Customer Reviews

Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been reading Maui Revealed since the 2nd edition. There are plenty of useful maps, it's well organized and easy to browse and read, colorful with pleasing typography and many photos, and the author's writing style is informal. There's typically little difference between editions, so no need to upgrade if you're only 1 edition out of date. I don't rely on this book for restaurant, activity or hotel advice. In the age of online reviews it really doesn't make sense to listen to a single opinion in that regard. We often travel with kids and grandparents and I need those perspectives too, especially for activities. Instead I rely on urbanspoon for restaurant advice, and tripadvisor for activity and hotel information.

I recommend this book to friends but nowadays tell them to read with caution. The author does well to build your trust in the book. He explains how well he knows the island, how hard he works on the book, and how residents and businesses are at odds with him for "revealing" what he does. The tendency is to trust him implicitly with everything he says because you feel like he's trying to help you have a great vacation. The danger here is that you defer to his guidance on activities that require caution, and there are many cases where he has a somewhat cavalier attitude.

For example, he highly recommends ultra light flights and goes on about how safe they are. If you're in the industry you know that they're actually quite dangerous. He talks about several sites that require going over private property, which I think readers interpret as "the land owner doesn't care that's why he's telling us."

One example that really stands out is his description of the Nakalele blowhole. He has a full page picture of a couple embracing 20 ft from the blowhole as water jets over them. It looks amazing and so exciting. His only warning: "there's no guardrail to stop you from shrinking the gene pool should you use bad judgment and fall into the hole....get as close as common sense dictates." If you look up this attraction on Youtube you'll see why this place can be so dangerous although it's not entirely obvious, especially if you don't understand the ocean. That's where the Guide book author should step in. The blowhole is given the "real gem" stamp and listed as "the best place to see the ocean explode" and "the best hike" in West Maui, so I'm sure it gets plenty of tourists.

So that's the whole point of my review. It's important to use your personal judgment and take responsibility for the safety of your family, and do some extra research about an attraction when needed. We used an iphone app (Maui gps tour guide) on our last trip that did a good job of providing warnings. Perhaps the best thing you can do is talk to island residents at every opportunity.

Speaking of apps, you may be wondering what the difference is between the book and the Maui revealed App. It appears to mirror the book exactly, and add hotel information from the book's website. There are additional photos too but they're small for some reason. If you've never been to Maui the book is the better choice. It's much easier to read and browse through to find information. The App allows you to search for things, but it's out of context, in that it only shows the specific thing you looked for - you can't see the "pages" before or after the excerpt, and in the book those pages often give information relating to what you're looking for. For seasoned Maui travelers, the App is probably all you need, to look up odds and ends.

I haven't tried the Kindle version but this is an example of a book that you need in paper form so that you can page through quickly, and cross reference with maps. Not to mention the photos...

I have been buying these guide books since they first were published. They are, by far, the very best. More authors of travel guides should take this approach when reviewing tourist spots. The turn by turn travel directions, along with witty commentary - well, you can't go wrong. Maps are detailed and accurate. Both places that are must-do's, as well as probably-not-worth-it, are covered. Any activity you could ever want to try is reviewed. Food recommendations are spot-on. I have these guide books for several of the islands, and I always buy a new edition before I go since things can change quickly in Hawaii. Don't go to Hawaii without one!

I love researching on the internet, but sometimes I just sit there with all your excel spreadsheets and the pile of paper notes and just let out a sigh of all this information I'm trying to organize. Thank god I decided to see if there was a good book out that can solve all my issues.

This book is a god send as it really helped plan my days. Plus it gives a good overview on what to do and what to see. We sadly didn't get to do as much as we hoped (we just laid on the beaches for a few days) but when we go back we will definetly tackle more adventures!

PRO:
Must have, even as a general get you started guide

CON:
Need a better map for driving.

I purchased Maui Revealed along with a couple of other guide books in preparation for our once in a lifetime trip to Hawaii. My husband read the book before we left and planned many aspects of our time there; we used the book daily while we were there and found it to be accurate and a great read for things to do each day. The restaurant recommendations were right on and the description of various day trips like the "road to Hana" section were very helpful in ensuring that we didn't miss anything. I truly recommend this guide for people who like to plan ahead as well as for people who want to take the book and get suggestions on what to do while they are on the island

This book was recommended to me by someone who has a condo in Hawaii. I love it. The authors live on the island. The details are good and it covers everything from where to eat.....to which beaches are topless. Much more useful than the AAA books I usually use.

Indispensable. This was the guide book that everyone in my group relied on. Basically, during my entire trip to Maui - this book was always within arm's reach. Want to find a parking lot with convenient beach access? Want to find a place to grab some cheap lunch after that? Want to skip the real touristy areas altogether? This book will do the job.

Each book in the "...Revealed" series offers the best single guide to sites, sights, and activities on its respective island(s). They also share a great, concise overview of Hawaiian history, which you can read in the Kindle preview.

We packed four (heavy) guidebooks from major publishers, but soon found ourselves relying overwhelmingly on a borrowed copy of this book. It proved savvier and more trustworthy.

The authors have lived for decades on Maui, Kaui, and the Big Island, so they know details that elude parachute travel writers. They also communicate brilliantly -- clearly, wittily, and with a distinctive voice.

If you ever wished Rick Steves wrote South Pacific guidebooks: these folks are like Rick Steves on steroids. They offer you more options than other guidebooks, but also much better prioritization.

Where Lonely Planet's multiple authors will collectively insist you must visit every nook and cranny, Doughty et al. will tell you candidly: "If your time is limited, be sure to see A, C, and F. But it's OK to save B, D, and E for a return visit; they can be redundant."

Also refreshing: these folks skip nutty florid hype (no "...delights to last a lifetime...," yadda yadda). They simply take it for granted that you're visiting paradise, and help you maximize your scarce time there.

Three particular time-savers: Lots of great color photos (averaging one per page), which help you quickly choose your own must-see attractions. Large color maps that are brilliantly selective -- adding important details that standard maps omit, while stripping out unneeded distractions. Finally, the book is rigorously organized by region. This minimizes redundancy and annoying page flips back and forth.

The only shortcoming is limited coverage of accommodations. So you should supplement this with another guidebook that includes more lodgings info.

As boho/budget travelers, we were surprised that our 2nd choice was Frommer's Maui. It includes itineraries, and some nice prioritization (like island-wide and regional lists of best hotels, B&B's, and beaches). But it's fussily bound, and burdened by internal redundancy.

LP's "Discover Maui" has lots of photos, and some unique info., but its assertions and advice often proved flat wrong. "Hidden Hawaii" has great lodging info., but limited maps, no photos, and confusing geographic organization.

Finally, LP's "Hawaii" (all-islands) book is great to consult in advance for hotel reservations, but we never opened it in Maui. It's bulky and heavy, and hides essentials like itineraries. (Its Kindle edition eliminates bulk and weight, but -- at least on 6" B+W Kindles -- it's awfully rendered, with unreadable maps.)

Finally: If this edition still recommends the gorgeous Blue Pool waterfall (near Hana) -- that's now closed to public access. Bummer. Enjoy the rest of the island!

I saw this book in the shop and in the library and didn't pick it up originally - I was 'judging the book by its cover'. After speaking with a few people, I was told how amazing this book is and I can't agree more!

We purchased this book for our recent honeymoon to Maui and lived off of it. It's especially great for the Road to Hana; it provides lots of little detours and scenic waterfall views that you might otherwise miss.

We also used it greatly on our drives from Ka'anapali and north. Absolutely fabulous and I cannot recommend a better book! These people know their stuff.

I bought three books. Of them all this book was the best. It covered all the area's of Maui with great suggestions. I read it, read it again and highlighed area's with a pen. Passed the book on to my mom who read it at least twice also! Every time we needed info on our upcoming Maui trip, we pulled out "the revealed" book and found our answers! This is a must read if you are looking for info on Maui!

My wife and I first learned about these books when we purchased Kaui Revealed last year. Simply put - if you're going to visit any of the Hawaiian islands, this is the one book you want to have. The authors are honest and fair - no fluff. They tell what's worth seeing and what's not. They actually seem to spend a considerable amount of time eating at the different restaurants, doing the different activities and they write what they experienced themselves.

They talk about activities and provide context to the point where you can decide if something is going to work for you or not.

They recommended the Warren and Annabelle magic show in Lahaina, something that we normally wouldn't go to. But it was fantastic and their description of it, without giving away too much, was right on the money.

The beach and snorkel spot ratings are super-accurate.

bottom line - if you want to spend your precious vacation time doing the really great things at the best places, this book is a must-have.