AMELIA GUY-MEAKIN discovers why the South Pacific Islands are a top draw for everyone - intrepid explorers, casual holiday-makers, wedding parties and romantic honeymooners.
Brilliant blue and turquoise lagoons, rainforests tumbling to the ocean, jaw-dropping landscapes and city centres offering a plethora of incredible food and culture - welcome to the romantic energy of the South Pacific Islands.
Fiji
Sights Each island has a distinctive character and pace. The Yasawa group of islands cater to dive enthusiasts, while Nananu-I-Ra offers world-class windsurfing. Head to Ovalau and the Lomaivitis to experience Fiji's colonial past. Dotted with a myriad of old, charming buildings, rustic Levuka was the country's first capital and earliest European settlement. Retreat to the Mamanuca group of islands for a family getaway or think hideaway in Kadavu or Lau.
The hubbub of the capital, Suva, sees buildings strewn together in the image of a messy patch-work quilt. The Fiji Museum (www.fijimuseum.org.fj) is choc-full of historic and cultural exhibits, including insights into Fiji's cannibalistic history. Botany fans can stroll through nearby Thurston Gardens or navigate the walking trails and tropical flora of Colo-i-Suva Forest Reserve. Creeks off the Waimanu River give rise to swimming holes and boast areas ideal for picnics and bird-life appreciation. While the Mariamma Temple, Roman Catholic Cathedral and Parliament of Fiji are also must sees.
Skip Nadi and go to Lautoka where the Lautoka Sugar Mill operating since 1903 still drives the fast-declining local economy. Sugar trains chug through the city's interior while yachts and cruise liners sway lazily offshore. Koroyanitu's Mount Evans shadows the city, where effervescent saris line Lautoka's market streets - a perfect place to pick up souvenirs.
Eat The Surf 'n' Turf Restaurant on Savusavu's waterfront offers fresh fish and fiery curries - the chef's credentials hail from the classy Jean-Michel Cousteau Island Resort (www.fijiresort.com). In a decrepit Levuka storefront, the Whale's Tale Restaurant offers chalkboard menus - omelettes, pastas and stir-fries.
Stay
$ Nadi's Club Fiji (www.clubfiji-resort.com) provides child-friendly, bargain beach bures while Mango Bay Resort (www.mangobayresortfiji.com) offers affordable mainland convenience along the Coral Coast.
$$ Be held captive at Naigani Island Resort (www.naiganiresorts.com) - the sole hotel on the island. Boat trips to neighbouring Levuka are available.
$$$ The Sheraton Hotel (http://www.starwoodhotels.com) is a playground for vacationers to enjoy an array of tantalising dining options and leisure activities. The best way to visit the Yasawa group's sprawling beaches is via cruises - try Captain Cook Cruises (www.captaincook.com.au) or South Sea Cruises (www.ssc.com.fj).
When to go Enjoy lower rainfall and humidity by visiting Fiji in its "winter months" - May to October. Note: Costs sky-rocket in June and July!
Getting there Most tourists touch-down at Nadi International Airport, although a handful of international flights land at Nausori airport near Suva. Airlines include Air Fiji (www.airfiji.com.fj/index.cfm), Air New Zealand (www.airnz.co.nz), Air Pacific (www.airpacific.com.fj), Korean Air (www.koreanair.com.au), Virgin's Pacific Blue (www.flypacificblue.com), Qantas (www.qantas.com.au) and United Airlines (www.united.com).
Vanuatu
Sights A divers' playground, travellers plunging into the azure waters will discover the magnificent wreck of the USS President Coolidge - not quite the Titanic, but nonetheless a luxury liner on the grand scale. Travellers on Tanna will trapeze the rim of Yasur, the world's most accessible active volcano, which roars with deafening bellows and blasts molten rock sky-high. Explore it at night when the fountains of lava and cinders illuminate the crater like cosmic fireworks. Vanuatu also promises lowland conservation forests in Loru and Vatthe, gushing waterfalls, caves decorated with stalactites and stalagmites - explored via inflatable rubber-rings - and the extraordinary "cultural villages" of Melakula.
Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, curls around a bay and assumes a faded French flair. The National Museum (www.vanuatuculture.org) has enthralling traditional artefacts - canoes, pottery and implements. Have a break at Lookout Point or the WWI Memorial with its colourful views of Port Vila's cosy French Quarter. Vila Market - open 24/7- caters everything from fruit, vegetables and flowers to jewellery and souvenirs. Friendly women dish up local specialities - sample a lobster-sized crab tasting of the coconut it feeds on.
Eat Set in a magical lagoon, Vila Chaumieres (www.vila-chaumieres.com) specialises in French fare with first-class service. In downtown Port Vila, relax at Chill Restaurant and sample a vegetarian menu good enough to entice the most committed carnivore! Ma Barker's serves inexpensive city food and afternoon tea - the crêpes are magnificent.
Stay
$ If you're on a shoestring budget, head to the clean and bright Coral Motel (www.coralmotel.com).
$$ Poppy's (www.poppys.com.vu) provides family-friendly cottages. Alternatively, Mangoes Resort (www.mangoesresort.com) offers a couples' retreat - set high atop a cliff overlooking Erakor Lagoon.
$$$ Situated on a seaward peninsula, Eratrap Villas (www.eratap.com) is the perfect place for the eco-conscious. Tamanu On The Beach (www.tamanuonthebeach.vu) oozes equal Pacific style.
When to go Avoid the December to March cyclone season.
Getting there Fly Air Pacific (www.airpacific.com), Air Vanuatu (www.airvanuatu.com), Virgin's Pacific Blue (www.flypacificblue.com) or Qantas (www.qantas.com.au).
Cook Islands
Sights The largest and most populous island is Rarotonga. Start with a requisite laze on the beach - sip coconut water and later dive-in for a refreshing swim. Serious divers should check into scuba schools such as The Dive Centre (www.thedivecentre-rarotonga.com) or Dive Rarotonga (www.diverarotonga.com).
Roam the Avarua town strip weekend markets full of artisans and calorific island delicacies. The Rarotonga interior boasts breathtaking viny trails to "The Needle" - an extinct volcano. Hire a bike at Polynesian Bike Hire (www.polybike.co.ck) and circumnavigate the 32-kilometre island. Or attend an "island night" at any top-notch hotel - island food, traditional dances and a serving of Polynesia will find its way onto your plate.
The pocket-sized Aitutaki atoll rests amongst a coral wonderland, heaving with clams, tropical fish and fringed by smaller uninhabited islets. Flying over the island is unforgettable - the lagoon below forms a rainbow of peacock-greens, turquoises and sapphire-blues.
Eat The chef at The Windjammer (www.crownbeach.com) honed his skills in some of New Zealand and Australia's top restaurants and only serves top-grade lamb, aged steaks and fresh local fish. Tamarind House (www.tamarind.co.ck) has great ambience to go with its equally great international menu. Deli-licious (www.delilicious.net) has the best coffees and for a cheap treat, Big Boy Café won't disappoint - healthy hamburgers are infused with island flavours.
Stay
$ The Maina Sunset Motel Aitutaki (Tel: +682 31511) promises easy-going comfort.
$$ If you're travelling as a family, renting a house keeps costs to a minimum. Try WhiteSands Beach Villas (www.ck/whitesands) or Kathy's Holiday Homes (www.kathysholidayhomes.com) - their louvered doors open to magnificent ocean vistas.
$$$ Rarotonga's Pacific Resort (www.pacificresort.com), has access to the best beaches in town. Etu Moana (www.etumoana.com) on Aitutaki offers secluded villas.
When to go Steer-clear of cyclone season - November until February.
Getting there The Cook Islands are "lone man islands" far from anywhere, so you may want to include other South Pacific islands in your travel plans. Fly Air New Zealand (www.airnewzealand.com) and Virgin's Pacific Blue (www.flypacificblue.com).
Posted Apr 2010
