Oahu Revealed: The Ultimate Guide to Honolulu, Waikiki & Beyond

by Andrew Doughty and Harriett Friedman

Book Overview

Most travel titles are put together in a few weeks by visiting travel writers. Revealed Travel guidebooks take over a year to compile and the writers are residents who personally and anonymously... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0983888787
• ISBN13: 9780983888789
• Release Date: January 2015
• Publisher: Wizard Publications
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

good coverage and a pleasure to read and use

I don't think this book has any real competition from other books. My Oahu Trailblazer had some supplementary and detailed info on places like Hanauma Bay, but it came nowhere close to this book in useful coverage of big and little sights to see and why you would want to see them. The restaurant section alone is worth the price of the book. We went to five restaurants with an ono rating on Maui and Oahu and everyone was outstanding. The author tells you what you need to know to prepare for your Hawaii vacation and has strong opinions on what to see and do, including where to hike and snorkel and the best beaches. You're time in Oahu is extremely valuable, because even if you're staying two weeks, you can only do so much. I bought my book a month in advance of the trip and I'm glad I did, because it takes a while to read and absorb the information. Of course you'll have to plan earlier than that for flight, places to stay, etc. The book is easy to read and entertaining and has many color photos to backup their descriptions and put them in perspective. I didn't agree with everything in the book. I thought the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC), which the book (and almost everyone else) highly recommended was a totally fake and commercial experience. You might want to backup their opinions on some activities with the tripadvisor website, which has many visitors' opinions on popular attractions. They didn't give near enough info on snorkeling at Hanauma Bay either. If you don't snorkel in the right spots along the waterways just inside the coral on the left and middle of the bay you'll miss most of the fantastic snorkeling here. Snuba and a snorkel tour, which they seemed to recommend, would also be a waste. The fish are in shallow water close to shore. The complaints I have about the book are actually very minor. It was extremely helpful in extracting the most out of my week on Oahu. It's a must have. I will definitely be getting the Kauai Revealed book and no other Kauai travel books for my Kauai trip next year.

Best guide book I've ever used.

These guys really explored everything on the island. If you want to know the off-the-beaten path parts of Oahu, this is a great book. Not to say that their guides to the touristy things are off (Waikiki, Honolulu, luaus), but it's more useful for a traveller to be informed of the things not every hotel concierge knows. Every one of their descriptions is right on. They guide you to beautiful, hard-to-find beaches and there is honestly no way you could find them for yourself unless you live on the island.

Threw away the others and just used this one

Just back from a week on Oahu, I can say that this is one of the best guidebooks I've ever seen. We used it constantly. We found Hidden Beach, great places to snorkel, an island that we could wade out to, and wonderful places to eat. Don't go to Hawaii without one or more of the Revealed books!

My Favorite Oahu Guidebook

There are many guidebooks available for Hawaii in general and Oahu specifically, but this one is by far the best. Not only is the book extremely current (it posts a 2005 copyright date), but the layout is easy to use, and it provides information that is actually useful in both planning a trip and once on the island. The book is well written, and is especially strong in the section on lodging. Without question the coverage of hotels in this book is superior to any other guide. The restaurant information is also informative, much better than other guides, but remember that no book can completely cover all the restaurants on the island. I have been to many of the places detailed in the book, and generally agree with the appraisals of the authors (the one exception being that I thought the Honolulu zoo was substantially better than the authors did). Even if you don't completely agree with every opinion offered in the book, every claim is well reasoned and nothing is completely out to lunch. This is the gold standard for Hawaii guidebooks, and I recommend it highly to anyone visiting Oahu!

An expertly written, information-packed guide

Written by expert travel guide writers who take it upon themselves to hike all the trails, ride the boats, scuba dive the reefs, dine the restaurants, review the resorts, snorkel the coastline, and share their secrets, Oahu Revealed: The Ultimate Guide To Honolulu, Waikiki & Beyond is a "must-have" for any tourist, vacationer, traveler, or even resident seeking to experience the best that the Oahu island of Hawaii, including Honolulu, Waikiki, and more, have to offer. Color maps and photographs, concise yet detailed reviews, adventures and activities galore from traditional favorites to lesser-known pastimes such as kitesurfing, and much more pack this useful guide, which distinguishes the best of the best places with icons that declare them "solid gold" or "a real gem". An expertly written, information-packed guide.