Customer Reviews

Hawaii The Big Island Revealed; The Ultimate Guidebook

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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>

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.

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. :)

The Big Island Revealed is the only book you will need while touring the Big Island. The content is accurate and excellent. The book is broken down into locations. We toured a location a day and found the descriptions excellent. The authors cite mile makers for each route which is an easy way to find cites. We highly recommended this book and hope the authors (who live on the Big Island) will write like books for the other islands.

It should be noted that the B&B we stayed in had purchased this book for each room for their guests to use since they felt it was excellent, also.

Warning, we do not recommend tourists with 2WD rentals try either "The Road to the Sea" nor "Manna Rd". Both of these were too dangerous.

Well written, very attractive layout and production, lots of useful recommendations, and good maps. I appreciated the fact that the author is a scuba diver; I dived with both of the dive outfits that the book recommended and concur with the author's assessment.

I also appreciated the reviews of the different brands of Kona coffee, since it's so hard for a visitor to know which brands to avoid. (We visited Greenwell's based on this book's recommended list; their Private Reserve is worth it.)

I will definitely return to the Big Island to try out more of the outings suggested in this book.

The first time we visited the Big Island we brought the book along but didn't use it. Big Mistake! It's filled with out of the way sights that are incredible to behold. When I did get around to reading it, I read it like a novel. We've used it four times since and have swum in little known volcanically heated pools and 'sauna-ed' in natural caves. It's easy to follow and full of wonderful descriptions. If you're looking for hidden Hawaiian treasures-- Get this book!

My wife and I have just returned from ten days enjoying Hawaii, the big island, as part of a family get-together. Her brother has a condo time-share at a fine Kona coast resort, has been going there for years, but all eight of us constantly used this book to make plans, for directions how to get there, where to eat, what to see and not miss. I cannot think of a single thing that would make this book better than it is--it is complete, easy to use and most dependable.

Two restaurant updates: On the way to the volcanoes south on highway 11 we stopped at The Aloha Cafe. Half of us had ordered breakfast before one of our party noticed the many cockroaches crawling on the serving plates and back counter. We immediately left and using this book to find our next choice went down the road to The Coffee Shack in spite of reading that "service is often slow and sometimes surly." I am happy to report that the Shack has new owners and the service is now fast and cheerful. And the place is spotless.

This guide is very detailed, specific, and frank. It gives very specific advice and travel directions, down to the level of "turn left at the blue two-story house" to many destinations, lots of which you won't find in the typical Frommer's or Fodor's guidebook. It is very blunt and negative in a few cases, which is refreshing. I didn't get full advantage of this book on the first part of my Big Island trip, because I read it ahead of time, and left it in the hotel room, taking only my U. of Hawaii map with me when out and about. This is my usual procedure with guidebooks, because they usually aren't specific enough to be useful when out on the road seeking anything but the biggest and grandest activities or sites. Later in the trip, I realized my mistake, and kept it on the seat beside me while driving. One of the best features of the book is a list of "adventures" near the end of the book which are just that. Adventures, some of which are even mildly risky. I only did one of them (snorkeling with manta rays) but it was well worth doing. If you want to visit the Big Island, and get out of your Kona Coast resort, I highly recommend you purchase this book, read it ahead of time, and take it with you on the road! The only criticism I have of the book is not the authors' fault, and is inevitable in a book this specific--Some of the information invariably becomes outdated over time. For instance, the manta rays I referred to are no longer appearing regularly at the location listed in this book. This sort of thing is inevitable, and is the price of being so specific and helpful. But the book is probably due for a third edition before too long...

We bought this book in anticipation of our two week trip to the Big Island, and even before we left all of us had read it cover to cover. We were tempted to visit everywhere, and I can not thank the authors enough for cutting to the chase on what to see and literally, step by step how to get there. (DETAILED instructions! ) We did not set foot out of the door without our "Harriet" and constantly compared her evaluations with ours. I am so glad we had a chance to review it BEFORE we left, for there is just so much to do there, and it helped to have some kind of familiarity of the locations by the assistance of her descriptions. The trip was a huge success, and by no means did we sit by a pool sipping drinks. We marched out to the out of the way beaches she recommended and we were NEVER disappointed! We were thankful for her very detailed instructions, and found most of them right on the mark. Thanks to Harriet, we discovered all sorts of wildlife, out of the way fantasy beaches and locations, snorkled the best areas, swam with thousands of fish and turtles, visited caves, waterfalls, enjoyed the best places to go when helicoptering, experienced the vast weather changes from the high country, to Hilo and drier Kona. I can not wait to go again....but I hope not too many people follow her directions and spoil the exclusivity of the experience!

These people write the most useful guide books to the islands available. We go to Hawaii every year and have for at least 16 years. I found this series two years ago and I love it. They really write for almost every demographic, they tell about the hidden stuff but also don't put down the big resorts, they just take them at face value, lots of fun if you like that kind of thing. These books also cover the other side of the spectrum, all levels of cost and experience. They are locals and as such know some very cool places, restaurants, acitvities and activity providers like the most informed and freindly dive shops, great traditional local food, the best splurge restaurants, and coolest hidden historical sites. These folks take some pretty hard shots at tourist service providers with bad attitudes, everyone from rude restaurants, cattle car dive boats, Park Rangers who are misinformed and have lost the Aloha spirit or never had it, and they keep going back to give these establishments second and third chances to upgrade their reviews. They have a great deal of respect for the true local people and the native hawaiian culture and history. They give tips on how to experience it and how to respect it. The cool thing is they do not respect the squatters, mainland self proclaimed hippies, folks who have taken up residency in the wildnerness who never had any sense of aloha, and just want a free ride in paradise. To this end they tell you how to find the hidden places, how to get there, which bogus warning signs to ignore, how to respect the place when you get there and how to preserve it for the rest of us. If I was a local I don't think I could be that honest, the islands are a small place. I read guide books as a hobby, and buy new ones every year to keep current with the changes and come up with new things to do. I think I have a pretty good idea of the different styles of books, the most useful layouts, maps you can actually use, and the ones with the most useful and up to date info. If you're only going to buy one guide for the island you are going to this is the one, if you are going to buy another one buy one of the Moon publications, eg. Hawaii Handbook, Maui Handbook, but only after you have one of these.