Which Island?

I am trying to decide which islands in the South Pacific I would like to visit. From the L.P. guide, it seems all the "major" islands have similar attractions. Can anyone give me a quick primer on the differerences or pros and cons of French Polynesia, Cook islands, Fiji and Samoa?

My wife and two year old son will be with me. The ideal dream destination has a really beautiful beach with soft, white sand, swaying palms, and blue lagoons with coral reefs. Inland there would be extensive rainforest to explore. Accommodation would be self-catering, bungalow-style appartments that are not luxurious but clean and quiet. I guess the island would have that tangible South Pacific feel in terms of its culture and atmosphere.
Can this be found on all of the above islands?
Will be travelling sometime between December-April.

this has been asked, try a search of the south pacific threads.

Samoa sounded okay until you got to the part about self-contained, non-luxurious bungalows on the beach.

My experience in Samoa has shown me that there are 2 kinds of beach accommodation there: Luxury resorts or rustic beach huts where meals may be provided, but you do not have the option of doing your own cooking. I have not seen self-contained 'bungalows' in Samoa. The Cook Islands may have more of this sort of thing as there are lots of self-contained options there.

Rarotonga in the Cooks might do, except for large jungle inland.

Rarotonga would meet all your criteria, there is a "rainforest" to explore if you want to climb a mountain, but then how much rainforest exploring are you going to want to do with a 2 year old in December to April in the south pacific?

French Polynesia does have some self-catering accomodation (but not as many places as on the Cook Islands). It's the soft white sand that is problematic. FP beaches are made of chunks of coral for the most part and you have to wear reef shoes all the time.

I would go with Rarotonga. The inland area is jungle.

(Have not been to Fiji.)

Having been to Fiji, FP and the Cook Islands, I would also recommend Rarotonga and, if you can swing it, Aitutaki. There are quite a few houses you can rent, nice beaches and safe waters for the little one. The culture is unique and the people friendly. You could find something similar in Fiji but it would not be as easy. Fiji is so much larger and the better beaches are out on the off shore islands, which tend to be more backpacker or resort places. You could check out Betham's or McDonald's on Nananu-i-ra Island. As silvanocat indicated FP's beaches leave a bit to be desired. Again the offshore motus have the nicest beaches - some may have self catering places. You might check out Linereva Residence on Moorea - a bit islolated but has self catering cottages on a fairly nice beach. Good luck with your search.

I agree with the Cook Islands Aitutaki is breathtaking.

The hotel 'Les Tipaniers" on the French Polynesian island of Moorea has bungalows some of which are self-catering. The nearest supermarket is in walking distance, (15 -20 slow minutes) but bring a stroller for the little one. They also have a casual snack type restaurant and a low-key evening restaurant. The beach is very safe and attracts families with small children. It's not a large beach though. Neither the FP islands nor Rarotonga has the sugary fine white sand you find in the Florida panhandle. The South Pacific has crushed coral sand, but it is quite soft in front of "Les Tipaniers".

The interior of Moorea is a jungle and a fruit and flower bowl, depending on where you go.

I have a few photos of the hotel and its beach on this blog.
http://moorea2007.blogspot.com/

Rarotonga would be my personal choice. Im not sure if you would call the interior jungle but its certainly native bush at least.

Great thanks. Food for thought.
I know Dec-April is rainy season, but just how rainy is it?

11--In the Cooks (and FP) it's raini-er, but not rainy like a monsoon. Maybe an hour or two of rain, then sunny for a few hours, then a little rain. This is maybe two or three days a week from Nov to April, but of course it can vary. Rarely more than two days of rain in a row unless a rare cyclone (once every few yrs) is coming.

Main difference will be the humidity. If you can't stand humid places, go between May and October, or get a place with AC if you can afford it, or a ceiling fan at a minimum will help a little.

I have been to all but Cooks. They seemed about the same to me. If you wanted me to summarize it i would put it this way.

Fiji - friendly people, huge land but very easy to get around - buses and minibuses everywhere and cheap. Ovalau island and its atmospehere is highlight.
Samoa - everything is concentrated on two relatively small islands. Not high expenses on getting around. Cheap buses and food. Beautiful waterfalls and eastern coast of Savai'i. Sleeping just next to a beach in an open fale is for me one the best experiences ever.
FP - lagoons and marine life is something must! Disappointed in beaches though - mostly coarse sand. Most expensive of the trio.

Read my detailed reports earlier 2007 and 2008 on this site - look up under my name jirikoo... otherwise pictures are on www.flickr.com/jirikoo