Fiji and Vanuatu

Hi fellow travellers!
We are planning a trip to Fiji in December - 30 November to 4 January 2011, with a stop over in Sydney. As we are travelling all that way, we are making a holiday of it and will have 21 days to enjoy. I have had so much advice and it seems that Fiji is a paradise destination. BUT I am worried the Husband will be bored of 3 weeks of island life and snorkelling and diving. He likes to keep busy.
Can anyone suggest a possible itinerary that I could start to investigate?
Can we simply arrive and decide from there? How easy is it to island hop and which are the best islands (not sure when we'll be back this way)
How do we get to Vanuatu from Fiji? We'd like to hike to some traditional villages - which and where would be best to go to? We want to avoid tourist traps and so would appreciate any advice you can give.
Thanks so much!

It was only two weeks, but I'd recommend my recent itinerary to get you started with your planning. I was afraid that it'd get too dull, as I'm not a fan of just sitting around, but I managed to keep busy most of the time with hiking, snorkeling, and so forth. Just don't stay in one spot for more than 3 nights. I'd recommend 2 weeks in the Yasawas & Mamanucas (very easy to island hop with the Yasawa Flyer), and your third week on the mainland or another island like Vanua Levu.

Since you are traveling over the Christmas break, I'd definitely recommend reservations.

The visit to Nacula village from Blue Lagoon Beach Resort is great, although they only do it once a week. The Yasawa & Mamanuca Islands are among the most touristy parts of Fiji, but nothing really struck me as a tourist trap.

To get from Fiji to Vanuatu, you'd probably have to fly to Brisbane, Sydney, or Auckland and make a connection. There aren't many inter-island flights in the south pacific, and those that do exist are generally expensive. Virgin Blue/Pacific Blue is a good no-frills airline that has some great prices on flights, especially if you get them during one of their sales.

Sorry to say but the above "advice" about flights is a total nonsense!

Absolutely NO need to fly from Fiji to Vanuatu via Australia or NZ.
You can flly from Nadi to Vila directly on either Air Pacific or Air Vanuatu, and it's cheap , certainly cheaper than going via AU or NZ.
There are also lots of inter-island flights throughout the region, and Fiji is actually a regional hub for these.

Virgin/Pacific Blue doesn't cover such routes, it only flies from AU or NZ to the islands.
The local airlines cover the inter-island routes, with Air Pacific, Fiji's airline having the most extensive network.

The most accessible traditional villages in Vanuatu are on the island of Tanna, though you could also find very traditional ones on Pentecost and Santo. On all the above you can see people in traditional dress every day, something that has pretty much disappeared in most of the South Pacific. On other islands you could see traditional village houses too, but the people would be in more modern dress - women still wear very distinctive, colorful "island clothes" though.
Efate, the island with the capital Vila, is the least traditional island in the country.
Be prepared that with your limited time you will probably have to fly between Vila and the outer islands.

As for Fiji, island-hopping there is much easier, whether by sea or air.
What the best islands are depends on what you are looking for.
The Yasawas and Mamanucas as well as the south coast of Viti Levu have most beach resorts, Viti Levu also has most "sights", Ovalau has the richest history, while larger outer islands especially Taveuni are the best for beautiful, unspoilt nature.

Tanna Island in Vanuatu is amazing. If you stay at the Jungle Lodge just below the volcano they have a 'honeymoon suite' that is in a tree with a porch (also has the only view of the exploding volcano in the distance). You'll get to climb the volcano, sit on the crater, and watch it erupt. Amazing. The lodge has a cultural tour, that should not be missed. You can go ash boarding (snowboarding) down the volcano along with a range of other activities from visiting local villages, sitting in on ceremonies, and checking-out other parts of the island such as Shark Bay.

I flew cheaply from Nadi to Vila on Air Vanuatu. From there you can fly to Tanna Island or Santo. I suggest about 3-4 days on Tanna Island along with a few in Port Vila with the limited time you have available. Port Vila is a big island and has many offerings as well.

If you want to get really remote and stay with a village, I suggest visiting Santo. Santo also has some really great WWII diving sites not to be missed.

Personally, if it were me, I would skip Fiji or spend the least amount of time there. Vanuatu is not ruined by tourism (like Fiji is), the people are amazing, and the islands are beautiful.

Will be very hot in Fiji at that time. 4 weeks would send me nuts, max 2 weeks recommended.

"Will be very hot in Fiji at that time."

Ditto the whole South Pacific.