16 days in the South pacific

Hello everyone,
I´ve browsed for hours already through the Thorn Tree but I´m still not sure where to go.
We (honeymooners) arrive in Auckland on July 21st and leave on August 6th.
In between we would like to squeeze a relaxing but also entertaining time. We are not sunbathers for two weeks but enjoy every now and then a day on the beach and then have something going. We like walking, canoeing, swimming but no diving.
We don´t want to stay for the whole time in budget neither in top end places but have a fair mix of it.
One idea was to spend a week in Raratonga/Aitutaki/Átiu and then another week in Fiji or Tonga. But on the other hand Bora Bora and Vanuatu sound breathtaking as well.
Any travel advise is highly appreciated. Thanks a lot!!!

Not Tonga unless you want a somnolent vacation.

My wife and I spent our 25th anniversary on Upolu in the Samoas. Our best bet was the island of Tutuila which is 80 kilometers to the west. Beautiful scenary and the bus system was efficient and cheap. Very price worthy.

JW

It would help to know what kind of budget you have. French Polynesia is one of the most expensive parts of the Pacific. Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa have more budget options.

Samoa has walking/hiking options, but the beaches are not as nice and you can get quite a bit of rain in August on the south side of the main island where the nicer beaches are. You would also want to search thorntree for posts about wild dogs. Another issue is Air New Zealand has discontinued its direct service (or is about to discontinue its service--it's a bit unclear), so you'd have to take Air Pacific to Fiji first.

My recommendation would be Palau--you could swim, snorkel, and kayak in the beautiful rock islands. But this would require passing through Guam, then catching the continental flight. You could stop off in Yap, FSM where there are some interesting walks through villages, friendly people, and plenty of giant stone money.

Budget will dictate whether French Polynesia is an option. It is EXTREMELY expensive everywhere there, but it also stunningly beautiful. Bora Bora is incredibly beautiful and the overwater bungalows are as romantic as it gets for a honeymoon. Sofitel's private motu is the best value for the money if you choose that route. The Novotel which is next door to Sofitel has rooms as 'cheap' as $150 a night. Food is VERY expensive but you can self cater via a grocery store across from the novotel. Try and bargain with the hotels- they are seriously hurting for business with the current economy and some of the more famous hotels there have recently closed down. Bora Bora is glorious, but it lacks the authenticity of the rest of the South Pacific. It feels just a bit 'disneyland' to me. Maupiti island is a 1 hour boat ride away from Bora Bora and that might offer you an adventurous detour and it is significantly cheaper. The Tuamotus are also fantastic, especially for diving and snorkelling but there isn't much to do beyond that. The South Passage of Fakarava is world class and you can stay at Raimiti or Tetemanu village.

The Cook Islands offer most of what you are looking for. Aitutaki has Bora Bora like water and Etu Moana hotel is a nice honeymoon option. Matriki Beach huts are a funky cool budget option that has a 'tree house' feel. Pay one of the locals to take you to Honeymoon or Maina Island in the lagoon and have it mostly to yourself for a day and evening. You can hike on Aitu and Rarotonga and ride bikes on any of the islands. It is much more reasonable from a budget perspective. Muri beach on Rarotonga has many nice honeymoon options. Make sure you go to the island night at the Edgewater- best dancers on the island.

The Samoan Islands are more traditionally Polynesian than Rarotonga or Bora Bora. There are lush rainforest hikes, easy bike rides and pretty beaches although not as spectacular as the Cooks or Bora Bora. The exception is Ofu Island in American Samoa which has what I think is the most beautiful beach in the South Pacific. But it's not easy to get to and it's more of an adventure destination than a honeymoon spot imo.

Tonga is very nice, but not quite as spectacular as the other locations.

The Solomons are an adventure destination accessible from Brisbane and the snorkeling and diving are the best I've seen anywhere. The south pacific culture is authentic and thriving there. For a honeymoon, you could consider Uepi Island, but everything else around there would be pretty 'adventurous' in terms of honeymoon accomodation.

The Philippines, particularly El Nido could also be on your list for a honeymoon. It's stunningly beautiful there. I've never been to Palau. The last recommendation, but in the opposite direction around the world, is the Seychelle Islands. La Digue Island is about the most romantically beautiful place I've seen.

Hope that helps.

It might be worth considering that while the Cooks are linked directly to Tahiti and Fiji is linked to both Tonga and Vanuatu, these 2 regions are not linked to each other - you'd have to go via NZ, wasting some time (and money!) in transit.

I liked Tonga much more than Samoa, and found it much friendlier and more traditional - people walking around in grass-skirts are a common sight.
I must guess that people saying it's dull must have limited their stay to Tongatapu - the outer islands are a very diverse lot, everything from corall atolls (Hapaai) to rock islands (Vavau), rugged mountains (Eua) to volcanoes (Niuas) is there.

Tonga with Vanuatu would be my pick to combine to countries, but as you'd have to fly via Fiji between them anyway, you might just drop one of the other 2 in favour of Fiji.