Hawaii Books

Purchased this guide book for our trip to the Big Island of Hawaii and found it to be extremely helpful!!

Best guide to the big island by far. None even come close. Not only details available nowhere else, but updates on line. This feature was very valuable as our trip included three days at the volcano and the eastern areas of Hawaii including Puna and the northern coast. Suggestions about restaurants and stops were consistently accurate and informative. Very helpful in planning a trip as well. Organization of t he book is supberb! If I were to plan a trip to Mars, Venus or the moon, I would search for a guidebook by these authors

I love this book! It's so thoroughly researched and detailed and covers everything you need to know about the Big Island, including what to do and how to get there. Find yourself in a tiny, tiny town on the Big Island and wondering where is the best place to eat? Ask the book. Want to know the history of and the kind of food served at a luau? Ask the book. Need to know the closest way to get from point A to B? Ask the book. Wondering why there are wild goats on the side of the road? Ask the book. Not only is the author thorough, detailed and incredibly knowledgeable about Hawaii, he's witty. I appreciated the humor and personal tidbits the author threw in. When he advises you to buy mosquitoes or risk the "bloodletting of your life", he's not kidding - he knows from experience! We took this book everywhere with us on this trip and it never disappointed. By the end of the trip I felt like the author was a good friend - just one that I've never actually met in person. I will definitely be buying the other Hawaiian island books for our next trips!

With the purchase of Hawaii The Big Island Revealed I now have the entire set of "Revealed" books about Hawaii. I just LOVE all of them. To my thinking these books offer you an honest opinion of what to expect. The writer's opinion is fresh, honest, well written, and not biased by the hotels and/or travel companies. If you are going to visit Hawaii, and you want information that will absolutely make a difference in what you do - this book is a must!

In planning a trip to the Big Island, I have read several books and information sources; Hawaii The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook is the best source of information on the Big Island. They give detailed inside information that even long time residents are unaware of. They rate restaurants independently and are not afraid to tell you which ones are bad and not worth your money. This book has saved me a lot of money, I went from feeling I needed to spend a lot of money on tours of areas, to feeling confident I could explore on my own with the information provided with such detail, it was like having my own personal guide right in your pocket.

This book is awesome. I have a list of places to go and restaurants to eat at and the maps are amazing. This book helped me plan for my honeymoon.

I never do reviews, but this book was so helpful that I thought I would pass on the word. If you are looking to lay on the beach in Waikiki and not leave the city then don't bother, but if you want to see the entire island and really enjoy yourself then this is a must have. I had the book open 3-4 times per day, descriptions and instructions were spot on! This book made our trip 100% more enjoyable than it would have been.

We spent a week on the North Shore, and wanted to really get around the whole island. First, the maps were very neccessary, accurate, and helpful. We'd drive around the coast and the book provided information on almost every stop along the way. The book mentions things that you'd have no clue of, especially cultural information (the birthing rocks, the way a chief used to be buried in sea cliffs, etc). Some of the off the beaten track "gems" they mention, like Hidden Beach on the far north west shore, were not all they cracked up to be, but they were adventures. Anyway, a very useful book!

With my trip to Hawaii coming soon, Ohau Revealed helped tremendously in finding accomodations and activities. Would recommend this to anyone going to Hawaii.

Our family just returned from a wonderful trip to Hawaii, and can't say enough good things about this guide. We bought three others as well, and abandoned them not far into the planning process. We covered a lot of territory, and saw things we never would have known about otherwise. We did not encounter any problems (or many,if any, other people) accessing these "hidden" treasures. The directions and maps were exactly right, and we found that we nearly always agreed with the assessment of the sites and the restaurants. (We found beautiful homes at great values via the internet and didn't rely on the book for lodging.) Our advice is to buy this guide, and forget the others.

I lOVE this book. You need to read it! This is definitely one of the BEST books i have ever read. The characters are unforgetable. You laugh, cry, grieve and love. Honestly a beautiful story of the life and courage of a young girl who thinks she is being sent away to lose her freedom when indeed she gain it....and so much more.

Our book club, who has been together each month for over 6 years, loved this book. It is on our top 5 list. Wonderful story, easy to read, keeps moving, could not put it down.

What an extraordinary story of life under the most difficult of circumstances. My heart felt for Rachel and all the love she endured and lost. It is truly an inspiring account of the trials that people have to endure.

Wow. What a stellar book. The characters are still fresh in my mind, even now, over 4 months after I read it! This is a very well-researched historical fiction, and it gave me new insight into the Hawaiian leprosy epidemic, as well as the annexation of Hawaii by the U.S. It is extremely well-written, engaging, interesting, and insightful. I even cried at the end, and I never cry at books! Definitely pick this book up. You'll never think of Moloka'i the same way again.

"Moloka'i", an incredibly well-researched novel by Alan Brennert, tells of 50 years in the history of Moloka'i in Hawaii, the colony for those diagnosed with leprosy (Hansen's disease). It begins with the story of Rachel Kalama as she is torn out of the fabric of her family in Honolulu at the age of 5 and taken to this faraway place.

This is a heart-wrenching story, very detailed, and gives the reader a lot of information. I learned so much about this place....I had always known about it, but not in any detail. It was often shocking, but often heartwarming too.

Four stars instead of five because I thought it got bogged down a little bit in places. But still well worth reading.

Of all the cookbooks I've used this is one of my top two favorites. I picked this up when I first became vegan and was a novice cook, and it made me into an accomplished chef for myself and my family! It's written so well, in an easy to follow manner and offers great tips (how to roast veggies, blanch veggies, etc), has a glossary for vegan terms, and nutritional information on different legumes, grains, and so on.

I think I've cooked nearly 1/2 of the recipes and they're all delicious! I love the wealth and variety of recipes (from broccoli bisque to enchilada casserole to that's amore tofu cacciatore). Not only does it give you the recipes for the titled dishes but each recipe also includes 2-4 variations you can make on it, switching out vegetables, adding/mixing different spices to recreate the dish, etc.

The recipes are healthy without being bland or inaccessible, and the pictures are gorgeous. I love it, my family loves and we give it our highest recommendation.

This is a beautiful and useful book. Eating at the Blossoming Lotus in Kauai is truly an experience. I have eaten there many times and am always delighted. I love their food. This book lets me continue the experience in my own kitchen. It has easy to follow, delicious recipes. The photography is stunning and the book is a pleasure to merely read.

I am neither vegan nor vegetarian but due to my visits to both the Blossoming Lotus and this cookbook I find I like this way of eating and that this type of cuisine can be delicious.

I highly recommend this cookbook.

We bought this cookbook after visiting the Blossoming Lotus Restaurant in Kauai. The Green Goddess dressing is a new staple in our house, a must have for our daily salads. Moreover, the book offers creative, healthy, and delicious vegan recipes that will impress even the staunchest omnivore. I'll admit some of the recipes take a bit of practice to master like the sauces and gravies, but they are well worth the effort once this is accomplished. We are trying to include more vegetarian meals in our diet, and this cookbook has been a useful tool in attaining our goal. We cannot wait to experiment with even more recipes from it. The beautiful pictures make Vegan Fusion World Cuisine a delight to look at. This book is a must have for any cook. We have our own copy and have already given it as a gift to several friends. We highly recommend this wonderfully thought out and beautifully crafted cookbook.

I find the recipes in this book incredibly tasty...and so appreciate the broad use of delicious herbs and spices which truly give these dishes their unique and oh so ONO (delicious) appeal. The fact that the book is beautifully designed and artfully created is a complete bonus. I can feel the "aloha" and love in this cookbook...every one of my senses is stirred when using one of the recipes.


I noticed a reviewer that wasn't satisfied w/the cookebook. This shocks me. To this reviewer I would pose: Perhaps you haven't tried enough of the choices? Have you tried at least 3 of the recipes from each section of the book? Maybe you can give it another try...look for the recipes (there are PLENTY of them in there) that don't require a large amount of prep time and allow your senses to be turned on!

This cookbook is and will always be one of my all time favorites. I actually have two copies! One that can get messy with me in the kitchen while I'm creating the oh so yummy recipes...and one that can stay very pretty so that I can show it off to my friends...it is so very beautiful!!

In case you haven't guessed it...I HIGHLY recommend this cookbook! :0)

This is one of my favorite cookbooks and it's a MUST HAVE for your library of cookbooks.

It's filled with mouth-watering, delicious recipes for healthy vegan food (it also has a great collection of Raw, living food recipes that make this book worth every penny on their own).

My mom always taught me that if you can get one good recipe out of a book, it's worth buying it. Well, I'm here to tell you that this book is filled with so much more than just that. You will be so glad you bought this and find yourself using it time and time again!

Have only made it partially through the book and am very impressed with the outline and the depth of knowledge of the subject. My wife and i are returning to PoiPou on the south shore at the end of April, 2008 and we are making daily plans from this book.

Ordered this book before our Jan. trip to Kauai. We have been on this island many times, but this book gave us lots of info about trails. It tells you the difficult trails, the easy trails, how to get there, what to know before you start, etc. Really a very good buy for hikers who want to see more of this beautiful island.

A must to throw into your backpack when heading out to the trails. All of the information you will need to plan a day of hiking, biking, or paddeling is in this one little book.

A winner in every category. Our most fun Hawaiian escape so far. Truly recommended!!!

Excellent and thorough book about adventure in Kauai. It's amazing that for such a small island there are a plethora of things to do and see. I read the entire book before I left for Hawai'i and felt marginally intimidated by the specificity the authors spent on directions, but found, when I arrived, that there was nothing to worry about. It's an easy island to navigate. Great book. The authors are locals and give you thorough disclosure about everything from hiking, biking, kayaking and surfing to restaurants and B&Bs. It's my first choice for any Hawaiian guide.

The idea for this story is really interesting, but the writing felt flat--serviceable, certainly, and accurate--but the scene didn't really come alive to me. In the second chapter, the boat trip to Hawaii, the transitions from past to present were smoothly done and fleshed out the course Laura's life is about to take against what she so suddenly lost with the deaths she left behind. Still, her grief mixed with fear for what lay ahead, weren't palpable. Given the fascinating premise for this story, I can only hope the writing style becomes more emotional, even florid, when Laura reaches Hawaii, to match the lush tropical setting, but somehow I doubt it. This arm's length rendition doesn't do the subject justice. It reminds me of how Arthur Golden related that readers of an early manuscript of Memoirs of a Geisha considered it interesting, but dry. He rewrote the story in first person--and you know the rest. Perhaps that same approach would breathe life into a story with the great potential this one has.

This from the few chapters I read it appears that this novel will be a an excellen addition to the many manuscripts written about Hawaii and picks up some unkown information that is illuminating for those of us that love the Islands. I would recommend this to others once completed.

I was immediately engaged! A wedding dress is a great way to start a story! Additionally, I got an instant picture of Laura as someone who is more interested in comfort than in style. The author tells us a lot in just a sentence or two.

I wondered just how Laura thought she was going to control her pregnancies.

"hard for ships to reach there, like trying to sail to stars in a vast, dark sky." beautiful.

Great descriptions of San Francisco and the teeming populace.

"Laura felt a sense of coming to a crossroads, turning in a new direction where way leads into way and what was, got left behind, distorted by shimmering time ... like a mirage." Another beautiful description.

Wonderful details!

I loved how the boy kept asking another question every time his mother said, "Please, no more questions."

And I was glad how Laura realized she had lost her chance to get to know her father better, and would never know about his experiences.

I felt like the line "What would it be like to live a missionary life among the savages of Hawaii?" Should have its own paragraph, because this pushes the story forward and shows just how much everything is changing for Laura. It's really important.

Aww, that was sad where Laura remembers seeing her mother's coffin.

Darn! The excerpt ended! I wanted to read on! Darn it!

Thoroughly enjoyed this expert writing and the developing story. Hope it makes the upcoming 100!

The first chapter and a half of Gaellen Quinn's "The Last Aloha" has captured my interest and imagination. It promises a great story which satisfies the double purpose of entertainment and enlightenment about a past that was veiled in misconceptions by the colonizers of Hawaii.

The very first line of the story, where the heroine stands in front of the mirror, promises the reader an adventure into the unknown which will lead young Laura, and hopefully the reader as well, towards increased self-awareness and maturity. To emphasize this theme Laura comes across "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" in the library on board the steamer which will bring her to the shores of Hawaii. She knows nothing about her destination and very little about her father's missionary family with whom she is going to live. Incorrupt by prejudice as she is, we sense that she will meet her new experiences with an open heart and allow herself to be affected by them.

The reader becomes immediately aware of a discord between Laura's personality and her traditional social environment. About to get married, she is a strong and independent woman who is determined to shun society's expectations that she put marital life and motherhood first. However, her dream of going to medical school is shattered on the very first pages of the book when her father and fiancé die in a street accident and she is left without resources to pursue her goal. Thus she is forced to fulfill her father's last wish and go live with her relatives on the Hawaiian island Oahu, missionaries from Boston with whom she has had no relationship and who we suspect are not going to receive her with a warm and loving heart.

The story is set in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The historical setting and the ambiance of the time are rendered in delicate detail, often revealed through dialogue, or as seen through the observing eyes of Laura. The language is beautiful and descriptions are frequently imbued with a poetic aura. The astute use of symbols and forebodings lends depth to the narrative that I find satisfying.

When it comes to painting word pictures, Gaellen Quinn is Michelangelo. There's a deft touch for the telling detail and a grasp of the big picture as well. As we meet Laura Jenning's she is trying on her wedding dress and making plans to go to medical school--tragedy intervenes and she finds herself on a ship for Hawaii, heading for a place and relatives she doesn't know.

In addition to creating a lively character, the author has melded research and imagination to bring the full sense of her historic era to life. From the street scene in San Francisco to the shipboard library, a complete era is recreated. The scholarship of the author is a gift to the lazy reader, who is educated with no effort. To have your fun and then be able to sound intelligent afterwards is just paradise for a reader.

Where this one shines: compact and to the point, definitely our style. It covers all of the island and the hikes they list inside Haleakala Crater and near Hana were terrific. Bring your binoculars for the whale and windsurfer action. We had several guides with us, but the most consistent useful information came from this one.

Friends asked us how we saw and experienced so much in just a week and we attribute it to doing our homework first - mapping it all out with the Trailblazer.

Beaches are the reason we went to Maui and this was the guide we used to find them. There were several dozen to higrade. When we arrived we noticed many of the street signs were missing or twisted the wrong way so we navigated using the maps and mile markers in the Trailblazer guide. Even our rental car map didn't have the detailed streets this book had.

We have three kids and they spent hours and hours boogieboarding and their UV protected rashguards that we also bought on Amazon paid off plenty. The bike tours were closed so we hiked in Haleakala State Park. Trail distances we needed and trail distances we got. We felt like we were on another planet. They suggested we bring warm clothes and water, thank goodness we did.

Organized, detailed, dangerous places to avoid, the advice was priceless. This was our first time on Maui and this book really did blaze the trail.

All the fun stuff. My teenage boys loved it and wanted to try everything they listed. Our hikes were group affairs, waterfall destinations being first choice, Haleakala took second. This book is organized by region with all the activities linked to the highway mile markers and cross referenced on the interior maps. This saved us time and we also spent less on gas.

In six days we really covered ground. We drove the entire beautiful coast stopping here and there to snorkel where they indicated it was best for beginners. Excels when it comes to easily finding the snorkeling and hiking zones and wild beaches. We are big Trailblazer fans now.

We decided to visit two islands because we had heard how different they were: Maui and the Big Island. We chose the trailblazer books to guide us since they were both crammed with incredibly helpful information. For hikers and snorkelers and sightseers they are a gold mine. They are written in clear language and the outings are well arranged with accompanying maps.

The tips for getting out to Hana were treasure trove status and put us out in front of the chain of cars we saw heading out at 2pm. Leaving at 7:30 am before the tour buses made all the difference. We could have used another few days on Maui and regret taking only one hike down into the crater. We plan another visit in 2009 and our first order of business will be watching the sunrise on Haleakala and taking a helicopter tour.

Thanks Trailblazers for sharing and demystifying wowie Maui.

Maui was new to us. This guide ranked quite highly for navigating and made driving the circle tour so interesting. We frequently used the large index. The guide is laid out with all the activities logically numbered, like a reference catalog (spiked with humor and tips). Also, they streamlined their list of hotels and only include the ones they would stay in, mostly affordable - same with restaurants. We prereserved an oceanside hotel room in Kihei and would stay there again. It had a nice beach access for winding down at sunset.

Full page maps are in each section and since this island is so small they accentuate the stops that rank highly and coincide with the beach and trails they describe. It made sense in every way and the only time we joined the tourist mill was on the Hana Coast - we should have left at dawn like they said. Another thing we liked is the all space they've given to landscape photographs which helped greatly with our everyday destination decisions.

Great book, I bought it after having figured out which islands to visit using the book by the same authors, no worries Hawaii, which is a must buy if you don't know where to go and what you want to do. Following input from the first book we picked 1 day Honlolu, 5 days big Island and 9 days Kauai.
The big island trailblazer is unique in that the information on trailheads and how to find them is really really accurate, if you have to follow a dirt road for 2 miles and then stop next to a hidden bridge then that information is there. You rarely spend hours searching for stuff, the detail on where to look for something once you get to the end of the trail is less good, but that is because in the islands appear not to go in for signposts in a big way, so we were often looking at something and wondering whether or not this is it. Best ofs were generally good, didn't understand focus on Hilo, we went there on a Sunday and it felt like a run down sad little town, but maybe on a weekday there is a different vibe. The only negative is that restaurants mentioned a little more information on them to help you chose would help unless you like the sticky table-top ketchup bottle and drip coffee atmosphere and generic grub, this is fine if it is what you want, but you don't need a guidebook to discover such places, of course to be fair the book doesn't target the foodie population nevertheless a little more selectivity would help though or just a little more text on the restaurants. From personal experience if you are staying in Kapaa on Big Island try the restaurant Rapanui, a small hole in the wall joint run by a saturnine chef from New Zealand and his partner, its location is not attractive (in a mall when you enter Kapaa on the coastal road from the north on the left after the bend in the first mall), and it is BYOB but the food is really, really well cooked, from a European stand point, fresh, flavourful, beef melts in your mouth, rice/coconut nuttily satisfying, great, cooked but crunchy veggies, freshly made sauces, not a bottle or deep fryer in sight. Another great place to eat is Jays on the road towards southpoint, before the turn-off to Puuhoonuau (I forget the spelling) national park, two step snorkeling and the painted church from Kappaa, it is described in the guidebook, really spectacular and don't be put off by the appearance of the kitchen/living area. Oh and for sandwiches, a satisfying stop is Choicemart on the Highway 19 approximately in the area of the Manago Hotel, Choicemart is on the left, there is a great Vegan Cafe next to Choicemart and the sandwiches sold there and in Choicemart are spectacular. The locals recommend Choicemarts plate lunch especially on Lau Lau Friday. We tried to get it on Sat and it was all sold out. And the snorkeling at two step was the best we had on the island. Ok after all that digressing: if it is culture/food you are after then you need an additional book or to do some food research ahead of time online, for hiking, biking, walking and general reliable information then the trailblazer is a great book. Another option is to get the No worries Hawaii that has almost all information on all islands best ofs etc and then supplement that with a more foodie cultural guide for the islands depending on what you want. We did this for Kauai, although Fodors Kauai while better on culture etc really did badly for hiking and trails and was way less reliable than the Sprouts books.

Lots of detailed info, good maps, great pics, best directions and extremely well laid out for picking out all the cool places everywhere on the island. We lucked out and got to see lava flowing down the mountain near the volcano. For driving directions and staying out of danger, it's full of dos and don'ts.

This was this best thing we took with us on our honeymoon. It's so well organized and we used it as a tool to plan our daily escapades. I highly recommend this book for travelers who haven't been before and are looking for ideas and advice from authors who tell it like it is.

Reading this guide was truly a breath of fresh Hawaiian air. The authors passion and knowledge of this island jumps off the pages. For our family it delivered so many fun little sidetrips since our 3 kids love the water. What made it different from all the other travel guides was the intelligent way the sightseeing places were presented following along on the highway. It made picking and choosing the day's activities so easy.

There was always something to discover around every corner. It is concise, to the point and took us through fields of lava to white sandy beaches and reef pools where it was safe to swim. Turtle watching became a favorite pastime.

If you haven't yet been to the Big Island, you owe it yourself to get a copy before you go to see what's in store.

I would say this is THE guide to take on your trip if you don't have much time and you need information presented in easy-to-follow format. All the listings are numbered so you don't have to dig out the information.....the trail descriptions are right there as is the mileage. The maps and photos and they way they are laid out is very appealing. The advantages don't stop there. The authors have added historical and cultural information, just enough so we could appreciate this place we had flown so far to see. For finding the hiking trails and all the beaches which were quite hidden, it was a jewel. The most beautiful were north of Kona unseen from the highway.

As a tool for maximizing our family time and sticking to our budget, having this book paid off. The sense of freedom being our own tour guides was a huge advantage. Driving directions were key and knowing the lay of the land before arriving made everything seem friendly and familiar.

YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK. We have traveled to the big island many times, but still have not discovered or seen everything. This book reaches beyond of the general guide books and one of the other more popular reads about the island. Great for those who are into hiking and especailly for driving tours. Snorkelers will like some of the off the beaten path places to go.

I recently visited the Hawaiian Islands. The moment I stepped off the aircraft and the air hit my face I felt the magic. I started researching and reading everything I could get my hands on to discover the secrets of the islands. Pila's book was the most helpful in explaining the incredible energy of Hawaii. His book is not only a guide to the magical places you can visit, it is also a guide to connecting with spirit and healing your life. A wonderful book that I highly recommend. Although it was written over ten years ago, it is even more relevent as we watch our world rapidly changing. Mahalo Pila!

There are a couple of places where the author veers off a bit but for the most part he draws the reader into the mystical side of Hawaii that captivates the imagination and adds a new layer of "must do" items for ones next visit to the big island.

I particularly enjoyed the parts where he explores the subtleties expressed in the Hawaiian language and how they relate to place names and metaphysical practices and experiences. I think the author does a good job of connecting modern places and practices to traditional Hawaiian belief and faith practices. His chapter on the Big Island's place of refuge is exceptional in this regard.

The book is written in an easy to read fashion... But don't be fooled! Even if you gobble the words down like a good meal.. there is much more you will me digesting...
The essence remembering Joy is something that will forever remain in my heart..!

Pila of Hawaii takes you on a journey through paradise, all around the Big Island, but also through paradiscal realms within us all, while also sharing with us some of his own amazing journey. Pila opens the door to the little known esoteric world of Hawaiian spirituality, making it accessible to anyone willing to take to look and to open themselves. And he does all this in a style that is easy and fun to read. He leads the way joyously with a descriptive style that has you humming along as you follow his courageous. Thanks Pila. Whenever I get homesick for the islands, I just pick of the "red book" and I am back home again.

After reading many amazing books on Hawaiian Philosophy and more specifically Huna and Kahuna teachings, I must say - this is one of my favourite books. This book is so much fun to read and has many, many secrets to share.

Medusa's Daughter had me from the opening flight scene. The dialogue is witty and sharp, the characters multidimensional, the action fast-paced and fun, the setting pure Hawaiian paradise, and the plot looks like a real cliff hanger. I am dying to read the rest!"

Michael Boyd sweeps the reader into the story. Snappy dialogue, believable characters, and an exotic locale provide the backdrop for fast paced action and intrigue. The author obviously has an extensive knowledge of the Hawaiian Islands and flying. I would recommend this book to those seeking an instant island getaway, and want to read the complete book.

Panic attacks seem to be on the rise, and so I love the idea of a theme that many of us either relate to personally or we know someone who suffers from such. I already feel connected to the main character. I am curious to know more, and I am also curious about regression therapy. The characters in the excerpt are believable, the pacing is great. I want to continue reading.

This is the kind of book I want to read. Interesting characters are introduced well, with enough detail to make me want to know more. Holly is a talented woman who has pursued her dream and lives in a place I'd love to be, even though her life isn't perfect. I was already ready to know where this interesting woman and her life would lead, and then the accident and subsequent hinting at possible hidden mental secrets created the twist that left me definitely wanting to read the rest. In just these few words, there is good flow, easy to visualize descriptive narrative, credible characters (even Buck!)and a developing thread that entices. Great job!

Really enjoyed reading this excerpt. Particularly the section with Holly in the T-bird suffering the panic attack. I was once a passenger in a car when the driver began suffering a panic attack while on the interstate. We didn't crash, but Boyd's description here rings so true to me that it brought back those memories.

Also, I'm a bit of a commerical airline buff, and so really enjoyed the solid flight details, especially in the opening pages.