South Pacific

Head south of the equator and outside the usual tourist destinations to discover the wild beauty and exotic nature of the South Pacific. From exclusive beach front hotels to rugged outback adventures, the endless variety guarantees that you’ll be back for a second South Pacific vacation.

Just below the Southern Hemisphere lies a dream destination. Leave at night, arrive in the morning, and experience all the wonders that keep the lands down under at the top of many travel lists. Explore the countries’ rich Aboriginal, Polynesian and Maori histories. Visit cosmopolitan cities where shopping, fun, and fine dining abound. Hike the mountains, relax at the seaside, and add to your list of exotic wildlife sightings with kangaroo, koala, and kiwi. Wonderfully isolated, magically alive, Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti offer you a friendly, welcoming look at the other side of the world. Let one of our Travel Specialists create an experience for you.

Australia With its temperate climate and reverse seasons, Australia is a year-round holiday destination, filled with sunshine and packed with plenty to do for both outdoor enthusiasts and city sophisticates. From snorkeling and surfing to shopping and dining, Australia offers something for everyone.

Cook Islands Scattered over a vast expanse of the South Pacific Ocean, are 15 amazing islands that are the epitome of your tropical island dream. They beckon like sparkling jewels cast upon an indigo sea.

Here, where the coconut palms softly sway to the rhythm of the trade winds, you will find a generous welcome from warm and friendly people who live life at a gentle easy pace.

Rarotonga and Aitutaki are the most visited of the Cook Islands and offer the visitor all that could be expected of a perfect tropical vacation from wonderful white sandy beaches, mountains, rain forests and warm inviting waters that are all a part of a stunning natural environment. Polynesian hospitality, history portrayed in song and dance plus unique arts and crafts are some of the experiences to cherish. Add to this a great selection of accommodations and you have all the ingredients of the 'recipe for true paradise'.

Easter Island Rapa Nui, or Easter Island as it's better known, has fascinated people for years, with its history, unique archaeology, legends and traditions. Archaeological remains can be found everywhere on the island, virtually making all of Easter an open-air museum.

The island is not typical of other South Pacific islands as it's not particularly tropical. Easter is triangular in shape with an extinct volcano at each point, and smaller volcanoes in the central area. The local people - the Rapa Nui - are of Polynesian descent. There are many stories as to where they came from, but one widely held is that the people originally came by boat from the Marquesas Islands around the 4th century. The first European to make contact with the islanders was a Dutch admiral, Jacob Roggeveen, who came on Easter Sunday, 1722 - thus the name of Easter Island.

Easter Island is a province of Chile, and Spanish is spoken by nearly everyone on the island. English is also spoken by those who deal with tourists. The currencies are the Chilean peso and the U.S. dollar. The main attraction for visitors to the island is seeing the mystical moai (statues) that are scattered everywhere, including some that, strangely, were never completed.

Fiji Unspoiled. Unhurried. Uncrowded. Fiji’s 330 islands offer a tranquil tropical paradise. Stroll white-sand beaches, snorkel among shimmering rainbow-colored fish, or float in the turquoise waters of a secluded lagoon. Filled with warm smiles and sunshine, Fiji welcomes you.

New Caledonia A taste of paradise.
Unlike its volcanic neighbors, New Caledonia is a fragment of an ancient continent which drifted away some 250 million years ago. Its flora and fauna evolved in isolation, and are now quite unique: 3500 recorded species of plants, three quarters of which occur only here; 4300 species of land animals, 1000 species of fish, 6500 species of marine invertebrates.

Five hundred kilometers long, fifty kilometers wide, New Caledonia offers an endless variety of landscapes, from some of the best white sand beaches in the Pacific to spectacular mountain retreats.

Surrounded by a 1,600 km long coral reef, New Caledonia also boasts the largest lagoon in the world. The reef can be as close as a few kilometers from the coast in some places and as far as 65 km in others - with an average depth of 40 m.

The Territory of New Caledonia consists of the Mainland, the Isle of Pines to the south of the Mainland, the Loyalty Islands to the east of the Mainland (Maré, Lifou, Tiga and Ouvéa), the Belep Archipelago in the north west and numerous islands and islets: Huon & Surprise, Chesterfield, Walpole, Beautemps-Beaupré, Astrolabe, and the Bellona reef, … a total surface of 19,000 sq km (16,372 sq km for the Mainland alone, which is 400 km long).

New Zealand Natural wonders never cease in New Zealand. Two islands, North and South, offer travelers an unending list of adventures. Set sail among fiords. Snorkel, surf, or simply relax at a beach front resort. Whatever you decide, you’ll find beauty at every turn.

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea is full of interesting attractions, magnificent natural scenery, and diverse cultural heritage. It offers a range of holiday features and activities, from trekking remote jungle tracks, cruising the mighty Sepik river, surfing the waves of New Ireland, fishing around the fiords of Tufi and diving amongst the coral reef coastline.

Samoa The capital of Samoa is Apia, a colorful, historic, old South Seas town, on the island of Upolu. This island is the most developed and the most populous of Samoa. The largest island, Savai'i, is the biggest island in all of Polynesia outside of Hawaii and New Zealand.

English is the official language, and Samoans are extremely hospitable people. They are very friendly to visitors and, in the Samoan culture, the life within the family group is all important. Since the times of the early missionaries, the people have been devout Christians and religion still plays a major role in the Samoan way of life. Next to the Maori in New Zealand, the Samoans are the largest group of pure-blooded Polynesians in the world.

The islands have attracted famous writers over the years, one of the best-known being Robert Louis Stevenson, who spent the latter years of his life in Samoa. The home of Tusitala ("The Teller of Tales"), called Vailima, is located near Apia and is now a museum, open to visitors. Stevenson and his wife, Fanny, are buried near Vailima, and the gravesite may also be visited.

In addition to the Samoan culture, the traveler can also enjoy some of the South Pacific's most undeveloped and beautiful beaches.

Solomon Island The second largest island chain in the Pacific, with 992 islands, the Solomons are scattered between Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. The six major islands in the nation are Guadalcanal, New Georgia, San Cristobal, Santa Isabel, Malaita, and Choiseul.

The Solomon Islands were a British Protectorate in the late 19th century and were granted independence in 1978. They are now governed as a constitutional monarchy with a governor-general representing the Queen. The capital is Honiara, located on Guadalcanal, the most-visited island. It is the economic and governmental center of the country.

Here, in this archipelago of mountainous islands and low-lying coral atolls, one can experience the undiscovered delights of a primitive culture which has not allowed the advances of the outside world to overshadow it. Traditional garb, age-old customs, rituals and taboos still endure in the Solomons. The basic social structure is the extended family, although structure and tradition vary from island to island.

Most of the population is Christian. English is the official language, but Pijin (a form of Pidgin English) is used by the villagers to communicate among the 87 indigenous languages of the country. The Solomons are noted for exquisite wood carvings, inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Tonga Tongans, like their Polynesian cousins in other parts of the Pacific, have very close family relations and are devout Christians. Sabbath is a day strictly observed in the country - there are no sporting events nor is there work or trade. If visitors are in the country on a Sunday, they should take advantage of attending one of the many church services held, as the Tongan choral church music is exceptional. Nearly all Tongans speak English, as it's taught in school, but the official language is Tongan.

Tongatapu is the main island in Tonga's 170-island group and is where the capital of Nuku'alofa is located. Two-thirds of the population lives here.

Unique sights prevail in Tonga. A visit to a local crafts market is a must - Tongans are masters at basketry and the making of tapa cloth. In the countryside of Tongatapu, blowholes and flying foxes are to be discovered, and near the village of Niutoua is Ha'amonga Trilithon, known as the "Stonehenge of the Pacific." This huge, ancient arch is estimated to have been built in the 12th century A.D. One of the South Pacific's finest beaches is on small 'Atata Island where the traveler can enjoy a stay at a picturesque, small off-shore resort.

Tahiti No vacation destination suggests paradise more than French Polynesia. Tahiti and its surrounding islands offer miles of private beaches, crystalline waters, and soft breezes long celebrated by artists and travelers alike.

Vanuatu In 1906, an unusual form of government was established here - a "condominium". The French and the British jointly governed the country. Independence was eventually attained in 1980. The inhabitants in Vanuatu today speak French and English, as well as the national language, Bislama, a form of Pidgin English.

Bougainvillea-clad Port Vila, on Efate Island, is the capital of the country. The town is lined with shops and of particular note is the Port Vila Market open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Here one will see a tempting array of tropical fruits, vegetables, coconut crabs, shells, artifacts and souvenirs.

Most of the 160,000 people of Vanuatu are Melanesian and are known as ni-Vanuatu people. It is a land of many languages - approximately 115 - and numerous customs and traditions. The traditional culture is as strong today as it was many years ago, with customs differing from island to island and having a strong impact on ni-Vanuatu life, despite generations of missionary and other out side influences.

American soldiers established bases on the islands in World War II, especially on Espiritu Santo, the largest island in the chain. Known locally as Santo, it was once home to over 100,000 American servicemen. It was here a young U.S. Army lieutenant, James Michener, wrote the legendary Tales of the South Pacific. There are still many relics and reminders of the war here in Espiritu Santo.

Other remarkable islands in the Vanuatu archipelago are Tanna, where visitors can see an active volcano, and Pentecost Island, where the local islanders have a unique ritual of jumping, bound at the ankles, from high poles - the forerunner of today's bungy jumping.