[.ca] Maui For Dummies (ISBN 0470008717)

Indispensable:
If you have never been to Maui, this resource is really top-notch. I am a big fan of the "for Dummies" resources because they do such a tremendous job of giving you tertiary but vital information. Sometimes the web can be a great resource, but to get unbiased, synthesized information, books like this one are great. Especially if you are into traveling. While researching a wedding and honeymoon on Maui, this book was great and put my fiancee and I on the right track for planning everything from our rehearsal dinner to the wedding on Kapalua Bay Beach. You can find out where to stay, what to do, what to eat, and you will not be dissapointed. This is a fair and balanced travel guide that really comes through. A Joseph Dworak

Don't buy this book!:
Get MAUI REVEALED...not Maui for Dummies...you'll feel like a dummy after buying this book like I did, what a waste! You can get the same info. online for FREE. Better yet, go to a AAA travel agent for more info., they're VERY HELPFUL! No, I am not affiliated or work for them, just a member! The book gives BASICS that again can be found online with just a little bit of research. Large section of book just gives hotel listings...waste of pages, give me more "local" info.!

Big Mistakes:
Two of the biggest mistakes I've ever made were buying this book and the Maui Revealed. They both were smooshy and fuzzy and didn't at all help me find anything other than the popular sites where EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE from Arkansas to Missoula to Hoboken to Dallas go. Get me away from the white sock crowd!! My advice is to research Maui on the internet before (the hotels especially} you go and buy a few maps so you can understand the road system. If you like to surf, book a hotel near Paia. The Haiku area is real nice.

Actually a good book:
Don't listen to the San Jose guy, he doesn't know what he's talking about. If you look at the table of contents, you will see that the hotel listings only take up 12 of the 300 pages of information. And the information is different from a AAA Guidebook (which I have in addition to this one). For example, the AAA book will say something like "313 units, some with whirlpools" and that is about as descriptive as it gets. The Dummies book will mention something like "You're welcome to pick fruit, vegetables, or flowers from the extensive garden" or "for maximum peace and quiet, ask for a unit removed from the Kihei Road." The Dummies book also points out "Kid Friendly" and "Bargain Alert" hotels. I think the information in this book is priceless, and yes, some of the info can be found on the internet, but you can say that for ANY information book. So why do you get the AAA book? So you can have all the info in one place. Why would you get this book? To get all the info in one place, without the online ads. I also think the reviews of the restaurants are great. If you can, open up the book at a local bookstore and read some of it. You will see that its information is better than most of the other guidebooks. The store I went to did not have Driving and Discovering Maui, so I ordered it online. The reason is that the Dummies book, although filled with great maps, does not have any color photos. That's why I gave it a 4 instead of a 5.