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Summary: The best guidebook we have used!
Review: This guide provides excellent suggestions of out of the way places to explore, especially if you like exploring natural spots on your own. There are also honest recommendations of places to eat (great discoveries of good food in places that don't look inviting!) and commerical entertainment or trips. Real gems are highlighted - and accurately rated. If you just want to stay in a big hotel and lounge in the pool etc, don't bother, but if you want to see the great variety of the big island, get this!
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Summary: Best Guide Book I've Ever Used
Review: If you're considering a visit to the Big Island, get a copy of this book. They have a web site with updates to the book, and loads of great links to sites with info about the islands. We found this book invaluable as we planned our daily activities. One of the many reasons we hated to head home was that we wouldn't get to continue to use this fabulous tome. It's got to be the *best* guide I've ever seen. The maps are very detailed, accurate, and easy to follow; the inside tips and reviews are all superb. All written in an engaging prose. Highly recommended.
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Summary: This book gives away all the Big Island's secrets!!!
Review: I now live on the Big Island of Hawaii. This book unlocks all the places that are not available to the everyday tourist (or local). If you really want to "DO" the big island, you need this book!!! Aloha, Glen
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Summary: Written by people who really know the Big Island
Review: Doughty and Friedman provide the reader with loads of helpful and in-depth information. We spent a week on the island following their advice on snorkeling, kayaking, shopping, great food finds, historical sites, and how to treat jellyfish stings! I can't recommend this book enough. (And judging from how often we saw it in the local shops, Hawaiians must appreciate it, too.) And had we bought it at Amazon.com, we would have saved some money.
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Summary: THE Bible for the Big Island
Review: The best book about Kona hands down. We never would have seen the lava flow if it wasn't for this book. Everything we read was accurate to a "T". We will not travel to any of the Hawaiian islands without these fine authors' books on the respective islands. The restaurant reviews were not "bland" as one reviewer put it, but well chosen and all had very good food. The authors tell you the best places to eat so you don't have to search all the good restaurants out--they're all in the book! Living in the Washington, DC area (the unofficial restaurant capital of the world) we should know!
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Summary: Great guide to the Big Island
Review: We used this book as our primary resource during 2 weeks touring (and relaxing) on the Big Island. It was amazingly accurate, informative and easy to use: Great reviews of all beaches, great directions and maps, very accurate reviews of tours/special events. It really enhanced our trip!
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Summary: I aggree with the above but...
Review: By far and away the best guide book on the Big Island at the present time. However, a note of caution on thier resturanut reviews. My wife and I (30 year old west los angeles livin' cafe late drinkin' suhi eatn' trendoids) found thier food recomendations tended toward the bland. Good food can be found on the Big Island.. we just had to hunt for it (try Nori's for take out japaneese noodles in Hilo and Wimeia). All and all an excelent guide
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Summary: best travel book about the Big Island
Review: We've have visited the Big Island every year for the past five years and this is by far, the best travelogue on Hawaii that we have seen. It is current and it's critiques are " right on" and it's layout has eye appeal and the information needed, is easy to find. This is definitely " two thumbs up" and a hearty Bravo to authors Doughty and Friedman
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Summary: WOW! What a phenomenal guidebook!
Review: I bought this book (and "The Ultimate Kaua`i Guidebook") on the recommendation of several people on a travel message board. This was our forth trip to the Hawaiian Islands and my wife and I were going there to spend a week on The Big Island and a week on Kaua`i. We wanted to see the most we could and we felt these books might help us make better plans to do just that. And did it ever! We ended up finding that one week on each island wasn't enough and we are already planning our next trip. Their off-the-beaten-path places are just awesome. From exploring a lava tube that empties out 20 feet over the water near Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park to driving (with a 4WD SUV) down into Waipio Valley; from touring the top of Mauna Kea (the highest point in all of Hawai`i) to hiking out to touch the molten lava flowing from Pu`u O`o; from seeing a "lava tree" at Lava Tree State Park to tasting some organically grown fruit at a roadside stand.....you'll find the details in this book. And their accurate maps and directions to the out-of-the-way places will keep even the most wayward soul from getting lost. My wife and I cannot recommend this book enough. If you like to explore the places you visit, this book is for you. Well worth it's weight in gold....well, almost. :)
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Summary: Our 3 week vacation in Hawaii
Review: We took our kids to Hawaii for 3 weeks first stopping in Honolulu to get acclimated and then spent the rest of our time staying with friends in Kona. We brought several guidebooks along and opened this one first because it had a good map on the inside cover. We switched to the Moon book because it was denser and had better information every time. My wife didn't like the Revealed because it poked fun at the locals.
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