Customer Reviews

Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook, Second Edition

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

My husband and I decided to honeymoon in Maui; neither of us had ever been to a tropical island and the destination was highly recommended to us. Two of our friends had gone to Maui a month before we did and brought this book with them--they raved about it so much that we all passed an enjoyable evening together before we left during which they sticky-noted the MUST SEE places in our copy of the book. (For the record, the waterfalls they recommended on the road to Hana were spectacular.)

I read the book cover to cover before we left and it gave me a great overview of the island's geography, attractions, and unique qualities. I am just back from the vacation and ready to return, and I will probably get a copy of their book for another island because of the "big picture" they so superbly provide. What regions are best for this or that, how far different locales are from each other, the general lay of the land, that sort of thing--I've never read a guidebook that gave me that kind of information before.

The drawback to this book is on the specifics. Maybe I'm too much of a "city gal" (I never really considered San Diego that cosmopolitan) but their recommendations for food and cultural experiences were a little too provincial. For example, the authors write that the "odd and bizarre add color to Pa'ia like no other Maui town" and recommend people watching as a main attraction. Now, I think that Pa'ia has the best shopping on the island (far more interesting than Lahaina, which is junk shops interspersed with fine art galleries) but a few guys with long braids and girls with ankle bracelets do not a people-watching location make. Nor is putting fish on pita bread culinary cleverness (tasty though it might be).

The real problem with Maui Revealed, however, is its overexposure. Even the guy sitting next to me on the plane had the book. At one point during our vacation, a local volunteer at one of their carefully described snorkeling spots stopped us at the trailhead just to explain how the ecology of the region has suffered in the past five years because of the sudden increase of foot traffic and swimming in what was once a sheltered cove. It was ten in the morning and we were persons number 40 and 41 to start on that trail. On a weekday, off season. He convinced us not to go (we were numbers 12 and 13 not to go after he talked to us--he was collecting data) and gave us a recommendation of where to go instead. I can't compare it to the Aquarium (a Maui Revealed spot) but the snorkeling where we went was amazing--we went back to it on another day, too.

Besides overpopularity, the other drawback I found were vague directions that could have gotten us into a lot of trouble. There were two hikes we followed at the authors' recommendation, both of which resulted in us getting quite lost and me somewhat afraid (my husband says he didn't think we were really that lost). The first was a trek up the hill of Pu'u O'lai in Makena. They said something like you have to traipse about a 100 feet through the forest until you find the trail. We never found it. The other was a hike to a quadruple waterfall path on the road to Hana (across government land no less--my guilty conscience flared up when I heard the helicopters overhead!). Maybe we are incompetent woodsmen but we actually lost the path three times on our way to the second waterfall (this in a bamboo forest so dark that our flash photos just look like black shapes) and I came out of there filthy with mud and sporting some rash on all four appendages! (Trust me, it's no heat rash either.) I don't think I'll go on anymore revealed adventures.

Yes, the book is great for newcomers to the island of Maui who want background information about this destination, especially when they are deciding what neighborhood to stay in and what kinds of attractions to see there. I do not recommend using this book to set your specific itinerary. ALthough we started out with this plan, we had fabulous luck actually talking to locals once we got there, like Ephraim at Onelui Beach, Sai the waiter at Pupu Something Restaurant, the girl at the snorkel shop, Hyper Miqe at the trail to the Aquarium, and Tasia the hitchhiker, and Sheldon the four-year-old who instructed us not to put flippers on our ears--not one of these folks steered us wrong. We could not have planned a better vacation.

I was extremely impressed with this book! Great maps to use while on the island (maps are on the inside covers and also in side the book - won't easily tear or get lost). Great aerial photographs of their top picks for best beaches, along with great detailed descriptions of them (all the info you need on the beaches: snorkeling, wind, sand, people, facilities, accessibility, etc.). Fantastic descriptions of the things to do and see in each area of the island, describing your drives & stops on the highway down to the tenth of the mile! Wonderfully descriptive explanations of all the available island activities: snorkeling, boat tours, parasailing, helicopter, submarine, etc. - This really helped us decide which activities we wanted to do, and more specifically, which activity company to go with (Example, the snorkel on Molokini boats are described to a "T", which boats stop in the best spots, who offers the best lunches, etc...very good detail!) Buying the book gives you a password code to their website, which offers more information on lodging, since they couldn't fit every hotel's review in the compact book size. I wish there was more information on dining choices, but as they mention in the book, it just changes too much and there are just too many.

I bought this book after I reached Maui. Reason: I was overwhelmed by sales pitch of my hotel staff and travel agents. I didn't know where to go and what to do. This is when I spent a couple of hours in a book store and picked up Maui Revealed.
Maui revealed is thick but very, very informative. You really don't need to spend more than an hour going through the book and planning your trip.
Maui Revealed lays bare the innermost secrets of Maui. You will find yourself driving on secluded roads to hidden waterfalls and oasis. You may be alone in the most beautiful areas because other tourists don't know about it!
In 6 days that we stayed in Maui, I knew exactly what to expect and where. Eating places, tourist spots, waterfalls, beaches, activities like snorkling and scuba diving, parasailing and even shopping centers have been revealed in this book. You can even find out how much you will spend for lunch if you go to a particular restaurant.
How detailed is this book? According to a recent news on CNN, Maui residents were unhappy with the authors because they revealed too much about Maui in this book!!!
Now that's something!

CONCLUSION: BUY IT!! "Maui Revealed" will help you plan a perfect trip and save money and time as you will know what to do and when.

If you've never been to Maui, and want to know virtually every place to go, this will provide you with that information. Once you have that info, the burden is placed on your shoulders to use it wisely. Getting to or playing at many of the spots mentioned involves risk to your body due to flash floods, loose rock, and slipperly trails. Some spots are on, or can only be reach thru, private property.

Granted, residents have been visiting these same spots for years. The difference is that it's no longer just a few kids on the weekend, it's hundreds of people every day, many of whom are apt to be litigious. It would seem that the authors have absolved themselves of any responsibility if you end up on the wrong side of nature, the law, or the locals.

My suggestion would be to stick with the Moon Publications book.

I used over ten guidebooks, and this was by far the best. It was particularly strong in rating activities and providing detailed suggestions and hints for getting the most out of the activities (e.g., biking, scuba). It had all the hotel evaluations online, so did not clutter the book. It had no B&B recommendations.

This is one of the most spot-on useful guidebooks that we've encountered in all our travels. Every day of our recent visit (to three locations on the island) we found ourselves referring to it so often that it soon earned a permanent place on the front seat of our car or in our backpack. Wherever we went on the island, the most relevant information (and orientation maps) were easy to locate and chock full of useful details and insights. If you intend to explore the more out of the way locations, like hiking trails, however, it would also be wise to rely on detailed topo maps.

The authors are frank and honest in their assessments of Maui's welter of accomodations and restaurants; and we soon learned their opinions were consistently accurate and worthy of heed. Their website, moreover, offers excellent supplemental reviews and updates on various accomodations and restaurants. Overall, this is a remarkably comprehensive and useful guidebook to Maui, which almost any visitor will find worthy of using. We first heard about it from Maui residents.

I read every guidebook I can get my hands on before I go on vacation. Of the pile I took along, this was the worst for snorkeling. My main problem with this book is its tone. It was trying to be too authoritative on every topic. Snorkeling experts they are not. There is a much better book out for snorkeling called SNORKELING MAUI by Malewowski. The maps are much clearer, there are far more places to snorkel and it is much better written.

We have used this book the last three times we went to Maui. We have always found it a great guide. We have liked the recommended restaurants and sites. We used it for dining, site seeing and excursions. I would definitely recommend it to others.

The second edition of this guide really surprised me, and in a good way. I run a small Hawaii travel business and I purchased the guidebook under the assumption it would fill a few small holes in my knowledge on Maui. Instead it introduced me to a lot of information and places I wasn't even aware existed. I am very pleased with this guidebook and it has become a useful tool in organizing my next research trip. I have decided I'm also going to purchase more in the series of their books, as this one really is top notch and delivers the information in a very clear and concise manner than anyone can use. The maps are fantastic also, some of the best available; mainly because of their detail and the fact they actually show the mile markers on the roads.

If you've been to Maui a hundred times, or if it's your first time going, I don't think you can go wrong with this book. They introduce the island on beginners terms, but also guide you like a pro if you are one. The book has more information than you'll likely ever need in a single trip, but hey, that's what the next trip is for. They cover both the large and the small in this book, and I really like that. I was worried about the over-exposure factor of the book at first, but ultimately I feel they covered everything equally and didn't focus just on previously hidden things. In other words, the magic of Maui won't be harmed by this book's popularity as long as we all use common sense in preserving the nature of the places we discover and visit. Their sense of humor is also a nice touch in my opinion, and reflects what is truly Hawaiian Style. Job well done in my opinion and I recommend this book to all those traveling to the Valley Isle. A lot of people own this book for a reason, you should too.

I have been to Maui four times, but with this book the last trip was much more memorable. We spent some time in Hana finding the secret swimming holes. I skinny dipped at a private waterfall--there is no way I would have been able to do that with something I found in a more mainstream guidebook, cause it would have been packed with people.

The other activity that this guide book recommended in Hana was going for a ride in a powered hang glider. It was one of the most amazing things I ever did--flying through the clouds of Hana, looking down to see the waterfalls and literally being able to touch the clouds with my hand--it was like a dream, and I would not have known about it except for this book.

I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because it is VERY confusingly structured. It is structured more by activity than location. So all the best beaches are together, all the best snorkling, etc.I was constantly flipping back and forth trying to figure out where the thing I had read about earlier was. I would prefer to pick an area then have all the secret spots, restaurants, etc in that section. I found that this book AND Frommers make the best combo--Frommers for restaurants and hotels, Revealed for activities.