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Took the book everywhere with us on The Big Island. Some of the info was therefore outdated.
Snorkeled in the areas he suggested and it was so cool. Went where he said was good and ate where he said would be good and it was all true.
I bought this one without looking what edition it was and it did not have all the restaurant reviews that are currently in the newest edition. He seems to have a thorough knowledge of the island that is accurate and very helpful.
I would just be careful to be sure to buy a new edition. We had a great time in spite of this.
Very helpful.
A must for anyone visiting the Big Island. also purchased this one in the past for Kauai. don't travel to the islands without the "blue book".
I spent a night at the beach and it was magestic. Maybe a tank could traverse that road ok but not a Jeep. Without it they can offer snorkeling which is rather stupid, given the tiny price difference. The trailhead just to the left of this stream.What else. I should've found another quiet beach nearby that I can enjoy all by myself (the big black sand beach was overrun by crowds plus 2 buses with schoolkids arrived. Couple of don't:1. When I visited it, it was flooded with ocean water (high tide).
I've got impression that the whole team silently hated him for mentioning it (well, it's kind of recession out there and we were about to part with [.].). It's just a tiny little pool of hot water. That's it.2. It's good and well worth the visit. Well, most likely, he wanted to have some more business for the Big Island Divers but instead they lost us. Probably, the highest experience of my trip. and it didn't look appealing. Waipi'o Valley is a must.
The last picture is the photo of the stream that you shouldn't cross (looking west, toward the falls). I just can't justify all the hassle it took us to get there with the experience I've got from that pool. Maybe I'll add some more later. It doesn't worth the trip. Champagne pond -- *DON'T* go there.
Green sand beach -- this is not a road at all. Nearby Ahalanui hot water pond is thousand times easier to reach, friendlier, has public facilities like restrooms and showers and much better overall.All I can say about "Champagne pool" is that it's a very rude joke that Andrew made on homeowner's society. ;) And Jackie is the friendliest restaurateur I've ever seen :)Another thing: you will *need* some kind of a diving certificate (worth [.].) before you can go diving for Manta Rays.
Nice place except some jerks parked next to us and listening loud music until I screamed.I highly recommend Ho'okena beach park for camping -- nice and serene place, nice sand and pretty safe. And it will get crowded closer to the evening. This is a great book. I'll do that next time for sure.I didn't do many of tropical vacations so far (just Egypt, Spain, Dominican republic and Hawaii) but I like the Big Island the most.
Honestly, you should miss it. Overall, its the best I could think of. Yes, the pond doesn't belong to them but still, I find little pleasure in experiencing it as it is now.And third, the pond just doesn't worth it. We didn't have certificates and we didn't know we need ones before the very last minute. No cell phone coverage, though (is that a plus or a minus).Also I would rate as recommend Jackie Rey's Ohana Grill.
When I grow old, I want to live there, for sure.That's it so far. You don't have to pay to camp in Big Island. Of course, some locals were saying that I'm not allowed to stay there (but then the beach belongs to the state, isn't it.). Not even 4WD. I don't know what the homeowner's society did to Andrew Doughty but he marked this spot as "Don't miss.". Spencer was closed for some party when I was there so we stayed on the hills next to Hapuna beach.
There's always room for improvement (especially in terms of pictures of the destinations). Beautiful and gigantic falls -- and you *must* experience it no matter what.Here's some pics from there: [.]. I couldn't made it. So beware: be prepared and download some kind of a certificate from the internet before you go. It's a hard hike but well worth it. Of course, a little bit more maps with a little bit more markers wouldn't harm.
Surprisingly, no one on the team mention them and I even started fitting equipment for us. But then one French blond guy showed up and said that we should possess a certificate (what's for.). Just park there and go. You *don't* need to cross the stream when you're looking for the trailhead to Hi'ilawe falls. The trailhead is right between telegraph table and the stream, closer to the stream. First of all, the road is not easy there and will take lots of your time.Second, I really can't think of anyone who could enjoy a swimming in a pond under hateful eyes of the homeowners.
It's a wonderful place to visit and really great overall. Ouch).3. as well as some kids were telling horrible stories that locals come down at night and burn tourists tents -- so I could give a free ride home to those kids :) Yeah, it's that easy to fool me.Anyway, it's a great place and I would like to retire there.4. but couldn't say anything. Stay tuned.
Additionally,the organization of the book is difficult to use--like what if we don't know exactly where we are, where should we eat. This must be the Family Circus of guide books--highly recommended but full of bad advice. For example: recommends a snorkeling spot that is a dying reef and is unofficially closed to responsible tourists. We won't find it in this book. Stick with Fromer's.
It became a bit of a joke with other travellers we met at some interesting spot or other, who said they had found out about it in "The Blue Book". Granted this might not be true for everything, but the author did make an effort to at least revise the basic information if not the individual assessments.
Using this book before and during our 2 week trip was a tremendous help in deciding where to stay and prioritizing what to do. Since many of the glowing reviews are several years old, I just have to add a quick note to say that they are still true, and our family recommends this book for anyone planning a trip to the Big Island.
In using the book it seemed that it had been updated for this edition--at least for the things we wanted to find. Based on a suggestion from the book, we stayed for several days on the east side of the Big Island (the rain forest and volcano side) then relocated to the west side (for better beaches and beach weather) for the rest of the time.
We used the book to find a fantastic scuba dive boat in Kona (Pacific Rim Divers) and to plan daytrips and beach outings, and, yes, even to select our luau (Island Breeze in Kailua-Kona). For those who have used Rick Steves' books to get around cities in Europe, I have to say that this series by Andrew Doughty is equally user-friendly and invaluable for navigating the Hawaiian islands.
Given the investment of time and money to visit Hawaii, the purchase of this book is well worth its modest price for ensuring you will make the most of your trip.
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