Frommer's Hawaii 2004 [Paperback]

Jeanette Foster (Author)

Book Description

Series: Frommer's Complete Guides | Publication Date: August 15, 2003

You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go? they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!

Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Hawaii features gorgeous color photos of the stunning beaches and thrilling adventures that await you. Meticulously researched by one of Hawaii's most noted journalists, this is hands-down the most reliable, up-to-date, and comprehensive guide to the islands.

Each of our candid hotel reviews is based on a detailed personal inspection. You'll find lavish beachfront resorts, intimate rain-forest B&Bs, family-friendly condos, and much, much more. Our dining reviews are simply the best in the business, whether you crave cutting-edge Asian-fusion cuisine or a hearty, affordable plate lunch.

Our author makes sure that you'll truly experience the spirit of aloha, and they'll help you steer clear of anything that's overpriced, touristy, or inauthentic. With Frommer's in hand, you'll know where to find secluded beaches; secret spots for snorkeling; the best outfitters to choose for everything from diving to deep-sea fishing; and where to find the top galleries and shops.

Inside you'll find extensive coverage of family-friendly accommodations and activities; tips on how to get married in the islands; recommendations for the best honeymoon resorts; and valuable advice on finding the best airfares and package deals. Whether you want to watch the fiery spectacle at the Big Island's volcano, play a challenging round of golf, snorkel with sea turtles, or simply kick back with a mai tai to watch the sunset, you can design the perfect trip with Frommer's Hawaii. You'll even get a free color fold-out map!

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Frommer's Hawaii 2001 brings you all the best of Hawaii with our focused listings on:

The Best Beaches
The Best of Natural Hawaii
The Best of Underwater Hawaii
The Best Golf Courses
The Best Ways to Immerse Yourself in Hawaiian Culture
The Best Luxury Hotels and Resorts
The Best Moderately Priced Places to Stay
The Best Places to Stay with Kids
The Best Dining Hawaiian Style
The Best Restaurants
The Best Shops and Galleries
The Best Spots for Sunset Cocktails

Frommer's brings you all the information on what to see and do in Hawaii:

Nature Hikes
Pearl Harbor
Waikiki
Mai Tais
Kona Coffee
Beaches
Surfing
Golf
Snorkeling
Island Hopping
Resorts
Luaus
Volcanoes
Maui
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. And avoid tourist traps. At Frommer’s, we use 150 outspoken travel experts around the world to help you make the right choices. Frommer’s. Your guide to a world of travel experience.

Choose the Only Guide That Gives You:

• Detailed reviews of the best beaches, golf courses, and resorts.
• Outspoken opinions on what’s worth your time and what’s not.
• Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip no matter what your budget.
• Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.
• The best hotels and restaurants in every price range, with candid reviews.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 680 pages
• Publisher: Frommers; 1 edition (August 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764537075
• ISBN-13: 978-0764537073
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,496,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Telling it like it is, October 10, 2000

By 

M. Hall (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frommer's Hawaii 2001 (Paperback)

Another terrific Frommer guide. Things are organized the way you plan a vacation. Looking for accommodations? They are all in one place for each island (grouped by location). Same with meals, activities, etc. I especially appreciate the honest descriptions and opinions of each property. If it's run down, the author says so. That's the type of information I need. I can get simple descriptive info (like other guidebooks) from the tourist bureau. I want to know what stuff is REALLY like and this book tells me.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, August 7, 2006

By 

Barbara J. Riley (Osceola, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Frommer's(r) Hawaii 2003 (Paperback)

I like this book fairly well. It's got all kinds of information in it, which actually may be hard to wade through if you know which island you're going to, and you have to pass over the other island sections.

I really like how many websites they list for the destinations; I'm an online research junkie, and it's great that I can supplement the book with my own follow-up research. It's a wide virtual world out there, so I appreciate them pointing me in the directions I need to go to find what I want.

The book itself is thick, has good paper quality and is reasonably easy to read. I don't like that the maps are in greyscale with red accents; I wish that they could have used more color. Their handful of photos are also good, but I wish there were more of them.

I like that they put the general information about the islands' history, language, animals, etc. in the back of the book, so I didn't have to leaf through all that before I get to the reason I got the book, which is to help me plan my vacation.

I do, however, have the same beef with this book as with other travel guides: They use a ratings system but do not tell the criteria for their various ratings.

What I really like is that this book mentions things that are not worth our time and money. Other books just list the whole kit & kaboodle and it's all supposedly great. We might go someplace they listed, and find when we get there that we regretted it. But Frommer's has told us what to avoid, and I appreciate that. They must understand that we only have so much time and money to spend in paradise, and we'd like to allocate it wisely. To that end, they also have tips on getting the best deals in various places. The kid-friendly places are also noted, which will be good for me and my two young children.

Overall, I would recommend this book; but I think I'll check out the Maui version before I buy it, since I checked this out from the library for our trip there in a couple months. I bet the Maui book is more relevant to my particular needs for vacation planning. If you don't know what island you want yet, though, this is a great book to start with.

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Travel Companion!, August 26, 2002

By 

"ryanprimo" (Roseville, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frommer's Hawaii 2002 (Frommer's Complete Guides) (Paperback)

I took a gamble when purchasing this book before my wife and I took a vacation to Hawaii(Oahu,Maui)this summer. Boy, am I glad that I did. The Frommer's Hawaii 2002 went everywhere with us. It enhanced our trip greatly and we would have missed a lot without it. The maps were extremely helpful when navigating around to our desired destinations. We also appreciated the insite on the places to dine, hike, snorkle, kayak, etc. If you are in the market for a travel guide I highly recommend this guide.