Volume 39, Number 08
Travel
Pacific Paradise
The Pacific Islands just got closer.
by Marie Teather
There are few idyllic destinations in the world that remain off the tourist trodden path; places where upon arrival the scenery will take your breathe away and where nature can still truly astound you in a way no picture or TV programe has ever done before. That is of course excusing the Pacific Islands. If paradise were a picture, the Pacific Islands would deserve credit. 20,000 to 30,000 islands (the exact number yet to be determined) lie south of the Tropic of Cancer; an archipelago where palm-fringed beaches meet shallow clear waters, tropical forests conceal cascading waterfalls, and volcanic peaks seem to have been undisturbed since the millennium they last erupted. The Pacific Islands need to be seen to be believed.
And yet for all their beauty, the islands have seemingly managed to avoid becoming yet another tourist trap. Close enough to Australia, most holiday-makers taking the long-haul flight from Europe and the States, stop off in Sydney and fail to make the additional four or five hour flight landing them on the shores of Fiji, Tonga, Samoa or the Cook Islands. Most would wish they did. Cheaper southeastern Asian destinations have too long lured potential visitors away, and yet the island’s modesty, the absence of vying for tourist attention, and the Shangri-la comparisons, are exactly why you should go.
Even for expats living in Japan, most who have long ‘done Asia’ and seek new cultures to feed those old travel bug sentiments; the islands have until recently posed somewhat problematic to access. Direct flights to Nadi Airport on the island of Fiji left Narita just three times a week and other options included a lengthy stopover in Seoul with selective days on which to return again. Hardly the kind of transition into paradise one would hope for. Luckily as of Apr. 1 this year, Air New Zealand have started providing daily flights to the islands and as part of their ‘Double Destinations’ campaign, visitors can take advantage of a stopover in Auckland—another often overlooked destination.
Chieko Oto of Air New Zealand explains that couples seeking a more sophisticated travel destination are enjoying the fine wines, fine foods, and international shopping the cosmopolitan city of Auckland has to offer, before heading over to the islands for the spas, sun, sea and total relaxation. “Right now we are in low season which means not only are prices cheaper but New Zealand is in prime wine season and temperatures on the Pacific Islands are at their most comfortable.” Something to perhaps bear in mind as Japan starts to heat up for the summer.
But with so many islands to choose from, just where is best to go?
Fiji is perhaps the most obvious of the Pacific Islands, having the most advanced economy and being the hub for sea and air travel in the region. Expect 300 islands encompassed by spectacular coral reefs, warm turquoise waters home to a marine life captivating divers and snorklers alike. On the shores, Fijian communities are a blend of Polynesian, Indian, Chinese and European influences and their hospitality is extended to all. Be sure to check out the Blue Lagoon.
To the east of Fiji is Tonga, or ‘the friendly islands’ as they are known after the friendly reception natives gave Captain Cook on his arrival in 1773. The Kingdom of Tonga remains the only surviving monarchy among the Pacific Islands and the only island nation to have never been colonized. Tonga is reportedly one of the most unspoilt of the Pacific islands and a place where deserted beaches are provide place to sit back, drink the local kava (traditional medicinal drink) and simply watch the waves lap up on the shore.
At the heart of the Pacific Islands, Samoa remains undiscovered by mass tourism and as such Samoans have retained their ancient customs as nowhere else in the region. Reportedly home to the South Pacific’s most approachable people and vivid breathtaking landscapes, the Lonely Planet says of Samoa “if relaxing was an Olympic Games event, this is where you’d come to train.” Complete your experience by staying in a Samoan fale (a traditional beach hut.)
Heading further out into the Pacific Ocean, Tahiti is the largest of the islands that make up the French Polynesia (a collect of islands that remarkably, is spread over a surface larger than Europe.) The flora and fauna covering the island make for a most romantic of destination so expect honeymooners, and soon-to-bes, and those reliving those first romantic moments. Escape under water to experience up to 800 different species of marine life.
There are, of course, hundreds of other islands to choose from; each a different piece of paradise and each a discovery of a lifetime.
Flights run daily to Auckland and then to Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, and Tahiti.
Air New Zealand can also help arrange hotel, hotel transfers and give travel advice.
Discounts will be giving to those who take advantage of the ‘Double Destinations’ campaign if booked 56 days in advance.
For more information see www.airnewzealand.co.nz