3 in South Pacific - Tonga, Fiji and....? (Vanuat or Solomons?)

Hi all!

Am in Tonga now and will be heading to Fiji in a few weeks. I am still undecided about my third destination (cant decide between Vanuatu and Solomons). Can someone help? I've read a few posts (by Lazlo, esp) and still have a few q:

A few places that I've enjoyed traveling in before: Uganda-Rwanda-DRC, Malawi, Zanzibar, Ethiopia, Flores, Palawan, Tonga's Vavau...So am kinda looking for a destination that's a mix of lush mountains, local (pre-missionary, if possible) culture, volcanoes, atolls, jungles, chill-out hammocks, smiling people, easy budget, plenty of mosquitoes, basic accomodation, street food on the markets, travel around in buses/boats... the works....!

I will have one month in one of the two countries. Air tickets from Fiji to either is similar and onward ticket to NZ from either is the same. So, the other considerations come into play.

1. It looks like Solomons has better inter-island ferry and Vanuatu needs flights everywhere which could be expensive. Can someone give me an idea (based on their experience) the ferry/flight costs in these countries. Would be helpful for me to compare. I'd be ok if the ferry schedule/duration/prices in either countries were similar to the ones in Tonga (for reference)

2. I'd like to see at least one culture that is not as much influenced by the christian missionary or indo british trade - like a place where people have not been told that they are savages and have to relinquish their evil 1000 year traditions.

3. I'd like to see a couple of different stages of Darwinian Atoll formation (like a single cone volcanic island, submerging cone, coral atoll etc). I do not have the budget to go to Tahiti or to Cook.

4. My budget for one month will be up to USD 1800.

5. I'd rather take ferries than fly between islands. And I'd rather see 2-4 island (like one per week on avg) than move every 3 days.

Based on all the above extremely picky details, if you can suggest Vanuatu or Solomons (or Cook or any other in the S.Pacific), I'd be the happiest guy on earth!

Thanks in advance!

Pras.

You would find it very difficult anywhere in the Pacific to find pre-Christian culture these days (except perhaps the most remote parts of Papua New Guinea). However, there is a difference between the way various churches operated. The north of Vanuatu and the middle and east of the Solomons where first visitied by churches that had much more respect for culture.
Malaita in Solomon Islands would neet your needs. There is a daily fast boat, and several slower boats each week to Auki, the capital, from Honiara. Fast boat about $30 (AUD) each way, slow boat about half that.
You can travel around a fair bit of the island by truck with the locals.
The inland (where you would have to walk) is the least developed, but Malaitans are people who hang on to culture tenaciously.
Look at Exploring Solomons for suggestions of what to do and where to go.

There are some inland bush villages in East Kwaio on Malaita Island that have not converted to Christianity, not yet anyway, but they are hard to get to and I think you need permission beforehand; they do not always welcome outsiders, at times not even folk from West Kwaio unless there is a blood relationship.

There is an expat group that does an across Malaita walk from the east to Auki in the west. A friend did the walk and was surprised by the non-Christian villages they came across - but they were not allowed to visit. He also said it was a very hard slog.

I think Solomons is the best choice, each island is so different one from the other.

My vote definitely goes for Vanuatu.

Traditional culture has been far better preserved there than in the Solomons and overall I also found the people much friendlier.
You can see people wearing full traditional dress daily on at least 3 islands: Santo, Pentecost and Tanna.

PNG would be the 2nd best bet.

The "traditional" bush Kwaio of Malaita mentioned above are spoilt by tour groups, money-minded and unfriendly.

I did not add to the recommendation of Malaita that there are at least 10 distinct cultures, with their own languages, on Malaita alone.
I have met people in the Lau Lagoon who have resisted conversion to Christianity, despite 100 years of contact with western "civilisation".

Not all the bush cultures in E. Kwaio are spoiled by tourists, other than the most obvious one, that Sinaraggu "custom" tour thing. Where I went with my 'wontok' to his uncle's inland bush village of what he calls "hidden" people (I think he just can't pronounce heathen) they had never had outside visitors before. Obviously they run into foreigners when they travel to Atoifi and to other parts, but no-one enters their territory. But I also agree now that Vanuatu and PNG are probably better bets for interaction of that sort, as it's only Malaita that is still really custom oriented.

A million thanks to everyone who responded with their inputs based on experience. I was leaning towards Vanuatu and the decision was made easy by the immigrations- Solomons requires me to be pre-approved for a visa while Vanuatu offers it at the airport for a 30 day stay with an outbound air ticket (I have an Indian passport)- So I booked my flight from from Fiji to Port Vila. Will stay for 30 days and am psyched!

Will get back to this thread at the end of my trip & update.

Thanks again for weighing in! Each and every comment added valuable & much needed insight into the differences between these two complex societies.

Regards,
PM

In case anyone from other countries is put off visiting Solomon Islands by the above, anyone from Australia, NZ, EU and I think US and Canada at least, can get an up to 3-month visitors visa free on arrival at the airport in Honiara.
They are definitely more wary of Asians, because of the number of illegal immigrants and plantation and shop workers who have come in and stayed indefinitely without work permits.