From trip planning to activities and where to stay , the authors become those trusted local experts, without an ax to grind, that every opinionated traveler seeks. This is a study of first-hand experiences and challenges many preconceptions and even published maps which the authors have corrected. Sam Choy s. This guidebook reads like a school text book with some history, Hawaiian glossary and some opinions, abet rather biased when they come to Hilo, the author s home. There also appears to be some paybacks to hosts here, but then it is rare that travel writers can experience all the hotels and restaurants within the meager budgets from publishers.
General information includes lots of lists from coffee plantations to self-service laundries.
But other than addresses and telephone numbers there is no advice here as to which to visit and which to avoid. Naniloa, this lovely 325 unit tower is different from my experience of a somewhat tired, drabby hotel in need of a face lift. The restaurant reviews are more on the mark and straightforward. This book is rich in history, the first 80 pages takes the reader on a fascinating tour of Hawaii s evolution from the geologic birth of the island to the Kingdom and even today s arts and crafts. The reviews of hotels are accurate with some insightful opinions.