Andrew Doughty

The eye-catching graphic design of the front cover is not an accurate predictor of the book’s contents. Unimpressive photos, made even worse by the $39.95 price tag on the back. I’m not sure how even a blind person could take forgettable pics in an area so beautiful, but this duo managed to do it. Most look slightly out of focus / borderline pixelated, as though they were never intended to be shown on full pages. Almost like looking at a vacationer’s photo album. Very few closeup photos of the unique flora; unimaginative landscape photos; nice wave / beach photos; forgettable lava photos; one remarkable two-page photo of a huge, gorgeous piece of driftwood (more like an entire tree); not a single photo of an animal. Yes, I wrote that last part correctly. Did a huge jolt of radiation kill off or scare off all the animals while these photos were being taken?… (més)

Just like Maui revealed, this is a terrific travel book. I read the entire thing (well, most of it) on the plane ride over and the girl in the row I was sitting with also was reading it at the same time. The same stuff that rocks in the Maui book is here - fair recommendations, good suggestions on where to go and what to avoid. It doesn't feel like a commercial and is funny at times. I had an incredible time with my partner in no small part thanks to this book! Thanks to Eric Haight for lending to me.… (més)