Out of Anchorage: South Central Alaska

If you've always dreamed of going on safari, you can see Africa's wildlife at pussycat prices -- as little as $1,500 for an entire month of adventure -- and that's including airfare from America, meals, ground transportation, lodging, guided tours over a large area, and several days of game drives. Instead of poaching a vacation from a middleman, who will invariably fatten the price (it's common to pay $3,500 for a weeklong safari including airfare), head straight to tourist-friendly South Africa -- where the currency exchange is strongly in your favor -- and book a trip there. Africa's land-based safari trips depart from several places, particularly the (somewhat iffy) cities of Nairobi and Johannesburg. But for most rookies, breathtaking Cape Town, South Africa, is probably the easiest and safest place to arrive in Africa. Not only is its seaside vibe as familiar as that of Miami or San Diego, but it's also an incredibly cheap place to spend a few days getting organized. Round-trip airfare from New York City or Atlanta (usually on South African Airways) will be your biggest expense: around $1,000 from a discounter such as Spector Travel (800/879-2374, spectortravel.com) or 2Afrika (877/200-5610, 2afrika.com). Book it on the spot! Once you get to the Cape, simply walk up bistro-lined Long Street in downtown Cape Town, where an assortment of travel agents book cut-rate African extravaganzas. In recent years, the South African rand has plunged in value-about nine to the dollar in early 2003, down from four to the dollar in 1996-making for sensational buys. Add that value to deep, last-minute discounts and you've got the makings for a trip of a lifetime, budget-style. You'll be shopping for a last-minute "overland" trip. An overlander is a glorified expedition led by at least two well-trained guides who drive heavy-duty trucks designed for some of Africa's toughest terrain. They're fitted with comfortable seats, giant zip-down game-viewing windows, a mini-kitchen, and entire stables of engine horsepower. At night, you park beneath the Southern Cross and roll out a tent. A few companies augment tent lodging with some simple accommodation, but all attract travelers from youth to middle age who don't mind getting a little grubby on the road to adventure. Before North and Central Africa destabilized, Africa's grandest excursion was the "Cape to Cairo" odyssey. But today's most popular (and most prudent) adventure highway runs from Cape Town to the majestic Victoria Falls in Zambia. About eight companies, most too small to market through American travel agents, depart from Cape Town on three-week overland trips, including all meals and encompassing a "What's What" of southern Africa. Most combine South Africa (florid Namaqualand, Orange River rafting); Namibia (sunup on the red dunes of Sossusvlei, game drives at Etosha National Park); Botswana (dugout canoeing on the Okavango Delta); and culminate in Zambia (in the thundering mists of the legendary Victoria Falls, the world's largest curtain of falling water). At the Victoria Falls finish line, you can fly home or grab another three-week overlander to Nairobi. For a small fee (about $50), most companies will run you all the way back to Cape Town. The full circuit loops 3,700 miles through some of Africa's wildest terrain. Safari, so good That huge, four-country itinerary-not affordable, practical, or safe if tried independently-will cost you just $350 to $600 for three-daily-meals-inclusive weeks. To get that price, head to Cape Town and pay a discounted rate for a space that would otherwise go empty. With so much competition for these trips, there are almost always unsold seats, sometimes hours before departure time. That's especially true from September to November, when temperatures are still tolerable and animals easily spotted. During those months, it's unusual to have to wait more than four days for a trip, and that time can be spent exploring exquisite Cape Town itself (which this magazine profiled as a "Cheapest Place on Earth" in the August 2001 issue). I recently strolled up Long Street when availability included trips (ranging 19 to 21 days) on Umkulu Adventure Tours for $339, Nomad for $347, African Routes for $418, Worldwide for $509, and Which Way for $612. The routes were comparable; the only extra expenses (included in some of the higher-priced tours) were optional activities such as white-water rafting or scenic flights-usually $10 to $50 each. Other trips, such as six-week odysseys all the way to Nairobi (about $1,000 including food) or ending in Namibia ($175 for seven days or $200 for ten days), were available in shorter supply. Prices fluctuate according to demand, but they're often this low. Compare those figures to what you'd usually pay for the same tour from home. If you buy in U.S. dollars through their Web sites, African Routes (africanroutes.co.za) peaks at $790, as opposed to Long Street's $418, and Nomad (nomadtours.co.za) is $595, as opposed to $350. Which Way is marked from $612 to about $850 from African Safari Consultants of California (866/733-4263; classicsafaris.com). Worldwide's "Southern Sun" ($572 on Long Street) is hiked to $750 if you buy it from its British agent (worldwideadventure.net). Dragoman (011-44/1728-861-133, dragoman.com) sells its "Great Southern Safari" Cape-to-Vic Falls trip for $1,390. And Drifters (011-27/11-888-1160, drifters.com) sells one for $1,695. Its camps are nicer but hardly worth another thousand dollars. And you'd still have to pay for airfare. After gathering opinions from some just-returned travelers, I paid a paltry $350 for 21 days with Nomad, a homegrown company that (unlike the British operators) keeps profits in South Africa, where they can do some good. I spied on bathing elephants, sledded down sand dunes, narrowly avoided an angry hippo in Botswana-for less than $17 a day, food included! Even adding airfare from America, costs were only about $58 per day for three-and-a-half weeks of African exploits. A month in the African bush for $1,500! Follow my advice and it can be done. Long Street, in central Cape Town, has its own Web site (longstreet.co.za) and hosts several of the city's more hurly-burly hostels. Of its travel shops selling last-minute spots on overland trips, One World Travellers Space (309 Long St., 011-27/21-424-0777) has proved to be especially reliable. Other good sources include Adventure Village (229 Long St., 011-27/21-424-1580, adventure-village.co.za) and Detour Travel Shop (234 Long St., 011-27/21-424-1155, detourafrica.co.za). Most local hostels also sell the trips.

Strolling around the stately campus of Princeton University, with its handsome stone architecture, tasteful green squares, and tree-lined walkways, images come to mind of backslapping young men in tweed jackets needling one another with witty inside jokes. The truth is, despite a lingering air of country club privilege, today's student body is vibrant and diverse. And, despite an atmosphere of exclusivity, Princeton readily welcomes the public to take advantage of its many lectures, museums, concerts, and theater opportunities, usually free or at a minimal cost. As a dividend, you'll find a picture-perfect American town just outside the campus gates, with expansive green spaces and historic homes dating from the mid-1700s. There is no denying that the Princeton area is rather ritzy, with homes regularly selling in the neighborhood of $700,000. But everywhere students are present there tend to be cheap spots to eat, drink, and entertain oneself. That rule applies even in college towns where kids pay $38,000 a year for their education. So, even if you scored below 1500 on your SATs (which, by the way, are administered by the Educational Testing Service located in nearby Lawrenceville, New Jersey), the outsider in Princeton can absorb all the intellectual and artistic ferment without having to fork over the equivalent of a hefty tuition. Orientation Travelers who only know New Jersey as the butt end of "What exit?" jokes will be shocked at first sight of Princeton. Situated halfway between New York City and Philadelphia (easily accessible by train, bus, or car), leafy, attractive Princeton has been a desirable locale since colonial times. The College of New Jersey (later known as Princeton U.) moved here in 1756, the year Nassau Hall was completed. At that point, the grand, four-story Georgian building (now a National Historic Landmark and site of the administrative offices) was the largest in the colonies, housing up to 150 students and teachers. For several months in 1783, the Continental Congress met at Nassau Hall, meaning, in effect, that Princeton was the national capital. In more recent times, Princeton simply served as a learning base for leaders in every field. Luminaries such as Albert Einstein, John Nash, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Eugene O'Neill, and Donald Rumsfeld have all called Princeton home, as have two U.S. presidents and more than 30 Nobel Prize winners. Intimidating as this haven of higher learning might seem, the environment is actually rather inviting. The Frist Campus Center (609/258-1766), off of Washington Road, is a good place to begin a visit. Students gather here to socialize, grab a bite between studies, and watch CNN on the big screen. You can also scoop up maps of campus and town, scout out the bulletin boards, and snatch up a free copy of the Princeton Weekly Bulletin, the bible for finding out what's going on around campus. Free campus tours depart from the welcome desk inside Frist several times a day, year-round. You're also welcome to wander around on your own. Besides Nassau Hall, be sure not to miss the University Chapel-a misnomer, really, for this high-ceilinged Gothic building with intricate stained-glass windows and seating for 2,000 truly merits the title "Cathedral." The Chapel often hosts free concerts and special art exhibits. Next to the Chapel is Firestone Library (609/258-4820), a tease because only those with a Princeton ID card can take advantage of its millions of volumes and seating for 2,200. Still, poke your head inside-two floors of exhibitions in the library's galleries (609/258-3184) and the fancifully decorated Cotsen Children's Library (609/258-2697) are regularly open to the public free of charge. Also free is the Princeton University Art Museum (609/258-3788, princetonartmuseum.org), which houses 60,000 works, including a celebrated Monet (Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge) and renowned Asian and pre-Columbian collections. Free talks and tours at the museum are offered about once a week during the school year. The campus itself is a museum of sorts, living up to its "princely" name with several buildings resembling lordly castles (most notably Blair Hall, with its four-corner turrets and dramatic archways). By no means does all the architecture look to the past, though. Here and there around campus are intriguing modern sculptures, including a large Head of a Woman by Pablo Picasso. Nearby the Picasso is Spelman Hall, a triangle-shaped dormitory designed by another architectural legend, I. M. Pei. Ivy League entertainment Visitors cannot sit in on classes at Princeton, but everyone is welcome at the seemingly endless supply of free public lectures, with most being offered during the spring and fall semesters (summers are relatively quiet on campus). Provocative topics such as "Putin as Partner: Russian Foreign Policy in Transition," "The Islamization of the Arab-Israeli Conflict," and "Do Movies Have a Future?" are presented by leading scholars regularly. Settle in to a discussion that's somewhat familiar, or be prepared for your head to hurt ("Liquidity Risk and Arbitrage Pricing Theory" just isn't for everyone). Bear in mind that a little cranial discomfort may be worth the free food and drinks that usually accompany talks. You can find the dates, times, and places of all these lectures-sometimes two and three a day-in the Princeton Weekly Bulletin. If no lecture is to your liking, perhaps some music or theater will do. The cream- of-the-crop students at Princeton put on pro-quality productions at prices that are strictly amateur. Since 1920, student members of Theatre Intime (609/258-4950, princeton.edu/~intime) have done all the acting, directing, fund-raising, and sometimes writing for each season's shows, ranging from wacky comedies (Noises Off) to intense dramas by Jean-Paul Sartre and David Mamet. Performances inside Murray-Dodge Hall's 200-seat theater cost around $12 for general admission ($6 for students), though they're free if you're willing to serve as an usher (call ahead). Quipfire!, the campus improv-comedy group, performs several times a year, charging $5 entrance. The Richardson Auditorium (609/258-5000) inside Alexander Hall hosts mostly classical and jazz concerts that average $15 (less for students and seniors), with some performances free. If your budget's a bit more flexible, the university's McCarter Theatre (609/258-2787, mccarter.org) presents topnotch professional music, drama, and dance performances (Tony Award winner Blair Brown starred in The Tempest this spring) for less than they would cost at big-city venues (generally starting at $25 to $30). Consult the Princeton Weekly Bulletin or go online to http://calendar.princeton.edu for a schedule of events. Outside the gates Even if there were no university here, Princeton would still have its share of history to brag about. The area was settled in the late 1600s, and in early 1777, soon after George Washington famously crossed the Delaware River, his forces defeated Lord Cornwallis in the pivotal Battle of Princeton. Learning about area history is as easy as crossing the street from campus to the Bainbridge House, built in 1766 and now home to the Historical Society of Princeton (158 Nassau St., 609/921-6748, princetonhistory.org). Inside is a free museum with nearly 100,000 artifacts, photographs, and manuscripts. Tours of historic Princeton depart the Bainbridge House every Sunday at 2 p.m. ($6 adults, $3 children), visiting the Princeton campus and the former homes of Albert Einstein, Woodrow Wilson, and Grover Cleveland, among others. The Society also hands out free maps for self-guided walking tours. As for the old battle site, it's now Princeton Battlefield State Park (500 Mercer Rd., 609/921-0074), a peaceful parkland where a preserved 1770-era home is open to visitors as a free museum. For other diversions, Westminster Choir College (101 Walnut La., 609/921-2001, rider.edu/westminster) offers operas and concerts year-round starting at $7 adults, $5 students or seniors. Landau (102 Nassau St., 609/924-3494) is a family-owned woolen-products store with decent prices and, oddly enough, its own mini-museum of newspaper clippings, artifacts, and photographs of Albert Einstein. The historic Delaware and Raritan Canal (built in the 1830s, running just southeast of campus) is an ideal spot for jogging, bike riding, canoeing, and kayaking. Subsistence and sleep Like many rich suburbs in New Jersey, low-budget dining options are limited in Princeton. Your best bet is to think (and eat) like a student, sticking to sandwiches and snacks rather than several-course meals. Within stumbling distance of campus are two student favorites: breakfast specialist P.J.'s Pancakes (154 Nassau St., 609/924-1353) and sandwich shop Zorba's Grill (183-D Nassau St., 609/924-2454), both of which will fill your belly for under $5. For something a little more formal, try Winberie's (One Palmer Sq., 609/921-0700), which charges $6 to $7.50 for small orders of pasta or chicken. There's a full bar with happy hour specials, and the windows are painted with caricatures of famous alums like Bill Bradley and Brooke Shields. Real estate is pricey in Princeton, so there are few cheap beds right near campus. However, drive a few miles in almost any direction and it's easy to find affordable lodging. Examples: the Days Inn in Monmouth Junction (six miles from campus, 732/329-4555, daysinn.com; $54 to $100 double) or the Red Roof Inn in Lawrenceville (3203 Brunswick Pike, six miles from campus, 609/896-3388, redroof.com; $50 to $100 double). Go to princeton.edu for more ideas on area lodging. In the surroundings A big reason Princeton is such a sought-after address is because of what's nearby. Philadelphia and New York are both reachable in about an hour, but considering your brain may have been working overtime in Princeton, it might be time to let the gears slow down. Don't be ashamed to revel in old-fashioned, lowbrow fun awaiting you at the Jersey Shore or Six Flags Great Adventure (732/928-1821, sixflags.com), both about an hour away by car.

Our confessor, who prefers to remain anonymous, lives in New England and eagerly escapes each winter to give history lectures aboard luxury cruises in South America and the Caribbean. It's not smart to make waves: Twelve years ago, a cruise-line manager heard me on a Miami talk show plugging my book on American cultural history. Within hours an invitation arrived for a 21-day, all-expenses-paid cruise for two. All I had to do was deliver three 45-minute talks. After one lecture, I was taken to task by the imperious cruise director (think Tony Soprano and Oprah rolled into one) because a passenger reported my "offensive, un-American slurs against our founding fathers." My sin was having milked some laughter by mentioning that the Pilgrims drank so much that sometimes inebriated Puritan children fell into open graves at funerals. The cruise director said that my role was not to educate, but solely to enrich. As penance he assigned me to dine with the "merry widows"--the coven of persnickety battle axes who virtually live aboard deluxe liners. I've since toned down my lectures, saving the juicy bits for passengers who seek me out over cocktails. Lecturers exist in social purgatory: Of late, cruise directors treat lecturers like irksome moochers, segregating them, along with the golf pro and the musicians, in an entertainment ghetto in the rear of the dining room. My only reprieve comes when passengers request that I be seated with them (so if you like a lecturer, ask a staff member if it's possible for the speaker to dine at your table). Passenger ratings are vital: Socializing with cruisers is my pleasure, but it's also crucial to secure my position. For the lines I lecture on, a speaker has to score at least an 8.5 out of 10 on the passenger ratings to be considered on future cruises. If you like a lecture, rate the talk highly and tell the staff about the experience--it's the only way we get asked back to do it again. Bribes are not unheard of: Lecturers don't always cruise for free. I know speakers who pay a broker from $50 to $100 per day onboard in exchange for their assignment and a cabin. One of my colleagues even told me about a cruise director who insinuated that it would be wise to slip him a handsome "gratuity" if she expected a return engagement. We hate know-it-alls: Most audiences are delightful, though I occasionally have to compete with snores during notorious after-lunch (nap time) sessions or win over the crowd who are attending merely to secure good seats for the bingo or cha-cha lesson to follow. The bane of my existence is the ubiquitous know-it-all who torpedoes the lecture I spent weeks preparing. I know that putting a passenger in his place won't earn me a nice rating. So, as I contemplate the shipboard luxury, magnificent sunsets, and endless smoked salmon, I deferentially tilt my head and muse, "You don't say!"

For the rest of your life, you will remember how the golden reflection of the setting sun painted everything in a warm, rose-colored hue. And the intoxicating aroma of tropical blossoms wafting through the balmy air, and the whispering melody from the waving palm fronds as the officiant said those magic words: "I now pronounce you husband and wife." Hawaii's gentle climate and exotic ambiance create the perfect romantic atmosphere for a wedding to remember and a great setting for the honeymoon you've always dreamed about. But equally important, it is possible to get married in the islands without spending a fortune and enjoy an inexpensive honeymoon without depleting your new joint bank account. You just have to be willing to do a little of the legwork yourself. The paperwork to make it legal For the legal paperwork, contact the Honolulu Marriage License Office, State Department of Health Building, 1250 Punchbowl St., Honolulu, HI 96813 (808/586-4545 or 4544, state.hi.us/doh/records/vr_marri.html; open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Hawaiian standard time). They'll mail you their brochure, "Getting Married," and direct you to a marriage licensing agent close to wherever you'll be staying in Hawaii. And who are these agents? They range from private individuals working out of their homes to government employees in a state office building who will help you with the required paperwork. When you arrive in Hawaii, you and your prospective spouse must go together to the marriage licensing agent to get the license. It costs $60 (cash) and is good for 30 days; if you don't have the ceremony within the time allotted, you'll have to pay another $60 for another license. The only requirements for a marriage license are that both parties be 18 years of age and not more closely related than first cousins. But contrary to what you may have gathered from the media, gay couples cannot marry in Hawaii. The state supreme court ruled last year that a marriage license can be issued only to an opposite sex couple. Finding someone to perform the ceremony The local marriage licensing agents are usually friendly, helpful people who can steer you to someone who's licensed by the state of Hawaii to perform the ceremony, whether you're looking for a minister of a certain denomination or a plain ol' justice of the peace. (However, some marriage licensing agents are state employees and under law cannot recommend anyone with a religious affiliation; they can only give you phone numbers for local judges to perform the ceremony.) Another option is to look in the local newspapers on the island where you want to have the wedding. People willing and qualified to conduct weddings often advertise in the classifieds. They're great sources of information, as they know the best places to have the ceremony and can recommend caterers, florists, and everyone else you'll need. Contact the subscription or circulation departments of the following local newspapers for the latest classifieds: On Oahu, write or call the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterford Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu, HI 96813 (808/524-4700); or the Honolulu Advertiser, 605 Kapiola Boulevard, Honolulu, 96813. On Maui, get a copy of The Maui News, P.O. Box 550, Wailuku, HI 96793 (808/244-3981); on the Kona side of the Big Island, look in West Hawaii Today, P.O. Box 789, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 (808/329-9311); on the Hilo side of the Big Island, check with the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, P.O. Box 767, Hilo, HI 96721 (808/935-6621); and on Kauai, contact the Garden Island, P.O. Box 231, Lihue, HI 96766 (808/245-3681). Another resource is online: the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau's site, gohawaii.com, has a section on weddings and honeymoons in the islands that includes a honeymoon planner, a wedding service fact sheet, and a list of related vendors (coordinators, photographers, florists, etc., who are members of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau). How much will it cost? The best way to save money on your ceremony is to do all the paperwork yourself and negotiate a fee with the person licensed by the state to perform the ceremony. Fees range from a donation (let your conscience be your guide, but most "suggested" donations range from $50 to $150) to specific fees set by the marriage officiant. If you need a little help planning the festivities but can't afford a fancy wedding planner, here is our pick -- on every island other than Kauai -- of the people licensed to perform marriage ceremonies (some have their own wedding consulting companies). For a minimal fee (note: the $60 licensing fee is extra), they'll officiate a low-cost ceremony and help you out with the paperwork. (Note that we scoured the island of Kauai but couldn't find anyone who meets these criteria charging less than $150.) On Oahu, contact Rev. Jerry Le Lesch and Rev. Toni Baran (44-160 Kou Pl., Suite 2, Kaneohe, HI 96744, 808/235-6966, lovehawaii.com), who have been performing weddings since 1985. For $95, they will coordinate your license and perform the ceremony (they even know some great spots to get married for free). On the Big Island, we recommend Rev. Libby Kelson-Fulcher (P.O. Box 4965, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745, 808/322-3322, weddingsalaheart.com), who can perform both traditional ceremonies (including Jewish weddings) and customized ceremonies. She charges $175 for officiating the ceremony and also offers a "Simply Hawaiian" package for $395 that includes coordinating the wedding license, finding a site, helping you design the ceremony, performing the vows, providing two traditional leis, and assisting in any other details. On Maui, call Rev. Linda Stevens (2162 Kahookele St., Wailuku, HI 96793, 808/280-6137) who has a basic "minister only" plan that includes arranging for the license, suggesting sites, and performing the wedding for a reasonable amount. Free romantic tropical sites for your ceremony More than 20,000 marriages a year are performed in the islands in a range of places: near the gentle wash of the waves on a beach at sunset, alongside a tumbling waterfall at dawn, atop a wind-swept bluff overlooking the ocean, deep in a rain forest jungle, and even in more traditional settings, like a church, synagogue, or mosque. If you don't have your heart set on a big church wedding, you can save a lot of money by tying the knot in one of Hawaii's magnificent outdoor settings. If you pick wisely, you can have the location absolutely free. One example of a dream wedding site is Kapiolani Beach Park on Oahu. Not only is it free but your wedding photos can have Waikiki Beach in the background in one shot and, from another angle, the famous Diamond Head volcano in the next shot, letting everyone know just where you celebrated your wedding. Hawaii's state and county beaches and parks allow you to have your ceremony there at no cost; however, you must fill out some paperwork to obtain the necessary permits. Dreamy inexpensive honeymoon accommodations When the ceremony is over, the honeymoon begins, and what better place to honeymoon than in sensuous Hawaii? It's not necessary to go into hock to have a sumptuous honeymoon in the islands. Our picks of low-cost but romantic sites at which to spend your honeymoon (or to stash the relatives for a few days before or after the ceremony) include these: On Oahu, head for the relative serenity of the North Shore, where exotic flowers bloom in dazzling colors, the fragrance of the rolling ocean fills the air, and the glitter of thousands of stars beckons romance at night. For a honeymoon on the beach, "Auntie" Alice Tracy has been welcoming newlyweds for decades at her oceanside Ke Iki Hale, a collection of one- and two-bedroom cottages and duplexes right on the beach. Located between two legendary surf sites (Waimea Bay and the Banzai Pipeline), her units face a 200-foot stretch of white sand beach, and although none is new and furnishings are modest, each one is immaculately clean, homey, and comfortable. Perfect for honeymooners, with no phone and no television to distract you, only that great beach outside and the two of you inside. The cottages start at just $65 (59-579 Ke Iki Rd., Haleiwa, HI 96712, 808/638-8229). Another inexpensive site on the North Shore, and a great place to stash the family, is the Best Inn Hukilau. This small (49 units), two-story, plantation-style hotel is within walking distance of the Polynesian Cultural Center and just across the street from a secluded white sand beach. The rooms are fairly standard, with two king, queen, or double beds, TV, phone, air-conditioning, small refrigerator, and coffeemaker and microwave on request. All the rooms overlook the swimming pool and barbecue/picnic area. Guests include lots of families, although Craig Huish, the general manager, says they get their share of honeymooners because the hotel is so close to the Mormon Temple in Laie. The units start at just $89 and include continental breakfast (55-109 Laniloa St., Laie, HI 96762, 800/526-4562, laieinn.com). On the Big Island, we recommend spending your honeymoon in Kona, where it's perpetually sunny and the ocean is calm 350 days a year. The best deal for a boutique hotel right on the ocean is the Kona Tiki Hotel, located about a mile from downtown Kailua-Kona (close enough to enjoy the nightlife but far enough away to have peace and quiet). The rooms feature ceiling fans (with those ocean breezes, you don't need air-conditioning), mini-refrigerators, and spacious lanais (porches) to take in the view. What the rooms do not have are televisions or phones, but on your honeymoon, who cares? Rates start at $59 ($79 if you want a kitchenette) and include free continental breakfast by the swimming pool every morning (75-5968 Aln Dr., Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, 808/329-1425). If you want to leave the relatives at the Kona Tiki and seek out a more intimate location for the two of you, contact the Hawaii Island Bed and Breakfast Association (P.O. Box 1890, Honokaa, HI 96727, stayhawaii.com), which offers a range of options starting as low as $45 a night. The sun-kissed shores of Kihei in south Maui offer honeymooners a tropical vacation at rates that won't break the bank. In the summer (June-September), you can get a one-bedroom unit at Kihei Kai for as low as $85 ($85 to $95 in the low season, mid-April to mid-December, and $95 to $105 in the high season, mid-December to mid-April). Inside, each unit includes a fully equipped kitchen, and outside there's a sandy cove that's great for swimming. Located on the north end of Kihei, just minutes from restaurants, shopping, and a four-mile string of white sand beaches, these spacious chambers are large enough to sleep four if you have relatives coming to your wedding and also have wide lanais, televisions, phones, and air-conditioning (61 N. Kihei Rd., Kihei, HI 96753, 877/778-7717, maui.net/ki_heikai). The lush garden isle of Kauai, with its rim of white sand beaches circling the island, variety of ocean activities, and tropical jungle landscape, offers affordable accommodations at centrally located Garden Island Inn, an intimate hotel surrounded by tropical flowers and banana and papaya trees. Just ten minutes from the airport and within easy driving distance to all the attractions on Kauai, this hotel is a great location for honeymooners who want to get out and experience the island. Most rooms have a refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker, air-conditioning, television, phone, and ocean view, and prices start at $75-$125 double (3445 Wilcox Rd., Lihue, HI 96766, 800/648-0154, gardenislandinn.com). If you have relatives coming for the wedding who are more interested in saving money than having tropical surroundings, two low-cost motels close-by are the Tip Top Motel (3173 Akahi St., Lihue, HI 96766, 808/245-2333), where all rooms are $50 double, and Motel Lani (P.O. Box 1836, Lihue, HI 96766, 808/245-2965), where rooms start at $38. Whatever your dreams are, and no matter how tight your budget is, Hawaii can make those dreams come true. A little pre-planning, plus a little legwork, will pay off in a memorable but affordable wedding and honeymoon. Spectacular wedding sites for free If you envision your Hawaiian wedding on a long white sand beach with emerald-green water offshore, the spot for you is Hapuna State Beach, near Kawaihae, on the Big Island, and the cost for use of the beach is absolutely nothing. Or if you want your wedding on Kauai, one of the most spectacular settings is Hanalei County Beach Park, where the juxtaposition of the steep, verdant Bali Hai cliffs against the creamy white sand and azure water causes first-time visitors to gasp in awe. The cost for using this dramatic beachfront for your wedding is zero. Or if your heart is set on a Maui wedding, the sound of the crashing waves and singing birds can be the background to a dawn ceremony in the tropical jungle of Hana's Waianapanapa State Park. Cost for the site: free. However, you must fill out the paperwork for the permits first. To use a state park or state beach park, contact the District Office of the State Divisions of Parks on the island where you plan to have the ceremony and request a special-use permit for a wedding ceremony: Oahu, P.O. Box 621, Honolulu, HI 96809, 808/587-0300; Big Island, P.O. Box 936, Hilo, HI 96721, 808/974-6200; Maui, 54 S. High St., Suite 101, Wailuku, HI 96793; 808/984-8109; Kauai, 3060 Eiwa St., Suite 306, Lihue, HI 96766; 808/274-3444. If you desire a county beach park and you plan to use it just for a ceremony, you may not need a permit. However, if you would like to use a park facility (like a pavilion), then you will need a permit. Most permits require a custodial deposit, which will be refunded if you clean up the site after you are done. For more information on use of county parks, contact: City and County of Honolulu (the entire island of Oahu): 650 S. King St., First Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813, 808/523-4527; Big Island of Hawaii: 25 Aupuni St., Hilo, HI 96720, 808/961-8311; Maui: 1580-C Kaahumanu Ave., Wailuku, HI 96793, 808/270-7389; Kauai: 4444 Rice St., Lihue, HI 96766, 808/241-6660. Jeanette Foster is a Hawaii resident (of 25 years) and co-author of numerous best-selling guidebooks to the islands.