Reviews (1)

Compact indeed, but so well done!
The publisher has the bad habit of hiding the names of authors of their compact guides, let me rectify this:
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Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - South Pacific    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. Tahiti    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (21)

Don't go to Tahiti without it
Jan Prince's book Tahiti & French Polynesia Guide is undoubtedly one of the best books on Tahiti out there. If you're planning a trip to Tahiti and don't already have it, I suggest you buy it immediately. Between this book and True Tahiti Vacations, our incredible travel agent in Moorea, we planned the honeymoon of our dreams. Now, I'm using the book again to plan our vacation back to Tahiti this year. Thank you Jan!

Stereotyping by an expat
My husband and I went to Moorea two weeks ago to visit my daughter, who was doing research there.I bought this book on the strength of the reviews on Amazon.
One of the best travel guides
Took this book to French Polynesia in Sept. 2005 and found it to be very helpful.I always buy 4-5 travel books for each destination, read them all during the planning stage, and then take 1 or 2 on the trip with me.I found this book to be very accurate and extremely helpful.We referred to it many times while on the trip.Don't miss this one if you're going to French Polynesia! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. French Polynesia    4. Guidebooks    5. Tahiti    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (16)

Tahiti: Including the Cook Islands by David Stanley
I have started reading the book. There are some interresting sections and others no so interresting. The book seems to be complete in that it publishes everything you ever wanted to know about French Polynesia's past and the surrounding area, including the Cook Islands and the Marquesas. Remember that this book covers 3.600 square miles of the south Pacific, so it is not particularly specific to any island, or even group of islands. It covers a triangular section from Hawaii to the North, New Zealand to the southwest and Easter Island to the Southeast. I have not read the book long enough to see if there are recommendations on places to go, restaurants to eat in or places to see. I'll have a better fix on this as I continue. Bon Voyage!

Very useful each day of our trip!
An excellent guide to the islands of French Polynesia.We used it during the planning stages to pick our resorts and research the activities we might be interested in in Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora.Each day we were there, the book helped us plan our activities and learn more about the islands and what they had to offer.The island and Papeete city maps were of great use finding our way around.The book covers all islands of French Polynesia and the Cook Islands.I enjoyed reading about all the others we didn't visit.Will definitely take this our next trip down.Highly recommended.

The best guidebook for any kind of trip to Eastern Polynesia
During my two big trips through the South Pacific, I always had one of David Stanley's guidebooks in my backpack. Stanley has been writing guidebooks to these islands for almost 25 years. Like his other Pacific guides, this fifth edition of Tahiti Handbook (which includes the whole of French Polynesia, the Cook Islands and Easter Island) is completely packed with information for the traveller. Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Australasia, Oceania & Other Land Areas    6. Tahiti    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Editorial Review

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.Read more

Reviews (7)

Good, but needed more
I've used many Lonely Planet (LP) guides and found this one to be lacking their usual detail. I got the sense much hotel information was pilfered from Web surfing the basic info, rather than first-person investigation. While still a good book to take, next time (and there will be a next time because Tahiti is wonderful) I'll be sure take another guide along with it, and to thoroughly read actual travelers' online reviews. I'll also know the questions I need to ask before booking. My sense was that the reviewers weren't seeing things through the fresh-eyes of a first time traveler. The details, such as directions accommodation features were often lacking.

Excellant Guide book
This book did a wonderful job of not only preparing us for the journey, but help us get around.We have now been there three times to three difference islands, and each time it preformed well. Although with all travel books they get out to date in a year or two, you should always call a head to verify critical information. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - South Pacific    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. French Polynesia    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. South America    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. French Polynesia    6. Travel & holiday guides    7. Travel / South America   

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - South Pacific    2. Mexico    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. French Polynesia    6. Travel & holiday guides    7. Travel / Mexico   

Reviews (2)

Not horrible, but get the island-specific version instead
This book was all right. The intro general-info pages are really detailed (info for traveling with kids, international visitors, senior travelers, transportation options, etc.). However, there are scant few photos -- just a couple of pages' worth stuck in the middle, and they're more landscape-oriented than tourism-oriented, so they really aren't relevant to a guidebook. Frequently generic, omits any mass transit information for Oahu
I recently checked out this book (among others) from the local library prior to a trip to Oahu. For my trip, I was disappointed by this book, and found this to be one of the less-useful ones.
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Subjects:  1. Travel    2. Travel - United States    3. United States - Pacific - Hawaii    4. United States - West - Pacific (General)    5. Tahiti    6. Travel & holiday guides    7. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia/Oceania - South Pacific    3. South America    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Australasia    7. Pacific Ocean    8. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (19)

search for the new edition
A 5th edition of Moon Handbooks Tahiti: Including the Cook Islands (ISBN 1566914124) was published in September, 2003. Search for it on this site!

Good but too much unnecessary information
This book is good in a sense that it has a lot of information in it,mainly concentrated on history and ecology. However, what I was looking for is info on accomodation, places to eat, things to see, entertainment etc and this book does not provide a much explanation on those kind of things.

A little on the preachy side......
This book was informative, but was on the preachy side with respect to commentary on ecotourism, the history of the Polynesia and other topics.I consider myself a responsible tourist and found myself feeling guilty about even visiting Tahiti while reading this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - South Pacific    3. Caribbean & West Indies    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Australasia    7. Tahiti    8. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (3)

OK book for snorkeling advice
This book is ok for snorkeling advice. Mostly geared to diving. A lot of the descriptions of the locations for snorkeling where not accurate. I would recommend since you really do not have a choice.

Required reading
An excellent guide with supurb photos, invaluable to anyone planning to dive these islands. The layout is intelligent and very easy to follow, and the practical advice is well up to the standards I expect of LP. Useful Book!
This met my expectations quite well.A good overview of the area, followed by a review of the key dive spots in French Polynesia.Excellent phtography, including a good critter guide at the end.Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - South Pacific    3. Scuba & Snorkeling    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign   

Reviews (4)

Excellent information, very helpful
The excellent and detailed information helped me plan our stay on the Tahitian islands thoroughly. Especially the comments on the accomodation offerings were very valuable.

NOT a Honeymoon Guide
I bought a Tahiti guide book because I am going on my honeymoon and looking to read up on the islands that I will be visiting on that trip.This book did have some valuable information for me like good hiking trips and sights to see, tours and things of that nature, but the author's taste seems to be different from what mine would be when going on a honeymoon getaway.He never did claim it to be a honeymoon book, but Tahiti is a common destination for honeymooners so you would think that the book would include some of that type of information.When I think of my honeymoon, I don't think of staying in places that are off the beaten path in a foreign country, or in homes of families that take you in and you can stay in instead of a regular hotel (dangerous? I wouldn't do it in my own country).That may be up someone else's alley and if it is yours than this may be the book for you.I would think he were mentioning these places to stay to cover all bases for all types of budgets, but he puts them as "author favorites" and makes them seem as if they are the best on the island and it just seems a little crazy.This author is someone that this type of vacation appeals to.He focuses an awful lot on artifacts and history and those types of things to see in Tahiti, which is fine but a little excessive. He speaks of "well-heeled Americans with money to spend" with a hint of resentment when talking about the nice luxury resorts that are available to stay in or the nice restaurants.You can tell he is almost annoyed by all the tourism that has popped up, especially in Bora Bora.I would say skip this book and get the Open Road Tahiti & French Polynesia Guide, it is way better.

Not Very Helpful
I just returned from a trip to Tahiti and Moorea and used this book. So my feedback is specifically for those two islands. I must say the book was very spotty in terms of the quality of recommendations and its comprehensiveness. First, many of the locations that were recommended(restaurants/sights) were hit or miss. Second, I was so frustrated with the book that I went to restaurants that were unlisted and found them to be 100 times better that the author's recommendations. Which raised serious questions, "why weren't these restaurants listed in the book?" Moorea has a very limited number of restaurants and thus no restaurant should be excluded (Note: The restaurant was not new and the owner said it had been around for many years - just in case you were wondering).Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast    2. Australia & Oceania - South Pacific    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Tahiti    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Essays & Travelogues    2. General    3. Travel    4. Travel - General    5. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. Essays & Travelogues    2. Travel    3. Travel - General   

Features

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Subjects:  1. world's most travel destinations   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign   

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Special Interest - Adventure    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY   

Reviews (1)

The Tahiti-Polynesia Handbook Review by Garry Hawkins
Have you ever wanted to travel to Tahiti, but thought it might be tooexpensive? Did you want to experience the Polynesia of Gauguin andBougainville, but thought it had gone forever? Did you think that islandarchipelagoes such as the Gambiers, Tuamotus and the Societies were beyondyour reach?Well, David Stanley's 'Tahiti Polynesia Handbook' will dispelmany of the myths you may have heard about this far flung corner of theSouth Pacific. Stanley's first law of independent travel, is that "the more you spend, the less you experience". This holds true forTahiti Polynesia as much as anywhere else. Why would you want to stay in aluxury hotel on Bora Bora, which merely creates Waikiki Beach for twice theprice?Discover the real Polynesia: be amazed by the myriad colours atPapeete Market. Take 'Le Truck' to travel and meet the Tahitians at workand play. Adjust to island time by taking the slow boat to Moorea:experience the surreal majesty of Matavai Bay on departure and the awesomebackdrop that is Mount Rotui as it looms above the deep green of Cook's Bayon arrival.All this and much more is detailed in the Tahiti-PolynesiaHandbook. Where to go? What to see? What to do? How to get there? Theintroductory historical, socio-political, economic and environmental andeven gastronomical chapters, answer all of the questions you could everpossibly ask about the islands of Polynesia. Subsequent chapters are fulluseful hints and tips, aircraft/boat and bus timetables, maps,illustrations, artistic impressions and quotations about this fascinatinggroup of islands. There is also a sprinkling of excellent colourphotographs, though more of these wouldn't come amiss!I was originallyintroduced to the South Pacific through Stanley's much larger volume, theSouth Pacific Handbook. The Tahiti Polynesia Handbook is small enough tofit into your backpack, yet light enough to avoid excess baggage charges!Having read the book, I now feel the urge to explore outer Polynesia inmuch greater depth. Names such as Huahine, Raiatea, Rapa Iti, Rangiroa andFatu Hiva are now within MY reach.Leave the tourist hordes behind andbecome an independent traveller; experience Tahiti-Polynesia for yourselfand get a copy of David Stanley's Tahiti-Polynesia Handbook. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania    2. Australia/Oceania - South Pacific    3. Reference - General    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Australasia    7. Polynesia    8. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (2)

An extrodinary real life look at Polynesian people & places.
White Savages in the South Seas is a candid look at the not so glamourous lives of real people living in the South Pacific.This book is filled with fasinating characters like Susy No Pants and interesting adventures.Theirstories are well written with great passion and witty humor.I enjoyedevery moment.

Much more than a travel expose....loaded with wit & reality
A thinking person's look at life in the South Pacific as seen through the eyes of an imaginative and involved participant in life. You'll laugh and you'll cry and you will get an insight into the lives of many unusual andcolorful people. Definitely not a "travel book," but rather acarefully written volumne which will forever effect the way you see life inthe South Pacific. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. Cook Islands    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Homes and haunts    5. Kernahan, Mel    6. Social life and customs    7. South America    8. Tahiti    9. Travel    10. Travel - General   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Travel