Pacific Island question

Hi There

Can somebody help me out?
I have plans to visit the South Pacific again in 2013 and which parts would you recommend?

I have seen French Polynesia ( Society islands, tuamotus and marquesas ) and found them the most beautiful things I have ever seen, but is there any equal scenery at other places in the South Pacific?

What I like about Fr. Polynesia is the lack of tourists, the remoteness from the Marquesas and the amazing sometimes hauntingly beauty. What I did not like what the extreme high price levels and the mean barking dogs which limit me to walk long distances alone.

So I like nature and friendly people. I am reading about Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Palau, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia
I want something different from Tahiti and her islands

Who can help me?

While just about any of the destinations you are reading about will meet many of your requirements I know of only two places that don't have any dogs; the islands of Aitutaki and Mauke in the Cook Islands.

The outer islands of the Cooks are my favorite SP destination for all the reasons you state. They are remote, have few tourists, are home to the friendliest people I've ever met, have lots of natural beauty, and they are definitely different from FP. They are also fairly inexpensive to visit. My wife and I typically spend less than $10,000 USD for a 4-6 week, 3-to-4-island visit, including return airfare from LAX.

Solomon Islands is Melanesian, and therefore culturally different to French Polynesia and the Cooks, which are both Polynesian. It is also composed generally of much bigger islands, so it would offer a complete contrast. While the Marovo Lagoon in the Western Province is the most picture-perfect tourist destination, there are many other fascinating areas of the country, each with its own culture.

I think the only place in the Pacific to offer SIMILARLY scenic islands as the Marquesas or the Societies would be Hawaii. But of course it would be VERY touristy.

For DIFFERENT scenic beauty, of the places you have listed New Caledonia or Palau certainly have very scenic areas, and a different culture from French Polynesia. Though I really think the Raja Ampat Islands of West Papua easily beat both...

I found people friendly everywhere in the South Pacific except perhaps in Samoa.
Though Vanuatu was the friendliest of the lot.

Thanks so much for the answers! The helped me a lot!!!

I found it to be honest a little bit disappointing that only Hawaii is that scenic as FP. I can not stand those tourists and I dont mind paying a little bit more to get rid of them.

What is different from the outer Cooks if you compare it to FP? I am looking for some kind of different landscapes...

I see that the Cooks are cheaper and Samoa as well, but anyway: everything will be cheaper dan my FP trip!!!

I'm not sure Lazlow meant that HI was the only place as scenic as FP. I think he meant that HI was scenic in a way that FP was scenic, that is; islands with lots of mountains in a tropical oceanic setting.

Beauty is a pretty subjective thing, especially natural beauty. If you're talking about geological features then the outer Cook Islands are flatter than HI & FP. Aitutaki is a classic atoll complete with a 17sq km lagoon. Atiu, Mauke, Mitiaro and Mangaia are all sunken mountain tops surrounded with a ring of fossilized coral called Makatea around their outer rim. The center of the islands usually have lower, wetter areas. They are riddled with limestone caves and most have wildlife found in very few places. Being at 20-25 latitude they have tropical climates with tropical vegetation and no snakes or poisonous insects that I know of.

But in addition to it's natural flora and fauna the people, history and culture are equally attractive to me. It's fascinating to sit down and chat with someone with an oral history of their own people as well as westerners such as Captain Cook, Bouganville and the Bounty mutineers.

I like to take my time, listen, and seek to find opportunities to drink in whatever happens in wherever I find myself. Because so few people go the outer Cook Islands there are lots unique circumstances to do this.

I've listened to locals tell me about an ancestor that went with the Bounty's mutineers, an encounter between the chiefs of Atiu and members Capt Cook's crew that almost wound up in the pot for dinner and the story of the girl on Mauke whose husband was blown out to sea in his canoe and died of a broken heart. I've had Tere explain to me how the village organization was related to the practice of cannibalism on Mangaia. And much more, all from the locals and all passed down through the ages.

You can't do that sitting at home, nor can you do that sitting around a resort talking to other tourists, no matter where you are.

So, no matter where you go, get your money's worth. Take in the whole experience.

Aitutaki island being part atoll and part volcanic has very different scenery compared to Rarotonga which is a high island with its rugged volcanic peaks, coastal plain, and highly visible reefline. Aitutaki is renowned for its fabulous lagoon and once you see it, or better still experience the lagoon it is easy to see why many people fall in love with Aitutaki island. The main island is attractive, with its little villages, interior hills, and pretty beachfrontages facing the algoon and reefline.

The Cook Islands offer value for money, a clean and safe environment, and a reasonable standard of living for its citizens. While it does have some modern facilities( far more so on Rarotonga with its international airport, port and seat of government), the nation hasn't gone overboard with development. Aitutaki has a nice mix of visitor accommodation, residential areas, village stores and enough land and sea activities to enjoy a stay there. Daily domestic flights from Rarotonga to Aitutki, and a weekly flight between Aitutaki and Atiu island.

A 3 island stay will provide you with a range of interests; although domestic fares aren't cheap on Air Rarotonga. But you can grab a package bargain if you keep an eye out for specials. These specials are mainly sold on Rarotonga through the travel agencies and Air Raro travel centre.

H2ooh has given you some really useful first-hand information related to geography and cultural insights. Being Polynesian we are closely linked to Tahiti but more remotely Hawaii, sharing common words and some similar language phrases. Rarotonga has 12,000 residents, Aitutaki approx 1900, Atiu around 400. Rarotonga receives the most visitors each year (100,000 over 12 months), Aitutaki far less, and Atiu very few! Compare these figures to our bigger island neighbours and you can see how small we are through tourism volumes and associated tourism activities. Still if you want a lot of beach space around you, and maybe even see no-one all day on the same beach, land on Raro then head for the outer islands.

Edited by: lagoon

Hi
I am looking to the Cook Islands at Google Earth, but the look sometimes a little bit the Society Islands of FP. A small high island, blue lagoon and motu. I have seen a lot of them.
Maybe is Vanuatu a better choice - also a different culture - or Samoa, but almost everyone here at the forum from LP talks negative about Samoa. Somebody have been to Tonga? It seems to be more off-beat.
Is Fiji really more touristy than FP?

Sorry for many questions!

To get a complete contrast to Polynesia, go to one of the Melanesian countries, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands or New Caledonia, or even more contrast in Papua New Guinea.

Good advice from Ozzie... sounds like you may finish your entire SP experience in two trips... takes most people much longer than that!

Don't feel bad #4, Hawaii isn't part of the South Pacific anyway so you can justifiably rule that one out. For cultures completely different to French Polynesia I'd go for Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, PNG and/or West Papua.

Yes, Vanuatu is really a good one.

But the scenic beaches and mountains of American Samoa are also good.
I think I will decide to go to Vanuatu. It is really different.

Can you do a lot of excursions in Vanuatu or you have to do everthing by yourself?

Thanks et Maururu roa

I think the only place where organized excursions are regularly offered in Vanuatu is Vila.
And then to a MUCH lesser extent Tanna and Santo.
The rest of the country is very much a DIY kind of place, which just makes it a lot better to me.
Didn't you say you wanted to leave the tourist crowds behind? ;-)

Mind you, the main plus of Vanuatu over FP will be the culture and the "unspoiltness", not the scenery.
The scenery is beautiful, but not quite as spectacular as in FP.
In compensation, the underwater scenery may well be much more spectacular in Vanuatu.

Oh, I quite like Tonga, too.
Much more than Samoa, but not as much as Vanuatu! ;-)

And yes, H2ooh is right about what I meant: the HI are beautiful in a similar way to some of FP: large, rugged islands of the eroded volcanic sort, blanketed in lush tropical greenery. And that's about where the similarity ends, I guess.

Hi

Thanks so much again
I really like the remote, but I have one problem. I don't drive, so i am dependend on tours and I prefer to travel alone. I am a very good walker, even in high temperatures with high humidity ( I did it a lot in FP, mainly at Marquesas, but I am not a driver and I want to see some things. Look at this http://www.pacificislandtravel.com/vanuatu/excursions/excursions_intro.html It is a dutch site in English ( i am dutch ), so there are some excursion I see right now.

I think you are very expierenced with the SP. You have seen a lot. After FP, where is the scenery accordion to you the best ( dont count hawaii in it please )

I am going for my work in 2013 to Java and after that I want to go to the south pacific again but I have to fly via New Zealand. It is also an option to stay in Indonesia, but I am addicted to loneliness and small islands.

Is the scenery in Tonga good? Are the dogs everywhere like in FP?
I am sorry for all my questions...

There are plenty tours on offer on Tanna to keep you occupied for a couple of days or -in my case- a week. A lot of the guest houses (probably all) can arrange tours to Yasur volcano (highly recommended, but stay in an accommodation as close to Yasur as possible, otherwise it might be a long drive to get there and back) and kastom villages. I also did a tour to a black magic cave, the big banyan tree and arranged a couple of hikes with a very informative guide, all easy to book through your accommodation.

I really liked my stay on Tanna, as it was so different than Fiji and the Cooks. The people are lovely and the culture is so different and interesting. And I can't remember having seen any dogs.

It is also an option to stay in Indonesia, but I am addicted to loneliness and small islands.

Check out Maluku and the Raja Ampat Islands - in my signo lines, for example.
They are easily as beautiful (in fact more) as Vanuatu or Tonga, and visiting them may save you some long flights. Maluku would also be a lot cheaper than the SP proper, though Raja Ampat could be just as pricey. Between them these eastern Indonesiabn islands offer every type of tropical island scenery imaginable from volcanoes through limetsone rock islands to coral atolls.

The information on Solomon Islands on the website you posted is out of date and very limited. It is possible that the information for other countries is too.
The Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau site is much more up to date and informative. You may also find the site in my sig line informative.
Is it necessary for you to go to New Zealand? The Melanesian countries are much closer to Australia, particularly Brisbane.

I've been to F.rench P.olynesia so my comparisons are based on actually having been to the places I write about.

The C.ooks and A.merican Samoa are scenicly similar to parts of FP. R.arotonga is a poor man's M.oorea and A.itutaki is a poor man's B.ora B.ora but more atoll like.

The beach on O.fu island in A.merican S.amoa is spectacular even by FP standards.

In the north P.acific there are the R.ock I.slands of P.alau which have scenic beauty equal to FP. There are a lot of visitors and the main town of K.oror has no charm. But you have the opportunity to kayak and camp on the islands which is an incredible experience.

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Silvanocat, so have you been to Bora Bora and Aitutaki? is Bora Bora worth the extra $$$ is there a big difference in the beauty of the places? in your opinion?
when you say Aitutaki is more atoll like, can you explain what you mean a little, not sure if you think its a positive or negative?
i like the idea of the atolls as more places to go, but Bora Bora looks unbelievable, but would be using money id rather be using to pay off the house faster and go to the cooks instead as they seem almost the same to me in alot of ways, yet i keep hearing people say Bora Bora is worth the $$$ :)

B.ora B.ora has dramatic mountains in the center of it, A.itutaki is more flattened out (with just a small hill, thus more atoll like, it's much further in its transition from high island to atoll). I have never seen anywhere else the colors and the variations of colors that are found in the lagoon of B.ora B.ora. I almost wept when I got off the plane at the sheer beauty.

The lagoon of Aitutaki is very, very beautiful. I generally prefer atolls myself but B.ora B.ora is B.ora B.ora.

If you're fine with visiting London or New York but never seeing Paris then go to Aitutaki. (I've been to A.itutaki twice, the first time I was rained out most of my week there and I wanted to return and try to spend time there in the sun so it really is beautiful.)

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I really want to see Bora Bora and im worried that by the time i can afford it, it will be too touristy to be as beautiful, im hoping to go to Rarotonga and Aitutaki, and do a stopover for a few days on route to see family in the uk as we usually go to LA for disneyland for our girls & / or venice beach, santa monica and vegas for us, which only costs us about $2500 each for airfare from Sydney, so hoping to do a stop over and fall in love and go for a real visit, thinking stuff the price :)

Hi

I would love some information on the differences between Bora Bora and the Lagoon Resort Aitutaki...

I am considering both, but since we are coming from Aus I seem to think Bora Bora (in a decent hotel) will be double the cost.

We want to have our wedding in one of these 2 locations so will have extra expenses other than accom, such as the ceremony, celebrant, music, feeding our guests etc...

I would be going to relax, a little sightseeing, warm sunny days and perhaps a half/full day sailing trip

Any time of year suggestions would also be great..looking for not too busy, warm weather, no rain

Thanks so much
K