Explore Hawaii's Big Island with the Ultimate Guidebook: Hawaii the Big Island Revealed

Matt Thompson: This book was a life saver for our Big Island trip. It saved me days and days worth of research with trying to figure out what to do and where to go. We ended up downloading the app that is mentioned in this book and that saved me even more time. There's mentions of so many places we wouldn't have even known about had we not bought the book/app. The author is super honest and tells you not only about things worth your while to see/do, but also places that aren't really worth your time. He also incudes recommended places to eat and a lot of other things to do in each town/section of the island. The book is well organized and easy to find things based off of where you are. I recommend this book to anyone visiting Big Island!

United States on Nov 10, 2023

Tom G: Honest, candid information about touring the Big Island. We also bought the app and used them both extensively for our recent trip to Hawaii. The information is well researched and accurate.

United States on Nov 05, 2023

Cutter: It was sacrificed saving some equipment that cost more than it did. I put it on the bottom of an Amazon purchased waterproof bag that turned out not to be waterproof. Set it down on a beach and watched a little water go halfway underneath the bag. I moved the bag to a drier place but further away so it wouldn't be in the water. When I got home I notice the bag was wet. So I went thru it and found this book had taken a bullet for some tablets and a camera. My phone. Various equipments. All the pages were wavy and the book was a lot thicker than it use to be. So my sister got this book in the form of a GPS audio book which narrated our trip depending on where we were. Perfect.

United States on Oct 09, 2023

Julie328: We loved the details in the book, but were so underwhelmed by the app. Don’t waste any more money thinking you’ll get more.

United States on Oct 09, 2023

James Carson: Excellent product,

Canada on Aug 12, 2023

Corinne: Lots of information and we’ll written. Will use in our next trip.

Canada on Jul 19, 2023

HRPuff&Stuff: Got the 3rd Edition many years ago and this used to be a great guidebook. Time has passed, Hawaiian stink eye worsens, authors get threats from loco moco yockels, and the guidebook slowly gets rewritten to explain why the authors can't reveal the many local sights that residents try to hide by defacing public signage or put up illegal barriers including preventing legal access to beach and waterfront or threatening visitors. This in a state that is fully reliant on tourism for most of its economic well-being. This new edition has gone as far as explaining what you won't be able to see in some truly tone-deaf sections that tell you what you are missing in gory detail. Wizard publications has now fully joined the concealment movement in Hawaii. Time to look for other sources for information or simply go back to using my older versions of this book. It may be the one time where you would be better trying to find a used version from the early 2000 except perhaps for the volcano stuff. The restaurant recommendations are also off. But you can go to the web for all that now anyway.

Canada on Mar 30, 2023

Amazon Customer: The book tells you what you need to see, and what not to bother with. It is written in a style similar to Rick Steve's Europe books, which I don't plan a trip without. Excellent book, use it and have a great trip as a result!

Canada on Apr 03, 2022

Anika: I love this series and it's been the only guidebook I really use for the Hawaiian Islands. Thanks to this series I have ended up on many fun adventures, respecting local laws, finding uninhabited roads and private waterfalls to hike to and enjoy. I have been using and recommending the Revealed series to family and friends for 10 years now! I have loved every adventure it has sent me on: even if I had to turn around due to overgrowth, road conditions, or floods. If you like fun and adventure this is the only guide book you'll need!

FYI The only spot this book wasn't up to date was the information on options to hike to the see the active Lava. Definitely go through the park and spend time there because it's spectacular, but with the current lava flow you can actually approach it from the East side of the park (Pahoa) and rent a bike to take down the gravel road with only a short hike (100 feet?) on the treacherous lava. We did not know this and you can imagine how it felt to hike out from the park side for a gruelling and dangerous (but amazing!) 8 miles, seeing people covered in blood from falls, to finally arrive at the best viewing point and see close to a hundred bikes...

Canada on Feb 18, 2017

Andrey Cherepakhin: This is a great book. Overall, its the best I could think of. Of course, a little bit more maps with a little bit more markers wouldn't harm. There's always room for improvement (especially in terms of pictures of the destinations). Couple of don't:

1. Champagne pond -- *DON'T* go there! It doesn't worth the trip. I don't know what the homeowner's society did to Andrew Doughty but he marked this spot as "Don't miss!". Honestly, you should miss it. 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. 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. It's just a tiny little pool of hot water. When I visited it, it was flooded with ocean water (high tide!) and it didn't look appealing. And it will get crowded closer to the evening. I just can't justify all the hassle it took us to get there with the experience I've got from that pool. Nearby Ahalanui hot water pond is thousand times easier to reach, friendlier, has public facilities...

United States on Jun 26, 2009