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Hawaii: The Big Island Lonely Planet
YAMAMOTO, Luci & Alan Tarbell, eds., Hawai’i: the Big Island, Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet (150 Linden Street, Oakland, CA 94607), 2005. 264p. ISBN 1740596919 (pa), $16.99. Illus.
Hawaii: the Big Island, by Lonely Planet (LP), provides visitors an excellent overview of many aspects of the large and diverse island. The book is highly recommended for both first time and repeat visitors to the island. The small book manages to efficiently and effectively cover anything and everything a visitor would need and more!
The simple black and white maps and leaf pages of color photographs are organized according to the geographic areas of the island. The black tabs at the edge of each page allow the user to easily find the section of the book they desire.
Each geographic section includes a subcategory on the history, sights, tours, activities, shopping, how to get around, accommodations and restaurants; along with several other interesting unique festivals and cultural activities. The thorough description of each area gives accurate explanations of the feel of the town and the expectations for visitors. Along with area specific descriptions, the book includes suggested itineraries for various visiting lengths. The culture, environment and language information on the island are most valuable when encountering long Hawaiian names or local slang. All of this is packed into one compact paperback book small and light enough to fit in your pocketbook! Although a paperback, the binding on the book is exceptionally durable.
One of the strengths of LP’s guidebook lies in the accommodation reviews. By organizing the accommodations by budget, midrange, and top end price ranges, LP caters to a variety of travelers. The contact information, websites and prices are accurate and current. The restaurant section also includes a break-down according to price range, along with information about local grocery stores.
At the beginning of each section, LP contains a text box highlighting the most popular sights in the area with convenient page numbers for each. Similar boxes are seen throughout the book to describe important and interesting events or historical facts, such as the in-depth information box about the Ironman Triathlon in Kona.
Although the LP book is highly recommended, there are a few areas that could use improvement. The guidebook fails to provide large detailed maps. The small icons for food, accommodations and sights discussed in the text tend to make the maps crowded and difficult to read. The lack of maps and incomplete addresses for several of the restaurants and accommodations make it particularly difficult to find the places described. Some restaurant reviews leave the reader with more to be desired. For example, two of the restaurants visited by this reviewer were far better than described in the book. Of course, this discrepancy may be a result of the difference in the dining experience on any given day, or could be a question of updating.
LP publishes guidebooks on destinations across the world. The founders started with a small guidebook on how to travel across Asia on a budget. From this first book they have grown to become a recognized name for travel guides. The majority of their books are written by several different authors who have either lived in the particular area they are writing or have spent a considerable time exploring, making them authorities on the location. When reading different LP guides, they appear to have been written by the same author. The simple sometimes dry language seems universal across the series. I think the editors should consider including some humor or unique personal style.
Hawai’i The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook,1 another well-known travel guide and competitor, compliments LP by excelling in LP’s weak areas. The authors of Big Island Revealed are Hawai’i residents who offer an intimate personal perspective on the island. Their book contains many color photographs and detailed easy-to-read maps. The first person humorous narration gives precise detailed directions on all of the sights they discuss. The greatest drawback to this book is the lack of organization and ease of finding information, these important aspects take away from the charm of the book. Overall, LP’s format far exceeds that of The Big Island Revealed.
If traveling to the island of Hawai’i I would strongly recommend taking the LP guide along. The incredible amount of detailed information is invaluable to any tourist. This book is sure to be high on the circulation list in any public library.
Hawaii: the Big Island, by Lonely Planet (LP), provides visitors an excellent overview of many aspects of the large and diverse island. The book is highly recommended for both first time and repeat visitors to the island. The small book manages to efficiently and effectively cover anything and everything a visitor would need and more!
The simple black and white maps and leaf pages of color photographs are organized according to the geographic areas of the island. The black tabs at the edge of each page allow the user to easily find the section of the book they desire.
Each geographic section includes a subcategory on the history, sights, tours, activities, shopping, how to get around, accommodations and restaurants; along with several other interesting unique festivals and cultural activities. The thorough description of each area gives accurate explanations of the feel of the town and the expectations for visitors. Along with area specific descriptions, the book includes suggested itineraries for various visiting lengths. The culture, environment and language information on the island are most valuable when encountering long Hawaiian names or local slang. All of this is packed into one compact paperback book small and light enough to fit in your pocketbook! Although a paperback, the binding on the book is exceptionally durable.
One of the strengths of LP’s guidebook lies in the accommodation reviews. By organizing the accommodations by budget, midrange, and top end price ranges, LP caters to a variety of travelers. The contact information, websites and prices are accurate and current. The restaurant section also includes a break-down according to price range, along with information about local grocery stores.
At the beginning of each section, LP contains a text box highlighting the most popular sights in the area with convenient page numbers for each. Similar boxes are seen throughout the book to describe important and interesting events or historical facts, such as the in-depth information box about the Ironman Triathlon in Kona.
Although the LP book is highly recommended, there are a few areas that could use improvement. The guidebook fails to provide large detailed maps. The small icons for food, accommodations and sights discussed in the text tend to make the maps crowded and difficult to read. The lack of maps and incomplete addresses for several of the restaurants and accommodations make it particularly difficult to find the places described. Some restaurant reviews leave the reader with more to be desired. For example, two of the restaurants visited by this reviewer were far better than described in the book. Of course, this discrepancy may be a result of the difference in the dining experience on any given day, or could be a question of updating.
LP publishes guidebooks on destinations across the world. The founders started with a small guidebook on how to travel across Asia on a budget. From this first book they have grown to become a recognized name for travel guides. The majority of their books are written by several different authors who have either lived in the particular area they are writing or have spent a considerable time exploring, making them authorities on the location. When reading different LP guides, they appear to have been written by the same author. The simple sometimes dry language seems universal across the series. I think the editors should consider including some humor or unique personal style.
Hawai’i The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook,1 another well-known travel guide and competitor, compliments LP by excelling in LP’s weak areas. The authors of Big Island Revealed are Hawai’i residents who offer an intimate personal perspective on the island. Their book contains many color photographs and detailed easy-to-read maps. The first person humorous narration gives precise detailed directions on all of the sights they discuss. The greatest drawback to this book is the lack of organization and ease of finding information, these important aspects take away from the charm of the book. Overall, LP’s format far exceeds that of The Big Island Revealed.
If traveling to the island of Hawai’i I would strongly recommend taking the LP guide along. The incredible amount of detailed information is invaluable to any tourist. This book is sure to be high on the circulation list in any public library.
Submitted by Christine Cipolla, LIS Student, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, April 2006
Also Cited
Doughty, Andrew. (2005). Hawai’i The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook. Lihue, HI: Wizard Publications.
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