Moon Handbooks Tahiti

www.SouthSeasPhotography.com uses all of David Stanley's South Pacific Moon guides. The Tahiti book is exceptional in every way. Easy to carry, read and understand. Moon's books have traveled with us on every Polynesian adventure from surfing to reef explorations as well as land based excursions. Perfect book for the escapist in all of us. Karl Meinhardt South Seas Photography ( Hawaii )

How can I describe how good this guidebook is? Well, I would assert, in the extreme, that it would be better to read this book without visiting Tahiti than to visit Tahiti without reading this book. This book will double, triple, quadruple...the accomplishments and satisfaction of a trip to Tahiti. Everything about the islands in French Polynesia is here, all the essential info, enabling a visitor to be knowledgeable, suave, and inefficient, rather than ignorant, bumbling, and frustrated. I mean everything. Maps, a glossary, conversion tables, statistics, history, culture, arts, lodging and dining (of course, and in great detail for each establishment), transportation, sports, entertainment, flora and fauna, healthcare...all wonderfully indexed. You must, I mean you MUST, take this perfect guidebook with you to French Polynesia. And you MUST use it to prepare for your trip. It would take you thousands of hours in front of your online computer to attempt to recreate even a small segment of author David Stanley's research, available for a very modest sum in this book. The only plan better than taking this book to Tahiti, I suppose, would be to take David Stanley, himself.

Tahiti and the rest of French Polynesia consists of 118 islands and atolls scattered over thousands of square miles of ocean. I cannot think of a more challenging place about which to write a travel book, yet author David Stanley appears to have the inside scoop on every one of these places. The book conveys a wealth of information, the high-end places to stay as well as more modest ones. Interspersed among the travel facts and seasoned advice are interesting stories about the famous residents of the islands, such as artist Paul Gauguin, singer Jacques Brel, and Marlon Brando. Stanley first flew to Tahiti 30 years ago, he's been writing about this area since 1979, and this is his sixth edition of the book. You don't find his extent of knowledge and experience much in travel books anymore. Stanley's Tahiti is a model of what a great guidebook should be.

"Stanley has done it again! I am an anthropologist who has traveled to most of the locations that Stanley has written about covering the South Pacific and am off to Tahiti in January 2008: The latest TAHITI HANDBOOK by David Stanley is an excellent publication to carry into French Polynesia! It is as up-to-date as can be with tips and hints for the intrepid traveler. The book has historical and geographical data, maps and information on accommodations throughout French Polynesia, ferry schedules, restaurants, and just about anything else one would need to have an excellent trip to this part of the world! To paraphrase an American advertisement from several years back: If you are going to Tahiti (or French Polynesia), you shouldn't leave home without it!" Charlie Urbanowicz

My wife and I are frequent travelers to the South Pacific. Every time we have relied solely on Internet web sites, travel brochures and some travel handbooks we have been consistently disappointed in our accommodations. David Stanley's travel books have always steered us in the right directions. The new Tahiti handbook is full of clear maps, and pictures. This book is full of well researched practical information and advice. Most importantly it is information you can trust.