Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Planning a vacation to south pacific in september Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
malibunat 02:14 UTC 01 Aug 2010 | So my wife and I are planning a vacation for around 10 days in September. We would like to go somewhere in the south pacific. We have heard many good things about Fiji, Tahiti, Samoa, Thailand, Bali, etc. But I wanted to see what you all think. We are both scuba certified but also love hiking and just laying out on the beach. We aren't too concerned with travel there as we have lots of miles saved up but are looking for affordable (and all inclusive if available) places to stay. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance! Edited by: malibunat |
tilos 18:14 UTC 01 Aug 2010 | If you want fantastic scuba diving, I would visit Micronesia in the north pacific. You could spend a few days in Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia and then continue onto Palau, assuming you have frequent flier miles on Continental or its affiliates. The water is so clear and the coral amazing. We saw countless sharks and sea turtles in both countries. Palau has beautiful beaches (not so much in Yap) although I'm not sure what the hiking options are. For Yap, Mantra Ray Bay would be your option for a package hotel and diving (food separate). The downside is while there are affordable accommodation options in both countries, the diving is very expensive (we paid $120 per two-tank dive in Yap (gear rental included) and $130 in Palau (gear rental not included)). American Airline miles could get you to Fiji via Air Pacific. I have only snorkeled there, so I can't speak to the diving. Several divers I met on my Yap/Palau trip spoke highly of diving in the Philippines, although there are safety concerns in Manila. | 1
vcr 17:59 UTC 08 Aug 2010 | Samoa is a fantastic island. There is one dive operator on Upolu. They are located next to Aggies resort. I don't know if there is any dive operator on Savaii. Check www.samoa.travel to find out more about Samoa and diving. | 2
tjones66 20:10 UTC 20 Aug 2010 | Go to the Solomon Islands and spend a few days at Fatboys (Gizo). You can do some great dives, trek up Kolombangara, and spend a day marooned on Kennedy Island. Then spend a few days at Uepi Island Resort where the diving and snorkling are world class. I was there this past June and had an incredible experience. | 3