Hawaii The Big Island Revealed; The Ultimate Guidebook [Paperback]

Andrew Doughty (Author), Harriett Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hawaii the Big Island Revealed | Publication Date: February 1999

With 38 excellent maps, full color throughout, filled with candor and humor, and superbly researched, this guide "tells you everything there is to know about traveling to Hawaii" ("Library Journal"). The guide covers everything from boogie boarding to snorkeling to snow skiing the mountain slopes. Reviews 121 restaurants and 62 accommodations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The most comprehensive yet easy to use guidebook ever written for the Big Island. The Big Island is so big and diverse that many visitors never realize all that it has to offer. We unlock its secrets. Our brand new second edition has more useful information, the most up to date maps, and scores of hidden gems listed nowhere else. This book and a rental car are all you need to discover what makes the Big Island so exciting.

Our 38 specially created maps include beach access to even the most remote beaches, mile markers (so you always know where you are), hiking trails, and numerous details in an easy to follow format.

Deserted black sand beaches, secluded freshwater lava pools (some volcanically heated), pristine rain forests, lava tubes, hidden waterfalls, and the most dramatic part of the erupting volcano shown nowhere else.

Web site with links to every business, last minute changes and more.

Driving tours of the island let you structure your trip your way.

Special section on Adventures.

Clear, concise directions to get to those hard to find places.

Only book ever banned at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Visitor Center for being “too honest” and “revealing too much.”

Symbols quickly identify recommended sights and companies.

Easy to use; no thumbing through every page looking for what you want.

Written by island residents who know the island.

Actual prices for restaurants, hotels, and activities. (Not vague symbols such as three forks to indicate meal prices or general terms such as moderately priced.) Frank, honest opinions throughout—No Advertisements.

Fascinating stories and legends from all around the island.

We’ve covered it all—from the snow-covered top of Mauna Kea, to the sparkling underwater reefs. This is the best investment you can make for your Big Island trip. Whether you are a first time visitor, or a long time kama‘aina, you will find out more about the Big Island from this book than from any other source. Discover the Hawaii you’ve always imagined with Hawaii The Big Island Revealed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wizard Pubns; 2nd edition (February 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963942964
• ISBN-13: 978-0963942968
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,679 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Hawaii
  • #47 in Books > Travel > Australia & South Pacific
  • #47 in Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Guidebooks

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This was our "bible" on our first trip to the Big Island!, November 25, 2001

By 

"2wanna" (DFW, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hawaii The Big Island Revealed; The Ultimate Guidebook (Paperback)

This book is well written with lots of cultural and historical information as well as a lot of humorous comments that kept us laughing. The Volcano National Park quit selling this book because of all the "inside" information it reveals that they don't want travelers to know about. It took the authors over 2 years to put this book together, not 6 weeks like most other Travel Guides. These folks live here and know the ropes! The book has broken the Big Island down into geographic sections with sights, places to stay, dining(prices ranges and ONO recommendations), and beaches for each. It also includes sections on activities, and adventures such as snorkeling, scuba, whale watching, etc. We found that a lot of roads were not marked, but this book lays out "secret" beaches, how to get to them (mile markers), and even tunes you into how not to get "taken" by the locals. Example: When visiting the Green Sand Beach, the locals try to charge $5 for parking and make you walk the 2 1/2 hike. The authors tell you they do not work for the Dept. of Hawaiian Homelands and have no right to charge this fee (also, there was an incident where signs were posted to keep out-Private Property, but the book revealed that you CAN use the road to get to the beach. Without that information, we would have not ventured down that road!) They highly recommend that you rent a JEEP to get around the Island. Invaluable advice! Sure saved us a lot of walking! Throughout the book, there are sites marked with "A Real Gem" Icon, "Diversion Alert!" and "Not to be Missed!" signs. The maps are accurate, the pictures are plentiful and vivid; and we found the information true and accurate. The only thing we think needs updating is the section on Saddle Road. The authors make it sound like the road from Hell, and try to discourage you from using it. We found this road to be in better condition than most of the others and we found a few other "sights" along the route. We noticed a lot of other traveler's with this same book. Before going on our trip, we purchased Hawaii for Dummies and Hawaii the Big Island (and older version, of course!) This book blew them all away and was the one we referred to the whole trip. In our opinion, this book was "A Real Gem!!!" Now we are planning a trip to New Zealand and wish these authors had a "Revealed" book for it. <sigh>

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous, April 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hawaii The Big Island Revealed; The Ultimate Guidebook (Paperback)

It bothers me when I talk to people and they say "there's nothing to do on the islands and everything is so commercialized" We always try to go to the out of way places that locals tell us about. The last trip to Hawaii (Nov. 1997) we found the book Hawaii: The Big Island Revealed and really found some great places that most tourist would never know about. Since then I have recommended to several and say it is a must if you are going to Hawaii. The book is broken down in a very nice way and easy to follow. The maps are very easy to read and the color photos make you want to see it all. I hope they come out with one for each of the other islands. With staying in a condo and fixing a picnic lunch at breakfast we had truly enjoyable days really seeing Hawaii. Many a day we found a picnic table with great view and lot of time close to the ocean with the sound of it. This year we hope to go to Kauai or Maui so am hunting book for them so we can really see that island. We have been to all 3 several times but not like the '97 trip.

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW! What a phenomenal guidebook!, July 26, 2002

By 

Timothy A. Wise (Ocoee, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hawaii The Big Island Revealed; The Ultimate Guidebook (Paperback)

I bought this book (and "The Ultimate Kaua`i Guidebook") on the recommendation of several people on a travel message board. This was our forth trip to the Hawaiian Islands and my wife and I were going there to spend a week on The Big Island and a week on Kaua`i. We wanted to see the most we could and we felt these books might help us make better plans to do just that. And did it ever! We ended up finding that one week on each island wasn't enough and we are already planning our next trip.

Their off-the-beaten-path places are just awesome. From exploring a lava tube that empties out 20 feet over the water near Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park to driving (with a 4WD SUV) down into Waipio Valley; from touring the top of Mauna Kea (the highest point in all of Hawai`i) to hiking out to touch the molten lava flowing from Pu`u O`o; from seeing a "lava tree" at Lava Tree State Park to tasting some organically grown fruit at a roadside stand.....you'll find the details in this book. And their accurate maps and directions to the out-of-the-way places will keep even the most wayward soul from getting lost.

My wife and I cannot recommend this book enough. If you like to explore the places you visit, this book is for you. Well worth it's weight in gold....well, almost. :)