what else after vanuatu?

I haven't travelled the Pacific islands in a long while, so am starting to plan for 2013. I am sure of revisiting Vanuatu; I was there 15 years ago and loved my stay (especially the people). But as long as I am in the area, I would like to include one other new Pacific destination.

My question is: what other Pacific territory would be convenient (read: not too expensive) to get to from Vanuatu AND would be worth the effort, in terms of nature or local culture, say, for a week's stay? (Other than Vanuatu, I have been to Samoa and PNG.)

Any suggestions much appreciated.

The 3 countries you can get to directly from Vanuatu are Solomon Islands, Fiji and New Caledonia. Of those, Fiji would be the most touristy, New Caledonia the most expensive, and Solomon Islands the least developed.

New Caledonia would be the cheapest to get to, and the most unique in terms of scenery. It could also be very pricey, but it can also be very cheap if you want it to be. It would also be the best bet for a week, which I would say is too short for the Solomons or Fiji.

Thanks to both of you for the feedback. It will help as I do my research and planning.

I was actually already considering New Caledonia, the only problem being that I believe I will need a visa (which is not the case with Vanuatu or the Solomons) specific to a French territory and the last time I did that, it involved some hassle. Fiji just sounds too touristy for me, so I am reading up on the Solomons.

There are a number of options accessible from Honiara which would be suitable for a stay of around a week. The usual tourist path is to the Western Province, but it is worth looking at Gela (Tulagi or Maravagi), Malaita (especially Langa Langa Lagoon, for culture) and Savo (volcano, hot springs and megapod birds). All of these are relatively short trips from Honiara.

If you ar considering Solomon Islands, look at the Visitors' Bureau website and the site in my sig line for accurate information.
The LP online guide is very inaccurate, see here

Interesting question. Having just visited the Solomon Islands in the past month, I would not put "inexpensive" and "Solomon Islands" together. To me, the Solomons were fairly pricey and not exactly good value for money. If you go to the Solomons, I think you need to be prepared to probably spend more than you think you will.

For one week, are you thinking about sticking close to Guadalcanal or going somewhere else?

I was there for a week and went out to Munda for 2 days. The Western Province is stunning - again not cheap - but worth the expense. However, I made the mistake of booking my return flight to Honiara the day before the once-a-week flight on Air Pacific to Port Vila. So, when Solomon Airlines cancelled all flights that day to Munda and didn't come until mid-morning the following day, I missed the flight to Vila. So, I certainly am not someone to sing the praises of Solomon Airlines to you.

Of the three mentioned (Fiji, New Caledonia and Solomon Islands), I would actually recommend Fiji.

Yes, there are lots of tourists that come here (I'm now in Fiji) but of those three I'd say it's the best value for money. If you're looking to avoid tourists, you could always go into the interior of Viti Levu where you'd find fewer of them. Maybe the Lau Group over in the southeast of the country.

New Caledonia is very French so I think you'd have to make a special effort to search out Kanak culture. Perhaps you could try to stay in a Kanak community. I think they sometimes have "gites" you can stay at. Be aware there are also lots of Wallisians in New Caledonia so you might see Polynesian culture there as well.

Good luck!

Wow! A lot of help. Thanks to everyone. This is what I love about Thorntree.

If you are going to Solomon Islands for only a week, it isn't worth the expense of flying to the Western Province (Munda, Gizo, etc). That is what eats up your money, The areas I mentioned above are more budget friendly, as they are accessible by boat.

Sounds like the performance of Solomon Airlines hasn't improved much since I visited the country. Which is one of the reasons I find there a week too short.

In New Caledonia, both the NE coast of Grande Terre and the Loyalty Islands have majority Kanak (Melanesian) population, and Kanak-owned accommodation is available in villages in both regions.

Lau in Fiji is indeed ages off the tourist track - so much so that it is another place not to spend a week-long holiday in. Access is just too hard.
Of course there are other, relatively lightly-touristed places in Fiji which a more accessible.