Customer Reviews

Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook (2000 Edition)

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Just returned from a week in Maui and really enjoyed having this book as a guide to the island. I also had several other books like Fodor's, etc, but in my opinion this book is the best of the bunch. I have often wondered why guidebooks are of two varieties; either a drab sanitized book full of text and no color and pictures, or a book full of pictures with minimal written substance. This book seems to combine the best of both, authoritative in depth text based on the experiences of someone who lives on the island as well as nice color maps and pictures of notable sights. For the most part my experiences jived with the authors commentary.

Some of my own observations. The most exclusive areas on the island are around Kapalua and Wialea. These areas are beautiful but they are also somewhat remote from the "action". If your idea of a good holiday is to stay on a resort than these areas are great, but if you want some local culture/flavor, good restaurants, shopping and nightlife, and proximity, than I would recommend staying in the Kaanapali area which has nice resorts and is also close to Lahaina, the town where all the action is.

Using this book I visited some of what I thought were the most beautiful beaches on the island, Big Beach on the south side and black sand beach, red sand beach, Koki Beach and Hamoa beach near Hana. Enjoyed the drive to Hana, but unlike the author of this book I actually thought the beaches were more of a highlight than the waterfalls, which I didn't think were all that spectacular. Koki Beach and Hamoa Beach were incredible and the drive around Haneoo Rd. was breathtaking.

If your going to Maui and want an informative book this is the best bet in my opinion.

We have traveled to Maui enough times to think that we knew the island well. This book reveals many hidden secrets on Maui that even the seasoned visitor will find it of value.

Over the course of our visits to the Island, we have had an opportunity to take part in a large number of activities with many of the different companies that serve the tourist trade on Maui. Doughty and Friedman's evaluation of the different activities and their providers is fair and accurate. They give accurate, and often funny evaluation of restaurants and locations (my favorite being the Mexican restaurant about which they state "...we now know what hospital food must taste like in Mexico."

You often wonder if travel writers are paid off to say what they do about mediocre activities and hotels. These writes call it like it is. My only regret is that they have revealed many of the places that took us years to find (and are relatively hidden), meaning that they will probably be more crowded in the future. If you want to avoid tour rip-off's and enjoy your time while on The Valley Isle, make sure you add this book to your luggage.

This book made it possible for me to actually feel like I really knew my way around Maui, though I'd never been before.

We wanted to explore the full island and know where to stop and what to see -- we were never steered wrong. We knew everything that was coming up on the roadside and where to stop and what to check out. I left the rest of the books I'd purchased at home, 'cause I knew I'd only need this one.

VERY honest reviews... Great recommendations! We had a perfect vacation, and I know we owe a great deal of it to the purchasing of this wonderful book.

This book is fantastic. I have just recently returned from a trip to Maui and had to tell anyone else that has planned a trip to Maui that this book is a must have!! I went to Maui a couple of years ago (without reading this book) and was able to see some of the fabulous sites that Maui has to offer - there are many - but using 'Maui Revealed' during my second trip, I was able to discover so many things that I missed the first time because I didn't know where everything was. Specifically the information on the 'Road to Hana' and the 'Road around the West Maui' mountains. The book calls out mile markers to stop at on these roads and it's pretty easy to follow. Trust me, without reading this book, you will drive right past all of the beautful hidden waterfalls and fresh water pools. Local pamphlets do a good job of informing visitors of major sites, like the Haleakala Crater and the Seven Sacred Pools - but not one mentioned the Olivine Pools located on the North side of the West Maui Mountains. Thanks to this book I was swimming in them!!! The only faults that I had with the book was the authors threw in some opinions which I didn't always share - like 'the Windjammer Dinner Cruise' is just that - people jammed on a boat. I have taken the Windjammer Dinner Cruise and we weren't crammed into it and the food was delicious. Also the authors made a remark about the 'Lahaina Divers' Scuba Diving Co, putting 50 people on their boat for every dive. Again, I have dived with Lahaina Divers and there has been anywhere from 10 to 30 people on board. My recommendation is to use this book for exploring Maui's land, but don't take to heart their statements on activities.

Mahalo,

HoagieBlossom

Simply put, this is the best guidebook there is for Maui. My wife and I spent a week in Maui a few months ago, and in preparation for the trip, she bought a number of travel books about Maui/Hawaii. The difference between the other travel books and this one is that the authors of "Maui Revealed" actually present opinions -- positive AND negative -- with explanations of their opinions. If a place has bad service, the authors say so. If a place is bad for lunch but good for dinner, they say so. You may not end up agreeing with all of their opinions, but at least they attempt to help guide you throughout the island. Not only that, it comes across that the authors had fun writing the book, and there are parts that are pretty funny.

The book also tells you a lot about parts of Maui that you wouldn't get from other travel books or from airport leaflets -- for example, on the famous road to Hana, there are a number of waterfalls. You can see many of them from the road, and people stop to take pictures. But the book also tells you about a number of hidden waterfalls -- including one underneath a bridge that makes for a fantastic picture of the top of a waterfall.

I have to disagree with the reviewer below who felt that this book offered nothing more than what was contained in the airport hand-outs.

My first trip to Maui was in 1973 and I've been every year since then. This is one of the better guide books I have read due to its fresh approach and basic honesty. Let's face it, some places aren't all that great and others are pretty fantastic. They try to "tell it like it is" in Maui Revealed. If anything, I believe they are a little too gentle with some of the reports (e.g., they give a restaurant "ono" when it might not be consistent, etc.). Beach descriptions are excellent. On the other hand, they are right on when they describe milepost 14 as a lousy snorkeling location....

Obviously, you are tempting fate when you take on the establishment in Maui. Overall it is a good guide book with accurate information (especially for first time visitors). Any visitor (or local) will find something they didn't know it this guide.

Definitely worth the read!

My wife and I just returned from our honeymoon in Maui where we used this book religiously every day. We found the reviews and ratings in this book to be right on. Warren and Annabelle's magic show was awesome as described; the driving tips for Hana (e.g., leave early) were very helpful; and the olivine pools were spectacular. If you are planning a trip to Maui, this book should be a requirement. The book saved us lots of money by steering us away from overpriced restaurants, boring activities, and other tourist traps. My only regret is that my wife and I could only partake in a small fraction of the wonderful things that Maui has to offer. Some things the book doesn't describe that should be included in a second addition are the Saturday morning Kahului Swap Meet (great t-shirt prices and cheap fruit); the Oct. 31 Halloween celebration in Lahaina (20,000 crazy Hawaiians and tourists walking Front Street); and a tour of Ono Plantation (outside Hana) where you can sample exotic fruit that you've never even heard of before.

We visited Maui in December of 2002 and found this book invaluable! The insider information and tips are terrific. The maps were extremely helpful and accurate. We especially appreciated the tip about the 'magic' show Warren and Annabelle's. We were sceptical about another dinner show, but after reading the author's review we bought tickets and it turned out to be the best activity we did on the island!

The authors give you a web site to visit with lots of reviews on hotels and activities. They personally do the activities and visit the venues without revealing that they will be publishing a review. They are not afraid the publish the good and the bad, which has some of the locals a little upset. But all the better for you!

If you're planning a trip to Maui, this is the only guide book you'll need! Aloha!

This is the best book out on Maui. The authors lived on the island while writing the book, and they know there stuff. The maps are excellent and the hidden spots (even on the touristy west side) are well worth the price. This book is great to have if your are planning to travel the famous HANA ROAD. We got to see a waterfall no one else new about. You should have seen the looks on the other drivers when the drove past us, wondering why we were stopped (if they only knew what they were missing).

Since this book is new, the hidden spots are really hidden. When on Kauai, we kept meeting people at the hidden spots (listed in the equally excellent Kauai guidebook published by the same authors). The common phrase was "you must have the blue book". We didn't meet anyone at the hidden spots on Maui, since this book is so new.

We also purchased the Moon guidebook. This book is much better. If you are going to Maui, by this book.

I bought this book for a family trip to Maui in January 2001. Not only was the information complete, accurate and current, it was the best resource for planning and setting expectations that I found before we reached the island. (Although there are many good human and printed resources once you get to Maui, you won't find a better single source for your trip planning than Maui Revealed.)

The authors not only offer "insider" information about locations and events, they also provide clear instructions of the "how", "what" and "where" to discover some of the best secrets of the island. My only caveat is that this book presents many "adventurous" options (i.e. side roads on the way to Hana) that travelers with small children, older visitors, or those with some physical limitations may find a bit challenging. But, we were never lead down a path we couldn't get back from, nor did we feel that any of our wanderings were not worth the effort (even if we couldn't make it all the way to the end).

Thanks to the authors for making our trip even more successful...and happy planning to future readers!