reviews for both this and the Oahu companion book (These criticisms sound so forced to us that we wonder if they were written by competitors!)...and the uniqueness of this book as compared to the others we read...especially the feature of showing on the maps the exact place the photos were taken. This is such an AMAZING idea, it's a wonder nobody thought of it before, and that no one else seems to have copied it. It influenced our choices of where to explore many times, mostly because the photos are so stunning. I have never seen a guidebook with more maps than this one or such detailed ones, so the person who said the maps are "vague" has us puzzled. All in all no other guidebook presents so much of Maui in such detail, and we have decided to go to Molokai on our next trip after being blown away by that island's beauty in the photos. We have never even seen another guidebook for Molokai, so its appeal as shown here comes as quite a surprise. We never thought it had anything to offer.

I like this book because it is big, bright and sunny. It's much better than Maui Revealed: better photography, bigger and better maps, better writing. Richard Sullivan is hilarious and tells you where to stand to get the best photograph. And he's right, every time. He made our trip out to Hana really fun, a real adventure. This book got us away from the poor Maui Revealed groupies and helped us find exquisitely charming places like Keanae and Nahiku.

I would have given 5 stars for its stunning photos and valuable information about Maui. But I do find some short comings in this book. This book is extremely good if you buy it well before the trip, say at least a week. It is an excellent resource guide for planning your vacation in Maui and its pictures definitely get you in vacation mood.

But the book is quite inconvenient to use when you are actually in the trip driving around Maui looking for those hard to find beaches and waterfalls mentioned in the book. What is missing in this book is a separate map that sumarizes all the recomended places with mile marker and a simple comparison rating for various activities - snorkeling, swimming, diving etc. A pull out map similar to the 1st page in a larger scale would be nice.

Just to be fair, this book is worth over 4.5 rating and it is well worth the money.

A great read; especially for first time visitors to this location. We found this book extremely beneficial in planning our daily activities. The author gives candid descriptions and excellent insights, while telling you honestly the best and the not so good places to visit. A must read prior to and during your trip.

This book really made our trip special. It's easy to read, accurate and has better pictures than any book on hawaii i've seen. If anything, this book proves that you should NOT SIT BY THE POOL AT THE HOTEL - rent a Jeep and take this book along - you might never come back home. I only wish there were similar books for Kauai and Big Island... hint hint

I ordered both this book and Maui Revealed based on customer reviews. The photography in this book is stunning, and it may be worth buying just to have that. I know that I will probably use it to supplement my photos if/when I want to share something about my trip. However,...

When actually on Maui, we found that we used Maui Revealed exclusively. The information in Maui Revealed was so detailed, so easily presented, included a lot more different types of activities than this book (the driving guide), and was more compact and therefore easier to carry in your backpack or car, that we didn't use this book at all. For driving instructions, Maui Revealed excelled.

If you want a book to inspire travel, with luscious photos, this is the one. If you want a comprehensive tour book with hints about out-of-the-way spots, walks, hikes and activities other than moving by car or taking photographs, go for Maui Revealed.

Just like the Oahu edition, this Maui and Molokai driving guide can't be beat. The author shows you beautiful, full color photos of places you can visit, with detailed driving directions on how to get there. His maps will even show you the exact spot where he took the photos. The secrets of where to go to escape the crowds that visit Maui are contained in this book. If you thought you would never want to visit Molokai, this book will change your mind. The beauty of Molokai is revealed on page after page. The book enticed us to visit Molokai on our last trip to the islands, and we were not disappointed. I can only hope Richard Sullivan will write books on discovering Kauai and the Big Island in the near future.

Richard Sullivan has done it again! His new Maui/Molokai book is filled with breathtaking photography and informative text arranged in a format that is fun and visually appealing. Many travel books are primarily narrative with a smattering of pictures. They can be tedious to read. Not this or the Oahu book. No need to take copious notes or highlight sections because the thoughtful format does it all for you. This book is designed with the traveler in mind. Each of the two islands is systematically broken down into manageable portions. Photographs, maps, and activites corresponding to each section of the island are provided in an eye-catching format. Beach lovers will find the comprehensive guide to beaches very helpful. This writer just returned from Maui and can attest to the accuracy of the information. You truly will be doing yourself a disservice if you don't consult this book for your next trip to Maui/Molokai. Like Maui, it is "no ka oi."

I kept this open on my lap for the drive out to Hana. I liked comparing the photos in the book with the way it looked when I was standing there. This book makes a nice keepsake. The only downside was the book's price and the maps were hard to read and busy.

If you are visiting Maui and have a car to drive, this is a great guide that will help you enormously in your adventures as you tour the island. It also has a fine section on Molokai. Plus there are a big bunch of terrific pictures of both islands, as well as advice on how to take some excellent pictures of your own. And we see descriptions of the best beaches as well.

The adventure begins on Maui's rugged North Shore, from Kapalua to Waiehu. Kapalua has been named "America's best beach" by both Sunset and Conde Nast Traveler magazines, although I personally feel that Napili, less than a mile south of it, is a better beach. Try them both and see if you agree!

Next, we head south from Kapalua to Ka'anapali and then Lahaina, famous for its many art galleries (open houses are on Friday nights at many of them). And then its off to the somewhat warmer and drier southern portion of the island, with more terrific beaches and some famous resorts.

After that is a description of the Iao Valley (with its famous "Iao Needle"), Wailuku, and Kahului. If you want to do some shopping, I recommend the Ka'ahumanu Shopping Center in Kahului, of course. And then we're off to Upcountry Maui. That includes the most dominant feature of Maui, Haleakala. And the towns of Kula and Ulupalakua, the latter of which even has a winery (but don't go overboard on that pineapple wine).

The highlight of one's trip around Maui is "the Hana Drive." We see waterfalls, the Blue Sapphire Pools, the black sand beach at Waianapanapa, and the often rainy Hana itself, including its Red Sand Beach. Past Hana, we get to `Ohe'o and its famous "seven pools." For those who want to keep going past `Ohe'o, it makes sense to circumnavigate the island rather than simply return along the North coast. That means going to Kipahulu, where one can see Charles Lindbergh's grave, and Kaupo before continuing to the Upcountry region.

We see similar fine descriptions of the much more lightly populated Molokai and its scenery. I highly recommend this book for those who want to tour these islands.