which island?

Hi all, i was looking at the precedent posts about south pacific but still need a better idea...we will go to New Zealand in february to visit a good friend and we were planning to go with him to one of the island in the south pacific for about one week. We like to snorkel (and dive), hike and not too touristic places. Any idea? He proposed to go to Samoa, I was looking at Tonga and now i see also Vanuatu is a good choice from Auckland. I know one week it's not so long, that's why I would like to head to something "authentic" and not too far. Many thanks in advance for any tip I will get!!

Cook Islands for me..its everything you imagine a South pacific island to be,the snorkeling is great and the island really easy to get around.

For a serious multiday hike, there is the GRNC1 in New Caledonia. The main island of New Caledonia is rather untouristy once you leave Noumea.

Samoa and Tonga only offer rather short hikes.

Vanuatu has some good hiking through remote, often very traditional villages, but not on established trails so you may need a local guide.
The snorkelling there can beat Samoa and Tonga by a long shot.
The island of Espirito Santo would offer everything you want.

New Caledonia indeed offers good long-distance hiking on a developed, marked trail, and its native culture is interesting, but the snorkelling poorer than in Vanuatu.

Many thanks! Living in Switzerland I miss more the snorkelling than the hiking, so from what you say probably Cook and Vanuatu should be in the top list. Laszlo, if i remember well from other comments you wrote, you are not a super fun of Samoa, right?

I hated Samoa and rank it as the worst place in the South Pacific.
Vanuatu on the other hand is my favourite in the region.
If snorkelling is your priority, Vanuatu, right next to the Coral Triangle, should be far better than the Cooks, too.

Many thanks! I had the same feeling from what I could have read around. Can I ask you last suggestion...since we can have 7-8 days there...would you suggest to spend all days in Espirito Santo or share there with something else? maybe on the main island to avoid more than one internal flight, I see they are not the cheapest...(unless there is another company but Air Vanuatu that I didn't spot). Many thanks again.

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