Customer Reviews

Hidden Hawaii (9th ed)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I also disagree with the reviewer who did not find Hidden Hawaii to be helpful... My husband and I purchased Hidden Hawaii to provide us with the opportunities not available in the larger tourist trap books - we were thrilled! We prefer the more secluded, unusual sites, which we were treated to time and again. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a sense of adventure and direction.

If you enjoy touring on your own, this is a great drive along reference. We found many of the things to see were off the main track. Hidden Hawaii guides you to attractions in sequence as you drive. The only thing missing is flora and fauna. This should be the bible for first time Hawaii visitors!

I take great exception to the August 23 review from California. I have now purchased my third edition of Hidden Hawaii since I used the 1st edition for my first trip to Hawaii. The islands are certainly the most wonderful destination in the World, but I do think my intimate knowledge of the hidden pockets of paradise have actually made Hawaii better for us than it would have been. I can't count the number of times we've followed elaborate directions for miles into the wilderness to find ourselves under our own personal waterfall. And by the way, Garden of the Gods is in the book's index. The text gives clear directions. It is also on the book's Lanai map.

My wife & I lived on Oahu for 3 years and frequently traveled to the neighbor islands as well. We scored everytime we used the book. Great tips on standard tourist info, but the strength is on the items marked "hidden." When you have a little more time than the average molohini (visitor), the "hidden" suggestions are always worth the effort!

If you can't have fun with this guide, you can't have fun!

PS: Hidden Florida & Hidden California guides worked for us as well!

I always take my old copy with me when I visit Hawaii. I especially like the budget hotels and eateries. I like the Mom & Pop hotels that offer rooms without tvs & phones. All have been clean and comfortable and the staff very nice. I plan to buy the new edition of the book before next visit in 2003. You really can find places to stay that don't cost $100/nite but you will never hear of them from the travel agency.

This book made our trip to Hawaii very special. The highlight was the beach it recommended on the west coast of Kauai. You have to drive down a dirt road through sugar cane fields, but when you get there, it is amazingly beautiful and secluded. I sold some of the pictures I took there. We never would have known about this beach without the book. It makes places like this easy to find, and I always felt safe.

The information contained in his books is inaccurate and biased. Not only is the Big Island the worse of all the islands to visit, it's Ray's favorite! I found that information from his first book was missing and it appeared that he was hiding the best places now. I moved to the big island in 2006 and was influenced by his reviews of it. The Kamaaina spirit has left Hawaii. It's not like it was back in 1984 when I first visited. The people are selfish and hateful. There is a movement called [..]that wants to take the star off the USA flag. Only 7 percent of the population is actually native. Don't let your car break down and leave it. You'll come back with broken out windows and full of beer bottles. Be careful on the beach after dark. The bathrooms on the beaches are absolutely hideous! For a state that relies on tourism you'd think they would clean the toilets and sinks! I've never seen such filth and most of them are disgusting. So unless you are a millionaire and stay in the tourist areas you will encounter problems with the locals. You can't go anywhere and leave your car. My goods were destroyed by careless workers at the post office, I was attacked on the beach, threatened with violence by my american / filipino neighbor who wasn't even a native because I had a "Hawaiian" sticker from the previous owner on my car, cheated on a car deal, even my landlord kept the items I was donating to the Salvation Army when I left. Maui is just as bad if you are not careful. I'll never go back.

We used this book all the while we were in the islands. On Kauai it helped us find some neat small places we would have missed. On Maui we found the Hana road's most interesting spots. On the Big Island we found a wonderful Orchid farm that we would never have seen. I think this is a terrific book.

We enjoyed reading this book and got more information from it than we did from two other guidebooks on Hawaii. If you are interested in finding secluded beaches, hiking, swimming, and discovering many Hawaiian treasures (including restaurants), I recommend this book.

Upon learning that my husband and I were traveling to Hawaii, a friend loaned us her copy of "Hidden Hawaii". Exploring the "Big Island" was an adventure that holds some anxiety. We were able to visit areas we might have been hesitant to explore without the knowlege provided by the author. The tips on the facilities available at each location as well the information regarding the water activities were invaluable to us our entire visit.