Backpacker friendly South Pacific

Hi folks,

I'm starting to think about a trip to the South Pacific next winter (December 2013 - January 2014). I know the area is super expensive, and I'd like some help identifying the most backpacker friendly islands. For backgrounds, I'm in my early 30's, like the outdoors, and I'm open to camping/rustic treehouses to save money. I'd like to spend some time sitting on the beach and going on a couple of day hikes. I don't care about nightlife, and I'd actually prefer to spend time in quiet place without nightlife. Ideally, I'd spend $100-$150 a day on this vacation (including accommodation). It seems like Samoa/American Samoa might fit my needs.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Kay

Fiji is the most backpacker-friendly country overall with lots of options, but nearly all of the countries can be done without spending much money. With a few exceptions (e.g. French Polynesia), Australia and NZ are more expensive. From my personal experience, I can summarize three countries:

Fiji
Pros: Fits all budget types, great beaches/snorkelling/diving away from the mainland, very friendly and hospitable locals, well established backpacker infrastructure (scheduled boats, tour companies, buses, hostels, etc.), great hiking opportunities.
Cons: Maybe a bit too touristy for some people, mainland beaches are poor
Bottom line: Loved it.

Samoa
Pros: Beachfront fales are cheap, some cool natural features (blowholes, sliding rocks, SE Upolu beaches, To Sua ocean trench)
Cons: Money-hungry locals, dogs, food is bland, limited hiking options, generally mediocre beaches and snorkelling, poor transportation options
Bottom line: Glad I went, but zero desire to ever return.

American Samoa
Pros: No tourists, genuinely friendly locals, extremely scenic, lots of hikes, great beaches & snorkelling (away from Pago Pago), good bus system, good food, very different than Samoa
Cons: Limited tourist infrastructure (but enough) so potentially a bit more expensive, dogs are extremely bad here, litter
Bottom line: Awesome place, should have stayed longer.

All 3 of those can be done with under $100/day.

Indeed, it is definitely NOT true that the South Pacific as a whole is super expensive! Even the priciest territories like French Polynesia and especially New Caledonia have some budget options, making it possible to visit them on your budget.

Nevertheless, certain countries in the region do stand out as more budget-friendly than others.

Fiji is definitely the cheapest one, especially away from resort islands.
With hundreds of islands to choose from, it will only be as touristy as you choose it to be.

Tonga must be the 2nd cheapest, with very diverse island groups and genuinely friendly people.

Samoa might come 3rd, being made cheaper still by the fact that it consists of only a few islands close to each other, so you spend little on getting around.
Unfortunately, I have to confirm the negative points made by tch7... and could add at least one more (shameless theft from guests by hosts was rife during my visit).

The Solomon Islands may come 4th, tough getting around these far-flung, little-developed islands can be a bit of a pain. A good "adventure destination" though.

Ironically, as you mentioned camping as an option, New Caledonia, generally considered a very expensive territory, could also be one of the cheapest places for you as it has a wealth of very cheap yet great, scenic and quiet campsites especially around the main island of Grande Terre, which is also very cheap to get around by public transport. It probably also offers some of the best hiking in the region, even has marked long distance trails!

There are also some countries where living costs can still be reasonable, though reaching them is pricey - like pretty much all of Micronesia, Tuvalu or especially Pitcairn. None of these tinies offer much in the way of hiking, though.

Guys, thank you. This will points me in the right direction planning.

Can either of you recommend specific hostels/campsites/guesthouses on the beach that would work for a solo traveler? I'd love to park myself on a nice beach for a couple of days, and I think finding a nice place to stay on one of the Islands will be my biggest challenge.

Thanks again,
Kay

The Solomon Islands may come 4th, tough getting around these far-flung, little-developed islands can be a bit of a pain. A good "adventure destination" though
I recently returned to Solomon Islands after a gap of 2 1/2 years to find some definite improvements in local transport. The north Gudalcanal roads have been sealed,, and new bridges built, and there are some better ships availabe. However, finding a nice place on the beach at a bargain price might be difficult. Probably this place in Tulagi would be a possibility, right on the beach, and the 360 Discovery now stops at Tulagi several days a week on it way to Auki in Malaita, making transport much easier.

Key, you haven't even selected a country yet, without that it is hard to give specific recommendations!

After all these years and $$$$, you'd think American Samoa could figure out the dog and trash problem? Sad, but they just don't care.

Hi Kay,
Fiji is our choice, but we are biase, we go their twice a year and when not staying in the village that adopted us, Niubasaga on Moturiki Island, we stay on a small Eco type island opposite our village called Caqalai Island, F$75 a day per person including all meals and Bure
fijiislandresortcaqalai.com
Hope this helps.