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Rating: 
Summary: YOU GOTTA GET THIS BOOK!
Review: 12 perfect days in October 2004 due in large part to this book! My vacations are always on the go, go, go and my husband & I filled 10 of 12 days (I "let" him veg out for the other 2). This book was with me the whole time. I actually needed it before I could get the latest edition on Amazon, contacted this wonderful author directly and she made sure I received mine right off the press! Get this before you go, the CD heightens your anticipation, the "helpful links" are a treasure of info, and the book is a great airplane read that makes things a snap to find later.
We made it our quest to visit as many local hangouts as possible and all of her restaurants are right on the money. (Barbeque Inn, Bull Shed, JoJo's & Camp House Grill-YUM!) Every section was wonderful. I had already finagled all my fly,stay, drive deals by the time I got this so the room guide did not bother me (it actually listed the best places I spent alot of time finding on my own). Finding out about farmers markets, fruits, gifts, massage, sweets and shopping was cool, no one else seems to mention that stuff much.
It's true that the maps in the book aren't great and the adventures section is not full of every single thing to do (especially if you are major active outdoors person) but every single thing that is in there is right on the money. Maps are everywhere on the island and Budget gave us a great one that I kept handy. As for the activities, the baggage claim in Kauai has a really huge display of about 6 full size and 4 half size magazines of things to do plus there are about 250 rack advertisements and every single hotel has an activities desk, trust me, you will NOT have a problem finding out more about outdoor sports. It's almost the opposite.
This truly is a "must have" book for anyone going to Kauai and I hope this book makes your stay as enjoyable as ours was. ALOHA!
Rating:
Summary: Lenore captures the Aloha Spirit!
Review: I have been traveling to the Hawaiian islands on vacations for years, but my recent trip to Kauai was the best yet, thanks to Lenore Horowitz and her Kauai Underground Guide! She takes all that is beautiful about Kauai and recommends the most notable or "local" way to enhace the experience. She knows the secrets of the island in terms of beaches and sites, but what's more, she knows and shares the people on the island that helped us make the most of our trip! For example, on a hawaiian vacation, a great massage is a must for me. While I would normally go for a rub down at the hotel spa, I took Lenore's advice and visited Angeline for a traditional Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage - what a treat! Similarly, my friend and I wanted to take a boat tour, and we found this wonderful, family-owned company through Lenore's guide. The boat tour section of her book is quite extensive, and we were delighted with her recommendation - a highlight of our trip! I recommend this book to all who are traveling to Kauai but especially to those who look for that "little something extra" that makes a vacation just that much more special and memorable.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but missing key information
Review: I just returned from Kauai and I used this book throughout the entire trip. My wife and I relied on the book for dining suggestions and day time adventures. The advice from the author was right on. I am glad we picked up a copy before the trip, or else we would have missed out on our favorite adventures.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but missing key information
Review: I just returned from Kauai and was surprised at how much WASN'T in this book. While the book describes every beach and restaurant in great detail, the content about the rest of the island's activities and attractions needs help. For example, one of the prettiest waterfalls I've seen, Wailua Falls, isn't even mentioned in this book!! I followed signs on the main road directing me to the falls, which you can view from a marked pullout off of a public road (clearly there are no trespassing issues here). Not including this in the book was a serious oversight, IMO. I *think* I read something in the book about Spouting Horn, another not-to-be-missed, free attraction, but when we got to the area, I couldn't find the passage. If you can't find the info when you need it, what good is the guidebook? There are only 7-8 pages devoted to hotels, condos and other places to stay. The descriptions are brief and not detailed enough to provide meaningful distinctions between properties. The book also does not have a map of the entire island. It only has a few maps of specific sections of the island, which are scattered throughout the text. In summary, buy this book for the beach and restaurant reviews, but get another book for touring the island.
Rating:
Summary: from a local point of view
Review: I was born and raised on Kauai, and the only guidebook that I recommend to my friends coming to visit is Lenore Horowitz's "Kauai Underground Guide." I even have one of my own! Lenore brings the Island to life in a way that demonstrates her love for it and for it's residents. In fact, the profits from the book are distributed among 5 children's charities on the island in an effort to give back to the community which she says has given so much to her and her family. Her restaurant reviews are right on the money, and her advice about what different beaches have to offer and what different tours to take is very accurate. Best of all, she does not tell people to to ignore local "no trespassing" signs nor does she send people to dangerous locations, as other guidebooks do. If you want to experience Kauai as I - and the rest of its residents - do, I would not leave home without the Kauai Underground Guide!
Rating:
Summary: Don't leave home without it!
Review: Our family of 5 just returned from Kauai with our well used copy of Kauai: underground guide. We used it everyday to plan our trips. With her directions we found uncrowded beaches hidden away from the general tourists. The authors favourite beach, which became our favourite as well, was just minutes away from our condo, but was unknown to owners of our condo unit who have been visiting the island for years. Just about any general question we had was answered in the book. We didn't want to pay big $$ to see Hawaiian dancers - Lenore tells which shoppping centre has a free show daily. We wanted to send flowers home - again Lenore's book gives you names and numbers of local shippers. Groceries were very expensive but the book lists location and times of local markets where you could find fresher produce at a better price than the local grocery stores.I emailed the author for further info re accessibility for our disabled son and she immediately provided me with additional helpful info. In fact in her next edition she is including a new section specifically for disabled vacationers to Kauai. On her own initiative she tracked down hiking & snorkeling/scuba diving adventures for the disabled as well as wheelchair rentals for the beach. An amazing book and an amazing lady! This is a great book and I strongly recommend it for anyone travelling to Kauai.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Helpful
Review: The new edition of this guide book is amazing! The recommendations great--not once did Lenore steer us wrong. It seemed like she was giving us a personal tour of the island, leading us to the less crowded, local beaches to the best dining
on the island. Her activity section was particularly helpful for our very active group. I cannot recommend this guide book enough. Do not travel to Kauai without it.
Rating:
Summary: Invaluable, concise analysis of sites and acitivies on Kauai
Review: This guide-book afforded us the luxury of finding the bestoptions for our holiday by simply reading the interesting and colorfulreviews, instead of by trial and error. To have the convenience of local knowledge, and the honest appraisal of restaurants and activities (not paid advertisers), made our holiday a pleasure from beginning to end. Must reading for every visitor to Kauai - you can pick and choose your particulars with proven success. The natural beauty is truly appreciated by the author and she emphasizes these important features for specific situations, such as the best location for a sunset dinner. The book is limited to important details, not history, which makes it easy to read and use. Can't imagine visiting the island again without referring to this guidebook. Thank you for making our trip a pleasurable one!! We look forward to your next edition with updated information. We love the color photos and the bonus CD music - got us in the Hawaiian mood. I think I'll call the airlines right now to schedule our next trip! Aloha and Mahalo.
Rating:
Summary: SPF 50 (SURE PROVIDES FUN), while blocking bad choices.
Review: We learned more about Kauai reading this book on our twelfth trip, than on the previous eleven trips without it. It is the right size to carry along as you tour Kauai.
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