Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Tropical island without mosquitoes?

Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea

Hi all,

First time poster on LP, hope this is the right place for this question?

My wife and I are planning our honeymoon in Dec/Jan and would like to head SOUTH (neither of us has ever been to the summer hemisphere). One particular concern though is that she is very allergic to mosquito bites.

Can anyone share any intel on tropical islands that have little or no issues with mosquitoes??

Thanks in advance!
D

None have no mosquitoes, but the vast majority have no malaria. I have no problems with mosquitoes in the Cook Islands, Tonga and Samoa, and only a minor problem in Fiji (ankle biters). But mosquitoes in general don't like me, whereas they adore my sister, who can get 20+ bites to my 1 or 2.

No-malaria areas: Christmas Island, Cook Island, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Pitcairn, Samoa, American Samoa, Tahiti, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Wake Island, and Wallis & Futuna, there is no risk of malaria.

Malaria: Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu (except Fortuna island), a high risk for malaria exists in all parts of these countries including the urban areas. The dominant form is P. falciparum (the most dangerous type), which has been reported to be resistant to the drug chloroquine.

I suggest you post your question on the Health branch of the tree as well, where you might get better and more informed answers, especially from nutraxfornerves.

Edited by: Watsoff

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Just confirming that while many islands are malaria-free, none are likely to be really mosquito-free.
Mosquitos are present even on tiny atolls with no freshwater source - they breed in water tanks or even in fallen coconut shells.

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