The finest guidebook ever written for Kaua’i. Now you can plan your best vacation–ever. This all new ninth edition is a candid, humorous guide to everything there is to see and do on the island. Best-selling author and longtime Hawai’i resident, Andrew Doughty, unlocks the secrets of an island so lush and diverse that many visitors never realize all that it has to offer. Explore with him as he reveals breathtaking trails, secluded beaches, pristine reefs, delicious places to dine, relaxing resorts, exciting waterfalls, colorful canyons and so much more. Every restaurant, activity provider, business and resort is reviewed personally and anonymously. This book and a rental car are all you need to discover what makes Kaua’i so exciting.
The most up-to-date and accurate information available anyplace with up-to-the-minute changes posted to our website
Frank, brutally honest reviews of restaurants, hotels and activities show you which companies really are the best…and which to avoid–no advertisements
Driving tours let you structure your trip your way, point out sights not to be missed along the way and are complemented by over 100 spectacular color photographs
15 specially-created maps in an easy-to-follow format with mile markers–so you’ll always know where you are on the island
Clear, concise directions to those hard-to-find places such as deserted beaches, tropical jungles, hidden waterfalls, rugged scenic coastlines, water-filled lava pools and scores of other hidden gems listed nowhere else
Exclusive chapter on Kaua’i’s beaches with detailed descriptions including ocean safety
Unique Adventures chapter and 70 pages of exciting activities from ATVs to ziplines
Fascinating sections on Hawai’i’s history, culture, language and legends
Companion website with links to every business, events calendar, over 70 resort reviews complete with aerial photos–so you’ll know if oceanfront really means oceanfront
“The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook” covers it all–from the mile-high summit of Mt. Wai’ale’ale, to the sparkling underwater reefs. This is the best investment you can make for your Kaua’i visit. Whether you are a first time visitor, or a longtime kama’aina, you will find out more about Kaua’i from this book than from any other source. Discover the island of your dreams with “The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook.”
$ 11.18
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30 of 32 people found the following review helpful
 A must buy!, By
photogold (CA United States) – See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed (Paperback)
Until now I have never taken the time to write a reveiw for anything, but I feel need to share my feelings about this book. This book is the reference standard for how guidebooks should be written.
The maps and graphics are outstanding; very detailed with mile markers etc. shown where needed, and it doesn’t include useless details that you won’t need anyway. Maps are very easy to follow, and they are broken down for each district on the island. It is especially helpful if you are looking for little known hiking trails, beaches, or waterfalls to visit. Some of these you would never find without the help of this book. The information is very accurate. The couple that wrote the book live on Kauai, and it is clear that they do their homework, and they even added a touch of humor. We used this book for every activity and restaraunt during our stay, and we have never been disappointed. 0
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
This Guidebook is Just About All You Need, By
This review is from: The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed (Paperback)
This book is a huge home run for the first time visitor as well as the returning Kauai visitor. It’s really, really good. The book is well laid out in a logical fashion which makes finding the information fast and easy. The book separates the island into North, South, East and West Shores, with multiple quick fold out map references guides inside the front and back covers. This feature alone is huge. It includes aerial photos of the top beaches, which helps for hiking, snorkeling and other outdoor planning. The combination of the writing style, which is easy to read on the fly and relaxed but professional, with the number of color photos and detail maps provides a perfect comprehensive guide for anyone visiting or even living on Kauai.
What we found especially helpful were spot on details on local shopping and dining, which helped us make decisions about how to manage our vacation budget–a key element for many people visiting Hawaii. Whether you’re visiting with a ‘money’s no object’ situation or pinching pennies, the tips in the book were helpful. Additionally, sections on everything from culture and language to personal responsibility were helpful. Bottom line; this book delivers so much for it’s price that it’s a must for anyone visiting Kauai. 0
30 of 35 people found the following review helpful
 Use this guide with caution,
This review is from: The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed (Paperback)
My comments are specifically addressing the hiking and snorkeling portions of this guide, which is what we primarily used it for: First, as another review already notes, EVERY tourist on Kauai is walking around with this book, so forget all the comments in it about “having the beach to yourself” or visiting a spot “only a few local hunters know about”. Second, in an obvious attempt to separate this guide from others, the author tends to overexaggerate the beauty or uniqueness of many of the “secret” attractions or destinations that his book contains. And that’s a serious problem for most of us that have only a limited amount of time on our Kauai vacation and must decide how to spend each day – what to do and what to give up.
Case in point is the book’s hiking description to a pair of now-abandoned, mile-long water diversion tunnels blasted through rock near the middle of the island some hundred years ago. Following the guide’s directions you drive inland, then hike 2 miles on an unmaintained hunter trail, then hike a mile through the first tunnel…to find yourself in a breathtaking, Shangri La valley! The book estimates 1.5 to 2 hours hike for the first 2 miles on an uneven, potentially muddy trail. What it doesn’t reveal is that, even in dry weather, you will be trekking for 2-3 hours each way through troughs of foot or deeper mud the color and consistency of diarrhea! The hike through the tunnel is cool but the narrow valley beyond is not very exciting and the same scenery can be found in many other parts of the Island with much less time and effort. What was initially a “must-do” hike for us based on the book’s description turned into a tiring, wasted day of our vacation. Sadly, while sloshing through the mud and brush on our way back we met up with 2 filthy, sweaty couples who also tried to do the hike on the same day (each had their own copy of the revered blue book!) but didn’t even make it to the first tunnel due to lack of time (due to the trail condition and elevation changes the book’s 1.5 hour timeline is BS for most people)and trail difficulty. We found similar exaggerations in other parts of the book, including descriptions of snorkeling conditions at some of the beaches. So our advice is to use the guide but make good judgements as to what may be worth doing in the time you have on the Island. Just because the book touts a spot as Paradise on Earth doesn’t guarantee it will be there for all your effort. 0 |
