Hawai'i: The Best of Paradise: An Insiders' Guide to Honolulu and Beyond

by Don W. Martin and Betty Woo Martin

An upbeat and whimsical insiders' guide to the Aloha State, Hawaii: The Best of Paradise provides a close-up view of Honolulu, plus coverage of the islands of Maui, Kauai, the Big Island, Lanai, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0942053419
• ISBN13: 9780942053418
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: DiscoverGuides
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Island Hopper's Bible

I have probably read more books on Hawaii than any other travel destination. This book stands out as one of my favorites for practical knowledge and is probably the only one I read back to back and used as a reference ON my actual trip to the islands. This is because almost every page has pertinent vacation information, useful tips and on top of all, it's all written with humor and an upbeat fun writing style. How can you not love that? I found that all the information and ratings of places to see or things to do go hand in hand with tons of research I did on the internet, but the great thing about the book is that you can pack it with you (who wants to browse the internet on their vacation?) and it already has all the phone numbers, maps, tips and everything you could want to have at your fingertips, all in one concise place for reference. Some points to note about this book: - At least half the book is devoted to Oahu alone, since that is the island most vacationers go to, so for those heading to Oahu specifically this book is worth getting even if you don't plan to see the other islands. It covers everything you might want to know/do/see in Oahu extensively and gives many unusual and interesting tips on everything ranging from romance to photography. - This is not a book that's filled with breathtaking images (unless comical sketches count) or any kind of extensive background or history of Hawaii. There is a quick history chapter in the beginning that contains great introductory knowledge about Hawaii which would enhance anyone's trip in my opinion. Mainly though, this is a book of pointers to all the (best) things you might want to do/see on all the islands, and is great for first time visitors who plan to island hop and want to know the best things they can do on each island. - This book picks the "top ten" things you can do or see in almost every category, on every island and of course rates the overall top ten things not to miss in Hawaii in general. After having gone to Hawaii, and having seen just how MANY incredible experiences one can have there, I can honestly say that this must be a difficult job to rate everything, and much is of course so dependent on one's personal taste/preference. However, I would have to agree that you cannot go wrong following the general guide-lines in this book. Based on extensive research you could do online and also actually talking with people who have lived on the islands for many years, this book really does nail it about right, from the best luaus, to the best restaurants to the best activities you cannot go wrong with. - this book does not rate the actual islands (as in, the best one to visit or anything like that - I don't think that is possible) although the authors do reveal their personal favorite, which might not at all match your own so do not go by that. If you are planning to visit just one island and are trying to decide on which, I think this book gives great insight on the things you c