Table of Contents

A Note from Pauline. 1 The Best of Hawaii. A Brief Summary of the Islands. Best Sights, Attractions & Activities. Best People-Watching Beaches. Best Secluded Beaches. Best Beaches If You're a Kid. Best Beaches for Ocean Sports. Best Active Experiences. Best "Other Hawaii" Activities. Best Places to Eat. 2 Kauai: Hawaii's Garden of Eden. Don't Leave Kauai Without. A Brief History.8 Lay of the Land. Getting To & Around Kauai. Accommodations, Both Standard & Not. Dining for All Tastes. Why You're Here: Kauai's Beaches. The Top Sights & Attractions. The Other Kauai. Active Kauai. Attention, Shoppers! Nightlife on Kauai. 3 Oahu: The Main Draw. Don't Leave Oahu Without. A Brief History. Lay of the Land. Getting To & Around Oahu. Accommodations, Both Standard & Not. Dining for All Tastes. Why You're Here: Oahu's Beaches. The Top Sights & Attractions. The Other Oahu. Active Oahu. Attention, Shoppers! Nightlife on Oahu. 4 Molokai: The Real Hawaii. Don't Leave Molokai Without. A Brief History. Lay of The Land. Getting To & Around Molokai. Accommodations, Both Standard & Not. Dining for All Tastes. Why You're Here: Molokai's Beaches. The Top Sights & Attractions. The Other Molokai. Active Molokai. Attention, Shoppers! Nightlife on Molokai. 5 Lanai: From Tropical Fruit to Tourism. Don't Leave Lanai Without. A Brief History. The Lay of the Land. Getting To & Around Lanai. Accommodations, Both Standard & Not. Dining for All Tastes. Why You're Here: Lanai's Beaches. The Top Sights & Attractions. The Other Lanai. Active Lanai. Attention, Shoppers! 6 Maui: Hawaii's Most Celebrated Island. Don't Leave Maui Without. A Brief History. Lay of the Land. Getting To & Around Maui. Accommodations, Both Standard & Not. Dining for All Tastes. Why You're Here: Maui's Beaches. The Top Sights & Attractions. The Other Maui. Active Maui. Attention, Shoppers!. Nightlife on Maui. 7 Hawaii: The Big Island. Don't Leave the Big Island Without. A Brief History. Lay of the Land. Getting To & Around the Big Island. Accommodations, Both Standard & Not. Dining for All Tastes. Why You're Here: The Big Island's Beaches. The Top Sights & Attractions. The Other Big Island. Active Hawaii. Attention, Shoppers! Nightlife on the Big Island. 8 The Essentials of Planning. When to Visit. Entry Requirements. Customs Regulations. Finding a Good Airfare to Hawaii. The How-Tos of Home Exchanges. Packing. Money Matters. Travel Insurance. Health & Safety. Specialized Travel Resources. Brides & Grooms. Pets. Staying Wired (or Wireless) While Away. Recommended Reading. 9 Hawaiian Terms & Phrases. The Hawaiian Alphabet. Common Hawaiian Terms. A Hawaiian Seafood Primer. 10 The Natural Wonder That Is Hawaii. Birds. Sea Life. The Flora of the Islands. Index.

About the Author

A resident of the Big Island, Jeanette Foster has skied the slopes of Mauna Kea-during a Fourth of July ski meet, no less-and gone scuba diving with manta rays off the Kona Coast. A prolific writer widely published in travel, sports, and adventure magazines, she's also a contributing editor to Hawaii magazine, the editor of Zagat's Survey to Hawaii's Top Restaurants, and the Hawaii chapter author of 1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. and Canada Before You Die. In addition to writing this guide, Jeanette is the author of Frommer's Maui; Frommer's Kauai; Frommer's Hawaii with Kids; Frommer's Portable Big Island; Frommer's Honolulu, Waikiki & Oahu; Frommer's Maui & Lanai Day by Day; and Frommer's Honolulu & Oahu Day by Day. Pauline Frommer is the creator of the award winning Pauline Frommer's Guides. Pauline Frommer's London and Pauline Frommer's New York City were named "Best Guidebook of the Year" (in 2006 and 2007 respectively) by the North American Travel Journalists Association. She is also a recipient of a Lowell Thomas Medal from the Society of American Travel Writers for her magazine work, and a Webby Peoples Voice award for her work as the first editor of Frommers.com. Every Sunday, she cohosts "The Travel Show" with her father Arthur Frommer, now heard on over 100 radio stations across the United States. On Wednesdays, she appears on CNNOnline to discuss the latest travel trends; you may also have seen her discussing travel on Today, The Early Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The O'Reilly Factor, The CBS Evening News, CNN, FOX, and MSNBC. Pauline pens a bi-weekly column for MSN.com and contributed a chapter to the book The Experts Guide to Babies on traveling with children. She is married to physical therapist Mahlon Stewart and the proud mother of two very well traveled daughters, Veronice (age 9) and Beatrix (age 5). Big Island-based journalist David Thompson grew up in Hawaii and writes about what goes on there for publications such as Honolulu Magazine and Hana Hou!, the in-flight magazine of Hawaiian Airlines.