Back to the Pacific - I've missed you all!

It's been a (long) while, and I don't know whether many of my old fellow-travellers are still hanging around in here or not.

Just wanted to share with you that, after a long absence (8 years), on Friday morning I will finally be heading back into the mighty Ocean continent.

Only six days in Vila, but it will be an opportunity to connect and re-connect with friends and family of friends from all over Pacifika. All those new friends I am about to meet!

I am very excited to be coming "home" to where I discovered just how wonderfully different from Australia the world could be.

I don't regret the intervening trips at all - Asia, USA and Europe have all been great - but I can't wait to get that whiff of coconut in the air when I step off the plane into the sudden heat-rush; to hear the sounds of the Pacific - guitars, drums, glorious voices, chickens and pigs; and, to struggle to cross my legs on a ridiculously hard concrete floor while sharing a couple of shells of kava with my wontoks.

Yu mi olgeta long Vila - tumas gud! (With apologies, 'coz I'm out of practice)

Rob

Welcome back! Keep us posted as to how you get on, you lucky person you!!! For me, the sound of coconuts being grated always conjures up pictures of the South Pacific.

Hi,
I wonder if you can advise me: I've never been to the S. Pacific, always wanted to go. Have been all over Asia. I'm a little worried that the S. Pacific is expensive, both to travel to and to stay, and that it's full of clusters of expensive over-the-water honeymoon bungalows, rows of identical beach umbrellas, and tourist shops. Is it possible to escape all that and find a quiet, friendly place with a nice beach? Can you recommend an island or two? I was in Koh Samui 30 years ago when it was pristine, and I'm tempted to just go back to a more remote island in Thailand. If you've been to both areas, what would you recommend? Thanks for your help -- hope you're having a fantastic time on whatever island you've arrived at.

You can get away from all that, but do some research. Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and even Fiji (to a lesser extent) spring to mind as destinations where you can get away from it all.