united states

Own the 4th edition. Visited Kauai for 1st time October 2003 with reccomendation by friends not to stay too long as there is nothing to do. Someone told me about this book after it was too late to change my 5 days there. This is THE BOOK to have. I will warn you that some locals (including transplanted ones) will sometimes frown as the author does lead you to a couple of hidden places that may be legal to get to but are made clear that you are not wanted when you get there. (Ho'opi'i falls). Other than that, this is a FANTASTIC book and everything was wonderful. It's easy to read, witty, entertaining and filled with stuff to do! I could not fit it all in, had such a wonderful time trying that we are going back for 12 days in Oct '04. If you are planning to go to Kauai, be sure to get this book in advance and start reading. Bring post-its and a AAA map on the plane with you and start deciding what to do! It was really fun seeing who all had "THE BOOK" and helping those who didn't with where to go. Literally every reccomendation was right on the mark!

It is impossible to overstate just how much this book will improve your trip to the beautiful island of Kauai. I realize that in a place as magical as Kauai, just sitting on a porch with a drink in your hand may seem like a sufficient amount of paradise. But wait until you follow Andrew and Harriett's advice on food and adventures. (I've never met them, but you will want to call them by their first names because after reading this book, you'll feel like you know them). The book will pay for itself in many different ways: a cinammon roll in the morning, a jump off a waterfall, a hike through a valley of unbelievable beauty, and of course, a delicious shave ice off a truck that hasn't moved in what seems to be a decade. I stayed with five other people in a house on Kauai in April. We didn't agree on much, but we all agreed on the book's advice. We had cheap macadamia nut pancakes, we hiked through a fogbound swamp, we swam through tunnels at Tunnels Beach.

I swear that at some of the places we ate and visited, it appeared as if the staff/chefs/inhabitants had read the book themselves to decide how to act and what to serve. If the book says service is slow, you'd better not be in a hurry. If the book says the food is salty, bring extra water. If the book says that you'll 'be given the stinkeye' by the natives, prepare yourself. If you read in the book that a hike or swim is magical, by all means do it. My friends and I made it our goal to attempt as many of the book's adventures as possible. We swam in caves and hiked on crumbly cliffs. We swam with turtles and swung from ropes. We ate gross-looking, but tasty local food and hiked some of the most beautiful trails any of us have ever seen.

If there's a downside to a guide this well done, it's that everyone else you see at these spots will also have this exact book in their backpack as well. Striking up a conversation with them will reveal that the book has shown them special places that they were happy to have visited. If the book says that a particular place is unmarked, or the trail is hard to find, you can bet that by now, with the popularity of this fantastic guide, many more people have followed the lead of the authors and have made even the most hidden gems easier to find.

Our rental house had about 15 Kauai guides, but this was the only one we always left the house with. You will not be disappointed.

I also had their Maui Guide for a quick stop on that island. It paid for itself in that case with a single visit to a deserted four-tiered waterfall.

You are spending a substantial amount of money to get to the most beautiful of Hawaii's islands. Do yourself a favor and spend about 15 bucks more. You won't be disappointed.

I can't wait to go back.

This was definitely the ultimate guidebook. It helps you eliminate the places that you may not want to go to, and allows you to go to as many of the best places that you have time for. Also great for describing where to park, how to avoid lots of traffic/people. We were able to do everything we wanted to while viewing the whole island with the guidebook.