Moon Handbooks Tahiti: Including the Cook Islands

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.

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. Tips for travellersWhile planning, Tahiti Handbook will help you find out which islands will be more interesting, easier or cheaper to visit. Stanley gives a good idea of what to expect in the islands, while you can still have a great adventure and discover things on your own. In the Pacific, this guide will save you money and trouble. Following Stanley's advice to sleep at Tahiti's airport when arriving at night, to wait for the early morning bus instead of taking a taxi to your hotel, will already save you the cost of the book. Accommodations of all categories are described, often including critical commentary. The same applies for restaurants and organized activities. Stanley identifies with any kind of traveller. He answers almost any possible question to arise on other travel matters.IncognitoI haven't used this edition of Tahiti Handbook in the field yet, so I can't say much about the accuracy of the travel information inside. However, during my trips through the islands, Stanley's information usually proved reasonably up-to-date. You can never expect everything to be correct, Stanley admits that. For every new edition of his guides, he makes a research trip to check the places listed in his book. On these trips Stanley arrives unannounced and tries to identify himself as little as possible. This way he is better able to experience a place like any other traveller. For this fifth edition of Tahiti Handbook, the Marquesas and Easter Island were visited in addition to more regular places. It would be nice to know what islands were exactly visited. If you feel some information is incorrect or missing from Stanley's guide, you can write him and he will seriously look at your comments.Lively and criticallyThe chapters on history, people and places and the references in Tahiti Handbook are an excellent starting point to learn more about Eastern Polynesia. In my opinion, some more attention could have been given to the language section: an extension of the Tahitian and French section and adding Cook Islands Maori, Spanish and Rapanui.The biggest problem with this book, as with Stanley's other guides to the Pacific, is that you'll want to go to almost every island he so lively introduces. With every new edition, Stanley not only updates travel information, he also perfects his writings. Stanley won't bore you. It's obvious he loves the islands. Still, he does so without writing over-positive about it. Stanley will tell you about the French nuclear testing at Moruroa and Papeete traffic jams. As he puts it on page 3: `Through this book we've tried to show you

Two years ago we went to the South Pacific and covered ten islands, starting in Tahiti and ending in Fiji. In the process, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to meet David Stanley. As a result, when I learned that he had issued the 5th edition of the Moon Handbook, titled 'Tahiti, Including The Cook Islands,' I was intrigued and wanted to compare my experiences and the places and establishments I was familiar with to those of this handbook. The handbook covers six of the islands I visited, three in the French Polynesia group, and three in the Cook Islands - varying from the largest, Tahiti, to the smallest, Palmerston.I can only summarize my review by saying that I am amazed at the breadth, depth, and current accuracy of this handbook. I am particularly impressed by the manner in which David collects his data in an incognito fashion. It allows him to be factual and not influenced by preferential treatment. I, myself, can not imagine the amount of work and organization it takes to compile all of the facts and data in the book. I agree that since it is the 5th edition that a lot of the material can be brought forward from one edition to another. But the meticulous effort it takes to keep it current is amazing to me. I went through the six islands we visited and could not find an error in the data or a lack of current status. I particularly found the history section and the sidebars well worth reading and helpful in understanding the people and their culture. Whether it was the life of Pouvanaa A Oopa in Tahiti, of Hinano Beer, or the use of Monoi Oil on Moorea, it helped to understand the culture. Someone might not care about the Tahitian Dance Movements or the Internet Resources - but the book is replete with interesting sidebars.All of the usual handbook assets are all there, like the range of hotels and their prices, how to get there, etc. But there are added touches such as a glossary of local terms, a dual names section, suggested reading list, and contact information for information offices.Do I have any negatives? Only a couple. David does not mention that the Papeete harbor, which is the waterfront for the Sheraton and several upscale resorts is badly polluted. I wondered why the resorts wouldn't ban together to at least hire a couple of guys and a rowboat to pickup the floating debris and plastic bottles. My other negative is the title of the book. I don't know who at Moon picked the title, but Tahiti is far from being the only island in the many beautiful French Polynesian Islands. And the Cook Islands and Easter Island should be equally recognized.In summary, I found the David Stanley book to be the one and only handbook that I will enjoy using for learning, planning and taking for use on trips to that area of the South Pacific. Would that I could have a small, lightweight, equally great handbook for all of my regions of travel!

David Stanley's Moon Handbook, Tahiti: Including the Cook Islands, is one of the most depressing books I have read. As a travel writer myself I picked up the book to help prepare for an upcoming trip and this guide is so good, the world certainly doesn't need another one from me. However, having lived in Vanuatu and traveled many times to Fiji, I'm familiar with David's other guides and I anticipated excellence. It is a comprehensive guide on what to see, where to eat, how to get around and where to stay (for all budgets), which is what you expect from a good guidebook - but it's David's personal stamp that makes it so rewarding. It's informative, honest, and sometimes opinionated with a deep understanding of Polynesian history, culture and lifestyle. There are excellent practical tips on things like health & safety, where to get internet access and even toilets where you should take your own paper - but it's more the personal tips on how to make the transition from `tourist' to `traveler' that I appreciated..."A wise traveler soon graduates from hearing and seeing to listening and observing. Speaking is good for the ego and listening is good for the soul."This book is a shortcut on the road to becoming a wise traveler. This doesn't mean it is all about getting off the beaten track. Tracks become beaten because there are worthwhile things to experience and they should be taken. David provides the `must see' highlights as well as information for those willing to explore further. Being a wise traveler is more about attitude than itinerary. As David says, "If things work differently than they do back home, give thanks - that's why you've come. Take an interest in local customs, values, languages, challenges and successes." Another undercurrent is David's realism and commitment to the environment. He pulls no punches, whether they are aimed at the countries who used this region for nuclear testing (particularly the French) or at those who pillage the Pacific for piscatorial pleasure - "spearfishing (is) like shooting a cow with a handgun."Allow a few extra dollars in your travel budget for this book and it will be an investment. The reward you will gain from your travels to this wonderful part of the world will be enhanced immeasurably.

I have enjoyed Moon Handbooks guides in the past, and this updated 5th edition of Tahiti is no exception. There are obviously other choices out there on the marketplace such as Lonely Planet, but I've always felt that David Stanley's Moon Handbooks are a step above the competition because the guide is written by someone who has actually lived there long enough to really know the in's and out's of each place. I've used guidebooks to find some highly recommended restaurants and had a terrible experience there, and I've found hole-in-the-wall places that aren't covered by the guidebook and had a wonderful experience. I think this is a result of a guidebook writer having only visited each place once and basing a recommendation on one experience, rather than really settle down and get to know each place. The latter is the sense I received when I bought and read Moon Handbooks Tahiti.Much like the Fiji Moon Handbooks guide, considerable attention is given to the history, culture and people of the area. While this history may appeal to only certain people, let's put it this way... other areas are not spared in exchange for this information, so consider it a bonus over other guidebooks. The real structure of the book, such as the places to stay, places to eat, and activities on each of the islands is as good if not better than I've seen in better-known guidebooks. Furthermore, the maps are unsurpassed starting at entire islands right on down to city centers.I often take more than one guidebook on a trip to a destination anyway, but if my budget or my backpack only allowed one, this would be the one for Tahiti. Hope my review helps you plan for your trip. Bon voyage!