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Summary: The Local's Guide to Fiji
Review: As is clear by the other comments posted by reviewers before me, David Stanley's Fiji Handbook is THE definitive travel guide to Fiji, in which he tells it like it is (the good, the bad, and everything in-between). However, the real test of a good guidebook is whether a local would recognise his or her country in its pages, and whether it is a useful resource not just for the transient visitor but also for the people who actually live there. Well, I live and work in Fiji, and today I used David Stanley's book to a) find the telephone number of a diving company in Lautoka, b) choose an outer island accommodation in the Yasawas for a friend who will be visiting next week, c) get the maritime coordinates for the Lau Group, and d)photocopy a map of Nadi town. Even allowing for the fact that guidebooks are almost always a little out of date even before they go to print, each edition of the Moon Fiji guidebook is always the most referenced book in my library for all things Fiji-related. Let this guide be your compass in Fiji--you can always trust it to steer you in the right direction.
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Summary: David Stanley has Done it Again!
Review: David Stanley has done it again with his magnificent Fiji Handbook! Crisp, concise, and up-to-date, this book is a "must buy" for anyone contemplating a trip to Fiji. Individuals who have used previous versions of the "Handbooks" well know that Stanley has lived and traveled in over 170 countries and has an eye for detail that is unmatched in the travel guidebook industry. Indeed, a few years ago I used his "South Pacific Handbook" for a survey course I taught on "Peoples and Cultures of the Pacific" at my university and that handbook was well-received by the students. David Stanley writes very well and can be understood by all!
If you are interested in getting to Fiji as well as food and accommodations, history and government, or flora and fauna: it is all in the handbooks! As previous reviewers have pointed out, the handbook is compact and very "user-friendly" and is a great publication with numerous maps, web sites, and just about everything one needs for an excellent trip to the islands! Well done David Stanley!
/s/ Charles F. Urbanowicz [NOTE - Not Carol - my wife - I am using her account to submit this]
Professor of Anthropology
California State University, Chico
Chico, CA 95929-0400
curbanowicz@csuchico.edu [NOTE: e-mail address is different from the one I used to submit this - "globalnet" is home address.]
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Summary: Stanley's Fiji guide the most complete resource you'll find!
Review: David Stanley's Moon Handbooks Guide to Fiji is, in short, wonderful. With a full section detailing the history, unique cultural aspects, and flora and fauna of this beautiful land, it prepares the traveler for an amazing experience! It is easy to feel David Stanley's passion for this place! The guide also details accomodations ranging from those with the most intimate experiences of the people and the land to those available to the traveler looking for something a little more posh. The book is easy to read and simple to use as a reference source. The maps and illustrations also add to the enjoyment and understanding of the country of Fiji. Without being too verbose, it is organized in a very logical manner and allows the reader to get a feel for all that Fiji has to offer. In short, I find it to be an exceptional guide to an exceptional place.
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Summary: Up to Davids' Usual High Standards.
Review: Davids' books are always a delight, and this one is no exception. The book is well organized, well written and interesting to read - crammed with useful information, but somehow never verbose or overly wordy. It is in short a great guidebook in my opinion and I'm looking forward very much to using it for planning my own trip to Fiji. Clear, concise and filled with interesting and helpful information - what more could you want in a travel book? I especially love the many highly detailed maps and would think that this book would be very good choice for anyone considering a trip to Fiji.
Ken Klein
Seattle Wa.
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Summary: Sixth Edition Fiji Handbook Review by Garry Hawkins
Review: Feel the need to leave your trials and tribulations behind? Want to
forget the world and all its problems?Then why not immerse yourself in Fiji? Get lost... in any one of 322
islands. And what better way to be guided around this archipelago than with David
Stanley's 'Fiji Handbook'? Get the low down in this, the sixth, and
latest edition, containing all the know how you could possibly need for
island hopping . Getting there, getting around, on the road.
Accommodation, transport, food. Beaches, rainforests, coral
reefs.Diving, surfing, sailing. Culture, traditions, history. Whatever
your needs and wants, you'll find them all satisfied here. If you like to get off the beaten track, avoid the tourist hordes and
get to know the real Fiji, then this is the book for you. Experience the
green garden island of Taveuni, relive the life of Somerset Maugham at
Levuka's Royal Hotel, suck up the atmosphere in Vanua Levu's
rainforests, enjoy jazz, country and western, Indian Curries or spicy
Sichuan in Suva or just laze on bleached white Yasawa Island beaches. You won't find yourself surrounded by users of other travel guides I
could mention and you'll recoup the cover price before a Fijiian can say
"VINAKA". Get yourself to Fiji and don't forget to take the Fiji
Handbook with you!
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Summary: Fiji--looking good after all these years
Review: Fiji by David Stanley continues to look good after all these years. As an island traveler who has knocked around various parts of Fiji over the years, I have come to admire Stanley's comprehensive work in gathering the material for his guidebook. This book is a must have for any aspiring Fiji traveler. The book is compact, easy to handle and use and is very reader friendly. It has a detailed table of contents, tons of clear easy to read and very visual maps, an extensive website directory of resources (worth the price of the book alone, because you don't have to surf the 'net looking for it all!), an Accommodations Index and a general index, all very helpful and useful. There are nice pictures and artwork throughout and a lively, informative text. It's all straightforward information, exactly what today's budget traveler needs in a rapidly changing travel world. You won't go wrong putting this book in your backpack and it's guaranteed you will use it. This book touches on every major area of Fiji and covers indepth a variety of subjects of interest to travelers.
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Summary: Fiji fits in your pocket!
Review: Fiji Handbook, 6th Edition... As president of Sea for Yourself snorkeling tours, it's my professional obligation to stay informed about the regions we visit. We have operated tours to Fiji every year since my first visit in 1985, and David Stanley's Fiji Handbook (now in it's 6th Edition) has been with me each time. Over the years, I have found David's Fiji Handbook so useful that I strongly recommend it to all our Fiji program participants. Although our clients don't need to worry about travel logistics (that's our job), the introductory chapters offer excellent background information on Fiji's cultural, political, and natural history. Because our programs focus on tropical marine biology, I was especially impressed by David's concise and clear explanation of coral reefs. And in the section dedicated to fauna, David gives marine creatures as much attention as terrestrial animals. I was also pleased with the many tips encouraging environmental sensitivity, both above and below the water. The introductory overview is complemented by accurate and extensive descriptions of each island group. These sections include the expected (and appreciated) regional maps, listings of where to stay, where to eat, where to hike, where to dive, plus how to get there (and back). This new edition of the Fiji Handbook contains many updates, but it's impossible for any guidebook to remain totally current. David knows this. So for the absolute latest information, simply turn to the website and email directories near the end of the book. When I need a detailed reference for Fiji, I'll continue to use this 6th edition of the Fiji Handbook ... until David comes out with the next edition.
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Summary: More than just a travel book - schools could use this too!
Review: If there's one travel book to take to Fiji this is it! David Stanley with his expert eye for culture and ecology makes you want to wander with him round the many Fijian islands. On the plane you can read about the history, economy and environment so you will be well prepared on arrival. The book is well written and indexed.
The independent traveler will find the essentials for booking accommodations and planning routes. Buses, backpacker camps, boats and pizza joints are well covered. Fiji, like Greece, is a good country for bumming around.
If you are a discerning customer of travel planners then you will find many sights and recreational opportunities to enrich your vacation. Luxury resorts as well as bed and breakfasts are described.
Teachers of geography, diplomats, business professionals and others who want to quickly get the basics of Fijian culture and trade can use the book as a study guide. David Stanley has intimate, firsthand knowledge of the South Pacific and his insights will prepare you for encounters with Fijians. He includes a few phrass and explains social customs like kava drinking.
Throughout the book there are maps and black and white photographs. I wish this book had more color photographs - coral just does not look good in black and white. The first photo shows a tender - typical of the boats that ferry people to larger vessels when visiting small islands. The maps at the front are in color and are annotated with page references and there is a tranquil color picture of a lush fern grotto. David Stanley does have some color photos on his personal website at www.southpacific.org.
It would be great to have an interactive version of this book on a website or CD for a pre-travel read or instant access in a luxury resort. However, in many places in Fiji you'd need solar power to keep a laptop working!
This book makes me want to jump on a plane and go!
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Summary: Great Guide!
Review: It's rare to be able to pick up a country and hold it in your hands, but this is the case with David Stanley's Fiji (Moon Handbooks). It is obvious David has a deep knowledge of, and affection for Fiji but he also manages to give sharp and welcome observations (whether the rest rooms are clean, the service slow, the food over-priced or the water pressure low). Accommodation from budget to five-star is covered as are dining and sightseeing options for those who want to get away from the resorts and explore. This guide can extend your holiday experience as a pre-read (history, customs, language, itinerary planning etc) and as a travelling companion (where internet cafes are, etiquette for visiting a village, best dive sites etc). It is also handy post-holiday, whether to jog your memory or find a phone number. This guide recently joined me on a trip from Nadi through south-west Viti Levu, Beqa and the Mamanuca islands and I found it both an excellent resource and holiday 'enhancer'.
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Summary: THE COMPLETE FIJI
Review: The FIji Islands are a "must see" for world travelers and David Stanley's 7th edition Moon Handbook will definitely make your visit more interesting, more fun and more culturally rewarding. Whether you travel independently or with a group, you will refer to this handy little book for everything from saying "hello" and "thank you" in Fijian to locating an internet cafe.
David Stanley's knowledge of the islands is encyclopedic. He provides you with a historical background updated to the present, that will make you both politically aware and more sensitive to the circumstances of the islanders today. My wife and I have used Moon Handbooks in many countries. This is one of the best.
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