Hawaii Revealed: Travel Guide for Pc

Very nice resource for travels to paradise! Sold as a “companion” to the book (which I bought first), it is essentially identical to the book (as far as I can tell?), which kinda makes the book itself obsolete... so bear that in mind if you’re looking at both this and the ebook. One star subtracted because I wanted to use this both on my iPad and my iPhone... the tablet while on the plane (or lanai!), phone while out & about. It works beautifully on both devices, BUT: favorites aren’t synced! So I’ve ended up with essentially two parallel resources that I have to reconcile manually. The website says they’re working on it... but I think that’s a semi-major gap (at least IMHO). Since I’ve signed up for an account, can’t the two devices just “talk?” Overall nice work... if the device syncing worked, this would be a solid 5-star review.

I purchased the Big Island Revealed book and found it to be such a wealth of knowledge that I also checked out the app. With all the recent changes in the Big Island with the 2018 eruption, I was hoping to find updated information from the printed book, but the sections are the same. If you prefer an app to a book, this would be a great resource. However, personally, I prefer the book because it has more maps and guidance so you have a better understanding of where things are. The app has a map but you have to zoom in close to see the mile markers and you lose the view of the whole island. I also found the book better organized for the way i personally think. The only benefit of the app is that you can save favorites which might be easier to access on a trip instead of carrying a book with you. I realize they did add a section on the lava flow update, but the information was provided in the free version. I was hoping for more detailed information on how to visit volcano National Park post-2018 and where in Puna we can legally and respectfully see the effects of the 2018 lava flow. This is a great resource if you do NOT have the book, but not necessary if you do.

Update: it's working much better since the latest release. I’ve been using their books and the old apps for years and find them indispensable. It’s taken me a while to get used to the new app, but I always have a learning curve when faced with software updates too. This is a visually beautiful app. It started out pretty buggy. I think they released it a bit too soon. But they’ve been addressing most of the problems and their customer service has been very responsive… something I greatly appreciate in this age when most companies’ idea of customer service is to direct you to their forums where other customer have the same questions you do. My main issues are with the maps (the old app maps were so much better) and having the app subscription default to auto-renew (though their FAQs do tell you how to cancel that). But it’s still a really good and useful app when you're out and about in the islands, especially if used in conjunction with the books.

This app made such a huge positive impact on my recent the app vacation! Visiting these islands can get very overwhelming because there is so much to do. As much as I didn’t want to look up places so I could freely explore and find things on my own, it’s almost just impossible to do that in the app. I went to three islands and every thing I read in this app was totally on point! It’s a very helpful tool to guide you through your trip so you don’t waste time at places you won’t like or enjoy. If there are 20 places to snorkel and they mention the top 3 places then I’m going to go to those to see the most marine life :) The app was completely accurate about all the food places too. It is organized so perfectly with filters so you can choose what you want and where you want it and other details! Other categories like beaches have filters too so you find the best one for you. I also went with their recommendation of the best dolphin tour and luau and was not disappointed! I respect their honesty about all the companies sooo much. I totally recommend this app to those travelers who like planning out their trip but also to those who like to wing it. Most mornings I would wake up and see what I’m in the mood for a check the app to see what my options are. Thank you so much to the writers and creators of this genius app. You have done all the hard work for us so we don’t waste any time on our Hawaiian vacation!