Pauline Frommer's Hawaii: Spend Less, See More (Pauline Frommer Guides) [Paperback]

Jeanette Foster (Author), Pauline Frommer (Author), David Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 4, 2008 | Series: Pauline Frommer Guides (Book 8)

Spend less, see more. This is the philosophy behind Pauline Frommer’s guides. Written by travel expert Pauline Frommer (who is also the daughter of Arthur Frommer), and her team of hand-picked writers, these guides show how to truly experience a culture, meet locals, and save money along the way.

• Industry secrets on how to find the best hotel rooms
• Details on alternative accommodations, great neighborhood restaurants, and cool, offbeat finds
• Packed with personality and opinions

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"A great read. . . . Lively and unabashedly opinionated."
—New York Post

Budget Travel Redefined

I put a fresh spin on budget travel, showing you not only how to spend less in Hawaii, but how to see it in a more authentic way, without sacrificing comfort for savings.

• Cozy, restful accommodations: Instead of spending $300 a night for a chain hotel, bed down in a Victorian mansion for $65 a night at Maureen's B&B on the Big Island (p. 351) or stay in a beachfront condo on Maui for $98 a night (p. 245).

• Food finds: I'll take you to the best of the island's authentic Hawaiian restaurants and food stands and the places where up-and-coming chefs are making names for themselves.

• Sights and attractions: Get in-depth coverage of Hawaii's iconic sights and the gems most visitors miss, plus the best in snorkeling, hiking, beachcombing, surfing, and more.

• Insider's Hawaii: Drop in on slack-key guitar jam sessions on Oahu (p. 155) or volunteer for the Hawaii Wildlife Fund on Maui to help endangered sea turtles (p. 294).

Happy Travels,
Pauline Frommer
Winner of Best Guidebook, North American Travel Journalists Association

About the Author

A resident of the Big Island, Jeanette Foster has skied the slopes of Mauna Kea—during a Fourth of July ski meet, no less—and gone scuba diving with manta rays off the Kona Coast. A prolific writer widely published in travel, sports, and adventure magazines, she’s also a contributing editor to Hawaii magazine, the editor of Zagat’s Survey to Hawaii’s Top Restaurants, and the Hawaii chapter author of 1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. and Canada Before You Die. In addition to writing this guide, Jeanette is the author of Frommer’s Maui; Frommer’s Kauai; Frommer’s Hawaii with Kids; Frommer’s Portable Big Island; Frommer’s Honolulu, Waikiki & Oahu; Frommer’s Maui & Lanai Day by Day; and Frommer’s Honolulu & Oahu Day by Day.

Pauline Frommer is the creator of the award winning Pauline Frommer’s Guides. Pauline Frommer’s London and Pauline Frommer’s New York City were named “Best Guidebook of the Year” (in 2006 and 2007 respectively) by the North American Travel Journalists Association. She is also a recipient of a Lowell Thomas Medal from the Society of American Travel Writers for her magazine work, and a Webby Peoples Voice award for her work as the first editor of Frommers.com. Every Sunday, she cohosts “The Travel Show” with her father Arthur Frommer, now heard on over 100 radio stations across the United States. On Wednesdays, she appears on CNNOnline to discuss the latest travel trends; you may also have seen her discussing travel on Today, The Early Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The O’Reilly Factor, The CBS Evening News, CNN, FOX, and MSNBC. Pauline pens a bi-weekly column for MSN.com and contributed a chapter to the book The Experts Guide to Babies on traveling with children. She is married to physical therapist Mahlon Stewart and the proud mother of two very well traveled daughters, Veronice (age 9) and Beatrix (age 5).

Big Island–based journalist David Thompson grew up in Hawaii and writes about what goes on there for publications such as Honolulu Magazine and Hana Hou!, the in-flight magazine of Hawaiian Airlines.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Frommers; 2 edition (August 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470184116
• ISBN-13: 978-0470184110
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,174 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handbook for Hawaii, January 17, 2007

By 

Chris McDonough (Honolulu, HI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pauline Frommer's Hawaii (Pauline Frommer Guides) (Paperback)

Living in Hawaii one often has to reckon with visiting family/friends and this is the book I give them before I send them on their island travels. The information is accurate and practical-the kind of material that helps you meet your travel needs. There are some contemporary cultural events (on Oahu especially) that are covered in the book that will contribute to the Hawaii experience for the first time visitor as well as the returning one.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pauline's Hawaii - excellent for the brain and budget, December 27, 2008

By 

Sheila Scarborough (near Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pauline Frommer's Hawaii: Spend Less, See More (Pauline Frommer Guides) (Paperback)

I've always liked the Frommer guidebooks; they are straightforward, budget-conscious and always have interesting sidebar tidbits that are worth investigating.

Highlights from the Hawaii guidebook:

* "Best beaches if you're a kid" are listed, but none are on Oahu (where most tourists tend to go.) Pauline does recommend Waikiki Beach for people-watching and the North Shore for water sports. (If you're a beachy person, you might enjoy the scenery and friendly philosophizing on Beach Walks With Rox, a video series filmed on a Hawaii beach - http://beachwalks.tv/)

* Kauai beaches are her pick for the best, but she also notes that they have more drownings than other islands. "Never turn your back on the water." She also lists some fun one-of-kind boutiques on Kauai - which is not known for its shopping - and also covers opportunities for volunteer work on the island, in gardens and for whale-counting.

* On Oahu, I like her thorough discussion of World War II sites like the Arizona Memorial, Bowfin submarine and battleship Missouri. There are good "local info" sidebars on things like yummy food from island "shrimp trucks," and a frank discussion of the "cheesy and heinous" Polynesian Cultural Center. I appreciate forthright opinions in guidebooks, even when I don't agree with the assertions.

* The guidebook has a comprehensive list of annual events - like the Merrie Monarch hula festival - a discussion of why Hawaii prices are sometimes so high for basics (no, it's not just to rip off tourists,) an overview of coral reef "etiquette" for snorkelers/divers and a Hawaiian language glossary.

* The Maui section features detailed dining options to fit most budgets.

* Great tip from Molokai: you can mail a coconut with a message on it from the Hoolehua Post Office: Post-a-nut. I mean, what kid wouldn't want to do that?!

This is excerpted from my review of this guide on my BootsnAll Family Travel Logue, [...] Thanks!

5.0 out of 5 stars Hawaii on a budget, September 3, 2009

By 

mark44004 "mark44004" (northest ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pauline Frommer's Hawaii: Spend Less, See More (Pauline Frommer Guides) (Paperback)

Very informative book. My wife and I will see how current it is when we go on the 27th. Thanks.