Trip to Fiji/Vanuatu/Tonga//Cook Islands/Samoa

Hi there,

I wonder if anyone can compare these islands... Me and my boyfriend (both nearly 30) are planning on our trip for 2-4 weeks. We always travel on budget, sleeping either in the tent or in the car. We are mainly interested in hiking (mountains, volcanoes, rainforests), culturally interesting places and of course beaches and related activities (snorkeling etc.) We avoid staying in touristy areas.

Thanks so much in advance for any help.

Radka

High budget:
1 week in Aitutaki
2 weeks in Fiji (1 week in Mamanucas/Yasawas/Northern islands off Viti Levu, 1 week in Taveuni)
1 week in Vanuatu (drink that strong kava)

Average budget:
Fiji for 4 weeks, checking out some more popular (more tourists) islands on the Mamanucas / Yasawas, then flying to Taveuni to do some hiking and snorkelling on the Rainbow reef

alternatively for more hiking options consider Samoa for a week or two, then go Fiji

Low budget:
Fiji for 4 weeks, when you land in Nadi, catch a regular bus taxi thingy (dont remember what they call em for a few dollars/euros) to Suva, where you can sort a pickup with the Caqalai resort guys (they will tell you on which bridge to get off), or take a ship to Taveuni http://goundarshipping.com/price%20list.html where you catch a bus to the east side to the Lavena Lodge which is a nice place and cheap. For good snorkeling there, southeast corner of the island (accessible by local bus) has the best snorkeling but you can get really cheaply to the Rainbow Reef from Taveuni in general, so pick your spots. The marine park was so-so.

Since you are on a budget, Fij, Tonga and Samoa might suit you as they are the cheapest countries in the region.
Hiking possibilitues are found in all 3, but in Tonga you must go to the outer islands for that. Fiji and Tonga have many islands so offer more scope to get off the beaten track than Samoa which only has 4 inhabited islands close to each other.
I found Tonga the most culturally interesting of these three, though in this respect Vanuatu is the best by a very long shot. It also offers great trekking and snorkelling, so see if it still suits your budget.

Thanks very much! We have finally chosen the combination of Fiji and Samoa.

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