This is a cheesy way to review, but I'd second the review of September 11, 2008 by sagustocox, although I would - and did - rate it more highly. It obviously isn't great literature but, for what it is, a travel guide, it's a wonderful, helpful book delivering exactly what the title promises.

We found the book on our first trip to Hawaii. I remember two memorable places particularly that we never would have found on our own. The first day we were on Kauai, we were looking for breakfast and Hidden Hawaii had a review of a restaurant in a semi industrial area. The macadamia nut pancakes melted in your mouth. Fresh squeezed OJ. Inexpensive. What's not to like?

The other place also was on Kauai and it was a beach reached by going through a farm field (with a sign noting permission and conditions) about half a mile. We came out on a bluff and below was a very isolated large beach on a bay surrounded by palms with only one house in view about a half mile away on a point. We stayed the entire afternoon and never saw anyone else (not that we are snobs...). Unbelievably delightful and, again, we never would have found it by ourselves, nor would we have gone down the unpaved road if we had driven by it.

We have loaned the book, now getting a bit old, to several friends going to Hawaii at various times as recently as 2010 and they found HH very helpful as well.

Time to pack up. Where is my Speedo? ( )

Ray Riegert's Hidden Hawaii published by Ulysses Press incorporates full-bleed photos of the Pacific Ocean, lava flows, on the outside and inside of the book. I claimed this travel guide from the Mini Book Expo for Bloggers because my husband and I have been talking about a vacation to Hawaii since before we got married six years ago. Ideally, that would have been our honeymoon of choice, but money was unavailable at the time for that kind of vacation, so we went somewhere closer for our honeymoon--Jamaica. Now that we are older and wiser and are willing to plan ahead, we are looking toward our goal, Hawaii, and hopefully, Kauai.

This travel guide is larger than I would like to take along with me on the streets as a handbook for exploration, but then again I carry a large SLR and other photographic equipment. However, this book does have a lot to offer tourists interested in a trip to the island chain.

The white and green pages provide readers with a crisp, clean page to read, and the contents are broken down by island--Oahu, Big Island, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and Kauai. One of the best parts of this travel guide is that it not only tells the reader the touristy locations that are "must see," but also the hidden aspects of the islands. For instance, in Waikiki, one of the most well-known attractions is Diamond Head. One of the hidden treasures of Waikiki highlighted in the book, which peaked my interest, is Queen Kapiolani Hibiscus Garden where tour buses do not have a place to stop, but tourists can spend the day in splendor picnicking.

Hidden Hawaii not only describes the major hotel chains in Hawaii, but some of the smaller hotels and bed and breakfasts. It also contains green and white maps broken down by particular regions and various coastlines, which will help tourists orient themselves. Some of the maps outline streets, and many of them are dotted with attractions.

I would love to see the Star of the Sea Painted Church on the Big Island for myself, which is another of the hidden treasures that can be found in this book. According to the book, a Belgian priest painted murals of religious scenes inside the church, which reminded me of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling in Italy painted by Michelangelo. This church must be a sight to see.

From outdoor activities like kayaking in the ocean to hiking to tennis, this book has something for everyone, even those just interested in lying on the beaches and getting a suntan. There are favorite tourist night spots and those that are hidden.

My husband and I enjoyed looking through the book and picking out the hidden spots and the more well-known spots we would like to see on our trip someday, but we were a bit disappointed that there weren't too many photos of the islands and some the parks, destinations, museums, activities, and the like. All of the photos in the book are at the beginning. If I had to pick a drawback, that would be it.

This book is for tourists interested in the hidden side of the islands and the tourist attractions. I would recommend it as a starting guide for a trip to Hawaii. ( )