This guide book is full of detailed, and unbiased reviews of restaurants, activities and sight seeing spots. Also, there is plenty of information about places that are off the beaten track. Very helpful.

This book (along with the other ones in the series focusing on the other islands) are fantastic information and highly, highly entertaining. They are insightful, funny, honest, helpful, and point you to lesser known sites and other interesting places. They give you the real rundown on what is interesting and what is not worth doing. We relied on these heavily for our trip. The maps are for the most part very helpful, he is up front about prices and quality of service, and we found the reviews of restaurants and lodging to be moderately helpful. The best features of the book are that 1) It is very informative and gives you the lowdown on the island & 2) It is highly entertaining. You will laugh. It's fun pleasure reading on its own. Best guidebooks I have seen.

Don't waste your time or money looking at other books. This is the one you want, you won't be sorry. We took this book with us everywhere. It was the only thing we used while on Kauai for 9 days. From maps to restaurants to activities it covers it all along with very concise directions.

We bought this book as soon as we decided to go to Kauai last year for our 10th anniversary. It was read cover to cover numerous times prior to our trip and was referred to hundreds of times during our stay. It was not only informative, but fun to read. I still pick it up from time to time just to read it. Thanks Andy, for making our trip to Kauai so much better than it could have been.

This book is great. Buy it before you go to Kauai, and leave it in your glovebox and pull it out when you're driving around the island. It's the best!

You won't need any other travel book for Kauai! Very detailed and well written.

What a great book. It was very helpful in organizing our trip. We used it everyday.

Do NOT go to Kauai without this book!!! You will find it more than the typical guidebook as it gives you the "insiders" information to the island and how to make this trip virtually, flawlessly enjoyable!

This is my 2nd trip to Kauai, and really did find this book very helpful in many respects. The hikes are great, although I did find the book was organized in a very scattered manner. We followed the off road routes near Anahola, south to Donkey's Beach, and it was a disaster. For one thing, the roads were not accurately drawn for their description and quantity. Although we had a brand new Jeep 4WD, we were met with with huge boulders, narrow and bushy roads that scratched our car to no end. The worst part, however, was going to the wonderful smaller beaches only accessed by these roads. Although there was no doubt the beaches themselves were absolutely phenomenal, the "locals" attempted to intimidate us by standing by their jacked up trucks, starring until we left, ready to dial "911" on our cell phones. We asked a local about this later, to which they replied that the area is known to be "Angryhole-a" territory--all the angry locals tend to meander that way, especially on the weekends. No where in the book did it mention the true nature of this small town, the local attitude toward tourists, and the confusing and dangerous nature of off-roading, especially when their maps were really off!

Yes he is corny and self aggrandizing at times, but his are hands down the best guidebooks I have ever purchased - more like having an amusing friend share his intimate insight about the place he loves and knows like few other people. Several years ago when in Maui, we puchased his book "Maui Revealed" and it made all the difference in the world in our enjoyment of that island - the sights, the hikes, the food. When we decided to come to Kauai this year, the first thing I did was purchase "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook" (available at Amazon). It has been our constant companion on our trip (we are currently in the middle of our 1 week in paradise). Kauai is an amazing place (we are staying on the gorgeous and lush north shore) and I would encourage anyone who loves nature and friendly people to come here - but be sure and get this book first! His knowlege is indispensible on the beaches and hikes - their characteristics and how to get to them. Likewise, his no-holds-barred reviews of restaurants, shopping, and activity concessionaires, have really helped us have some terrific experiences here (and we are only half done!)

I had borrowed an older edition of this book from a friend for our last trip to Kauai. I just bought the latest edition for our trip this year. We found the book to be very accurate and easy to follow. Lots of my own research online (and from Hawaiian residents) I found later to be all compiled on this book. We liked it so much that didn't want to chance buying a different one.

Excellent book by any standard. Very well written, with a splash of humor interjected throughout. I have not read from cover to cover yet as i want to enjoy the experience over time. Will be leaving back to Poipou on the south shore within the next two weeks and have made many day trip plans utilizing the info contained in this wonderfully written and knowledgeable book.

This book literally walks you around the island and tells you where the best places to eat, swim, and photograph. It is well worth every dollar and I will be keeping it in hand when we go there for our honeymoon this August. I work with people who frequent Kauai a couple times a year, and they all told me not to leave without this book. An excellent and entertaining read!

Just returned from Kauai and dreaming of the next trip. The Ultimate guide helped us navigate our way around the island and find the best beaches. Tunnels Beach is not to be missed for snorkeling and sheer beauty. The restaurant guide was always spot on- the best being Scotty's BBQ, the author's own restaurant. The precise directions down to the tenth of a mile helped tremendously, as many beaches and other sights are not marked with signage. The guide was our Kauai Bible and was instrumental in creating a fabulous vacation!

My son lives on Kauai and I will take my tenth trip there this July. This book is the one to have when you go there, whether it's your first trip or your 20th. It's like having a really knowledgeable friend to guide you.

This is one of the best guidebooks I have seen. It is loaded with information and easy to use. I only had a short time for my visit. This book helped me make the best use of my time in selecting the things I wanted to do and not wasting time. It has accurate directions and maps, detailed descriptions, and beautiful pictures. An excellent investment.

Loved this book. Used Frommer's in the past, but this surpasses that book!
Honest reviews.

I like the fact that the author has been to the places reviewed and gives you candid opinions.

Heading back to Maui/Kauai for time 3 and 2, and these books will be my "bible" for my return trip. Maui revealed is awesome too!! Strongly recommend both books. Thanks Amazon! Pat Morse

Great book and it really made our trip much better. Comments were good and the maps were very helpful. It was very popular on the island!

book was very good, very informative, had a lot of helpful hints and ideas.
would recomment book for anyone traveling to kauai

Great book. Authors give you inside scoop on exact locations of trail heads. Great reviews of local restaruants and activites.

This is a do not leave without this book. Outstanding detail, maps and information. The one for Maui is excellent also. If you are going to Hawaii, do not make the mistake of leaving this behind. Order it now!

Went to Kauai in Jan 2008 for our Honeymoon! This book was great with tips and maps of things to do! Would definitely recommend it to anyone going to Kauai for the first time.

Awesome guidebook. These folks completely nail it on about everything you need to know about Kauai. Save your money on the other books and just get this one.

Full of inaccuracies. Can't even waste my time, just buy another book, there are many available.

I've purchased the Kauai and Maui books and find them to be quite insightful reads. They came highly recommended from several people I know that have also owned them and visit Hawaii often. They are really good at highlight and detailing destinations and hidden secrets of the islands. Especially good for hikers and nature explorers. Problem is, everyone reads these books so the secrets aren't very secret anymore. Only downside to these books is they don't go into great detail on lodging accommodations for the budget minded traveler. They touch on it, but there's so many more neat places you can stay on the islands without breaking the bank, a simple web search will turn up plenty of results, though some of the reviews are hard to trust. With that, the books get 4 stars, otherwise if there was more info on places to stay it'd get 5 stars. Accommodations could be a book on it's very own most likely!

I've purchased the Kauai and Maui books and find them to be quite insightful reads. They came highly recommended from several people I know that have also owned them and visit Hawaii often. They are really good at highlight and detailing destinations and hidden secrets of the islands. Especially good for hikers and nature explorers. Problem is, everyone reads these books so the secrets aren't very secret anymore. Only downside to these books is they don't go into great detail on lodging accommodations for the budget minded traveler. They touch on it, but there's so many more neat places you can stay on the islands without breaking the bank, a simple web search will turn up plenty of results, though some of the reviews are hard to trust. With that, the books get 4 stars, otherwise if there was more info on places to stay it'd get 5 stars. Accommodations could be a book on it's very own most likely!

This book is awesome. It is so thorough and really gives you a local rundown of the island. Mine was bought used and came with a couple pages bookmarked with little feathers. HOW GREAT IS THAT? I thought that was really special. Photos are decent too.

Absolutely the best guidebook on any destination I have ever used. I brought some other books but never pulled them out - they have gone to great effort to make the maps very relevant and easy to use, provide comprehensive and locally relevant reviews, and do it in an entertaining fashion. Highly recommend.

This book is a must have for anyone visiting Kauai. Hidden trails, beaches and reviews on local companies, restaurants were excellent. It's like having a local guide with you on your trip. I feel like i didn't miss out on anything Kauai had to offer.

This is the Ultimate book to travel with!! We are so ready for our trip now!!! Thank you!!!!!

This is an excellent guide to Kauai if you are looking to do more than lay on the beach. We went to Kauai primarily for the hiking and this guidebook was indispensable. (We also bought Kauai Trailblazer, which was not nearly as useful.) I was worried when we were sitting in Maui waiting for our flight to Kauai because almost everybody in the waiting area was reading this book -- I was afraid we would see all these people everywhere we went, but thankfully that usually wasn't the case.

Waimea Canyon: We LOVED the Nualolo Grand Loop trail, it really was spectacular and we didn't see a soul until we got to the last leg (the more-traveled Awa'awapuhi trail). Although the Trailblazer book made the cliffs portion of the trail sound perilous, it wasn't that bad (although it was easy to lose the trail in the high grass). We also highly recommend the Kohua Ridge Trail (in the adventures section) -- we drove our rented Jeep Wrangler all the way to the trailhead, which was an adventure in and of itself becuase the road was VERY muddy and included a stream crossing, but it was a blast getting there and the trail (though only 5 miles roundtrip) led to amazing canyon views (contrary to the local we followed up the road who advised us that we "wouldn't see anything" on such a short trail.) One day we also hiked the Kuku'i Trail and the Honopu Trail -- both were relatively short but difficult for different reasons. The Kuku'i Trail drops steeply to the bottom of the canyon, which we thought would be cool. It wasn't. If what you want is views, you should stop and turn back before entering the forest. If you want bug bites and to get lost in head-high grass, keep going. As for the Honopu Trail, the view was socked in by fog by the time we got to the end so we can't say whether it was worth it -- the trail is VERY difficult to follow (follow the path with the most white and blue tags, the orange and pink tags can lead you astray) and I would recommend bringing a GPS that leaves tracks because somehow you can even get lost on the way back. In addition, heed the warning to WEAR PANTS. We only saw one other group on this trail, and the leader was a local. We thought it was fun figuring out where to go and getting lost, but if that isn't your thing, the view from Nualolo seemed just as good. We also did the 4X4 Miloli Ridge Road -- again a great view and it was fun to drive this muddy road. Finally, we took the "road" to Polihale Beach. The beach is gorgeous (although the surf is VERY strong, so we couldn't go in) but the road was unbelievably rough, I wouldn't try it without a high-clearance vehicle, preferably a rental.

Wailua River: We took the book's advice and rented our own kayaks to kayak the river and hike to the falls. We did not, however, follow the advice for an early start and as a result, we ended up being at the falls at the same time as multiple tour groups, which was a bummer. We kayaked in relative peace though, so that was a bonus. The falls are good and it was fun to get right under them, so we still recommend it. The trail was short, but quite muddy. We also took a side path to what seemed to be an abandoned botanical garden (thanks to Cole at Wailua Kayak Adventures for that tip!)

Napali Coast: What can I say, it was a wonderful hike. We didn't have time to backpack in and it was winter, so we had no chance of doing the full trail out and back in one day (not enough hours of light). Instead, we hiked to the Hanakoa Falls junction and then turned back. We started at 7:45 a.m. and we only saw a few people on the trail, all of whom were backpackers and most of whom were on their way back. The weather was perfect on the way out and although the trail was very muddy and steep, we had hiking sticks and it was no problem. We tried to take the side-trip to Hanakoa Falls and I wouldn't recommend it. The "trail" is really just a series of stream crossings and we didn't find a big falls. We actually think part of the falls was dried up, at least that's what it looked like when we looked back. It was disappointing. We talked to some other hikers who said they had the same experience. Unfortunatley, the last two miles on the trip back was ruined by the large number of completely unprepared tourists on the trail. By then, it had rained hard for about 20 minutes and the trail conditions had turned from bad to worse in terms of mud. We were fine because we had hiking sticks and boots. I was shocked to see people wearing sandals and carrying tiny babies in slings and small children on their shoulders. It was SLICK and people were falling on their butt all over the place.

Hiking in Kauai is wonderful, but by no means easy. The trails were steep, narrow and generally muddy -- expect that the hikes will take longer than what you expect. Our hiking sticks were key -- when we did see people, they usually commented on how they wished they had sticks. The trails also had many downed trees and the brush was prickly--pants would have been nice on almost every trail we went on (and I would say REQUIRED on the Honopu Trail).

As for restaurants, we were always starving by the end of the day, but we didn't find the food in Kauai to be that great. Our best (and most expensive) meal was the Beachhouse, followed (to my suprise) by Keoki's Paradise. The Pomodoro Italian place was disappointing (though my husband did like the lasagne). The Puka Dogs were great, if you like dogs. I didn't really enjoy my meal at Roy's, but my husband raved about the short ribs. Poipu Beach Broiler was also quite mediocre.

All in all, Kauai was great, the book was great and I highly recommend both.

Not what I expected - I am wary of any guidebook that lists chain restaurants like Cold Stone Creamery! Plus, I prefer recommendations for restaurants, shopping, things to do listed by part of town, not category.

This is a fantastic guidebook. Don't waste money on other ones. Written by locals who take great care to describe everything (beaches, accommodations, activities, etc.) so that you can make an informed decision on where to spend your time and money. I will definitely use their guidebooks when I visit other islands!

If you plan to visit Kauai you would be crazy not to have this book, plain and simple.
One thing they forgot to mention was how the sun is hot and that you probably shouldn't rent a convertable, and not wear a hat to make things worse (ouch!).
While we were on the island we saw lots of other people toting this book and chuckled each time. How else would you know to stop at Jo-Jo's Clubhouse!?
Enjoy.

We found that the island is overrun by tourist, who (in general) spend the majority of their non-vacationing lives on the sofa. Keep in mind that at any time, there are 1.5 to 2 times more tourists than local residents on the island. While vacations should be a break from the norm, this guidebook enables and encourages tourists to go well beyond their normal sphere of knowledge. While the guides do stress that common sense should be applied and that the island "is not Disneyland," most tourists are not heeding the warning and are more focused on experiencing all of the gems identified in the book.

On a high surf day, we witnessed multiple families not content to watch and, more importantly, not aware of incredibly dangerous waves. These hardy (and clueless) souls were intent on entering a natural pool for a snorkling experience. Completely disregarding the crashing waves and warnings from locals and other tourists, several people proceeded along a ledge (in the direction of the pool) that was pounded by waves and then taken by surprise when the surf soaked them. While the authors are certainly not responsible for the actions of these tourists, it hardly does a service to the island or its residents to encourage the overwhelming tourist population to put themselves in harms way in the name of truly experiencing the island. There should be a recognition that many tourists do not have sufficient experience with the dangers of the ocean to make a sound decision on the safety of something as simple as walking between two points. The book admits that several interesting locations have been removed due to liability issues. This should hardly be a surprise given the tourist drive to see and do everything without regard to safety and the American approach to litigation. Out of respect for locals, who seemed to be out numbered 20:1 at most "gem" locations, and the dangers posed by the natural environment, the authors should re-evaluate how they approach putting together a guidebook.

With regard to the criticism on the ONO ratings, many people seem to have insanely high dining expectations for a location that is so remote and not at all self sufficient. While it is the Garden Island, Kauai imports massively to support the tourist demand. The location and import situation explain the high prices...and well, you're a tourist. Also, with poi as a staple, the island diet is hardly one with flair. If you are looking for amazing food, try the daily farmer's markets and enjoy the fruits of the island. These are worthwhile.

While visiting, please keep in mind that the island's tourist make up the majority of the population. Be respectful of the locals. Be aware of your consumption. The island's landfill (not in the guidebook) is estimated to be full in 2009. Think about the impact of your trip on this beautiful place. And, remember, that the goal of vacation should be to escape everyday life...but not common sense.

We found that the island is overrun by tourist, who (in general) spend the majority of their non-vacationing lives on the sofa. Keep in mind that at any time, there are 1.5 to 2 times more tourists than local residents on the island. While vacations should be a break from the norm, this guidebook enables and encourages tourists to go well beyond their normal sphere of knowledge. While the guides do stress that common sense should be applied and that the island "is not Disneyland," most tourists are not heeding the warning and are more focused on experiencing all of the gems identified in the book.

On a high surf day, we witnessed multiple families not content to watch and, more importantly, not aware of incredibly dangerous waves. These hardy (and clueless) souls were intent on entering a natural pool for a snorkling experience. Completely disregarding the crashing waves and warnings from locals and other tourists, several people proceeded along a ledge (in the direction of the pool) that was pounded by waves and then required rescue. While the authors are certainly not responsible for the actions of these tourists, it hardly does a service to the island or its residents to encourage the overwhelming tourist population to put themselves in harms way in the name of truly experiencing the island. There should be a recognition that many tourists do not have sufficient experience with the dangers of the ocean to make a sound decision on the safety of something as simple as walking between two points. The book admits that several interesting locations have been removed due to liability issues. This should hardly be a surprise given the tourist drive to see and do everything without regard to safety and the American approach to litigation. Out of respect for locals, who seemed to be out numbered 20:1 at most "gem" locations, and the dangers posed by the natural environment, the authors should re-evaluate how they approach putting together a guidebook.

With regard to the criticism on the ONO ratings, many people seem to have insanely high dining expectations for a location that is so remote and not at all self sufficient. While it is the Garden Island, Kauai imports massively to support the tourist demand. The location and import situation explain the high prices...and well, you're a tourist. Also, with poi as a staple, the island diet is hardly one with flair. If you are looking for amazing food, try the daily farmer's markets and enjoy the fruits of the island. These are worthwhile.

While visiting, please keep in mind that the island's tourist make up the majority of the population. Be respectful of the locals. Be aware of your consumption. The island's landfill (not in the guidebook) is estimated to be full in 2009. Think about the impact of your trip on this beautiful place. And, remember, that the goal of vacation should be to escape everyday life...but not common sense.

This is a great book for a first time visitor. It has tons of maps and information about everything including beaches, hiking trails, stuff to do and see, restaurants, lodgings, and where to buy groceries. (We expected it to be an awesome book as we already bought Hawaii Revealed before we went to the Big Island and used the books numerous times every day.) This book is written by folks who have "been there and done that" and they don't get funds from anybody to write what they write, so it is very honest, and also humorous and an easy read. The directions to get to some of the "secret" places are totally accurate. If you only buy one book before you visit Kauai, buy this one.

Not only does this book really give you great places to eat, stay, activities - but it lets you know "gems" all over Kauai that you wouldn't know about any other way.

Beaches, trails, overlooks - a definite must have when going to the beautiful "garden isle"

This is the best guidebook I have ever used. It was like having a resident assist you on your whole trip. We saw much more of Kauai's hidden gems than we would have otherwise. We tended to agree with the dining recommendations - although restaurant quality is subject to change and we recognize this problem. Overall, I would not travel to Kauai without this book. We also used his book on Oahu and found it equally beneficial and we will be purchasing his book on the Big Island before we head there next year.

This will be our first trip to Kauai and reading this book made me even more anxious to get there.

I really like the layout of the book and the wealth of information that is provides. It is very easy reading too.

We began with The Ultimate Ohau Guidebook, same author.
These books are the best out there. The author is very candid about sights, activities, restaurants and other points of interest. His humor makes the reading easy and sometimes entertaining. You do not get the usual tourist book everything-is-wonderful approach. Stuffed with many very helpful hints.

Great book. Helped us get around Kauai very nicely! Only confusing area is the maps. I think it can be organized better with references to pages on where the other maps are in relation to the map you are looking at. Instead all of the maps are strewn about the book. Makes one need to thumb through it to find a location. Overall though, Well done.

As a resedent of Kauai I am always shocked at the advice that this book gives our visitors. This book lists beaches that are dangerous as good places to swim, tells of very advanced (hunting) hiking trails as being good for a family hike, etc...
I urge our visitors to please take advice from your concierges and local travel magazines rather than this book.

This is a terrific guidebook, but it's EVERYWHERE on the island. Everytime I saw a tourist carrying a guidebook, it was this one. So don't buy it thinking you're going to get the inside scoop on any hidden gems. It does have nice maps and driving directions though.

The blue books are the best guides of any of them to get around the islands.

written by folks who live in Kauai. gives good tips based on real experience and has some humor. you cannot expect to take this to Kauai and just browse it like any other guide book. you need to get this book a month before your travel and actually read it. over all its a very good book, well written.

I am so happy with this guide. It is very informative and will be very useful on our trip to the islands.

Great book. We bought an earlier version on our first trip to Kauai and it was so helpful we bought the updated version. It is the most accurate guidebook we have ever used. This author has never steered us wrong on condos, restaurants, shopping and tourist sites. He has told us where to get the best snorkeling gear and where to rent bikes. We spent our vacation doing the things we love instead of looking for things in the yellow pages.

I went to Kauai for the first time in September. Of course, purchased this book before we went. There are definitely pros and cons to this book. It was definitely helpful while touring around Kauai, very informative about the area and things to see on the Island so for that I was very grateful to have it while on vacation.

On the other hand, I disagreed with a lot of their opinions (specifically the horsback riding company that they loved so much and a few of their restaurant choices). I thought they gave out their "Onos" a little too freely (for example, they gave an Ono to the Wrangler Steakhouse, which was not good at all - I don't think a place with that much fat in their steak sandwich deserves on "Ono".) My husband and I are "food snobs" when it comes to vacation so if you are anything like us, you would probably agree that some of the "favorite" restaurants in this book are not so good.

All in all though, I would suggest getting this book if you are going to use it as a guide to what to see and where to go as far as the sights are concerned. It did have a lot of good, useful information on the differents areas of Kauai.

This book is a great guide to a place you are excited to visit. It has great ideas and was sincere with their comments.
Probably one of the best I have come across and was recommended by a local from Hawaii!