Trip Coach: November 25, 2008

Sheila Beal: Aloha Denver, Colorado–I'm sorry for your loss. Maui is a lovely resting place. Here's what I found on this Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Web site

Q: Is scattering of ashes on land permitted?

A: Generally speaking, no environmental permit is required for scattering of cremated ashes on land, sea or from the air from the Department of Health, but this should be done discreetly and some distance away from the general public. Ashes may not be dispersed within a state forest reserve or watershed area, nor on state or federal property. Scattering on private property should be done with permission of the owner. For information call the Department of Health, Current Registration Section, at 808-586-4540.

If you don't know where your mother's favorite places were, then perhaps a lovely beach would be a good scattering point. DT Fleming Beach in Kapalua is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I would advise that you call the Department of Health phone number listed above to double check that that location would be acceptable.

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Houston, Tex.: How far in advance should I book a hotel room for Waikiki Beach to get the best deal if I am traveling in late May? How far in advance do the hotels start discounting rooms? Thanks.

Sheila Beal: Hello Houston–That's a very good question. With our economy as it is today, there's not an absolute answer. I do keep a close eye on hotel deals. At the moment, I'm not seeing many special deals beyond March 2009. If I had to guess for when the deals for May are going to start to be advertised, I'd guess those would start popping up around January. May does tend to be in the low season of prices, so I bet you'll be able to get an excellent deal.

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Burlington, N.J.: We are planning on visiting Hawaii in October of 09. What Island/Islands would you recommend visiting? (There will be 4 of us all 63 years old. Probably be our only trip there. Planning on 9 or 10 days.

Sheila Beal: Aloha Burlington, N.J.–First off, you might want to consider a cruise so that you will get to see the highlights of all the islands a week. You could spend the extra two or three days on Oahu where your cruise will most likely start and stop.

If a cruise doesn't appeal to you, With 9 or 10 days, I'd recommend you select no more than two islands to visit. I know it's challenging to select the islands, but rest assured, they are all fantastic and have things that make them special and unique. (Though I've been to them all several times, I still don't have a favorite!) To reduce the amount of time you spend traveling from one island to the other, you may want to choose Oahu and an outer island. The reason being is that the Honolulu airport (HNL) is the hub for the vast majority of inter-island travel. To help you narrow down the best island for you, order the free
travel guides from the island visitors bureau and take a virtual helicopter tour on BlueHawaiian.com

Kauai Visitors Bureau
Oahu Visitors Bureau
Maui Visitors Bureau
Hawaii's Big Island Visitors Bureau

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Bedford, Tex.: I know there are tons of wedding planning info for the Hawaiian islands on the web. However, we are in the planning stages of designing a wedding trip to one of the islands to include a ceremony then stay for a week to honeymoon. Our guests will be attending then vacationing themselves for the week after the service as well. As someone who knows the area well, can you please advise of a place or island/area that would be a your suggestion for a great location? We are hoping to marry in a beautiful ocean side site or in a romantic tropical church. The options are overwhelming and it is our first trip to the islands. Any relevant suggestions and/or wedding planners that you would trust to recommend if you were planning such an event? Thanks—I am at my wits end and the opportunity to ask an expert was just too good to pass up. I appreciate any advice you may have! Sharon

Sheila Beal: Aloha Sharon - How exciting to be planning a wedding in Hawaii! I can understand how overwhelming the plans can be. The good news is that many Hawaii resorts offer on-site weddings and can plan the entire day for you.

As far as suggestions for a great location, oh my, there's tons and tons of great places in Hawaii! As I read your question, one place came to mind right away. That's Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu. They have a lovely open air "chapel" that's located right along the shoreline with a sunset view. Oahu is one of the easiest islands to get to because the airport in Honolulu (HNL) is a major hub. So that would make traveling a bit easier for you and your guests. As far as other ideas, the Kauai Marriott has lovely outdoor wedding grounds. There's a quaint church in Kapalua in Maui, that comes to mind, too.

Perhaps this post will offer some helpful tips about planning a wedding in Hawaii. In that post, you'll find a link to a useful Budget Travel destination wedding planning guide. Feel free to ask more questions in the comments of that post.

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Seattle, Wash.: I have a major birthday (60) coming up in July, 2009. I wanted to rent a house on Oahu for me and my 8 to 10 closet friends. I am particularly interested in the North Shore. Do you have any ideas of how to find houses? Also, none of my friends have ever been to Oahu. Suggestions for activities and adventures would be helpful.