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eBook Category: Travel/Sports/Entertainment
eBook Description: The authors live on the Big Island so we get the inside story on what to see and do. Nearly twice the size of the other Hawaiian Islands combined, this is a land of superlatives--home to Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano that towers over the Hawaiian Islands at 13,796 feet and Kilauea, the most active volcano on our planet, which has been continuously erupting since 1983. Hilo is the country's rainiest city, which creates ideal growing conditions for crops like macadamia nuts and orchids. Kona is the only place in the US where gourmet coffee is grown, and offers the best scuba diving in Hawaii. Here you will find lush tropical forests, enormous lava flow deserts, sun-drenched beaches, the delicious cuisine, towering mountains and idyllic weather. Adventures detailed in the guide range from snorkeling in a coral garden to swimming with dolphins, night diving with manta rays, hiking to a waterfall, horseback riding through Paniolo Country, taking a helicopter ride over Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, examining petroglyphs, skiing down Mauna Kea, surfing, kayaking, whale watching, or even learning to dance the hula. The best places to stay and eat in each price range are thoroughly covered as well, based on personal visits and in most cases illustrated with color photos. [AVAILABLE ONLY IN ADOBE ACROBAT PDF FORMAT.]

eBook Publisher: Hunter Publishing, Inc./Hunter Publishing, Published: US, 2008
Fictionwise Release Date: January 2009

This is one of the best guidebooks I've ever read. It has 500 pages and then there's also bonus material on a website. I could never do everything in this book even if I had a year of vacation instead of two weeks. But it'll be fun to try. Definitely like the chapter on Hawaii Volcanoes National Park . It talks so much about hikes and drives and how to see lava, but also about the native songbirds and the goddess Pele and her "curse." Good stuff. (Laura Suraci, Amazon reviewer) This book totally got me psyched for my trip with my boyfriend to the Big Island, and then it was even better once we were there! We went to so many places that we would never have known about, from bars and restaurants to killer beaches. We even did a sunset booze cruise that was just as campy as they said. The writing style was really fun and easy to read and the famous people quotes were a nice touch. If you're planning a trip to Hawaii, buy this book! (C.A. Kennedy, Amazon reviewer) I bought this Adventure Guide because a friend told me it has a lot more than the usual tourist trap garbage, and that it was written by locals. There is so much information packed in here that I wish we had more time for our trip! After reading through the guidebook, I feel like I'm prepared to spend months on the island trying out something new every day, or just relaxing in great locals spots that other guidebooks don't cover. Unfortunately, we don't have months to spare, but this Adventure Guide has been helpful at focusing our attention on what we want most. The information on manta ray night dives and hiking at the volcano were perfect for us. And the book includes very useful trail information (distance, time, rating of easy to strenuous, how to find the trailhead and what to expect) and great maps. We also plan to do some hikes to waterfalls in the Waipio Valley. This guidebook has been a tremendous help in planning our trip--now I'm even more excited to go than I was before! (Amazon reviewer) I love the Big Island, and every time we go I like to get a new guide book to find the new cool things we haven't done yet, and THIS BOOK has lots of COOL ideas of places to go and things to do as well as lots of information about the traditions and also about local flora and fauna. And, better yet, it's funny! As a busy mom of 3 kids, I don't get a lot of time to read so even planning a vacation, I want to be entertained. And I was while I was reading this book. Great stuff like comparing a maze at a botanical garden to the one in Harry Potter. You can tell the authors had fun with this one. I also really loved all of the quotes by famous people that they included. It also provided helpful information about Hawaiian culture and history, which I shared with my kids to help them enjoy and learn about the island. We love b&bs and this offered a lot of choices. It really helped us appreciate our recent trip so much more. I wish I'd had it years ago!!!! (M. Rose, Amazon) There are lots of guidebooks out there, and if you're planning a trip to Hawaii, this should definitely be one of them! Fryklund and Reeder pull the best the Big Island has to offer into this information-packed volume in the Hunter Adventure Guide series. Literary and Hawaiian quotes abound, making it an enjoyable read as well. Full color illustrations and photos--this is on my list of recommended books for anyone visiting the Big Island! (Aloha reader, Amazon) I love mai tais and I love beaches and this book helped me find the best ones on the Big Island, especially one with white sand that you had to hike to but then there were only a few other people there when we got there. My husband also really liked the entries on golf courses. I'd recommend this book to pretty much anyone because it covers all kinds of stuff, so no matter what you want to do, it'll be in the book. (They use "adventure" to cover easy stuff like scenic drives and boat trips--it's not just stuff like surfing and diving.) The personal stories and quotes made it seem more personal. (J. Benz) I've been to Hawaii several times and used other guidebooks, but this one is the best I've ever seen. It has color on every page and lots of photos, and there are tips on how to pronounce Hawaiian words and on fitting in, like taking off your shoes before you go in to a Hawaiian's home, or that the women's bathroom will say "Wahine." I live near Seattle and drink a lot of coffee, but I've never visited the Kona coffee farms before. This book has an entire section for people who want to tour Kona Coffee Country, which I've never seen before. And the writers write in a way that makes it seem like they're just old friends giving us some pointers. (Coltrane) My husband and I have been coming to the Big Island for years. This guide book provided us with tons of valuable local insights. The authors (who clearly know the island well)have created an easy to read guide that will take you anywhere from the best places to shop, eat, best adventures, and tons of local "tid-bits" to keep readers in the know. This is by far the BEST Big Island guide book I have ever used!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this guide book! (Marcia Elvidge) As the title suggests, the emphasis in this book is on adventure, and the authors deliver. They supply details about an amazing array of activities on the Big Island: diving, hiking, camping, golfing, kayaking, whale-watching and many more. For tourists whose idea of adventure is lounging by the pool there is useful information, too; sooner or later, you have to eat. The authors have evaluated dozens (maybe hundreds) of restaurants and shops all around the island and give advice on places not to miss, as well as a few to avoid. Written in an informal yet informative style, Adventure Guide: Hawaii the Big Island also has abundant maps and photos. Anyone who is planning a trip to Hawaii would benefit from this book. I've already been there, but now I can't wait to go back! (Jerry Dunlap)