Most travel titles are put together in a few weeks by visiting travel writers. Wizard guidebooks take over a year to compile and the writers are residents who personally and anonymously review every facet of the island. Their maps are the best you'll find. From restaurants to helicopter companies to scuba to beaches to trails. They see it all and show you the best the island has to offer. They also reveal who's the worst and who to stay away from. All told in a frank, humorous way that keeps the reading fun.

"Succeeded in telling us everything there is to know about traveling on the island of Hawaii...this book is essential reading..." Library Journal

This all new fourth edition is the most comprehensive yet easy to use guidebook ever written for the Big Island. Best selling author, Andrew Doughty, unlocks the secrets of an island so big and diverse that many visitors never realize all that it has to offer. Hawaii The Big Island Revealed has more up to date information, the most useful maps and scores of hidden gems listed nowhere else. This book and a rental car are all you need to discover what makes the Big Island so exciting.

39 specially created maps include clear, concise directions to even the most remote beaches and other hard to find places, mile markers (so you always know where you are), hiking trails and numerous details in an easy to follow format.

Discover deserted black sand beaches, secluded freshwater lava pools (some volcanically heated), pristine rain forests, lava tubes, hidden waterfalls and the most dramatic part of the erupting volcano. Read fascinating stories and legends from all around the island.

Symbols quickly identify recommended sights and companies. Find out which companies really are the bestàand which to avoid. Frank, honest opinions from anonymous reviews—No advertisements.

Special expanded sections on Beaches, Hiking and Adventures.

Web site with links to every business, last minute updates and more. Plus Web pages that expand on all accommodation reviews with aerial photos of all the resorts (so you'll know if oceanfront really means oceanfront).

Only book ever banned at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Visitor Center for being "too honest" and "revealing too much."

"Hawaii The Big Island Revealed" covers it all—from the snow-covered top of Mauna Kea, to the sparkling underwater reefs. This is the best investment you can make for your Big Island trip. Whether you are a first time visitor, or a long time kama[aina, you will find out more about the Big Island from this book than from any other source. Discover the island of your dreams with "Hawaii The Big Island Revealed".

"A colorful bookàcovers it allàI was pleased by the numerous little tips that can make a trip more pleasant." The San Diego Union-Tribune

"Cond Nast Traveller" calls it "the best guidebook (to the Big Island)." This fourth edition unlocks the secrets of an island so big and diverse that many visitors never realize all that it has to offer--all told in a frank, humorous way by an author who lives there and knows the island.

The finest guidebook ever written for the Big Island and the only one written by writers who anonymously review the island. They visit every beach, restaurant, activity and trail on the island. The result is this comprehensive, humorous and easy-to-read full color guide that will lead you to more adventures than any other book. A must for travelers.

ABOUT THIS BOOK <br><br><br><br>INTRODUCTION<br><br>How it Began <br><br>The First Settlers <br><br>Outside World Discovers Hawai[i <br><br>Kamehameha the Great <br><br>Modern Hawai[i <br><br><br><br>THE BASICS<br><br>Getting Here <br><br>What to Bring <br><br>Getting Around <br><br>Getting Married on the Big Island <br><br>Weather<br><br>Planning Your Trip <br><br>Geography<br><br>So is Hawai[i an Island or a State? <br><br>Hazards <br><br>Traveling With Children <br><br>The People <br><br>The Hawaiian Language <br><br>Music <br><br>The Hula <br><br>A Note on Personal Responsibility <br><br>Miscellaneous Information <br><br>A Word About Driving Tours<br><br>Books<br><br>The Internet <br><br><br><br>KOHALA SIGHTS<br><br>Up Highway 190 from Kailua-Kona <br><br>Kohala Mountain Road <br><br>North Shore of Kohala <br><br>Pololu Valley <br><br>Mo[okini Heiau<br><br>Lapakahi State Historical Park <br><br>Kawaihae<br><br>Kohala Resort Area<br><br>Kohala Lava Desert Area <br><br>Kohala Shopping <br><br>Kohala's Best Bets <br><br><br><br>KAILUA-KONA SIGHTS<br><br>Around Downtown Kailua-Kona <br><br>Elsewhere Along Alii Drive <br><br>Up Mauka of Kailua-Kona<br><br>South of Kailua-Kona <br><br>Kealakekua Bay & Place of Refuge<br><br>Kona Shopping <br><br>Kona's Best Bets <br><br><br><br>SOUTH ISLAND SIGHTS<br><br>South Point <br><br><br><br>VOLCANO SIGHTS<br><br>Will I Get to See Lava Flowing? <br><br>The Scene <br><br>A Few Basics<br><br>Around Kilauea Crater <br><br>Down Chain of Craters Road<br><br>Hiking in the Park<br><br>Outside the Park Entrance <br><br>The Town of Volcano <br><br><br><br>HILO & PUNA SIGHTS<br><br>Around Hilo Town <br><br>Heading South on Highway 11<br><br>Exploring Puna<br><br>Hilo Shopping<br><br>Hilo & Puna's Best Bets<br><br><br><br>HAMAKUA & WAIMEA SIGHTS<br><br>Leaving Hilo Behind <br><br>Honoka[a<br><br>Waipi[o Valley<br><br>Old Mamalahoa Highway<br><br>Waimea<br><br>Parker Ranch <br><br>Hamakua & Waimea Shopping<br><br>Hamakua & Waimea's Best Bets<br><br><br><br>SADDLE ROADSIGHTS<br><br>Mauna Kea<br><br>Driving up to Mauna Kea <br><br>Mauna Loa<br><br>Approaching Hilo <br><br><br><br>BEACHES<br><br>Beach Safety<br><br>Beaches in Kohala <br><br>Beaches Near Kona <br><br>Beaches South Island <br><br>Beaches East Side<br><br><br><br>ACTIVITIES<br><br>ATV<br><br>Biking <br><br>Boogie Boarding <br><br>Camping <br><br>Caving<br><br>Fishing <br><br>Golfing <br><br>(Powered) Hang Gliders <br><br>Helicopters / Airplanes<br><br>Hiking <br><br>Horseback Riding<br><br>Jet Skiing<br><br>Kayaking <br><br>Ocean Tours <br><br>Parasailing <br><br>SCUBA <br><br>Snorkeling <br><br>Snow Skiing <br><br>SNUBA <br><br>Spas <br><br>Stargazing<br><br>Submarines <br><br>Surfing <br><br>Tennis <br><br>Whale Watching <br><br>Windsurfing / Kitesurfing<br><br><br><br>ADVENTURES<br><br>Mauna Ulu Crater <br><br>Manta Ray Night Dive <br><br>Explore a Mile Long Cave<br><br>Rain Forest Hike to Pu[u [O[o Vent <br><br>Honokane Nui Hike<br><br>Jump Off the End of the World<br><br>Close Encounter With a Dolphin<br><br>Hi[ilawe Falls<br><br>Command Your Own Boat <br><br>Four Wheelin' Big Island Style <br><br>Hike to Flowing Lava<br><br><br><br>ISLAND DINING<br><br>Restaurant Index <br><br>Island Fish & Seafood<br><br>Lu[au Foods <br><br>Other Island Foods <br><br>Kailua-Kona Dining <br><br>Kohala Dining <br><br>Waimea Dining <br><br>Hilo Dining <br><br>Dining Elsewhere <br><br>Island Nightlife<br><br>Lu[aus <br><br>Dinner Cruises <br><br>Dining Best Bets<br><br><br><br>WHERE TO STAY<br><br>Where to Stay Index<br><br>Rental Agents<br><br>Where are the Rest?<br><br>Hotels<br><br>Condos<br><br>Bed & Breakfasts<br><br>Kohala <br><br>Kailua-Kona <br><br>Hilo <br><br>Volcano Village<br><br>Waimea<br><br>Northern Tip of the Island<br><br>Southeast Part of the Island<br><br>Honoka[a<br><br>Bed & Breakfasts<br><br><br><br>INDEX