Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Just returned from a week in Maui and really enjoyed having this book as a guide to the island. I also had several other books like Fodor's, etc, but in my opinion this book is the best of the bunch. I have often wondered why guidebooks are of two varieties; either a drab sanitized book full of text and no color and pictures, or a book full of pictures with minimal written substance. This book seems to combine the best of both, authoritative in depth text based on the experiences of someone who lives on the island as well as nice color maps and pictures of notable sights. For the most part my experiences jived with the authors commentary. Some of my own observations. The most exclusive areas on the island are around Kapalua and Wialea. These areas are beautiful but they are also somewhat remote from the "action". If your idea of a good holiday is to stay on a resort than these areas are great, but if you want some local culture/flavor, good restaurants, shopping and nightlife, and proximity, than I would recommend staying in the Kaanapali area which has nice resorts and is also close to Lahaina, the town where all the action is. Using this book I visited some of what I thought were the most beautiful beaches on the island, Big Beach on the south side and black sand beach, red sand beach, Koki Beach and Hamoa beach near Hana. Enjoyed the drive to Hana, but unlike the author of this book I actually thought the beaches were more of a highlight than the waterfalls, which I didn't think were all that spectacular. Koki Beach and Hamoa Beach were incredible and the drive around Haneoo Rd. was breathtaking. If your going to Maui and want an informative book this is the best bet in my opinion.