Rating: 
Summary: Amazingly Detailed Guidebook -- A Must Have When Visiting
Review: This series of books is incredible in the level of detail they go into with respect to what to see and what little nuances you should know about that you won't find in Frommer's etc. If you want to have a great time without having to think or worry too much about planning, get these books for whatever islands you visit (Kauai was great, too). You can be "informed spontaneous" on your trip this way. Basically, go wherever you feel but have easy access to what's fun and interesting in that area so you feel like you're on vacation but still don't feel as though you missed anything you might have liked to see. We were joking the entire trip about how the authors either go to the extremes to keep these books updated, or that nothing really changes in Hawaii. Enjoy your trip!
Rating: 
Summary: best of the books
Review: Just came back from a trip to Maui with 5 friends. We each had guide books from Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, etc., but one person's Maui Revealed was the book we all ended up using. Every time we wanted to do something -- whale watching, surf lessons, a luau, etc. -- Maui Revealed had an opinion on the easiest and best way to do it, and it often seemed to be right. Rather than just listing phone numbers and names, Maui Revealed offered opinions, which was rare in the genre and incredibly valuable. Would be five stars except the directions were often pretty vague. Not clear why, but we occasionally found ourselves lost when following the book's descriptions of where to find certain beaches, hikes, waterfalls, etc. Didn't dampen our enthusiasm for the book, but did prove occasionally frustrating.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book with a few missteps on the restaurants.
Review: We just returned from our trip to Maui and felt that the book was VERY useful for beach info, some trails and snorkeling info. We stayed in B&Bs the whole time, so I cannot comment on the lodging reviews. But the "activities" (esp. whale watching tour on Pacific Whale Foundation and snorkeling at Molokini) and "adventures" descriptions were very good and accurate. They had pretty good info on the Road to Hana, but I suggest that you pick up the audio guide (cassette or CD) for $20 offered at the Kiosk at the Shell station in Kahului. Can't miss it, it is on the SE corner at the beginning of the Hana Highway. (something not mentioned in the guidebook). The only problem we had with the book were some of the restaurant suggestions. They gave an "ono" (meaning delicious) to a mexican restaurant in Kihei-Maui Taco, which was just about some of the most bland Mexican food I've ever had. (Taco Bell is better than this place). So, the caveat is to take some of their restaurant ratings with a grain of salt. Unless they say you will always have a great meal at a place, be prepared that you could be disappointed, because these are just two people's opinions of a particular place. There were sometimes that we were disappointed because the food did not turn out to be as good as the book indicated. Otherwise, I would recommend this book. It is not your average guidebook, and does have a lot of worthwhile info in it.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: Never having been to Hawaii, we bought this book and MEMORIZED it for our visit to Maui. The authors were SO RIGHT on every point. Extremely accurate and helpful! The only downside to this book is that potentially, every good spot will now be overcrowded! I wish they would write a book for Oahu--we felt absolutely LOST there! Well-written, witty, and one of the best books I have ever bought!!
Rating:
Summary: PERFECT Group of books on Hawaii. Best in the Islands.
Review: I frequently visit hawaii, I use these books regularly and can say with confidence that if you need a tourbook this is the one to use on hawaii. You will find all the best spots and lots of places the normal tourist never sees. On maui on the road to hana other people would following me cause they realized I knew where all the waterfalls were, what they didnt know is I had my trusty book with me.
Rating:
Summary: The Truth About Maui Is Revealed!!!
Review: There are so many good things to say about Maui Revealed, the outstanding guidebook for the Hawaiian island of Maui, that to list them all, the review would need to be as long as the book itself! Suffice it to say, this is the one to buy. After a quick intro explaining the basics of how the book was put together (which shows the authors' hard work and total dedication to their subject matter), and after a short but very informative history of the islands, Doughty and Friedman start, appropriately enough, with a section called The Basics. In other words, what do you need to know about Maui in general even before making the trip? (One hint: No cruise lines operate between Hawaii and the mainland; better plan on flying!) Next, Maui is divided into seven sections (West Maui, Central Maui, Hana Highway, Southeast Maui, Haleakala & Upcountry, South Maui, and Offshore Islands, including Kaho'olawe, Lana'i, and Molokai; Molokini, the crescent islet that is a snorkler's paradise, is covered in the South Maui section), and each section is covered in VERY thorough and exhaustive detail. Then, there are separate chapters covering beaches, activities (golf, kayaking, hiking, etc.), adventures (ex. Hike in a lava tube), island dining (yes, includes luaus!), and finally, recommendations on where to stay in each section on the island. In their assessments, the authors are often brutally frank (their best bet for food in Hana: "I don't know, what did you bring with you?"); trust me, this will work to your advantage. In my own travels, I found the Hana Highway section to be the best and most useful (thanks, guys, my wife and I would never have found the paradise of Nahiku without it!), and their information is almost always dead-on accurate. (Yes, folks, the road from Hana to the delightful Tedeschi winery is somewhat difficult, but we had no trouble in our convertable. However, please be very careful; it wouldn't hurt to have some basic emergency gear on hand for the trip.) All this, plus useful maps and some of the most gorgeous photos you will ever see, make Maui Revealed a must-purchase for anyone planning to spend a week, a month, or half of forever on this lovely island. Get it ASAP and the truth about the undisputed playground of Hawaii will be revealed!!!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book - slightly outdated
Review: We bought 3 Maui guide books for our recent vacation to Maui. This is the one we used to plan our vacation, and we carried it with us almost everywhere we went while we were there. The information was very valuable, and much appreciated. We found many things that we never would have found without the help of this book. The only issue that we had with it was that it was a little outdated as far as pricing (parking at our hotel was higher than listed, parking areas listed as free were no longer free, some tour prices were higher than listed, etc.) Overall it was a great guide though.
Rating:
Summary: Really does show you where hidden gems are
Review: I have been to Maui four times, but with this book the last trip was much more memorable. We spent some time in Hana finding the secret swimming holes. I skinny dipped at a private waterfall--there is no way I would have been able to do that with something I found in a more mainstream guidebook, cause it would have been packed with people. The other activity that this guide book recommended in Hana was going for a ride in a powered hang glider. It was one of the most amazing things I ever did--flying through the clouds of Hana, looking down to see the waterfalls and literally being able to touch the clouds with my hand--it was like a dream, and I would not have known about it except for this book. I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because it is VERY confusingly structured. It is structured more by activity than location. So all the best beaches are together, all the best snorkling, etc.I was constantly flipping back and forth trying to figure out where the thing I had read about earlier was. I would prefer to pick an area then have all the secret spots, restaurants, etc in that section. I found that this book AND Frommers make the best combo--Frommers for restaurants and hotels, Revealed for activities.
Rating:
Summary: Everybody Is Reading It
Review: Anyone watching what other tourists are doing on the plane to Maui,or poolside at a Maui hotel,cannot help noticing that many of them are reading Maui Revealed. This is really an outstanding guidebook written by local people. It has no advertising. And it has its own website to update readers on developments after publication,and to give an in depth look at hotels and restaurants. But because it is an excellent book,I was surprised by two obvious errors. The brown tree snake,a native of New Guinea,is a very dangerous reptile. It's not too likely that if one were actually sighted in Hawaii that someone would call the Pest Hotline as suggested rather than 911. Maui roads are well below mainland standards. The authors' implication that the "paved roads only" restriction of the rental car companies can be safely disregarded could make an expensive vacation even more expensive. Most European travel guidebooks have at least two errors per chapter. Two per book is a pretty good track record. Don't head for Maui without reading this book first.
Rating:
Summary: Don't go to Maui without it!
Review: We spent 8 days in Maui and used this guide every day. Great advice for snorkeling/diving. Wonderful hidden gems throughout the island. Highly recomend this book if you enjoy doing more than laying on the beach on vacation. Many hikes, some easy some hard, all were great! Great reference on the road to Hana, so many waterfalls to see! Buy this book if you are going to Maui!
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