Maui Revealed is now available in the iTunes app store.
Between booking accommodations, packing and somehow making it through airport security, traveling can become very stressful and that’s before you even reach your destination. Once you do arrive, you now have to make the most of it so you’ll have stories and pictures for your envious friends. This is where a guidebook proves it’s worth its weight in gold.
The Maui Revealed iPhone app by Crystal Springs Software is based on the best-selling Maui guidebook “Maui Revealed” and integrates a location-aware GPS customized map into the app guidebook. I’m a huge fan of guidebooks, especially if you’re only going to be in a location for a limited amount of time. The Maui Revealed iPhone app will allow you to research the most important attractions, map them out and know the ins and outs before you arrive to ensure you experience the best of the best.
I am a huge fan of Yelp, Foursquare and other localized apps for their pulse on local deals, but one thing they lack is the detailed information on area attractions. In Maui Revealed, longtime Hawaii resident Andrew Doughty takes you on a personal journey while explaining and presenting well-known tourist traps as well as the hidden gems Maui has to offer.
There are five options on the main menu when you launch the app, including search, guidebook, locate me, help and pinch to zoom. I was recently in Maui and I cannot tell you how many times Maui Revealed could have saved me time, money and effort. The ability of the app truly shines within the locate me option, which brings up area attractions within a few miles of your location and displays them in a scroll type screen. Once you find one you like tap on the screen to pull up a very thorough account of the location by Doughty with pictures, local-only information, history and the ability to map the location.
If you’re looking for a specific attraction tap the search button and you’re set. The actual guidebook is very information intensive and makes you realize why the actual book is a bestseller. Categories such as sights, dining, beaches, best bets, adventures, etc. are included and once you click on a tab such as beaches you’re presented with a screen that lists the different sections of Maui such as West Maui, which includes the 14 Mile Marker. As Doughty puts it:
“From the shoreline highway, it’s easy to pull off the road and lose yourself in an idyllic setting.”
He then goes to point out that most dive shops steer snorkelers to this area, but that maybe 20 years ago when the coral was still alive it would have been a great spot. It’s inside secrets such as this that will keep you from wasting your time with attractions that other than their surrounding beauty have no snorkeling benefits if that’s what you’re wanting.
If you’re going to snorkel, and I will agree on this one, Doughty points out Molokini and Turtle Town. Book a charter at Ma’alaea Harbor. The water is clear, the sea life is in party mode and there’s always turtles in Turtle Town.
Maui Revealed, through its GPS-aware map allows you to search for the best spots, find contact and map info and never get lost since the app knows where you are even when you don’t.
In conclusion, with its high-resolution interactive map, cell signal or data roaming capabilities, more than 400 color photos, search capability among many other very useful features, Maui Revealed is a must buy interactive guidebook app for Maui-bound travelers looking to get the most out of their trip based on expert advice. Maui Revealed iPhone app covers it all from the wind-swept top of Haleakala to the sparkling underwater reefs. According to the developer more locations are in the works.
