Traveling in the Pacific

My father and I have always wanted to go to a Pacific island, and so this summer we finally decided to go. We aren't looking for a touristy place; a perfect place for us would be beautiful but not as traveled-to so as to avoid annoying tourists, with a great culture. We also have a rather tight budget (<$1,500 preferably) for the flight. We would be flying out of the New York area but could also first fly to anther city to depart from there. One place we were thinking of were the Cook Islands (was a $1,000 flight from LA). If you travel in and around the Pacific a lot, please let me know which places are cheapest and your favorite places to go! Thank you!

I visit the Pacific most years from June to August to escape the NZ winter. My go to cheap place is Samoa because I can get a beach fale for myself for about $30 U.S. a night including breakfast & dinner, the temperature is around 28-30 degrees Celsius and the water about 26, the two islands are about 250 kms around and buses are cheap.there is still a lot of villagers living in the traditional so you get a feel of the Pacific.
Rarotonga is easy, only 32 kms around, everyone speaks English, with regular flights to LA. Everything is geared for tourists and you can see some nice local displays for tourists. A bus runs around the island every hour and half hour .....I enjoy it for an easy holiday. It's more expensive than Samoa, not very traditional, doesn't feel like a Pacific Island to me, accommodation is normal hotels, holiday homes or backpackers....just like home...the weather isn't as warm in winter ( your summer) - about 20-24,being further from the equator and I find the sea a little cool for swimming.
Fiji is easy to get to from LA also and is a hub for many other Pacific Island, two large main islands with a variety of things to do, see, stay. It has something for everyone but not everyone likes their first impression.....with entrepreneurial Fijian Indians making up a large portion of the community, you often feel you have arrived in Mumbai by mistake :) fiji can be very expensive and touristy or you can get of the beaten track and find some very affordable more authentic places.
Every Pacific Island is different, has a different personality, you may be dictated by budget or what is easiest to travel to.....or your own expectations of what a Pacific Island is, so it is hard to make a decision based on others opinion.
After being already to Samoa my daughter and I were disappointed with Rarotonga because 1.we compared it with Samoa and 2.it was sort of like still being at home (NZ) but slightly warmer.....but it will be quite different for you being from New York... A problem you have with many great Pacific destinations is the best places - best beaches, more authentic culture, less touristy etc are Islands that you need to take a flight out to from the main island....and these flights are always expensive and add a lot to your budget. This is particularly the case in the Cook Island, Vanuatu, and Tonga ( and to some degree also Fiji)
The ferry between the two islands in Samoa is about $5 for the hour journey......
I have flown from the U.S. to Samoa via American Samoa ,Fiji and New Zealand with Hawaiian Air, Fiji Air and Air New Zealand.
Have a think about what your expectations are, what is important to you etc.....the more 'authentic' the place is the more haphazard the cleanliness and professionalism is ....have a read of some of Lonely Planets info on the countries, also Stanley's Moon Publications, maybe some of the Jasons guides and for Samoa you might find the website or FB site for budget accommodation samoa helpful .....hope you enjoy your trip, I love the Pacific, off to Samoa and Fiji in May for a month each, last year it was a month in Rarotonga and a month in Samoa.... :)

Thanks :) I will definitely try out Samoa. Now that I look at it, it seems like a great place to travel. As it is my first time going to the Pacific, I don't really know what to expect so I'm glad I get a better view from a regular. I forgot to mention that I was originally most interested in Papua New Guinea/Solomon Islands but noticed pretty early on that it's very expensive. I can't really find any stuff online on how much ferries are to and from islands (or maybe just because Im not very good at researching about this stuff online in the first place). Do you know if there are any lines that connect cheap places to one of those?

Thanks :) I will definitely try out Samoa. Now that I look at it, it seems like a great place to travel. As it is my first time going to the Pacific, I don't really know what to expect so I'm glad I get a better view from a regular. I forgot to mention that I was originally most interested in Papua New Guinea/Solomon Islands but noticed pretty early on that it's very expensive. I can't really find any stuff online on how much ferries are to and from islands (or maybe just because Im not very good at researching about this stuff online in the first place). Do you know if there are any lines that connect cheap places to one of those?

When you say ferries to and from islands , - do you mean internally...as in the islands within that Pacific country?
There aren't many ships travelling between countries and a lot of internal ferries can take many days, the distances are often huge, many ferries are mainly for freight, people and produce between their own islands and don't have a fixed schedule.- when I was in Rarotonga a fellow traveller at a hostel was trying to organise to go to an outer island....she was continually told to ring/ come back tomorrow and then one morning she was told it had sailed in the night.....after a week of waiting.
On Fiji , Bligh Shipping have an over nighter between the main islands, on Samoa the company is Samoa shipping ( you can google them for prices and timetables) they do go to American Samoa and I think one or two other island nations as well as their regular 1 hour trip to the other Western Samoa Island of Savaii ( my favourite spot)
Yes Papua New Guinea is very authentic but transport is expensive because of distance and isolation, unless you are very adventurous I wouldn't recommend Papua New Guinea or the Solomons for a first ( and possibly only) Pacific Island visit, I have a female friend who often goes to Honaria for work and admits Honaria can feel a little unsafe and isn't a good first impression of a Pacific island....
Many of the less touristic places are difficult to research - the local villagers and accommodations often don't have Internet capabilities and so telephones are the main form of communication- actually even that is sometimes a problem when people change their number, phone etc...sometimes it's best to email an accommodation that does have Internet and they will know about any transport available- or put you on the right track.

But also, when I looked at flights to Samoa, they were very expensive out of NYC (upwards of $2,000, our budget is $1,500 in total per person). Is there a cheaper way to fly there? If not, which islands would fall in our price range, never mind our non-touristy 'requirements'? We'd be going in late June/Early July

That was why I flew from LA to Pago Pago ( American Samoa)with HawIian Airlines,- a lot of traffic on that route ... then over to Apia with just a local operator ( a lot of locals travel between the countries so it's not too expensive)Worked out the cheapest at the time.
How long are you going for?
If it's just a short time Rarotonga may suit best, it's easy ( because it's so set up for tourists) clean, and regular flights direct from LA....

Ps accommodation etc is always busy in Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands etc during NZ school hols, about July 3rd to 20th.try and avoid flying then and best to pre book accommodation if staying in RRotonga at that time.

I would be leaving NYC in late June, and as I am flying to Japan directly from wherever I go to after my vacation (which means I would by a one-way ticket to wherever I'm going, my company pays the flight to Tokyo) my dad would be the only one with a round-trip so im basing the budget on a <$1,500 round trip. Also, do you recommend using a holiday planner, a website like Kayak, Priceline etc. (if you do which one), or going directly onto the airlines website?

I'm actually not familar with the holiday planner you mention but because I travel for a few months at a time I always find it best to book my ticket direct through the airlines then make my own arrangements- I sometimes compare flight prices on webjet or similar but the book the cheapest that suits the time /dates i am looking for.
You often pay a little more when using an agent of some sort- they have to make a living, but it can be easier if it suits you- just make sure they are actually knowledgeable of the area you want to go ....you will also need to look at accessible flights from the holiday spot of your choice onto Japan.
fiji and Hawaii are two main hubs for flights in the pacific ( and you can get to Samoa and the states from both of them) I imagine you can get to Japan flying through Hawaii ( if you used that as a connection for Pagopago) can you fly to Japan from Rarotonga or fiji?
does your company give you the dollar credit or book you on their preferred airline? You may be limited by a place because of the airline you need to use.
Check a few airlines that do fly in the pacific - like Air Tahiti, Air New Zealand, Fiji Air, Hawaiian Air and see what islands they fly to and see if they fly to Japan and the USA.
The routes that have the most passenger demand will be the cheapest ( generally) so flying from the US, hawaii & American samoa are often the cheapest- then check to see what routes are affordable from there....that may help to make your decision on where you decide to go.
I have enjoyed every pacific island i have been to - some more than others but I have never wished I hadnt gone....

If your initial choices were PNG or the Solomons, you might be interested in hearing that I found Vanuatu every bit as traditional as PNG and more so than the Solomons.
And being a short hop by air from Fiji, it is more easily and cheaply accessible than either.
Even its capital feels very Melanesian, but of course the real deal are its outer islands which do require an extra flight or longer boatride to get to.
And it's not a cheap country overall.
In compensation, I found it the most traditional and friendliest place in the region.

Samoa is cheaper, but I personally found it the unfriendliest place in the Pacific with lots of stealing and no no really unspoilt places as it consists of just 2 sizeable islands.

If looking for easy and cheap, Fiji with its hundreds of islands gets my vote.

But overall, you must accept that unless you come from AU or NZ, the South Pacific is not going to be a cheap holiday. And the more remote and unspolit, the more expensive it tends to be!

If you are in Japan you could fly to Hong Kong and get Fiji airways to Fiji, and then fly home through LA with them as well, they are probably the cheapest airline in the area, just check what currency the fare is in as it varies depending what country you are booking from, you can get a ferry (takes cars and people) from Suva to other islands Kadavu, Vana Levu or Taveueni, all nice place and I think there ferries from Lautoka to Vana Levu,

There are definitely boats to those islands from Viti Levu, Fiji's main island.
Also daily ferries to Ovalau, and of course tourist shuttles to the popular Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands.
In fact I think that frequent sea transport to many outer islands is one of Fiji's major appeals (to me anyway).

Another is their national airline, probably the single most useful one connecting the island nations of the South Pacific, and for decent fares, too.

Samoa is cheaper, but I personally found it the unfriendliest place in the Pacific with lots of stealing and no no really unspoilt places as it consists of just 2 sizeable islands.

If looking for easy and cheap, Fiji with its hundreds of islands gets my vote.

I 100% agree with this. Glad I went, but I have no desire to ever return to Samoa.

Fiji is great, especially for your first time in the South Pacific. Cheap and easy.

American Samoa is also great, but more expensive and has next to no tourist industry. Last time I looked the flights to it from North America were well over your budget though.

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