Perfect Pacific Getaway

Hi Pacific travellers!

If you were going to spend a few weeks or months on a remote Pacific island, which one would you choose?

Criteria:
Traditional culture (I keep imagining thatched huts, grass skirts and wooden carvings)
Natural beauty (white sand beaches and palm trees would be ideal)
No other tourists, or at least very few
Friendly locals, who wouldn't mind a couple of foreigners living alongside them for a few weeks
Somewhere reasonably safe (no problems with serious crime, infectious diseases like malaria, or nuclear fallout)

Okay, the whole list looks like a tall order. Still, does anyone have any suggestions?

Outer islands of Yap, Nukoro, Kapingamarangi. All in Microneia. The outer islands are the easiest to get to as the missionary plane goes out regularly and there is also a field ship that goes irregularly. In Palau you can go to areas on Balbedaob, or Anguar, or Kayangel.

I believe the only Pacific islands where grass skirts remain commonly used are in Vanuatu.
Which has some malaria risk, but also wooden carvings.

Don't locals on those Micronesian outer islands wear cotton sarongs/lavalavas?

outer islands wear lava lavas although the Yapese proper wear grass skirts during ceremonial dances, etc. But lava-lavas and thouls are close. and no malaria risk, although few carvings. Oh well- you can't have everything in this world.

That's right.
In fact I was happy OP didn't quite expect fine hotels as well right next to those grass-skirted, untouristed villages! ;-)

At this point I must add that even in Vanuatu, grass-skirted natives tend to live in the mountainous interior, not right on palm-fringed, white-sand beaches!

And on Yap proper there aren't much in the way of beaches. Oh well- I do know of a place about 500 miles from most places with all of the required- but all 4 inhabitants are as mad as hatters.

I think we have talked of that one before - are they still wearing grass-skirts though? ;-)
And do carvings?

I'm not sure they are wearing anything, if truth be known. And I don't think they are allowed knives, although in Palau they do the carving at jail- always made me a wee bit uncomfortable to wander around the jail yard seeing people. It was hard to forget that they all had these nice and sharp knives, although I never was threatened in any way.

Carvings not essential (nor even grass skirts I suppose), they're just a vague idea of the kind of thing I'm looking for. Hotels also not necessary, as I was thinking homestays would be more likely if we go somewhere remote. Yap sounds really interesting and I'm going to find out more about it and Vanuatu. Until now I was thinking more about Fiji (perhaps the Lau Group), but I haven't found much detailed info..

On second thoughts, maybe I'll skip the islands of madmen and prisoners with knives, grass skirts or no grass skirts.

Okay, so my dream is vague and naive, but then again, aren't most dreams?

try manihiki (cook islands)? or another island in the northern group .
have you read An Island to Oneself - OR maybe better yet - The Book of Puka Puka ?
a friend of mine read the latter and moved to the cook islands a year later. this was 30 some years ago and he's still there though Rarotonga is not quite the same by a far stretch.

My dreams these days include a soft bed, a fancy drink, and someone to clean up after me. When I win the powerball tonight (a lottery for non US sorts) I will take off for a month in my room at the Palau Pacific Resort. I can feel the sand between my toes.

You could try Pigeon Island in the Reef islands in Solomon Islands. There is no malaria in the Reefs, and the island has "European-style" accommodation, though only a paddle fromthe villages.
Check out Lau village stay too, as there is no malaria on the artificial islands, though there is on the mainland.

For Vanuatu, browse this site for info on small, local-run guesthouses on more remote/traditional islands.
For carvings and strong traditional culture Ambrym is worth looking at.
Tanna and Pentecost have the grass-skirted natives! ;-)
Note that like the Solomons, Vanuatu has some malaria risk. It seems to be less common there though than in PNG or the Sols - I met no one in Vanuatu who has actually caught it, though taking some preventive pills would not hurt for any of these countries.

Hi there, I would nominate Simsimling Island next to Kawito Island off the Trobriands Islands of Papua New Guinea. You find the white sandy beach and palm leaf thatched roof house, stay in the village hut, go out fishing,snorklling etc at your own will.
Fly into Port Moresby and connect on a domestic flight to Lousia on the Kiriwina Island, the Island of Love, home of the yam festival people known for their cricket games. The flights from Port Moreby to Lousia is on Fridays & Monday as well return flights dates are same.
Arrive Lousia and spend the first night at the traditional yam hut village and take a boat ride to the Simsimling Island.
Return after 3 days or so back to Trobriand islands and fly back to port moresby.
The islands are know for their cultural barter system or trading called the Kula Exchange expeditions.
You can try this out here at the Land of the unexpected, if you have not yet choosen an island in the Pacific yet.
Happy searching.

Port Moresby Papua New Guinea.
Lucas

There's some really interesting places here, and I'm going to find out more about them all. Thanks everyone!

Have fun doing the research. Check out some of the places on google earth- these tiny dots in the middle of a big big ocean are amazing! And let us know where you touch down do we can all drool in envy.