This book enthralled my husband during most of the 10 hours we spent on planes getting to Kauai. He kept interrupting me as I was reading a novel to show me pictures or tell me things he wanted to do when we got to Kauai.
I had no idea the extent of the information contained in this book until we arrived and my husband starting quoting things. My husband is not much of a reader - a newspaper or a golf magazine is usually the extent of his interest. He read The Ultimate Kauai Guide from cover to cover at least twice, then referred to it periodically throughout our week on the island. (I couldn't stand it -- I finally took it away from him and starting reading it myself!)
Helpful and Easy to Use
The information is nicely arranged, with an itemized table of contents at the front (of course), as well as an alphabetical index in the back. This makes it very easy to use it for reference as you're actually experiencing Kauai.
There are very nice color photographs and detailed maps throughout the book. The authors of this book truly love the island of Kauai and it shows! It contains lots of relevant information shared by people who obviously have experienced the many beautiful sights that Kauai has to offer.
Introduction
The introduction talks about the Hawaiian Islands and their history. On some of the pages special information is featured, such at "What's it Like in the Wettest Spot on Earth?"
This sections covers how to get to Kauai, what to bring, how to get around the island, as well as information on getting married on Kauai. Remember Elvis' wedding in Blue Hawaii? It was filmed here at Fern Grotto. There's an inset that lists some of the many other movies filmed on Kauai, including Jurassic Park, 6 Days/7 Nights and South Pacific.
There is also very detailed weather information, a quick Hawaiian glossary, and information on the hula.
Information by Shore Area
The island information is categorized in four main areas, North Shore Sights, East Shore Sights, South Shore Sights, West Shore Sights. There is also a section on beaches, activities and adventures. With so many water activities, as well as helicopter and boat tours, it was very helpful to know which ones were recommended by the authors.
There is also an index of restaurants, with a breakdown by area, as well. Of course, there's a complete listing of hotels and condominiums, also categorized by geographic area.
The book is well laid out and easy to use. When you're on the North Shore, everything you need is in one section. You don't need to thumb all through the book if you're starving and want to find the nearest place to eat lunch.
Special Symbols
There are also "Real Gems" scattered throughout the book. A large blue diamond symbol with the title "A Real Gem" notes something the authors feel strongly about. There is also a yellow, "Not to be missed!" symbol that flags such wonderful places such as Spouting Horn Beach.
Factual and Straightforward
You will also find clear, concise directions and real prices for restaurants and activities. There are no advertisements in this book - just the honest opinions of the authors. The maps are large enough to read and use with key places clearly marked.
We had visited Kauai once before, but this book opened our eyes to things we hadn't discovered during our first trip. Even with a full week on the island, we still didn't have time to do everything that we learned about in this great guide book.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you haven't yet visited the beautiful island of Kauai. My husband and I are returning to Hawaii this week and we bought books by these same authors for the Big Island, as well as Maui. As soon as we realized these books were written by Andrew Doughty and Harriett Friedman, we knew we needed to look no further.
Recommended:
