Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Cooks, Samoa and Tonga Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
si84 15:32 UTC 02 Apr 2008 | Hi everyone, In your opinion is the following itinerary sensible with regards to times spent in each place, allowing time to travel between islands e.t.c.? I will be mainly relaxing on a beach and doing the odd bit of walking/exploring, maybe some snorkelling or kayaking. Cook Islands: Rarotonga - 5 days, Aitutaki - 5 days, Atiu - 2 days Samoa: Upolu - 5 days, Savaii - 5 days Tonga: Tongatapu Group (Tongatapu, maybe day trip to Eua) - 4 days, Ha'apai Group (spending time on Lifuka, 'Uoleva and possibly Foa) - 5days, Vava'u Group (using Neiafu as a base) - 5 days Any comments would be appreciated guys! Thanks |
cardamom 16:31 UTC 02 Apr 2008 | That's a lot of time waiting around in grotty little airports and not nearly enough relaxing. | 1
Laszlo 10:40 UTC 03 Apr 2008 | I am also wondering if youy are aware that there is no direct flight from the Cooks to Samoa or Tonga. You'd have to go via New Zealand. Fiji would be easier to combine with Samoa and Tonga - has direct connections with both. And would let you get a taste of Melanesia (and India). | 2
si84 13:41 UTC 03 Apr 2008 | Thanks The round the world ticket I am doing goes from LA to Samoa to Tonga then Auckland. From Auckland I will be arranging a seperate side trip to the cooks. Do you guys think I would be better spending all the time in each country on 1 island or to travel about and get in two or three islands per country? | 3
Laszlo 23:50 UTC 03 Apr 2008 | Actually I think the time you have allocated to each island is fine - transport connections allowing!. Those islands are all quite smallish and can be seen in a few days. Of course if you want to slow down and relax, you could always just visit 1 or 2 islands per country. | 4
raro 09:20 UTC 06 Apr 2008 | I agree with Laszlo. It's a good breakdown in each country. In the Cooks, make sure you coordinate it so you hit Atiu going to or coming from Atiu, i.e. a triangle fare. You can only do this on one or two days a week. No domestic flights on Sundays in the Cooks or Tonga, probably not in Samoa either. | 5
Laszlo 10:27 UTC 06 Apr 2008 | Fortunately there is no real need to fly within small and compact Samoa anyway! :-) | 6
raro 21:01 UTC 06 Apr 2008 | re my #5 above, it should have read between Atiu and "Aitutaki" of course. | 7
wksamoa 22:51 UTC 06 Apr 2008 | #6 That is right. Even more: there is no domestic air service within Samoa anyway. | 8
Laszlo 23:01 UTC 06 Apr 2008 | Raro - I was wondering about that! W - So the flights to Sawaii have been discontinued? Never thought they made much sense anyway. | 9
Laszlo 23:03 UTC 06 Apr 2008 | Raro - I was wondering about that! W - So the flights to Sawaii have been discontinued? Never thought they made much sense anyway. | 10
wksamoa 23:23 UTC 06 Apr 2008 | Those flights did not make much sense indeed, especially since the town airport in Fagalii was closed. But for only 35 USD it was a lot of fun in that tiny 6-seater Britten-Norman BN2A Islander. And quite scenic too. It is a pity that they discontinued it but economically unavoidable of course. | 11