Help me choose

Hi All,

Can anyone help me with this, please?
I´ve been thinking about taking my two kids to South Pacific for holiday. We´ve already agreed on going to Moorea, but can´t decide whether to go to Fiji (is it really such an overpriced hassle as some suggest?) or to Cook Islands? Which place offers more possibilities?

Thanks in advance, Rez.

Fiji definitely offers more possiblities, and is more different from French Polynesia culturally, but the Cooks would be logistically far easier to combine with FP. They are just a short, direct flight from Tahiti, whereas to get to Fiji, you'd have to fly via New Zealand, AU or New Caledonia.

Regardless of where you go you'll be more richly rewarded by delving deeper into one island nation/territory instead of flying off to another.

My suggestion would be Tikehau in the Tuamotus as an atoll contrast to the high island of Moorea.

The Cooks are lovely but you'll be traveling from Moorea to the poor man's Moorea.

Wouldn't the Northern Cooks then be the poor man's Tuamotus - flight cost apart? ;-)

Laszlo and silvanocat, thank you for your input.

I think I should have made myself more clear in the OP. The South Pacific islands will be part of our RTW holiday. We´re not terrible beach bums, so I´m looking for places which would offer a tad more than just white sand and coconut trees. From what I see (and I can be perfectly wrong here as well), there´s nothing much to do in Fiji apart from relaxing on the beach. French Polynesia and the Cooks seem to offer some hiking possibilities.
On the other hand, shallow as I am, I would love to spend a couple of days in the proverbial Pacific paradise, so I´m looking for a compromise...

Thank you for any input.

You are indeed perfectly wrong.
Have a look at a map of the region, and you will quickly realize that Fiji has far larger islands than any in the Cooks, or Tahiti for that matter, and as such it offers far more possiblities for hiking and other non-beach-related activities than anywhere in the Cooks. In fact I myself would rate Fiji higher in this respect than for its beaches, which I mostly found quite average by South Pacific standards.

For those "days in paradise", I guess French Polynesia will fit the bill.

Thank you for clearing this to me.

I might also add that in general, Fiji is also cheaper than the Cooks or Tahiti - in fact it is one of the cheapest countries in the region.
Of course you could still spend a fortune if you prefer to pamper yourself at one of its upper-end resorts, but that's optional.

I will pamper myself with the beauties of nature...:D
I asked because I´ve been getting quite a lot of negative input (expensive, not very safe...) on Fiji. Glad it is not true.

If you want to pamper yourself with beautiful nature, try to make it to the island of Taveuni! Search the net to read up more on that one - this is a good start.

I guess the "not safe" thing comes from travel advisories based on the past political troubles in the country. In reality these have little if any effects on tourists, and definitely shouldn't keep away anyone but the most paranoid.

The "expensive" thing could only come from someone who only ever visited on an overpriced package deal.

Thanks for the link, Taveuni looks absolutely gorgeous, indeed!

As for Fiji, I heard about muggings and robberies from people who´d spent some time there, but I imagine it must be quite blown up...

Well, I guess they could happen if you poke around the empty streets of Nadi and Suva at night, after too many drinks in particular.
But unless you do that sort of thing, you should be as safe as anywhere.
If in doubt, you could post a specific Q on the Fiji branch, but unless you are planning to spend lots of time in the 2 cities, especially going out at night, it is hardly worth bothering, I think.

Why did I have this srtupid image of Fiji as a ring of boring atols??? :D

Haha, I am no atoll fan either... love bigger, mountainous islands, hence my preference for Melanesia!

Maybe the atolls are the typical images of "Pacific Paradise", so that is what travel brochures keep promising and promoting throughout the region.
And girls in grass skirts! ;-)

Read the intro on Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island, too.
It will just say how far from the truth you were...

LOL, I´d prabably die of boredom on one of those...

Thanks for your most helpful and interesting feedback, I´ll surely be back:D

You might enjoy reading this discussion then! ;-)

Hmmmmm, after seeing a couple of pictures of Aitutaki, Í might change my opinion about atolls....:)
Paradise on Earth.

Does Fiji have such beautiful atolls, too?:DDD

Lazlo is right on about the hiking opportunities on Fiji.The very size of the largest island,Viti Levu,creates many highland adventures,far away from the tour crowds and trendoids.The Nausori Highlands,the roads out of Nadi to Vaturu Dam,the highland roads out of Ba and the cross island road from Suva to Tavua all offer plenty of exercise and a chance to get away from the crowds.June to Oct. is the best time.If you don't like hiking hills you can ride a local bus to a section of coastal road that runs along the beaches,hike that stretch and get back on a local bus to the next spot along the coastal beaches.That way,you can get food and water along the way,in the village stores and small roadside stores.In the past,I cycled around both of the large islands and Ovalau and had a great time....No security problems,super friendly people.I'll be back in Taveuni this Sept.[haven't been there yet]to hike the coastal road from Nvakawau to Lavena.Should be one of the best.Also,the road from Savusavu to the Taveuni ferry at Buca Bay is an absolutely stunning hike for the first 25 km.Enjoy yourself.....