On-board South Sea Sailing's new catamaran, Sabre. Video / NZ Herald
From far-flung atolls to secluded caves, there are still plenty of new spots to discover on a Pacific Island getaway, writes Ewan McDonald.
So you've done the welcome party thing at the airport, been to the umu experience and slurped passionfruit mojitos at the swim-up bar. Now you're thinking, is this what the Pacific is all about? Are there places that are a little further off the rather too well-beaten tracks?
Here are 10 travellers' tips for places that might not have crossed your mind or been crossed off your list just yet, and we're only scratching the surface. Every nation, every island and almost every village has something new and different to offer – on top of the traditional friendly Pacific welcome.
For that reason we don't need to spell out, it's a little difficult to drop in on many of our neighbours at the moment, so you might like to put these on next year's must-see list.
For many Kiwis, their first – possibly their only – experience of Vanuatu is a cruise ship stopover for a day or two on the main island, Efate, and one of the planet's most unassuming national capitals, Port Vila (don't miss its waterfront market).
Thanks to its indigenous roots and that quirky colonial heritage of joint French-English colonial rule, Vanuatu boasts a unique culture and sensational cuisine. It has 80 habitable islands where more than 100 indigenous languages are spoken. Each island closely guards its individual traditions and dialects but locals are only too happy to explain them to visitors.
Vanuatu's best asset is hidden in plain sight: the underwater world with its warm waters, remarkable 55m visibility, schools of colourful fish amid dramatic coral reefs and World War II wrecks.
On land, dramatic volcanic peaks and lush jungles rise from the shocking blue of the ocean. On outer islands, Espiritu Santo has upscale resorts and a tough trek to the massive bat- and waterfall-drenched Millennium Cave. Tanna lies under the flanks of fiery Mt Yasur (hard yakka, but the climb is worth the effort).
Rarely out of the headlines at present, close to 1000 Solomon Islands are spread across 1500km, three hours' flight from Australia's east coast. The largest, Guadalcanal, is well-known to New Zealanders, home to well-preserved World War II relics and beaches along its northern coast. Honiara, the capital, overlooks a graveyard for US and Japanese warships which have become famous for outstanding diving sites.
Make the effort to get to Papua New Guinea and you'll be rewarded with a land of remarkable cultural and biological diversity, spectacular beaches and coral reefs. On land, you'll discover traditional tribal villages, dense rainforest, volcanoes and the infamous Kokoda Trail.
Papua New Guinea is rich in cultural and biological diversity, with dense rainforests, traditional villages and spectacular beaches. Photo / Getty Images
Given that some of these destinations are little more than dots scattered across the globe's greatest expanse of ocean, and flights are often few or far between, it's worth considering wrapping several of them into an expedition or adventure cruise with a small-ship line.
For instance, Heritage Adventures combine the three Melanesian nations above into a conservation-focused 17-day package hosted by the Australian polymath Professor Tim Flannery.
That itinerary includes traditional village life in remote PNG, the Solomons' Malaita Island where locals still make and use shell money; and Vanuatu's kaleidoscope of cultures. As well as the expected diving and snorkelling, there's a treat for birders: the chance to see once-in-a-lifetime species on hard-to reach islands.
New Zealand has a close relationship with Niue, and word is getting out about the largest raised coral atoll on the planet. Its unique formation lures many deep-sea creatures closer to shore than anywhere else. Humpback whales call in between July and October, usually just 20m or so from land. You can hear them slapping their tails against the water at night; daytime, swim with them. If they're not around, enjoy finding secret beaches, rocky coves and sea-caves.
Before Covid, about 1600 tourists visited the collection of small islands and coral atolls that make up Tuvalu each year – definitely off the beaten trade routes. Funafuti Atoll has an airstrip, hotel and a few guesthouses, along with friendly people, stunning scenery and delicious fresh fish, fried chicken, pork and taro, papaya and coconuts.
Palau's Rock Islands offer some of the world's best diving; the star is the Milky Way, a bay whose white limestone is claimed to rejuvenate the skin.
You'll likely have the beach to yourself in Fiji's idyllic Yasawa island group. Photo / Getty Images
Even some of the most-visited destinations still hold secrets. In Fiji, head for the Yasawa Islands, northwest of Viti Levu, but leave their Hollywood movie and reality TV show sites behind. Island-hop through the archipelago to standout spots like the awe-inspiring Sawa-i-Lau cave, swim with manta rays or explore the underwater coral gardens.
The Barefoot Collection resorts at Kuata and Manta offer guests the chance to take a conservation dive: planting corals, cleaning clams in a nursery or hunting Crown of Thorns pests on the reef.
Kadavu and Ono are two rainforest-filled, nearly road-free islands encircled by the Astrolabe Reef, one of Fiji's best, yet rarely visited, fishing and diving destinations. Though there are resorts, each one is isolated and far less "touristy" than more popular spots.
Locals say Uoleva is the most photogenic of Tonga's 169 islands. It's virtually uninhabited, apart from the hotel staff serving up the ultimate tropical getaway. No souvenir shops, no roads, but snorkelling right from the beach; humpbacks pass between July and November.
Marovo Lagoon in the Solomon Islands is the largest saltwater lagoon in the world, and boasts an extensive reef system. Photo / Getty Images
Kiwis are au fait with New Caledonia's diving, wind sports and sailing, and the French-Melanesian cultural melange in its welcome, cuisine and posh resorts. Consider outlying islands such as Ile des Pins and Ouvea, for wonderful beaches and seafood. In the New Georgia Islands, Marovo Lagoon is renowned for its fish-filled, island-dotted lagoon.
There's a far more exotic way of exploring far-flung corners of French Polynesia. For more than 30 years Aranui Cruises have been taking adventurers on one of the most fascinating voyages anywhere on the planet.
Their modern passenger-freighter Aranui 5 takes food, goods and folks to tiny communities in the ancient, majestic, remote Marquesas Islands on 12-day cruises.
Most of the crew are recruited from the islands visited, adding their local knowledge of French Polynesian heritage and culture to that of Aranui's multilingual lecturers and guides.
