Over the top!

[gstepic]

Ok, so I have been listening to music from Hawaiian musicians, bought a couple Aloha shirts, and have been obsessing over any Internet links having to do with Hawaii (I now know when the sun will set in every town we stay at!), but maybe I have gone too far. The day before our trip we will hang out with a native Hawaiian for the evening!

Actually, just a strange coincidence. I have always enjoyed encouraging student athletes at UNM, where I work, and a Lobo volleyball player has invited one of her friends, a soccer player, to join my wife and I at an exhibition basketball game for our women's team. And her friend is a native Hawaiian that lives on Oahu. So I guess I am not totally over the top yet, but getting pretty close.

Seriously, thanks to your recommendation Dave, the Revealed books really give a lot of good information and I don't feel like I need to pump someone that lives there for places to go and see. So I probably will not pester our guest too much about the islands! I probably have pestered everyone on the forum enough as it is.

And in order to try not to make this a totally useless post I have discovered that we can download a spell check tool and use it to check spelling on our posts. For me about every third word gets checked so it is a very handy tool. I have been spelling Hawaiian (I have been spelling it Hawaiin) wrong and now I know better.

Gary

 

[Henry M.]

I use the Google toolbar and anytime I type a post to a forum it underlines any typos. A right click on the error suggests appropriate spellings, and you can also select the language (unfortunately Hawaiian is not supported ). Very handy.

 

[gstepic]

A great tool

Next to permanent press clothing I think spell checking programs are one of the greatest inventions of the century!

Gary

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Next to permanent press clothing I think spell checking programs are one of the greatest inventions of the century!

Gary

Neither permanent press clothing nor spell checking programs were invented in this century!!

 

[gsturtz]

Next to permanent press clothing I think spell checking programs are one of the greatest inventions of the century!

Gary

I have to disagree, kids(and adults) are relying on spell checker far too much, rather than learning how to spell.

 

[DaveNV]

Gary, keep repeating: Pau hana.

Dave

P.S. Glad the Revealed books helped you out. They sure helped me.

 

[ricoba]

P.S. Glad the Revealed books helped you out. They sure helped me.

Anybody know why the Big Island Revealed book get TERRIBLE reviews on Trip Advisor Big Island forum? There are a few folks over there, that hate the book and the advice in the book.

 

[DaveNV]

Anybody know why the Big Island Revealed book get TERRIBLE reviews on Trip Advisor Big Island forum? There are a few folks over there, that hate the book and the advice in the book.

Not specifically. But I find a lot of what is on Trip Advisor is from people who have some kind of an axe to grind. I'd take it all with a grain of salt. Maybe two.

A vacation is only as good as you make it. If someone expects to just show up someplace and have the world entertain them, they're going to have a pretty bad experience. But if they do some research and plan ahead a bit, stay flexible and make changes as needed at the time, they can have a fantastic time going somewhere they've never been, and an even better time returning to a place they've seen before. It's all what you put into it.

Dave

 

[gstepic]

I think anytime opinions are involved people will be upset

I have been around long enough to trust any one source for this type of information because I understand authors are human and subject to biases which will be reflected in their opinions. I can also see from reading what I have he can ruffle a few feathers with his opinions. I am sure Doughty has upset some government officials and probably some history revisionists along with restaurant owners and tour operators. I have also seen some environmentalists (I hate that term though because I think we all are environmentalists, but we don't all have the same view on what is best for the environment) make negative comments about the books.

But I enjoy reading his insights on what may have actually happened and I do enjoy the historical background provided. I appreciate the many detailed maps (I am sure when actually driving on the islands I will really appreciate the maps) and other background information provided in the books.

Gary

PS: I should have read the question more carefully because Tripadvisors would be dealing with other travelers. I think no matter what you will get more than ten bucks worth of good information from the book.

 

[Hawaiibarb]

Revealed books

I've used the Revealed books, too, and I think they are great. But I've read the the two major objections to them are 1) they tell visitors how to find special places that up until recently were known only to locals (let's not be selfish, folks!) and 2) more important, people don't always believe the warnings given in the books about the ocean hazards or other safety issues which are very real. Then, when they do get into trouble, they blame the book. Some of the places are a challenge to get to, but that is partly why discovering them is so special. So use the books, but take care.

Barb

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

We've found the Revealed books to be highly reliable. When Andrew and Harriett say something shouldn't be missed, we've always enjoyed it. Om several occasions we had reservations about certain things, but have gone ahead and done them based on their recommendations. We've never been disappointed.

Andrew upset some government people - particularly at the National Park Service - because he published directions to get to Pu'u O'o without going across National Park Service land. (Pu'u O'o is the Kilauea vent that had been active from the start of the current eruption cycle until this summer.) But Pu'u O'o isn't on federal land and the trail is a public trail, so there wasn't any way for the NPS to control that route. That upset the NPS because they didn't want people to know how to get to the vent.

 

[ricoba]

I sort of got the take from the Trip Advisor posts that the sour grapes were mainly due to the authors giving away those hidden spots and letting people know of the out of the way things.

 

[slabeaume]

I love all the "revealed" books. Not only do they give very good info, but they also have fabulous pictures in them. I wish they would do a winter book and a summer book of all of the islands--or at least include pictures from both seasons.

 

[tombo]

I am going to Kauai. Where is the link to get the book on Kauai revealed? This will be my first trip there and I want to be as informed as possible. Thanks, Tombo

 

[Dave M]

Go to any of the online bookstores (e.g., Amazon). Enter Kauai and revealed as your search terms for "books" and it will be the first hit.

 

[happymum]

We've found the Revealed books to be highly reliable. When Andrew and Harriett say something shouldn't be missed, we've always enjoyed it.

When in Kauai this year I purchased a new edition. When comparing it with last years' the only noticeable change was the removal of Harriet's name.?????

 

[Henry M.]

Here's the link to the publisher's web site:

http://www.wizardpub.com/main/home.html

I think the problem with these books is that as they describe many idyllic spots around the islands, more and more people come to them and the places lose a lot of their charm. They also describe a few places on private land were perhaps the owners didn't mind the occasional visitor, but do mind the hordes of tourists that show up when they read these books.

I like all the recommendations these books make, but I also see how disclosing where everything is sometimes ruins a place. I guess now that we're "in the know" it wold be better if the secret wasn't further disseminated. :hysterical:

 

[Lee B]

I love all the "revealed" books. Not only do they give very good info, but they also have fabulous pictures in them. I wish they would do a winter book and a summer book of all of the islands--or at least include pictures from both seasons.

Last week I got the 4th Edition of Maui Revealed at the Maui Costco. I passed through the fabric of the Universe too, as the copyright is 2008! They mention the new photography books, Hawaii Dreamscapes Revealed. One is Big Island and one is Kauai. Coming soon: Oahu and Maui. No price mentioned.

Enjoy!