Site Scene

PROS: Run by Global Adventure Travel, the site lists about 1,300 lodging options throughout the Hawaiian Islands for $99 or less per night. Taxes and extra fees are clearly stated. Room set-up, amenities and location are described. Also includes such details as whether smoking is allowed and what languages are spoken.

CONS: Very few properties include pictures. Works best when few parameters are entered during search process. Too many stipulations result in limited choices.

· Sportsgroupie.com

WHO IT'S FOR: If you don't know the Jets from the Nets, this site is not for you. Geared to those who plan their vacations around playoff schedules. The name says it all.

PROS: Great resource for sports schedules, from the Olympic Games to baseball spring training. Offers sports tickets ($2,565 for a Super Bowl ticket a couple of days before game time), hotel and flight booking, and sports-oriented vacation packages.

CONS: Travel-planning aspect of the site just links you to other places, namely Kayak.com.

· Airfarewatchdog.com

WHO IT'S FOR: Those who travel fairly frequently and are airfare-involved. Best for the guy who likes to brag about how little he paid for the flight.

PROS: This is basically a one-man show. George Hobica, a travel writer who does a weekly column for Copley News Service, is the wizard behind the curtain, and he knows his stuff. Offers a daily low airfare report from individual cities, which you can receive by e-mail. Humans make sure that the deals being touted by the airlines actually exist. Good links to airline sites.

CONS: Ads are interspersed with content, which can get messy.

· Reservemy.com

WHO'S IT FOR: Don't know which hotels are close to where you're going? This site will find them.

PROS: Plug in an address and the site spits out a list of the closest hotels, including the distance from your targeted address. Listing is accompanied by a map or satellite image that pinpoints your desired destination, then shows where each hotel is in proximity to it. You can even ask for a hybrid display that shows a satellite image overlaid with a map.

CONS: The site is in the testing stage, so there are frequent bugs. Sometimes addresses come up wrong, especially if they are incomplete. Does not include all nearby hotels. Be patient while it's searching: Map of country displays before it finds your specific destination. Initial display shows one-mile radius of address; click on three-mile or five-mile radius to get more results.

· Travelpost.com

WHO'S IT FOR: Travelers who want to post online scrapbooks of their travel adventures, and those who want to look at them. Also for travelers looking for hotel ratings.