Kauai Underground Guide (Includes Free Hawaiian Music CD) [Paperback]

Lenore W. Horowitz (Author)

Book Description

Series: 15th Edition | Publication Date: May 1998

Called 'the bible' -Travel & Leisure, this top-rated guide has 'Everything you need to know about Kauai's beaches, activities, restaurants, tours, accommodations, and more!' -Hawaii Magazine. With more than 125,000 copies in print, the book is praised as a "trusted sidekick for the visitor who wants to get to know the island well" -Honolulu Advertiser, and recommended by the San Francisco Chronicle, Vancouver Courier, San Jose Mercury News, TravelAge West, Chicago Sun Times, and Sunset Magazine. According to the Los Angeles Times: "Our vacation became an adventure the day we discovered the Kauai Underground Guide!"

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What began 20 years ago as a 16-page typewritten overview of one family's collected ideas for getting the best out of a Kauai vacation has grown into a 200-page tome of personal and practical advice. The Horowitz family has made Kauai their second home, and author Lenore offers the kind of information that prompts readers to write that this book makes them feel "part of the island's family."

A planning section detailing where to stay and what to pack is followed by overviews of activities, adventures, and discoveries--such as useful Hawaiian words, where to watch sunsets, and how to find the best artists and artisans. A chapter on beach adventures offers up-to-date reports on beaches all over the island. This guide covers all the bases to help you make the most of your island time.

On "Hideaways" Beach, for example, the detailed account reads:

At the base of the cliff near the Pali Ke Kua Condominiums in Princeville is a lovely sandy beach set inside a reef, where you can watch the sun sparkle on the waves in near solitude. It is a peaceful spot, secluded and beautiful, actually two beaches connected by a rocky point. Swimming is not the best because of the coral bottom and the offshore rocks, but snorkeling can be very good in calm summer seas. Be cautious. As on all north shore beaches, snorkeling can be risky and is advisable only in a calm ocean; when the surf is up, current can become dangerous.

The restaurant section's useful chart lists phone numbers, prices, and color-map reference numbers, followed by readers' choices of the best places to find fresh fish, ocean views, steaks, etc.

As a bonus gift in this 15th-anniversary edition, you'll find a free CD of Hawaiian music by popular artist Keali'i Reichel. A portion of the proceeds from Kauai Underground Guide go to literacy, arts, and special needs for Kauai's children. --Kathryn True

Review

'A must for visitors!' -- Honolulu Advertiser

'Everything you need to know about Kauai's beaches, activities, restaurants, tours, accommodations, and more!' -- Hawaii Magazine

'Our vacation became an adventure the day we discovered the Kauai Underground Guide!' -- Los Angeles Times

'a must for exploring!' -- Seattle Post Intelligencer

'the bible' for Kauai! -- Travel & Leisure --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Papaloa Pr; 15th edition (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0961549882
• ISBN-13: 978-0961549886
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (133 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,120,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

201 of 213 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hopelessly outdated and poorly organized, July 26, 2009

By 

Karen Franklin "Forensic Psychologist" (El Cerrito, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kauai Underground Guide (Book & Audio CD, 17th Edition) (Paperback)

Thirty years ago, when the first edition of this book was written, Kauai was a different place, and perhaps there was something "underground" about this guide. Now, as other reviewers have pointed out, Kauai Underground is mainly a superficial restaurant guide. Even there, it falls short. Restaurants do not remain static over time. Instead of updating its restaurant reviews with new information, this guide simply copy edits the prose. Here is one rather humorous example:

15th edition (1998): "Wranglers' dining room retains the outlines of its historic building, where you expect to see Matt Dillon stroll in at any moment."

18th edition (2007): "Wrangler's dining room retains the outlines of its historic building, where you expect to see Butch Cassidy amble in and take a chair."

In addition to being outdated, the guide contains only standard, generic information. It is very poorly organized and indexed. The writing is littered with superlatives (everything is "wonderful" and "lovely") and exclamation points. Maps are skimpy and hard to follow.

Basic information and maps are available in the free advertising circulars handed out at the airport and car rental agencies. I recommend you spend your money on a weightier guidebook that favors data over fluff. Examples include Frommer's Kauai (Frommer's Complete), The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed, and Kauai Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Snorkel, Bike, Paddle, Surf.

Happy traveling!

POSTSCRIPT: On February 25, 2010, I suddenly got a string of six negative votes on this review. This happens all too often on Amazon, when a neutral and balanced reviewer (see my other reviews for the range) writes an honest but negative review of a book. You can see that the same thing happened to everyone who wrote a less-than-stellar review of this book. (Hmmm.) Campaigns like this cause top reviewers to hesitate before writing negative reviews, thus weakening Amazon's usefulness as a place for consumers to get unbiased information before deciding on a purchase. (Negative reviews drag down a reviewer's ranking.) In my opinion, "NO" votes should not be used just because you disagree, but rather to indicate that a review was deficient in some way (poorly written, biased, etc.). If you found the above review useful, please offset this negative campaign by voting "YES" -- review was helpful -- on this review and whenever you encounter negative but helpful reviews in your virtual travels in Amazon Land. Thank you for your support.

54 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't go to Kauai without this book!, September 27, 1999

By 

Bill Protzmann - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kauai Underground Guide (Includes Free Hawaiian Music CD) (Paperback)

I'll keep it short and sweet: Lenore knows Kauai.

Been to Kauai several times, but when we've used the Underground Guide (our last two trips) we've found:

1) Better places to eat;

2) More stuff to do that we wouldn't have thought of (and some things that weren't in the other Kauai guidebook, which we've since discarded);

and

3) Some Kauai friends. The best way to experience the Garden Isle is with people who know it well, and we've actually met some friends in Kauai as a result of going 'Underground.'

It's a must -- the best vacation investment you could make. Give up feeling like a tourist with Lenore's help. You'll find this guide up-to-date (I purchase a new copy before each trip), accurate down to the details (e.g. a deli that may not get your sandwich just right unless you check before you leave!), and easy to use (organized to be quickly accessible by restaurant, activity, etc, based on where you want to be on the island -- two page flips and you're on the way to a precise choice of food or fun based on the budget or level of activity you want). Whether going to a 'locals-only' beach or restaurant, Lenore's been there, and her reviews (and directions) are right on.

Highly recommended. Thanks, Lenore.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the most useful travel guide we have ever purchased!, August 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Kauai Underground Guide (Includes Free Hawaiian Music CD) (Paperback)

My husband and I purchased a timeshare in Kauai in 1987. On our first trip to the island, a thoughtful guest left a copy of this guide in the condo. It immediately became a hit as we began exploring all the special "Secret" beaches. The instructions such as where to walk, where to park and landmarks to look for were invaluable and helped us truly fall in love with Kauai on that first trip. Since then, we have purchased the newest edition each year before our visit. Tips on best values for tours, shopping and restaurant information is also top notch. Many of the reviewers mention the book's value to those with children and family. As an empty-nest couple, we still would not use any other guide although recently we have started carrying the walking tour book with us as well.