As the website’s slogan says it, Yelp is where “real reviews from real people” are found. The website serves as a venue for sharing of experiences with local establishments and services. Individuals do not need to be industry experts to be able to place reviews on Yelp. Any registered user can rate an establishment or service and their reasons for giving it a high or low rating.

As of February 2009, the number of reviews on Yelp has already reached 5 million. The website has a monthly average of 10.6 million visitors. Reviews are organized by cities and also by categories (e.g. museums, hotels, etc.).

Yelp is more than a review site. It is a place where one can connect with people, share ideas and tips on site-related topics, or bond over common likes. As an online city guide, it has search capabilities that allow users to find answers such as about the location of a restaurant, local events, or special offers. The site has business listings for cities across America (including Hawaii) and Canada. Depending on location, listings may include storefront s (e.g.hotels, malls, restaurants), business services (e.g. dentists, physical therapists, mechanics, plastic surgeons), and non-business sites (e.g. museums, churches, historic sites).

Because Yelp is an online city guide, a user review site and social networking service all rolled into one, it helps to read reviews there when planning your Hawaiian vacation. Here are four good points how reading reviews on Yelp can help make you experience the best of the islands.

1. Reading reviews on Yelp will show you the good, the bad and the ugly in Hawaii. Those who have already experienced a particular locale can show you the difference between the spectacular and the lackluster ones. By avoiding the establishments with more bad reviews than good ones, you minimize the possibility of having an unpleasant experience in the islands. You avoid wasting your time and money on places that do not deliver what they promise on their ads or websites.

2. Yelp reviews help connect you to great local establishments and services. To find out the kind of experiences people have had with a service or business you’re looking for, just type in the search term and address, city, or zip code of the desired location. You are then invited to view any of the following options: a list of the best match to your search term, a list of establishments with the most reviews and the highest rated establishments. For instance, if you want to experience the best Mexican restaurant in Lahaina based on previous diners’ reviews, type in the information in the appropriate search box and then select “highest rated” establishments.

3. If you are traveling with a budget in mind, Yelp reviews can show which Hawaii destinations, accommodations, restaurants, hot spots, etc., are pocket-friendly without shortchanging you.

4. Creating a travel itinerary is made easier with Yelp. In addition to reviews, you will find travel information such as establishment address, business hours and parking availability. Reading reviews on Yelp will give you travel ideas. For example, if a popular snorkeling spot has a small parking lot, what is the best time to go there? You have read somewhere about a restaurant that offers excellent Pacific Rim cuisine and sunset views from their lanai. Then you read Yelp reviews that say the restaurant is always busy. You’d know then that you need to make a reservation if you don’t want to end up wasting time waiting for a vacant table.