Customer Reviews

Frommer's Hawaii 2005 (Frommer's Complete Guides)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

If you buy this, don't bother buying Frommer's Hawaii From $80 A Day. Most of it is word for word.

At every turn when I took this book to hawaii I found mistakes in the text, places out of business or not such address. I wasted a lot of time following advice from this book I will never trust a Frommer Guide again. Look elsewhere.

I found Frommer's Hawaii 2004 to be a good guide. The feature I like the best is that they update it every year. It is very handy and their ratings are always correct and meet my standards. Everything is current and that includes the restaurants prices which sways me one way or another.

I noticed that one reviewer said he preferred the blue Ultimate books but they didn't suit me at all. I found them burdened and weighted with the authors opinions and difficult to read in parts. As a seasoned traveler I like knowing the solid facts and letting the unexpected surprise me. Traveling wouldn't be as much fun if there wasn't some mystery or charming local to fill in the blanks.

I've used Frommers Hawaii successfully to snorkel and body surf. It provides just enough detail. You will be in good hands with an experienced author such as Jeanette Foster.

I just returned from my first trip to Hawaii (business mostly, but vacation too) and this book was my constant companion. This is an incredibly useful book that described what to do, where to go and how to get around - this book is packed with detailed and useful information. All of the islands are described, and sample itineraries are provided for each of the islands. Like all the Frommer's travel books, this book will give you lots of ideas about what to see and where to eat and where to stay. There were some minor errors in the text (e.g. the bus passes are considerably more expensive than stated in the book), and I didn't always agree with their assessments of restaurants, but these are minor complaints. I wouldn't pay any attention to the negative reviews of this book, if you are a first timer to Hawaii, this book would be a great travelling companion.

This book is the best I have ever seen. I used my copy for Oahou and the Big Island of Hawaii. If you're a vacation planner then this is for you. An indespensible single resource worth having.

Yes, this does tend to focus on the more pricey options; however, it also gives a great overview of stuff to do on the islands. If you want a budget guide, buy Lonely Planet.

I really enjoyed this and felt it gave me a great overview of Hawaii. We used it on our trip last summer and would recommend it.

In planning a special trip, you want to make sure all details are like you anticipate. This book helps with knowing where to go, how much things will be and gives you ideas of things you would not know were even in the area. We were able to plan our days with so many fun things thanks to this book I highly recommend it.