The Rough Guide to Hawaii 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)

by Greg Ward (Author) "Around eighty percent of the population of Hawaii - almost 900,000 people - live on the island of OAHU..." (more)
Key Phrases: been graded with the symbols, county parks office, including state taxes, Mauna Kea, Beach County Park, Diamond Head (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
INTRODUCTION

The islands of Hawaii poke from the Pacific more than two thousand miles off the west coast of America. In total, there are well over a hundred of them, the weather-beaten summits of a chain of submarine volcanoes that stretches almost to Japan. Most, however, are no more than tiny atolls. Only the seven largest, lying south of the Tropic of Cancer at the southeast end of the archipelago, are inhabited, and only six welcome visitors. Those are Oahu (the site of the state capital Honolulu and its resort annex of Waikiki), Hawaii itself (more commonly known as the Big Island in a vain attempt to avoid confusion), Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kauai.

All the islands share a similar topography, having been formed in the same way and exposed to the same winds and rains. Each is much wetter on its north and east – windward – coasts, which are characterized by stupendous sea cliffs, verdant stream-cut valleys and dense tropical vegetation. The south and west – leeward or "Kona" – coasts are much drier, often virtually barren, and make ideal locations for big resorts.

With its majestic volcanoes and palm-fringed beaches, Hawaii holds some of the most superb scenery on earth. Firmly established among the world’s greatest vacation playgrounds, it combines top-quality hotels and restaurants with almost unlimited opportunities not only for sheer self-indulgence, but also for activities such as surfing, diving, golf and hiking. Visiting Hawaii does not, however, have to be expensive; budget facilities on all the islands are listed throughout this book, together with advice on making the most of your money.

Despite the crowds, the islands have not been ruined by tourism. Resort development is concentrated into surprisingly small regions – Waikiki is the classic example, holding half the state’s hotel rooms in just two square miles – and it’s always possible to venture off into pristine wilderness, or to camp on the seashore or mountainside.

About the Author
Greg Ward has authored the Rough Guides to Maui, Honolulu, Big Island, Brittany & Normandy and USA.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 559 pages
• Publisher: Rough Guides; 3rd edition (January 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858287383
• ISBN-13: 978-1858287386
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,637,708 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handy Travel Book, May 2, 2000

By	Edward Kelly (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hawaii 2: The Rough Guide 2nd Edition (Hawaii (Rough Guides), 2nd ed) (Paperback)

A well-organized book that does a very good job of detailing what there is to see and do on the major islands of Hawaii. Especially useful are the cross-reference notes found within the margins, and various "favorite" lists found within each section. Greg never steered us wrong. Also, an excellent reference for those who wish to camp or hike.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best general Hawaii guidebook, May 14, 2004

By	Joseph Adler (Mountain View, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My wife and I spent a couple weeks driving around Hawaii, and kind of went crazy on the historical sites, museums, and hikes. We found this book the most helpful because it was fairly complete (it does try to cover an entire state in one book) and current. Additionally, it provided a lot of historic context, allowing you to understand why each site was intersting. This is especially important if you visit some out of the way sites on the big island (like south point, or the birthplace of Kamehmeha... hope I got the spelling right) that don't provide a lot of information at the sites.

This was my favorite of the Hawaii guidebooks (and maybe my favorite travel guide ever) BECAUSE it was so opinionated. So many guidebooks just rattle off long lists of places to see, eat, and stay, and don't really tell you how interesting, authentic, or nice any of them are. I find that an unopinionated travel book is not too useful, and reads like a set of ads. This book provides enough information or context for you to decide for yourself whether or not you share the author's taste, so you can easily choose which recommendations to follow or ignore. On the whole, we found the restaurant and hotel recommendations pretty accurate.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good overview, but not the best, February 5, 2003

By	Andrew J (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This is a comprehensive guidebook for all the Hawaiian islands. It covers a lot of history and a lot of the sites. It also provides some basic information about hotels and restaurants. The pictures are somewhat lacking, but the text provides excellent descriptions. If you need one guidebook, this may be it, but it leaves out some stuff that is worth seeing or doing.