Customer Reviews

Fodor's Hawaii 2010 (Full-color Travel Guide)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is an excellent resource to have if you are planning a trip to the Hawaiian Islands. I have been reading this book a lot the last few weeks as we prepare for a 6-7 week trip to Hawaii next year. It covers every one of the Hawaiian islands individually, with lots of specifics - hotels, resorts, restaurants, car rental agencies, tourist attractions, etc. And for each island it also describes a number of recommended one-day itineraries.

But, what it doesn't have are sections that recommend the best things to do if you have 2, 3, or 4 days, or a week, on a particular island, and it doesn't do a good job giving a sense of what the everyday life and culture of each island is like. For that, I use the "Revealed" books -- e.g. "Maui Revealed", "Hawaii the Big Island Revealed", etc. These books give me a much better sense of the Hawaiian language, origin and meaning of the hula, leis, luaus, etc. And they also do a better job of describing "off the beaten path" areas to visit.

I highly recommend that you get both the Fodor's Hawaii book and one or more of the "Revealed" books to get the best perspective and the best overall information for planning your trip to Hawaii.

Hawai'i is one of my favorite places on Earth; I have visited that beautiful state many times. It is the one place that I always go back to. However, most of my Hawai'i guides are dated, so this new guide, FODOR'S HAWAI'I 2010, is a welcome addition to my collection. Colorful, well illustrated, and chock full of valuable information, FODOR'S HAWAI'I 2010 is a great resource for planning the perfect Hawai'i vacation.

FODOR'S HAWAI'I 2010 is divided into 6 marked sections; one for each of the islands that allow visitors. For each island, there are wonderful recommendations of places to stay, eat, and see. Its many activities are greatly detailed, which will help you choose what you want to do most. While the touristy places are mentioned, FODOR'S HAWAI'I 2010 will help you get off of the beaten path, to see more authentic and less travelled spots, which is always my favorite thing to do. There are also some lovely sections on and photographs of Hawaiian flora and fauna, culture, and history, as well as detailed maps and directions.

Overall, FODOR'S HAWAI'I 2010 is an excellent planning tool, although, maybe a bit too hefty to carry around. However, if you are only going to get one Hawai'i guide book, then FODOR'S HAWAI'I 2010 is the book to get. I am getting very nostalgic for Hawai'i just reading this book, and I really hope to have the opportunity to return there soon. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Fodor's Travel Guides are world famous and arguably the best with information. There isn't anything Fodor's leaves out and everything is rated including a "Fodor's Choice" in every category. At nearly 650 pages, all seven of Hawaii's islands are covered in minute detail, including restaurants, hotels, beaches, watersports, tours, National and State Parks, shopping, entertainment, nightlife and more. As I mentioned everything is rated and the prices of restaurants, hotels, etc. are explained in careful detail. Mind you, this is the 2010 version which means you will get the latest up to date information, considering the economy is affecting so many venues.

Hawaii is a special place, however, and there is so much more to do here, you may find yourself overwhelmed with all the information. You cannot do all of Hawaii in two weeks. I would recommend an island a week to truly get to relax and know the island. For an example, Kauai (the garden island) contains more climate zones than any other island, ranging from desert to the wettest spot on earth. Fodor's suggests many ways to explore Kauai, including helicopter, boat tours, hiking and biking trails and of course by car. Noting is left out. Skydiving, surfing, tennis, zipline tours, shopping, spas, golfing, bars, clubs, etc.

I am a map fiend and the graphics are crisp, clean and easy to read. Points of interest are marked with a blue numbered circle for easy location, including blow-up maps of special areas. There are charts for hotels with all the details you need to budget your vacation. Restaurants are also detailed with a rating, price range and sense of menu.

Hawaii is so special, Fodor goes into detail about flora (101 Hawaii`s plants), the special places for SCUBA, snorkeling or SCUBA, best beaches (with special notes and warnings), volcanic interests, Hawaiian culture and events. All this with colorful photos and maps. I have to say, my favorite islands are Kauai and Hawaii (the big island). The range in diversity is astounding. Fodor's makes for easy planning, but remember that you are on vacation and relax. There is so much to do and enjoy and Fodor's has done all the work for you. Mahalo!

Fodor's Hawai'i 2010 is a decent overview but as far as travel guides go, probably best serves as an initial big picture rather than a specific planning guide to take with you on the plane. It covers a lot: the islands, 1-day itineraries, where to eat, where to stay, shopping, spas, outdoor activities, planning weddings and honeymoons, cruising, hawaiian vocabulary, maps and full-color photographs. In its quest to cover it all, it ends up lacking the kinds of details you might actually need while there. For example, the maps will give you a general sense of where things are but you won't be able to use them to navigate. The charts listing hotel amenities provide a sense of which hotels are on the beach, how many restaurants they have, how many shops, but once you have made your big list, you'll want another source to give you the details you'll need for real planning. The pros and cons list for each hotel or place to stay is a helpful idea -- but the lists are so short and make assumptions about what every traveler is looking for (being remote from town is seen as a con -- but many of us prefer to be away from towns!).

I asked my spouse to look over the book as he was in Hawaii just a few months ago and could speak to its accuracy better than I who have not been for several years. His feeling was that the book's prices and descriptions were generally accurate -- so that is certainly a plus. However, he also mentioned the lack of details as a problem.

The numerous -- and beautiful -- photographs suggest the real purpose of this travel guide: inspiring you to want to go. It certainly does that.

Much better organized, yet complete with fewer region-specific details and photographs than Frommer's Hawaii Day by Day (Frommer's Day by Day - Full Size), Fodor's offers a good basic guide that covers over one hundred pages per island.

Divided by regions, this book discusses popular attractions using detailed maps that include reasons to go, trip planning tools, driving times, boating options, air destinations, hang gliding or paragliding resources, money saving tips, hiking information, best times of the year to explore, eco adventures, entertainment and nightlife, dining, lodging (excluding camping) one day voyage options, geology, flora and fauna, history, sightseeing tour options, sports, and many other activities and resources available.

We recommend this guide for new explorers to the state.

UPDATED COMMENTS SINCE INITIAL REVIEW:
I just received Frommer's Hawaii 2010 which I would recommend over the Hawaii 2010 by Fodor's. Both are very similar by price, size, and weight, yet in my opinion Frommer's is laid out better, easier to follow, has better information, and I especially like the section on "Where to Stay" much more. In addition, Frommer's Hawaii 2010 includes a fold-out map. Check my detailed review on Frommer's guide on Amazon.

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
I was so thrilled when I saw this full-color big book at Borders and then the $15 price on Amazon is terrific! Also, Amazon "look inside" shows you a ton of examples of the book.

There are so many books that cover specific islands, but this one covers them all in one comprehensive guide. There are hotels, restaurants, activities, beaches, exploring, hiking and other ideas for travel. I like the full color maps and beautiful photos that cover detailed popular areas of the islands. It also includes 14 "featured" topics like Hawaii plants 101 which I really enjoy. It is easy reading, lovely page layouts, yet quite detailed.

The book covers all the popular islands: Oahu, Maui, The Big Island (Hawaii), Kauai and even less traveled Molokai and Lanai. There are maps throughout the book along with information of vocabulary. (You will learn holoholo [you have to get the book to read about this local tradition]). This guide includes everything you need to get you started on where to stay, eat, and what to do.

The book is very comprehensive and helpful if you trying to figure out which island or islands you would like to visit. There is also a cool little island comparison chart in the book (similar to what you would see in consumer's report). It rates beaches, city life, entertainment, lodging, nature, and sports for each of the islands with the rates of "noteworthy", "some", and "little or none".

There are several other books that I have enjoyed during my many visits to this beautiful, unique place. Some other books I recommend include:

The Revealed books, individually available for the Big Island (Hawaii), Maui, and Kauai. If you like snorkeling, I would highly recommend Judy and Mel Malinowski's books (available for Kauai and the Big Island). The Lonely Planet books are also my favorites as they are smaller and more compact to bring along with you. Another book that I absolutely love is Budget's "Maui & Molokai" book by Richard Sullivan. It is a must have if you're traveling to either of those islands.

Another excellent resource is Franko's Hawaiian map series which I have seen on Amazon or order directly from him on his website. His maps include a ton of information and best places to go on the islands. See his website at frankosmaps dot com.

For a big picture, this chunky guide makes a good read but not at one sitting. Some of the information is a little offbase but overall it has interesting information on all the islands in the Hawaiian chain. We go every spring to Hawaii to hike and roam the beaches. We supplement the Fodor's with the Trailblazer series which goes into detail with directions to specific places to explore. I give a High Five to the Maui Trailblazer, my most recent purchase, for all its hike suggestions. We like to plan our own activities and the climate in Hawaii lends itself to daily expeditions outdoors. My wife uses Fodor's to make hotel reservations, something they're expert at.

Fodors bases their books solely on information from posters on their web site. You can get better information free from [...]

This is a good guide book and has a lot in it. Some good suggestions too. If you are making a quick trip (like a week), you are going to miss a lot. The authors suggest you spend at least a week on each island to see everything. And for the surfers, every day of the year is evidently good surfing times.

They list all the restaurants, cheap and expensive ones, the tours, quickest way to get there, places to see from the volcanos, burial grounds to Doris Duke's home. The one thing that I couldn't find was what all those places on O'ahu are where the show Lost was filmed for 6 seasons. I didn't even find any mention of Lost period although I might have missed it. I'm more into history than surfing so I felt the book lacking a little in that area.

Still a good book and it doesn't look like they could have left much out. 646 pages. Not great pictures in my opinion but I guess it would be hard to put such beauty of the islands in just a snapshot. If you are just going to relax, eat, and have fun, this book is for you.

I find that these guides are more about quantity of listings rather than quality. And yet, they're still missing some of my favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants, B&B's, etc.

It IS nice that they finally added some color, and that they put out a new guide each year. But I think I would still recommend Lonely Planet or Moon guidebooks instead. It seems like printed travel guides are slowly fading into obscurity as the internet becomes a better resource for people to research their travel destinations. It's updated more often, full of tons of review and pictures, etc. Fodors just gives a star rating and some vague description. I can't imagine every actually using this guide to reference anything other than addresses, or as a jumping-off point for more in-depth reviews online.