Kauai Brief: Quickly Master What You Need to See and Do on the Island of Kauai

Vacation Briefs, #1

Travel Guides come in many forms but when one stands out for sharing much more than conventional wisdom it becomes invaluable. Author Trip Steven’s unmitigated love and aloha for Kauai, Hawaii’s Garden Isle, permeates his travel guide, Kauai Brief.

This is much more than a ‘what to see - what to do’ guide. Stevens touches on a few suggestions for lodging but more beneficially he provides links to multiple resources from finding the best airline fares to lodging options and condo rentals to where to buy what are included throughout the book. Rather than list 3 dozen restaurants he supplies the reader with a link to an island- wide comprehensive website that lists all the eateries with menu, location, price and hours. That translates into benefits for the visitor - every detail is current and accessible from your iPhone throughout your stay.

Kauai Brief gives the reader solid information along with straight shooting dos, don’ts and considers for various excursions. The author doesn’t sugar coat what is required to trek into or kayak the Na Pali Coast or to hike the Kalaua Trail. Nor does he write fluff about how easy traveling with toddlers can be. Yes, the Hawaiians love and dote on kids - but his readers are amply warned Kauai is an island; a hefty portion of activities revolve around the water. As a visitor you will spend a great deal of time at more than a few of the 65 stunning beaches that dot the island. Keeping hold of a toddler can try parental patience at the best of times; let alone an inquisitive little one at the beach when you want to relax.

Author Trip Stevens is honest. As a potential visitor to Kauai, be it your first or fifteenth visit, his candor alone make Kauai Brief well worth reading.

Stevens takes the reader through the three completely different areas on Kauai. He shares what he feels are ‘must experience’ locations in an easy to read and entertaining style. The reader will get tips and takes on the Garden Isle that no other guide book offers along with needed information on everything from golf courses to lomi lomi massages to planning a destination wedding. As stated earlier, Kauai Brief does not overwhelm the reader; it offers pithy and factual comments and directs you to the best resources to pursue whatever you need for detailed information.

Throughout the book the reader will find any number of budgeting and cost saving tips and alternatives. He gently prods the reader to approach their Kauai vacation in a more open fashion than any travel guide I’ve seen. If you can save hundreds in air fares, car rental fees, accommodations and in the full range of activities on the Island why not make use of them? Included are things like easy-to-follow directions to the Costco and Wal-Mart near the airport so you can stock up on necessities upon arrival. Kauai Brief is jammed packed with these tips.

Throughout the pages are sprinkled wonderful tidbits of modern day legend - things like why there are so many brilliantly colored chickens on Kauai. And that Kauai is the only island on which there are no mongooses - a fact that this long time resident didn’t know. Stevens shares the tale of one of Kauai’s most enduring success stories - that of the Red Dirt T-Shirt. Stevens has the authentic story behind the phenomenon.

Kauai Brief is written with love, with Aloha and with a keen sense of Ohana for Kauai and her people. This shows in Trip Steven’s words and in his stunning photographs. Kauai Brief is a book to be read not only by the traveler but also by those that know Kauai and want to relive treasured memories.