Book Description
From lagoon swimming in the Cook Islands to witnessing the race of the banana bearers in the Heiva i Tahiti festival, travelers will find the best of the South Pacific—both popular and obscure—in this guidebook. Moon Handbooks South Pacific provides in-depth coverage of outdoor recreation, with specifics on swimming, diving, yachting, kayaking, biking, hiking, camping, climbing, caving, and horseback riding. Complete with helpful maps, photographs and illustrations, as well as useful advice on practicalities such as food, entertainment, shopping, visas, money, health, packing, and inter-island travel, this guidebook offers the tools you need for a uniquely personal experience.
Customer Reviews:
Moon Handbooks South Pacific.......2007-07-17
Moon Handbooks South Pacific is the ultimate overview for traveling on any of the island groups of the South Pacific. This 1091 paged book is full of detailed travel information but is still practical sized to tuck in a daypack for easy reference. Furthermore, this book has plenty of fairly detailed maps, complete with accurate distance scales, for easy travel planning or reference while you travel.
There are eighteen chapters in Moon Handbooks South Pacific: Introduction; Exploring the Islands; French Polynesia; Pitcairn Islands; Easter Islands; Cook Islands; Niue; Kingdom of Tonga; American Samoa; Samoa; Tokelau; Wallis and Futuna, Tuvalu; Fiji Islands; New Caledonia; Vanuatu; Solomon Islands, and Resources. The introduction chapter contains an overview on the South Pacific area. This detailed information includes geology, climate, flora, fauna, history, economy, and the government of these islands. The next chapter, Exploring the Islands, contains general information on sports and recreation; entertainment; public holidays and festivals; arts and crafts; accommodations; and food as well as contacts for information and services; health; getting there; and getting around while in the south pacific. This chapter also includes a what to take section. The Resources chapter contains further information on suggested readings and internet resources.
The rest of the chapters in Moon Handbooks South Pacific focus on particular geographical regions, islands, or groups of islands within the South Pacific island groups. The first paragraph or page of each regional section describes a little about the region. After this overview, individual sights, recreation areas, special events, accommodations, food services, information services, and transportation services are depicted in detail. Depending on the size and general amount of facilities in a given region, there may be only one or two entries per category or over a dozen. Each entry contains the location, contacts, costs, and a short paragraph description of the facility or event featured. Several black and white maps and photographs accompany each section, clearly marked with the various facilities described in that particular section.
Moon Handbooks South Pacific is a helpful guide for anyone planning on traveling to any of the islands of the South Pacific island groups. Very complete key information is provided for easy reference while planning or while travel. However, this book may also be just as interesting for the armchair traveler as this book contains ample information about the natural environment, history, and culture on these beautiful islands.
Incredibly Useful Guide.......2005-11-28
As one of the editors of Travelers' Tales 30 Days in the South Pacific, I found David Stanley's Moon Handbook, South Pacific to be an indispensible guide during a recent trip through the South Pacific
Sean O'Reilly
Editor-at-Large
Travelers' Tales
Moon Handbooks South Pacific.......2005-08-21
A great value to anyone planning a trip to the South Pacific! Detailed, informative, educational...what more could anyone want.
An Excellent Guide.......2005-02-23
Brilliant. Over the last couple of years I have become a huge fan of David Stanley guides to the South Pacific. His books have been travelling companions to Fiji and the Cook Islands and this latest edition is informative, entertaining, affectionate and honest. David has an uncanny eye for detail as well as doing 'the hard yards' for in-depth research. I lived in Vanuatu for several years and I even found that section enlightening. I plan to travel to Samoa shortly and know that I will enjoy the in-flight reading because, on my essentials to pack list, the Moon Handbook South Pacific is up there with 'toothbrush' and 'sunscreen'.
Excellent Publiction!.......2005-02-07
I am a Professor of Anthropology at California State University, Chico (using my wife's AMAZON account to submit this review). David Stanley has written another definitive masterpiece on the Pacific! We were in Tahiti last month (for 24 days) and used his TAHITI (& COOK ISLANDS) HANDBOOK extensively: it was current and as up-to-date as one could get in a published item.
I have used a previous version of the SOUTH PACIFIC HANDBOOK as a required text for an anthropology class at my university and it was well-received by the students. While this latest handbook is LARGER than your average paperback it is well-worth the extra weight to carry with you as you go through the South Pacific: with information on anthropology, biology, culture and history, as well as Internet access and a host of other valuable information for the intelligent traveller, the latest Stanley publication is in keeping with his other works: an excellent publication!
Book Description
The first and only guide of its kind, Moon Handbooks: Silicon Valley provides an up-to-date, down-to-earth treatment of the region's diverse towns and cities, from Menlo Park to Gilroy. It also includes cultural and recreational opportunities beyond the urban centers. "Cheek grips the complexities of Silicon Valley, with bang-on information for the visitor or resident." -- Zeke Wigglesworth, San Jose Mercury News
Book Description
The only guide to all four great Pacific archipelagoes, Micronesia Handbook invites water lovers to this diver's paradise which also features a diverse terrain of high volcanic islands and flat sandy atolls where contemporary cultures dwell and ancient civilizations flourished. Travelers will appreciate Levy's insights into the dramatic changes in the region during recent years.
Customer Reviews:
Very good concise guide.......2007-07-12
If what you're looking for is a concise yet very useful guide to the Western Pacific Islands, here is it. I used it in conjunction with other guides and found that it stands on its own as a comprehensive refernce source. Good buy.
Everything you need to know about Micronesia..........2007-07-09
Everything you need to know about Micronesia and then some. And the proof will be in the pudding when I visit.
Barely mentions the sights.......2007-05-26
I got this book for an upcoming trip to Guam and Saipan. This book barely makes mention of the various sites and attractions, especially the WW II sites. With the War in the Pacific Museum still shut down, it's more important than ever to have a good accounting of what's there and how to get to it. The older 2000 edition Lonely Planet Micronesia has more information than this.
Micronesia Travel.......2007-01-04
Great overview for the traveler to Micronesia. I changed my travel plans on which islands to visit based on the information in this book. The only drawback is, and this is true for all travel books, information becomes outdated quickly and so this one needs an update.
The Original Guide to Micronesia.......1999-09-21
As the author of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd editions of this handbook, I'm very familiar with the subject matter and am pleased to see how Neil Levy has developed and improved the guide. All 70 maps are now computer-generated and printed in two colors. Neil has broadened the scope to include more information on the upscale facilities, while expanding the ecological discussions. As a companion to my own guide Moon Handbooks South Pacific it's unmatched, and I recommend it to both travelers and serious students of Micronesia.
Book Description
Travelers will be lured to the region by David Stanley's inviting presentation of legends about demigods and directions to the undersea caves and canyons in Tonga. Stanley also provides a brief history of tattooing rituals and suggestions on where to find budget breakfast bowls of cocoa and rice in Western Samoa. The informed, compact guide to Western, or "old," Polynesia profiles beautiful Samoa, fascinating Pago Pago, traditional Tonga (where a king still rules), and friendly Niue. Neatly packaging all the information explorers of the colorful region could require, Tonga-Samoa Handbook will prove a top-notch traveling companion.
Customer Reviews:
Tonga & Samoa in one book.......2002-08-07
I used the Moon guidebook to Tonga and Samoa during a 3 1/2 week trip to the South Pacific in early 2001. I found the book very useful because it covers Tonga and Samoa in one condensed book. There are enough details to travel on both island groups for a couple of weeks and not missing information in this great guidebook. The book is still quite accurate there is enough details for each spot you will visit on your trip. In general this book has helped me a lot to find my way around the islands with detailed maps and a wide range of unbiased information.
samoan language.......2002-01-04
i would like to order a book that is telling all old samoan stories and customs and the faasamoa in the samoan language..
Finally - a practical guide to Tonga.......2000-11-24
As president of Sea for Yourself snorkeling tours, I'm obligated on behalf of my clients, to stay informed about the destinations we visit. Although we've been operating programs in Tonga for many years that allow snorkelers to actually swim with humpback whales, we keep a copy of David's Tonga/Samoa Handbook in the office in order to answer questions from clients about areas other than Tonga. In addition to Tonga, this book has extensive coverage of Samoa, American Samoa, and Niue.
In this book, the reader will find all the practical info (that continues to distinguish all of David's books) including travel tips, accommodations, meals, etc. I also appreciate the special attention given to cultural background, political and economic elements, and particular vignettes (such as the explanations of coral reef ecology and the palolo worm). However, the sections I personally find most useful include the pages on Internet sites, email addresses, and the bibliography.
I started using David's books (South Pacific Handbook) in 1982, and they have always been valuable and trusted travel companions. We always take this book with us on our programs to Tonga because it makes a useful reference for both staff and participants. Plus, since this book is easily available, I'm always happy to refer our clients to David's Tonga/Samoa Handbook when they are seeking to purchase a single accurate source of both practical and background information about this section of the Pacific.
Telling it like it is.......2000-11-09
David Stanley says he always travels incognito and never takes any "freebies" from any travel purveyors, so he doesn't get any special treatment that you wouldn't get and he doesn't "owe" anyone a good review. And you can sure tell. He is not afraid to give his opinion on anything and everything. Isn't that what you really need from a guidebook? If I want a sanitized version, I can get that for free from the tourist bureau. I like to know if a company is dispreputable or if a hotel is unsafe--especially for a woman traveler. I also especially liked the introductory sections that give you a good background of the culture of the peoples and info on the unusual flora and fauna.
this book tells it as it is.......2000-09-16
I used the Moon guide while in Samoa and was glad I had a source which dealt with matters not covered in the brochures on the airport counter. Some of the writers of the other guidebooks I saw seem to have been chaperoned by the Samoa Visitors Bureau. If you want more than an Alice in Wonderland view of paradise, this is the book.
Average customer rating:
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Micronesia Handbook (Moon Handbooks Micronesia)
David Stanley
Manufacturer: Avalon Travel Publishing
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Binding: Hardcover
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Moon Handbooks Micronesia
ASIN: 0918373247 |
Book Description
Veteran South Pacific writer David Stanley tells it like it is, so with this guide you can be sure you're getting accurate and updated information on the real Fiji. Stanley provides frank reviews of hotels and restaurants, thorough coverage of sports and recreation opportunities, thought-provoking sidebars on Fiji's turbulent history and fascinating culture, and hundreds of websites and email addresses to help you plan your trip.
Customer Reviews:
Moon Handbooks Fiji.......2007-07-17
Moon Handbooks Fiji is the ultimate overview for traveling on any of the 322-islands of Fiji. This book contains 357 pages of travel information but is still small enough to tuck in a daypack for easy reference. Furthermore, this book has plenty of fairly detailed maps, complete with accurate distance scales, for easy travel planning or reference while you travel.
There are fourteen chapters in Moon Handbooks Fiji: Introduction; Exploring the Islands; Nada and the Mamanucas; Southern Vita Levu; Suva and Vincinity; Northern Vita Levu; Lautoka and Vicinity; The Yasawa Islands; Kadava; The Lomaivita Group; Vannua Levu; Taveuni; The Lau Group; and Resources. The introduction chapter contains an overview on Fiji group. This detailed information includes geology, climate, flora, fauna, history, economy, and the government of these islands. The next chapter, Exploring the Islands, contains general information on sports and recreation; entertainment; public holidays and festivals; arts and crafts; shopping; and accommodations; food; money; communications; media as well as contacts for tourist information; visas; health and safety; getting there; getting around; and airports while in Fiji. This chapter also includes a what to take section. The Resources chapter contains further information on suggested readings and internet resources.
The rest of the chapters in Moon Handbooks Fiji focus on particular geographical regions, islands, or groups of islands with the Fiji group. The first paragraph or page of each regional section describes a little about the region. After this overview, individual sights, recreation areas, special events, accommodations, food services, information services, and transportation services are depicted in detail. Depending on the size and general amount of facilities in a given region, there may be only one or two entries per category or over a dozen. Each entry contains the location, contacts, costs, and a short paragraph description of the facility or event featured. Several black and white maps and photographs accompany each section, clearly marked with the various facilities described in that particular section.
Moon Handbooks Fiji is a helpful guide for anyone planning on traveling to any of the islands of the Fiji group. Very complete key information is provided for easy reference while planning or while travel. However, this book may also be just as interesting for the armchair traveler as this book contains ample information about the natural environment, history, and culture on these beautiful islands.
No info on smaller islands.......2007-03-06
I went to the island of Tavenui (third largest) and the book had no info about that island.
Fifi.......2006-08-07
Excellent guide to Fiji.
Hope to go there and check it out.
Book lacks details for actual travelers.......2006-08-02
Although I agree that the sections on the history and culture of Fiji are excellent, this by itself does not make for a good guide book. This book first appeared in the 1980's and it seems as if all subsequent updates were soleley made by contributing readers and businesses. I used the book recently for travel in Fiji and could not shake the impression that the author has not been to Fiji in a long time. While he lists all of the main attractions, many details are sketchy at best. To give an example, he mentions the Sikatoga sand dunes as one of the main attractions on Fiji but then uses a single paragraph(!) to describe them. No detailed description of any interesting features that could be used as a guide for a visit. Similarly when describing the Yasawa islands he is busy listing all the resorts but does not seem to care too much about what actually can be done on these islands. Bottom line: The book is an excellent reference on history and culture of Fiji (something one could write after some diligent research) but lacks useful details for actual travelers.
A great guide.......2005-09-19
We used this guide on our trip last summer. We had an excellent time off the beaten track, and this book got us where we wanted to go, with the relavant phone numbers and lots of tips. The 100 or so pages on Fiji's history and culture were also of great interest while we rode on boats to where we were going.
Average customer rating:
- It Can't Get Any Better
- Search for the New Edition
- The most complete single guidebook on the South Pacific!
- South Pacific Handbook Review By Garry Hawkins
- The Best
|
South Pacific Handbook (Moon Handbooks)
David Stanley
Manufacturer: Moon Travel Handbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Guidebooks
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Moon Handbooks
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ASIN: 0918373999 |
Amazon.com
This is the definitive, comprehensive book on the islands of the South Pacific. It covers islands from Tahiti and Raiatea to the Marquesas, Pitcairn and Easter Islands to Niue, Tonga, and Vanuatu-- it's worth reading just for the fun with vowels. Of course, if you're planning a trip to the South Pacific, it's indispensable. For each island, David Stanley provides geography, geology, zoology, anthropology, history, and assorted details such as how to get there, what to eat, and where to stay. This comprehensive opus is geared toward the budget traveler.
Customer Reviews:
It Can't Get Any Better.......2004-12-29
Everything you need to know about travelling around the South Pacific is in the 8th edition of the Moon guide to the South Pacific, yet another informative and comprehensive guidebook from the number one South Pacific expert. This edition covers all the islands of your dreams, from well-known holiday destinations such as French Polynesia to lesser-known places such as Pitcairn Island and Niue. It is full of thoroughly researched and practical information on travelling to and around the Pacific, covers everything from where to stay to where to eat, from background history to contemporary culture and traditions, and is a delight to read regardless of whether you are planning a trip to the South Pacific or not. It is the definitive guide for everyone, from the luxury traveller to the backpacker to the adventurer to the armchair dreamer.
Even though I travel often to the South Pacific, I can always rely on David Stanley's guidebooks to introduce me to some new area of interest, a different place to hang out, or an idea for an activity or excursion I hadn't previously thought about. It gives a whole new meaning to "don't leave home without it."
Search for the New Edition.......2001-02-15
A new edition of this handbook is now available and it can be found by searching for "Moon Handbooks South Pacific" on this site.
The most complete single guidebook on the South Pacific!.......1999-07-28
As president of Sea For Yourself Snorkeling Tours, it¹s my professional obligation to remain attentive to both the world¹s best snorkelingsites and the logistical infrastructure that facilitates our group visits. For thesepurposes, (as well as my personal travel) David Stanley¹s travel handbooks have been a valuable and trusted ongoing source of reliableinformation. For travel planning, it¹s critical to use reference material that is accurate, up-to-date, and complete. The South Pacific Handbook satisfies all these criteria, and more.I was especially interested in the description of coral reefs. David does a superb job condensing this complex biological system revealing it¹s essential ecological ingredients in the context of how we can responsibly interact with the fish, coral, and resident human communities.David¹s book is filled with the practical (and accurate) nuts and Bolts information so essential for planning your trip to the South Pacific. The extensive section of general advice (currency, health, food, recreation, visas, etc.) is then followed by detailed regional descriptions of virtually every inhabited island group in the entire South Pacific, including evaluations of restaurants, accommodations, and transportation issues.If I had to pick a single book, either to use in planning my South Pacific Odyssey or to take with me on the journey, it would be David Stanley¹s South Pacific Handbook.
South Pacific Handbook Review By Garry Hawkins.......1998-11-30
South Pacific Handbook Review ... By Garry Hawkins
If you're thinking of travelling to the South Pacific (and go you definitely should), then David Stanley's `South Pacific Handbook' is THE travellers bible for the region. It's the only guidebook that covers every single inhabited island in the region in one single volume, yet at 908pp remains sufficiently comprehensive to give you all the background information you could ever possibly ask for.
My first odyssey to the South Pacific came in 1991, at the end of a round the world trip. While total war was raging in the Gulf, here was I, languishing at the Royal Hotel in the old Fijiian capital of Levuka. But what a place to languish! I'll let David Stanley describe the scene to you:
"For the full Somerset Maugham flavour, stay at the 15 room Royal Hotel... In the lounge, ceiling fans revolve around the rattan sofas and potted plants, and the fan- cooled rooms upstairs with private bath are pleasant, with much needed mosquito nets provided. At US$8/12/14 for single/double/triple the colonial atmosphere and impeccable service make it about the best value in Fiji.... Everybody loves this place."
Well, I can vouch for that! Meanwhile however, cruise missiles were performing flybys past the Baghdad Hilton, but outside the Royal Hotel it was merely raining cats and dogs. Well - it was the wet season you know! But while I sat soaking up the colonial ambience, I had plenty of time to delve into my trusty South Pacific Handbook.
I began to realise that were so many different places to go in the region. You may have heard of Western Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga or even the Cook Islands? But have you ever heard of Tuvalu, Tokelau, Niue or Futuna? No? Well not many people have but from Solomon Islands to Easter Island - you'll find them all in David Stanley's book.
Even if you never get to visit some of these far flung and exotic sounding names, you can learn an awful lot about this splendidly diverse region of different cultures and customs. Plate tectonics, Darwin's theory of atoll formation, the greenhouse effect, French nuclear testing, fauna and flora, economics, politics, conservation and the environment. I could go on....
Since my initial visit to Fiji, I've managed to visit Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Tahiti, Cook Islands and Tuvalu - and still there's more to see. I'd love to visit the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Wallis, Futuna, New Caledonia, Easter and Pitcairn Island - so many islands to visit and so little time (and money!) to do it with.
Next time I'm headed for the South Pacific, I'll be sure to take David Stanley's South Pacific Handbook with me. Why carry a multitude of travel guides for different islands, when you need only take the one?
The Best.......1998-09-16
David Stanley writes the best guides for the Pacific region. Whatever you want/need to know, you'll find it in his guides. His depth of research and knowledge is astonishing. Check it out.
Average customer rating:
- The Tahiti-Polynesia Handbook Review by Garry Hawkins
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Tahiti-Polynesia Handbook (Moon Handbooks : Tahiti)
David Stanley
Manufacturer: Moon Travel Handbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Guidebooks
| Reference & Tips
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| Subjects
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Moon Handbooks
| Guidebook Series
| Travel
| Subjects
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General
| France
| Europe
| Travel
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General
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ASIN: 0918373875 |
Customer Reviews:
The Tahiti-Polynesia Handbook Review by Garry Hawkins.......1998-10-26
Have you ever wanted to travel to Tahiti, but thought it might be too expensive? Did you want to experience the Polynesia of Gauguin and Bougainville, but thought it had gone forever? Did you think that island archipelagoes such as the Gambiers, Tuamotus and the Societies were beyond your reach?Well, David Stanley's 'Tahiti Polynesia Handbook' will dispel many of the myths you may have heard about this far flung corner of the South Pacific. Stanley's first law of independent travel, is that " the more you spend, the less you experience". This holds true for Tahiti Polynesia as much as anywhere else. Why would you want to stay in a luxury hotel on Bora Bora, which merely creates Waikiki Beach for twice the price?Discover the real Polynesia: be amazed by the myriad colours at Papeete Market. Take 'Le Truck' to travel and meet the Tahitians at work and play. Adjust to island time by taking the slow boat to Moorea: experience the surreal majesty of Matavai Bay on departure and the awesome backdrop that is Mount Rotui as it looms above the deep green of Cook's Bay on arrival.All this and much more is detailed in the Tahiti-Polynesia Handbook. Where to go? What to see? What to do? How to get there? The introductory historical, socio-political, economic and environmental and even gastronomical chapters, answer all of the questions you could ever possibly ask about the islands of Polynesia. Subsequent chapters are full useful hints and tips, aircraft/boat and bus timetables, maps, illustrations, artistic impressions and quotations about this fascinating group of islands. There is also a sprinkling of excellent colour photographs, though more of these wouldn't come amiss!I was originally introduced to the South Pacific through Stanley's much larger volume, the South Pacific Handbook. The Tahiti Polynesia Handbook is small enough to fit into your backpack, yet light enough to avoid excess baggage charges! Having read the book, I now feel the urge to explore outer Polynesia in much greater depth. Names such as Huahine, Raiatea, Rapa Iti, Rangiroa and Fatu Hiva are now within MY reach.Leave the tourist hordes behind and become an independent traveller; experience Tahiti-Polynesia for yourself and get a copy of David Stanley's Tahiti-Polynesia Handbook.
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