Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

6 Weeks, Pacific Islands.

Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea

Hi!
As an extended after school travel adventure my friend and I have decided to embark upon organising a trip to the beautiful islands. The trouble is that there are clearly so many! I would love to hear your favourite destinations so we can try and form some sort of compressed list. We' re not looking for luxury moreso a new culture, friendly faces and adventure!
A nightclub or two would be nice . . :)
Thank you!
-emma

You might like to consider Solomon Islands, and another link here
Lots of culture, and one or two nightclubs in the capital, Honiara.
If you have 6 weeks, you could take in diving, a village stay, and get to know several cultures within the country.

1

What is your budget and where will you be flying from? You already posted about traveling to Samoa in January under the impression that it has nightlife, which it doesn't. Maybe you should buy a South Pacific guidebook and a Micronesia guidebook and look at your options. Some countries are much more expensive then others and others are very hard to get to.

If you are so overwhelmed that you just need to be told where to go, most of the younger tourists traveling with friends head to Fiji.

2

Please enjoy this video I made hiking in American Samoa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zN1G__bL5g

Pretty cool to go from beach to cloud rainforest and back in five hours. That trip and other trips like reef snorkling are free. That left a lot of money for bar hopping, American style (hip hop, reggae) food was good, plentiful and cheap. We ate plates for 3 dollars (US) which was enough for all day. Our hotel (shared bath) was 35 dollars a night. It was clean and safe.

From Pago

John

3

Thats great, we are flying from Australia, just sort of wanted to stay clear of the masses in Bali at that time. We are on a mid range budget and were possibly looking to see three main destinations in 6 weeks.
Thanks for all the advice, I have the lonely planent guide on tonga and samoa which is very enticing . .

4

You could look into flying into Fiji and from there to Vanuatu, on to New Caledonia and then back to Fiji. The three island groups are different enough to let you experience distinct cultures, enjoy some beach time and night life, while being mid budget if you do your research. The FAQ at the top of this board will provide you with more information.

5

In general, when one asks for culture and in several countries, I suggest combining both Melanesia and Polynesia.
For you, the best bet might be flying to Fiji, and then visiting both Vanuatu and Tonga from there on Air Pacific's Bula Pass in 30 days, leaving another 2 weeks for Fiji itsef.
I think Vanuatu is the most traditional country in Melanesia, Tonga in Polynesia, and both are very friendly, too. Fiji and Tonga are good for nightclubs by Pacific standards!), Vanuatu less so.
To see each country within 2 weeks, you will obviously have to plan your trip to them carefully though.

6