Fodors 2006 and Compass Guide- New Year, Same Guides
Fodor’s Guides are the gold standard of travel books for the general public. Sure, Lonely Planet’s are incredible for the backpacking and under-30 crowd. And Frommer’s are quite detailed, with a little more cultural information. Some swear by the Rough Guides, rapidly emerging as a decent alternative.
We checked out Fodor’s 2006 Guide to Hawaii, as well as their sister publication Compass American Guide to Hawaii (6th Edition). The Compass Guide features a lot of pictures, and is far more heavy on outdoors and nature info, where the basic Fodor’s attempts to put it together in an all-around package. Both cover hotels, dining, and various entertainment options, but the Fodor’s guide is much thicker and denser.
Our reviewers found the Compass Guide to be a little confusing, as it’s layout divides Oahu into “Honolulu and Waikiki” and “Greater Oahu”- and puts them near the end of the book. The History & Culture section of the Compass though, put the standard Fodor’s to shame.
Fodor’s Hawaii 2006 features quite a few updates, and was pretty accurate- though the restaurant reviews, as usual for travel guides, are hit and miss. For instance, they mention that it “goes without saying that Starbucks and Jamba Juice are everywhere”- but fail to mention the many chains that are hard to find on Oahu. Even Krispy Kreme Donuts only has a single outlet- on Maui!
Both guides fail to fully capture the divisions of Hawaii- the Japanese influences, the Hawaiian cultural battles, the boom and busts of farming. But they do a great job getting tourists ready for the beaches and clubs, which is, after all, the main point. If the articles on pidgin are lacking (or absent from the indexes), the flora and fauna guide in the Compass is top-notch. Bottom line: they are both bargains, at $20 for the Fodor’s and $23 for the Compass- but you only need one of them, depending on whether you’re here for nature… or for anything else.
