Cooks, Samoa and Tonga

Hi everyone,

In your opinion is the following itinerary sensible with regards to times spent in each place, allowing time to travel between islands e.t.c.?

I will be mainly relaxing on a beach and doing the odd bit of walking/exploring, maybe some snorkelling or kayaking.

Cook Islands: Rarotonga - 5 days, Aitutaki - 5 days, Atiu - 2 days

Samoa: Upolu - 5 days, Savaii - 5 days

Tonga: Tongatapu Group (Tongatapu, maybe day trip to Eua) - 4 days, Ha'apai Group (spending time on Lifuka, 'Uoleva and possibly Foa) - 5days, Vava'u Group (using Neiafu as a base) - 5 days

Any comments would be appreciated guys!

Thanks

That's a lot of time waiting around in grotty little airports and not nearly enough relaxing.

I am also wondering if youy are aware that there is no direct flight from the Cooks to Samoa or Tonga.
You'd have to go via New Zealand.

Fiji would be easier to combine with Samoa and Tonga - has direct connections with both.
And would let you get a taste of Melanesia (and India).

Thanks

The round the world ticket I am doing goes from LA to Samoa to Tonga then Auckland. From Auckland I will be arranging a seperate side trip to the cooks.

Do you guys think I would be better spending all the time in each country on 1 island or to travel about and get in two or three islands per country?

Actually I think the time you have allocated to each island is fine - transport connections allowing!.
Those islands are all quite smallish and can be seen in a few days.
Of course if you want to slow down and relax, you could always just visit 1 or 2 islands per country.

I agree with Laszlo. It's a good breakdown in each country.
In the Cooks, make sure you coordinate it so you hit Atiu going to or coming from Atiu, i.e. a triangle fare. You can only do this on one or two days a week.

No domestic flights on Sundays in the Cooks or Tonga, probably not in Samoa either.

Fortunately there is no real need to fly within small and compact Samoa anyway! :-)

re my #5 above, it should have read between Atiu and "Aitutaki" of course.

#6
That is right. Even more: there is no domestic air service within Samoa anyway.

Raro - I was wondering about that!

W - So the flights to Sawaii have been discontinued? Never thought they made much sense anyway.

Raro - I was wondering about that!

W - So the flights to Sawaii have been discontinued? Never thought they made much sense anyway.

Those flights did not make much sense indeed, especially since the town airport in Fagalii was closed. But for only 35 USD it was a lot of fun in that tiny 6-seater Britten-Norman BN2A Islander. And quite scenic too. It is a pity that they discontinued it but economically unavoidable of course.