Moon Handbooks Big Island of Hawaii: Including Hawaii Volcanoes National Park [Paperback]

Robert Nilsen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Moon Handbooks Big Island of Hawaii | Publication Date: February 2001

Moon Handbooks: Big Island of Hawai'i has it all. Choose from a wide variety of dining and accommodation options, from kaukau wagons to oceanview restaurants and from tiny B&Bs to luxury resorts. If you're craving adventure, find out where you can go horseback riding, play golf or tennis, scuba dive, snorkel, camp, backpack, and more. You'll also explore the political and social aspects of this beautiful destination diverse in landscape and culture.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you're keen on delving into Hawaiian culture and history, you'll do well with the Moon Handbooks' guide to the Big Island (which also includes a chapter on Hawaii Volcanoes National Park). Moon offers an amazingly thorough look at this Polynesian island--from the arrival of the first settlers to Captain James Cook's landing, all the way up to Pearl Harbor and statehood in 1959. The body of the book discusses what to do and see, and where to stay and eat in the major tourist areas, including Kona (with its vast coffee plantations and palm-studded beaches), Hilo (with lush botanical gardens), and Puna (rich in lava fields spewed from the still-active Kilauea Volcano). Throughout, you'll find descriptions of Hawaiian hallmarks (hula dances, leis, luaus) as well as a chapter on sports and recreation, including where to hike, canoe, snorkel, surf--even ski (Mauna Kea is snow-capped in winter). The "Flora & Fauna" chapter identifies indigenous animals such as the Hawaiian thrush and the endangered monk seal. There are also plenty of tips to make your trip as seamless as possible, from a list of common Hawaiian words (think lots of vowels) to favorite tropical drinks such as the Chi Chi (vodka with pineapple juice and coconut syrup). --Jill Fergus

Review

"The most complete, most trustworthy, least gushy guide to Hawaii. If you take only one book, take this one." -- Travel & Leisure"

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing; 4th edition (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566912180
• ISBN-13: 978-1566912181
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For those who really want to know Hawaii, August 30, 2000

By 

John M. Gartland - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moon Handbooks: Big Island of Hawaii (3rd Ed.) (Paperback)

This book was a gift to me. I would never have purchased such a stodgy looking guide if I saw it in the bookstore. I actually got the larger Hawaii Handbook covering all of the Hawaiian islands. This book is the Big Island section of that book and includes comprehensive general Hawaiian island information as well. If someone is planning a multiple island trip they should go for the bigger book. Even if you are not going to Hawaii but want to know about Hawaii get this one. I devoured this book during the long flight to Hawaii and must say it was by far the very best travel guide that I have ever read and used to any destination. (And I have read them all.) It is so comprehensive and the writing is so well done that reading all of the information was almost like reading a page turner novel for me. I could not get enough. Once we were in Hawaii we found this guide totally indispensible. We traveled with a few other nice guides but, with all of their color photograpy and fancy maps, eventually this one was the only one we felt was worthwhile. (You can get all the maps you will ever need once you get there.) After touring extensively I read it with even more interest on the long flight home. We plan to return to tour just the Big Island and this is the one we will bring. It is not glitzy it is the real thing. Enjoy.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A cool back-door view of island culture, June 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Moon Handbooks: Big Island of Hawaii (3rd Ed.) (Paperback)

What I like about this one is its emphasis on local specialties and culture. This is a hallmark of Moon's guides in particular, and this one is no exception. The only thing missing is color photos. Buy it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A compact, information-laden guide that no traveler to Hawai'i's Big Island should be without., December 8, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moon Big Island of Hawai'i: Including Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Moon Handbooks) (Paperback)

Big Island of Hawai'i Including Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is the Moon Handbooks guide for tourists and travelers, and like all books in the Moon series, is packed cover to cover with absolutely everything one needs to know to make the most of a Hawai'i vacation or business trip. Focusing specifically on Hawai'i's Big Island rather than the rest of the chain, chapters cover Kona, South Kohala, North Kohala, The Saddle Road, Hamakua Coast, Hilo, Puna, and Ka'u and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. From tips for getting around to health and safety advice to extensive directions, maps, black-and-white photographs, recommended hotels, hours for ideal eateries and gift shops, sports and recreation facilities, and much more, Big Island of Hawai'i is a compact, information-laden guide that no traveler to Hawai'i's Big Island should be without.