Air Pacific Bula Pass and Where to go

Hi,

Doing some very preliminary research for next year. will be passing through Fiji at this time (nov to dec) and found the Bula Pass for Air Pacific. It offers cheap travel to the following places:

Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Apia, Samoa
Vila, Vanuatu
Honiara, Solomon Islands
Tarawa, Kiribati
Kiritimati, Kiribati

I'm thinking that i can travel to 2 off the groups of islands and have 2-3 weeks at each. The main question is which to choose??

We're both divers, snorkellers, beach goers, trekkers and love outdoors. Are relatively experienced travellers. We're not overly interested in culture, but not afraid of it either.

So we'd just like to know, which collection of islands would give us 2 or 3 stops that would satisfy the above interests? Also, as for cost, which islands are cheapest and which would cost far too much for the backpacker type? Are there any must sees, ie humpback whales in tonga, etc, etc.

I know this is a broad topic but there is just so much info out there its tough to figure which islands to start on. even links to other threads would be greatly appreciated

Vs

If you are not overly into culture, you will want to skip Kiribati, which is very much in the middle of nowhere and has no tourist infrastructure. Granted, it is at the top of my list of places to visit because of the culture, but to each his own :).

Samoa is cheap and has some nice beaches, but the snorkeling isn't particularly good.

Have you considered buying a South Pacific guidebook? I think the old Moon guide covers all of the countries you listed. Very much out of date, but might be a useful starting point.

Solomon Islands is great if you have 2 or 3 weeks, as that would give you time to travel around by boat rather than fly (which can be expensive). I am not a diver, but it is one of the world's most famous diving destinations, due to all the World War II wrecks, as well as lots of natural beauty.
Check out the site in my sig line, which gives ideas to people into trekking etc, rather than resorts.

You seem to have overlooked the fact that you must use the pass within 30 days, including transiting in Fiji, so at most you can spend 2 weeks in each of 2 countries.

Also, Kiritimati seems to be included on one of the 2 destination lists (but not on the other) by error, I was told it was not an option, though Tarawa is.
I might add to tilos' comments that Kiribati is also quite expensive, especially on a short visit focusing on Tarawa or Kiritimati.

As usual, I will advocate picking one Polynesian and one Melanesian country.

Tonga is easily to better one for Polynesia, with nicer people and more diverse islands than in Samoa, plus the whales you want. I also found the snorkeling better there than in Samoa, though it is still a long way behind much of Melanesia.

For Melanesia, it's kind of a dilemma between Vanuatu and the Solomons.
When I visited them, Vanuatu was easier to get around in limited time, as flights were more reliable. It is also friendlier and more traditional.
The Solomons are cheaper though, and have better snorkeling - they are also much bigger and more spread-out, so if you go there for 2 weeks, plan carefully!
I'd lean towards Vanuatu for its more reliable domestic flights, I think.

Transport has improved considerably in Solomon Islands in the last 3 years, as has tourist infrastructure.

Is it now possible to get on the domestic flights at short notice (say 1-3 days), and be pretty certain that the planes will actually turn up as booked for the return journey?
And are tourists' booked seats no longer given over to VIPs (RAMSI personnel when I was on Rennel) without advance warnings?

If so, that would indeed make the Solomons a much easier destination for most visitors now.
I myself will want to go back there at least one more time (not likely very soon though) so would be most happy to hear that the above matters have actually improved.

With planes, it does depend where you are flying, but I understand the flights to Seghe have improved. I have actually managed to book a flight from Auki to Honiara in the morning for the same day, and managed to get on a flight I only had a stand-by booking for, on a different occasion. (and no-one else was bumped).
Inter-island shipping has also improved. One of the best recent introductions is Discovery 360, which does daily services to Auki. It is New Zealand owned, and never overloads, as you have to have a ticket.

Any idea about the situation regarding flights to Makira, Temotu and Renbel?

Of course the flights to Gizo and Seghe must be of most interest to most visitors, but I'd go for the above! ;-)

Makira is usually OK - I was delayed one day, and then the plane was an hour or two late, last time I was there. They actually held the plane to Brisbane in Honiara until we got there, so someone with an international ticket could fly. I still warn people wanting to fly to Temotu to allow at least a week after they are due back in Honiara, in case there is a delay or unplanned schedule change. Flights there can be delayed or cancelled by damage to the runway, or lack of fuel in Lata as there hasn't been a ship recently.
However I read this week in the Solomon Star that they are not supposed to cancel flights if there is a passenger with an international booking flying into Honiara.
I have no direct experience with flights to Renbel.

def. look at Sols

Guys, I am also planning for Dec/Jan, and my preliminary list is both Samoas, Tonga (because they're said to be the cheapest islands together with Fiji). As for the others, I am nearly sure Kiribati can be cut from the list, I've been seeing videos on Youtube from private travellers (not those posted by Tourist offices or organizations with an obvious interest to show a partial view of the country), and from the images I've seen, Kiribati is among the least attractive ones. Solomon Islands, due to the political situation will also probably be eliminated.
There's Vanuatu left, from which I intend to buy a (separate) ticket to Noumea, but couldn't figure out how to solve the question that I am not allowed to go straight from Noumea back to Fiji, I would have to fly to Vila and THEN back to Fiji, which is an annoyance. But I'll confirm when I buy my ticket.
And also considering using my Star Alliance miles to fly from Fiji via Auckland to Cook Islands, as they are said to be really cheap and beautiful. If I had more money and another 2 weeks on top of the 7 I am already taking off work, then I would stretch to Tahiti.

You can fly from Noumea to Nadi directly on Aircalin.

What political situation in Solomon Islands? There have been only two relatively minor hiccups since the Regional Assistance Mission arrived in the middle of 2003. You will be safer there than most of Europe.

I was in Solomons twice during the so-called 'political situation' and it was safe for foreigners even back then. That 'situation' is over. The only thing that seems to have changed much since my earlier visits to Solomons before 'the troubles' is an increase in petty crime in Honiara, but as that's everywhere in the world it's no biggy; like Ozzie says, it's safer than most of Europe and a lot of N. Amrerican cities as well.

About the Solomons:
Guys, crime was a part of my daily life until 12 years ago, I grew up in Rio de Janeiro and live now in the Netherlands (safer than many EU countries, but not exactly SAFE as in.... well, the North Pole? :-)
Of course for all of us living in the Western Hemisphere, unless you browse Aus/NZ papers online daily, it's hard to find out what happens in the Pacific. But anyway, I have to confess that I am not particularly into Western countries (except PNG, but that will be at some other time of my life), prefer the Central/Eastern Pacific ones. Have been so far in Easter Island and Fiji only, loved both.

Laszlo, thanks for the hint, and I know about AirCalin. The problem is: I intended to do something like:

NAN - TBU
TBU - NAN - APW
APW - NAN - VLI
VLI - NOU - NAN (with Air Calin/Air Vanuatu or Air Pacific, but out of Bula Pass)
(hope you don't mind the airline jargon)

that was until the day I phoned Air Pacific and they said as per the Bula Pass' rules, I am not allowed to have a "surface" (that's how it's called in airline jargon, when you fly into a city and leave from another) segment, ie. if I wanted to go from Vila to Noumea, I'd have to go back to Vila to then fly to Fiji, I am not allowed to go straight to Fiji and then continue with the pass. So, I'll see if there's a workaround.

I won't know my exact holiday dates until mid-August (that's how the stupid company I work for deals with holidays, being an airline and knowing how things work in the airline trade, they just confirm your holidays 4 months in advance). By that time, I will start to work in the precise itin. Until then, will read LP's South Pacific guide, just to have an idea of what to see.

Nadine, nice website! :-)

Do you guys know, in places like Tonga, Vanuatu, Samoa, if there are any nice places in the main islands? I don't want to be just hanging out in capital cities, I'd rather see nice quiet beaches, beautiful landscapes. But on the other hand, I am also not into taking domestic flights. When I went to Fiji, I saw that taking a boat to the islands near Nadi was the option for many people, and I also spent a couple of days in Suva, and slept at a roadside hotel between Nadi and Suva.
The one thing I know for sure is: I am crossing from Apia to Am. Samoa.

In Samoa, pretty much all you have is "the main islands"!

In Tonga, there are small resort islands just off the capital, and some OK beaches on the east coast.

In Vanuatu, there's a cluster of inhabited smaller islands within fairly easy reach off the north coast of Efate.

Yes, I've just noted on the other thread that with the Bula Pass, you must buy RT tix to each country. But I don't think anyone would force you to actually use each one, if you hate the idea of returning to Vila from Noumea.

BTW, I think it would be quite crazy to "continue with the pass" after having visited 4 countries already. After all, it is just for 30 days, and to me trying to cram more countries in that period reduces a trip to mere passport-stamp-collecting.

Laszlo, it would be roughly 30 days to see VU, TO, Samoa and PF. Then, I still intend to visit the Cooks some time between new year's day and 10/01. I find 4 to 7 days in each of those countries a reasonable stay. And also, I am the kind of person who likes active holidays. If I stay too long in a place I get bored, and also I'm single and travelling alone (although I've done that in Thailand and Indonesia on different occasions)

I find 4 to 7 days in each of those countries a reasonable stay. And also, I am the kind of person who likes active holidays. If I stay too long in a place I get bored

Perhaps you should look at a map of the countries concerned... (no idea what PF in this grouping is though).
Except for Samoa, you could spend months and months in each one and never stay 2 days in one place.
In fact, a 4 day visitor is much more likely to do just that, as such a short stay won't really allow one to get off the gateway island.

Ok, but I forgot to mention that I intend to keep below the eur 1000 budget, excluding international flights, for the whole of the 6 weeks (which means any domestic flights and the boat between the Samoas would have to fit into that budget)
(PF = sorry, confused, Noumea is actually in New Caledonia, not French Polynesia)
I am on Couchsurfing, which I intend to use as much as I can, although I know that's not as easy as it is in Brazil or Europe. This not being a shopping trip, and considering I am lucky enough to couchsurf at at least a few of those places, the rest should be cheap, namely food.

Have you found many couch surfing members anywhere in the Pacific? The culture is considerably different to Western countries.

Hey Ozziegiraffe, I've been doing some research on the website. Fiji and Samoa seem to have the largest number, then in the other countries it ranges from the occasional expat to absolutely nobody. I have good hopes that it will be easy to get a ceiling and some travel company in at least 50% of my intended destinations.