Customer Reviews

Moon Handbooks South Pacific

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3 star:		(1)
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This is a big book... a really big book! It weighs in at over 1,000 pages and in my opinion, is the most comprehensive book on the South Pacific. It is definitely geared more toward the island hopper and/or complete South Pacific traveler, as there are individual books on the different islands available.

I'm not sure how this title relates to the Lonely Planet South Pacific (I'd consider these two as the leading authoritative sources), but I chose Moon over Lonely Planet because (1) there are 250+ more pages in Moon, and (2) this guide has been out from Moon for 8 editions, since 1979, compared to 2 editions for Lonely Planet. I haven't been let down by this book.

As expected, there are two substantially large chapters devoted to French Polynesia and Fiji. The 13 other islands are also covered in great detail (for example, about 80 pages dedicated to Vanuatu!)

Whereas I consider Lonely Planet guides to be more for the frugal traveler or backpacker, Moon covers a wide variety of accommodations, anywhere from $250 and night and up, down to your basic bungalow. This is helpful because let's face it, in some places I want to splurge for the overwater bungalow! I'd also comment that Moon is a great choice for the active traveler. There are tremendous sections on how to find kayaking, scuba, and surfing tours.

For most people, a guide on a single country or island is going to suffice. However, if you are planning or dreaming of a trip to multiple islands across the South Pacific, I'd take this guide as it has certainly been around the longest and is the most comprehensive choice out there.

I sailed the South Pacific in '99. Stanley gets a little deeper into the heart of the islands than the L.P. books, and he's not so timid when dealing with the grittier issues. Always compared the two, and always thought he was a step up.

About the best desciption for this 900+ page guidebook is exhaustive. I felt exhausted after going through all 900+ pages. And I am sure David Stanley was exhausted after visiting all these remote islands and compiling all this information. Being something of a seasoned island-hopper myself, I can appreciate the nature of what he has achieved with this book. Stanley has covered the vast South Pacific about as well as it could be covered. His coverage is candid, comprehensive and detailed. There probably aren't too many things that he's left out. The contents and arrangement of subjects make for a very usable book with tons of information on most any question a traveler would have about the South Pacific islands. The Introduction background material is both informative and essential for the first-time South Pacific traveler. The On the Road section provides important detail on getting there and getting around within the islands. Each island nation has its own section divided by main islands and/or groups. Each island section then has detail on the nuts and bolts of accommodations, food, transportation services, activities, tours, entertainment, events, etc. all the things a traveler needs to know. This pattern is followed for each island country and provides a perceptive and insightful view of each area. First-time South Pacific travelers will appreciate this book for its simple completeness. It has about everything one needs to know about this fascinating world of islands. Experienced island hoppers will also appreciate the fact that Stanley covers so much in so much depth. It is a credit to his resilience and work ethic as a writer and reporter. The last section of the book is Resources. This section has an extensive bibliography of South Pacific travel-related information plus a lengthy list of Internet resources. Like his companion guidebooks on Tahiti, Fiji and Tonga-Samoa, Stanley brings a sense of candid observation and perception to his task. This allows him to produce a book that is valuable and very user-friendly. If you're looking for a book that covers all the South Pacific islands in all its colorful diversity, look no further. This book will serve you well for either real island trekking and island-hopping or just serious arm-chair travel.

In the late 1970s, on my first trip to the South Pacific, someone showed me a copy of an early edition of the South Pacific Handbook. I fell in love with it and have purchased every edition since. This is not just a travel book: it is an adventure in itself.

It's a challenge to find adequate words to describe this book. It seems to me to be a scholarly or encyclopedic work because of its depth and scope, but the information is so well organized and clearly presented that everything falls comfortably in place. You can quickly find what you want to know.

I am writing this comment with the 7th edition of the South Pacific Handbook next to me. The first part of the book, through page 123, provides an extensive background to the South Pacific. Subjects covered include the formation of coral reefs, flora and fauna, the history of discovery, exploration, settlement, colonization by Europe and The Pacific today, government, economy, the people of the South Pacific, conduct and customs, health, food and drink, and much, much more.

David Stanley (the author) devotes the next 800 pages to the islands of Tahiti-Polynesia, the Pitcairn Islands, Easter Island, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Kingdom of Tonga, American Samoa, Samoa, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna, Tuvalu, Melanesia (Fiji), New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. Reading these pages, you will feel as though you are there. I don't think anything has been left out.

At the end of the book, under the general heading of Resources, is a list of all the information offices (including web sites and e-mail addresses) for all the island groups discussed in the book. There is an extensive Bibliography, including guidebooks, geography, natural science, history, Pacific issues, social science, literature, the arts, reference books, booksellers and publishers, map publishers, and periodicals. A Discography section listing noncommercial recordings of Pacific music follows. A section on the South Pacific on the internet - websites and e-mail addresses for everything you can imagine - is next. Finally, there is a Glossary section and an extensive Index.

In the 1980s, I went to Aitutaki (an atoll in the Cook Islands) after reading a seven-sentence description in the first edition of the South Pacific Handbook. Aitutaki was exactly as Mr.Stanley describes it and I owe my exciting experience there to him.

The next time you are in a bookstore, I suggest that you at least browse through this book. If you buy it, you might try reading it in bed at night. If you're like me, you may start to dream about Bora Bora (French Polynesia), Aitutaki, or some other jewel in the South Pacific.

Steve Schlein

The seventh and latest edition (January 2000) of David Stanley's "South Pacific Handbook" is now available. Still packed with everything that you could possibly need to know about the South Pacific, but were afraid to ask. Inside, you'll find information on islands that you've probably heard of such as Fiji, the Solomon Islands or Tahiti and some that you probably haven't.

Have you ever thought of playing tropical cricket in the Tokelau Islands, or spelunking underground or underwater caverns on Niue island? Perhaps you might prefer island hopping in Tuvalu, or checking out some heads on Easter Island. New for this edition is the second home of the Pitcairn Islanders (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame) - Norfolk Island.

Whatever your thing, if you like the sound of warm, tropical islands, beautidul beaches and azure blue seas sparsely populated with the world's friendliest people, then the South Pacific is for you. As guidebooks go, David Stanley's "South Pacific Handbook" is about as handy on the region as they get. It's not exactly pocket size or lightweight, but you'll never be short of information, or an opinion, on those far-flung Pacific destinations you've always dreamed of visiting.

At the very least, it makes an excellent emergency pillow if you find yourself sleeping on deck, under starry Southern skies, on a schooner bound for Samoa.

Garry Hawkins, Northampton. England. U.K.

I am a Professor of Anthropology at California State University, Chico (using my wife's AMAZON account to submit this review). David Stanley has written another definitive masterpiece on the Pacific! We were in Tahiti last month (for 24 days) and used his TAHITI (& COOK ISLANDS) HANDBOOK extensively: it was current and as up-to-date as one could get in a published item.

I have used a previous version of the SOUTH PACIFIC HANDBOOK as a required text for an anthropology class at my university and it was well-received by the students. While this latest handbook is LARGER than your average paperback it is well-worth the extra weight to carry with you as you go through the South Pacific: with information on anthropology, biology, culture and history, as well as Internet access and a host of other valuable information for the intelligent traveller, the latest Stanley publication is in keeping with his other works: an excellent publication!

Hi--- I live on Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands.

I think David Stanley's chapter on the Cooks is excellent. If you are planning to visit here, I suggest you get his guidebook.

This guide is comprehensive, and suggests trip strategies for a wide range of travelers, from luxury-seeking honeymooners to budget-conscious adventure travelers. It helped us find appropriate lodgings, restaurants, and recreation opportunities at several of the Society Islands. We found it reliable and sensible in its recommendations.

As one of the editors of Travelers' Tales 30 Days in the South Pacific, I found David Stanley's Moon Handbook, South Pacific to be an indispensible guide during a recent trip through the South Pacific

Sean O'Reilly
Editor-at-Large
Travelers' Tales

Everything you need to know about travelling around the South Pacific is in the 8th edition of the Moon guide to the South Pacific, yet another informative and comprehensive guidebook from the number one South Pacific expert. This edition covers all the islands of your dreams, from well-known holiday destinations such as French Polynesia to lesser-known places such as Pitcairn Island and Niue. It is full of thoroughly researched and practical information on travelling to and around the Pacific, covers everything from where to stay to where to eat, from background history to contemporary culture and traditions, and is a delight to read regardless of whether you are planning a trip to the South Pacific or not. It is the definitive guide for everyone, from the luxury traveller to the backpacker to the adventurer to the armchair dreamer.

Even though I travel often to the South Pacific, I can always rely on David Stanley's guidebooks to introduce me to some new area of interest, a different place to hang out, or an idea for an activity or excursion I hadn't previously thought about. It gives a whole new meaning to "don't leave home without it."