The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook [Paperback]

Andrew Doughty (Author), Harriett Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sports Series | Publication Date: 1999

The finest guidebook ever written for Kaua'i. This brand new third edition has more useful information, the most up to date maps, and scores of hidden gems listed "nowhere else." This book and a rental car are all you need to discover what makes the Garden Island so special.

Product Details

• Paperback: 215 pages
• Publisher: Wizard Pubns; 3rd edition (1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963942948
• ISBN-13: 978-0963942944
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #499,483 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

151 of 162 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensibly dog-earred, February 1, 2000

By 

"kevinsha" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook (Paperback)

I've spent a total of 6 weeks on Kauai and while I've checked out 4 different guidebooks on Kauaii I have used this book exclusively while on island. The authors do a great job of making it quick and easy for you to experience the best beaches, hikes, and other activities -- just turn to the section you're interested in ("Beaches" for example) and look for the big fat diamond symbol indicating a "gem" of an item (I wish all guidebooks did this as concisely and well as these folks do). The pictures are great and really help decision-making. Only rarely have I disagreed with their advice. Some readers have complained about restaraunt and helicopter tour recommendations -- but that's such a small part of what the island has to offer, and frankly I don't recall be led astray by the book in these activities. If you're mainly concerned about restaraunts and helicopters, simply stay at the Hyatt Regency and have their concierge set up a helicopter ride for you (the Hyatt can't be beat for all-around luxury, good restaraunts, and quality service). But if you want to explore, and get the most from, the glorious natural beauty of this island, this is, as others have said, the only book you'll need. I only wish they had one for Maui -- but I'm stoked they have one for the Big Island and am ordering it today.

105 of 114 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I had bought this book for my first trip to Kauai!, April 6, 2000

By 

J. Hauer "me" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook (Paperback)

This is an outstanding guide book full of beautiful pictures and right on information. I picked up this book before my second trip to Kauai. We had visited the island the year before for our honeymoon. I really wish we had bought this book a year earlier!

There were so many things on Kauai that we didn't even think of to do or see the first time and we bumbled around from place to place, seeing little of the island. The second trip, we used this guidebook and checked out some outstanding restaurants and beaches. Without the book, we never would have gone to JoJo's Clubhouse for shave ice or found parking for Ke'e Beach.

Something we found helpful was the aerial photos of the resorts section where we got to see just how far the ocean is from where you are planning to stay. We were at the Hyatt for both trips and would readily make reservations there again in a heartbeat!

This is an amazing resource for the island. I wish the authors would write books for Maui and Oahu!

55 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the book for Ugly Americans, January 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook (Paperback)

In reading through the customer reviews on here, I notice that the handful of people who gave this book 1 star complain about the restaurant reviews, or they say the people of Kauai aren't really as friendly as this book claims. I'd suspect these are the people who expect paradise to be without bugs, rain, or or anything else that might "inconvenience" them... the people whom the reviewer from Kapahi complained about (11/12/00). If you act like a snotty haole, people will treat you like one. If you're looking for five-star restaurants, you probably SHOULDN'T go to Kauai. That said, this book is great for those of us who want to be unobtrusive, low-budget travelers and eat plate lunches with the locals. The maps -- which include 3-D relief shading -- are by far the best non-urban maps I've ever seen printed in a travel guide. My only complaint (and the reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5) is that the Accommodations section is all about hotels and condos; there are only 5 B&Bs and 2 Vacation Rental Referral Services mentioned, and I didn't find either of those services to be as helpful as I'd hoped. (For better accommodation info, check out alternative-hawaii.com.)