Samoa - Fiji - Tonga - Cook --> Who's been there?

Hey,

we are planning a three week holiday in spring 09 (sometime between January and March) and my friend has the idea of wanting to go to Fiji. I just started my researches and I would appreciate it a lot if someone ca give me a piece of his/her mind about

1. What would be the best time to go between January and March

2. What could one integrate into those 3 weeks from above mentioned destinations (Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Cook) --> what would be a good travel route

3. And with this already being the next step - what would be the cheapest way to get there from central Europe?

I'm grateful for all advise!

Jenny

I've just booked my 15th trip (since 1999) to Ofu & Olosega islands in the Manu'a group in American Samoa. Needless to say, I kind of like these islands! If you've got the time, you owe it to yourself to hop over from Samoa and visit this place.

The bad news:
January-March is not only the hot & rainy season, it also is the heart of cyclone season.

Nonetheless, my upcoming trip will be the last week of December and the first week of January, so I'll be in the thick of this weather too! But nothing beats partying in Ofu village on New Years eve! Just you and 200 of your closest Samoan friends banging on drums and drinking Vailima, after going to church of course ;-), until dawn.

--Terry

From Europe, Fiji is the best gateway to this region.
Korean Airlines often offers the best fares there.

From Fiji, Air Pacific still offers a "triangle fare" to Samoa and Tonga, I belive.

Unfortunately, there are no direct links from any of these to the Cooks.
To get there, you must fly via Auckland!

In fact, I would recommend dropping the Cooks in favour of Vanuatu from your itinerary.
Vanuatu is just a short and cheap flight from Fiji, and would offer a more different, very traditionally Melanesian culture to contrast with the Polynesian cultutre of the other three.

But if you do insist on adding the Cooks, have a talk with Air New Zealand, who do offer RT tickets between Europe and NZ, with stopover possiblities in the Cooks one way, and Fiji alone OR Tonga and Samoa the other way.

Thank you for replying to my admittedly vague request.

Dropping the cook islands sounds like a sensible thing to do. I don't have a good feeling for how much to include into the 3 weeks without rushing it too much. I'm a little worried about going there in the rainy season, not to mention the cyclones.

Honestly - is it a bad idea to go there at this time of the year? It's not as if there are no other places in the world that we haven't seen only the idea that "going to Fiji sounds good".

I was in Vanuatu from November to Dec, in Fiji in late Dec, and in Samoa in January.
Of these, Vanuatu had great weather, Fiji a mix of sun and rain, while Samoa had torrential rains and floods, apparently unusually bad even for the rainy season.

So I guess it is a matter of luck, though the later you go (in March), the better your chances.
At least Fiji is big enough though for weather to be different even on the West (drier) and East (wetter) sides of its main island, Viti Levu alone!

3 weeks for 4 countries would be a rush indeed.
You could in fact easily spend 3 weeks in Fiji or Tonga alone, or even in the Samoas if you add the American half.
So perhaps you should just stick to 1 or 2 countries.

And if the seasons worry you, perhaps you could head for SE Asia instead - much of that region has its drier season when you want to go.

As far as the weather goes, I wouldn't panic or cancel your plans, but you should be aware of what could happen. Five or six of my past trips have been during this time of year and I've not had a problem, but I also am aware that it's cyclone season and I need to stay flexible and be willing to change plans if need be.

This is the difference between being a traveler and a whining tourist who complains and winds up having a bad time when things don't go their way. For me, the adventure of the journey and the surprises that come up and how I react are a big part of the reason I travel.

And, as far as the heat and rain, personally I don't mind being down there during this time of year. If I'm going to an island covered with a tropical rainforest I'd be foolish to have an issue with a little heat and rain!

I'd just plan on spending the three weeks in Fiji. There are lots of outer islands to the NW of Nadi, and east of Suva.

If you see a good deal while there to Samoa/Tonga/Vanuatu, you could do one of those for a week or so. But there are a lot of places to see in Fiji. Pick three or four islands etc., and settle down in each for a week or so. You'll meet a lot of locals if you stay in one place, and that's half the fun. If you just want sun, head to the Greek islands or the Canary islands, they're a lot closer!.

"This is the difference between being a traveler and a whining tourist who complains and winds up having a bad time when things don't go their way."

Very well put-I ended up sharing a cab/island tour of Tongatapu with someone like that last year-what a whiner he was!

I OTOH look @ rainstorms as a chance to wash the mud off (!)

hardnosethehighway: "I OTOH look @ rainstorms as a chance to wash the mud off (!)"

In the past I've used torrential Samoan rainstorms as excuses to go for a little snorkeling or fishing from the Ofu breakwater. Beats the hell out of moping around the lodge wishing the weather away.

My mantra: "A bad day in Manu'a is better than a good day back home at work."