Capture the essence of this island of paradise from the national parks to surfing, volcanoes, hula and beaches. Photos, illustrations, 3D models and maps of all the major sites ensure you don't miss a thing. Clue up on the basics, from the most comfortable places to stay to the best bars and restaurants.
Talk about presentation! Remember when the American Heritage Dictionary was first published and how captivating it was? This book is colorful, as easy to find your way around in as a World Book Encyclopedia, and has most of the relevant information you would want.
Later: I took it on the trip and it was so useful that my friend bought herself a copy after I lost mine in the New Otani on Oahu.
I always enjoy the DK travel books. The section on Maui highlighted things I enjoyed. I always enjoy their background/historical information. You can't just rely on these books, though, when you are traveling - you will need the help of a navigator or the web. They also aren't great for people who haven't planned lodging ahead of time. They are more focused on the sites/history than anything else.
So I specifically picked-up this guidebook looking for information on planning a trip to the The Big Island of Hawaii (Hawai'i). There was very little info. on the Big Island, just a few pages. In general this is a short guidebook. Only 230 pgs. to cover 6 islands and Oahu & Honolulu separately so you are getting just a tiny snapshot. For me it was not helpful & I have had to search out other sources for more info.
This was a great book to read before traveling to Hawaii. It broke down the attractions by island, helping us plan which islands we would be able to see on our trip. While the basics are in the book, I would suggest following up with more current information from either the internet or on the islands. The book really gives a great summary of information on the islands.
I scanned through this book looking for information on different hotels and resorts on the islands. I'm not actually traveling to Hawaii currently, so I will more than likely re-read more thoroughly when I make my plans to travel.
A trip to Hawaii is definitely on my bucket list! I enjoyed learning about the history, landscape, and culture of Hawaii. This book is part of a theme bag I got at the library and I look forward to reading the other books in the bag!
DK guidebooks are most beneficial for attraction planning. I find them less helpful for lodging and dining research. I read this book in preparation for our upcoming vacation and I will take the book with me as reference.
Plan to be there later this year so hope to see how relevant it is. Liked it in that it was what I expected, lots of info and the pictures certainly make it look inviting.
Lots of pictures and each easy read. Color coded to let you know what island they are writing about and good sections on travelers needs. It even has a section called survival guide.