Has anyone been to the South Pacific?

[wondabar]

If so, what was it like? It has always been my dream to go there but I'm not sure whether it is a realistic one due to time and expense spent getting there! I think Bora Bora is where I'd like to visit the most. If you did go, did you arrange it yourself or through an agent?

We have done French Polynesia, Fiji and Samoa in one trip. They were all absolutely stunning.

Both French Polynesia and Fiji were pretty touristy though.

French Polynesia is difficult to beat for pure relaxation though - the resorts are gorgeous, usually not over crowded and the natural beauty is just breathtaking. But it is properly expensive. We stayed in Bora Bora and basically just flopped but then also stayed in Moorea which was great for exploring, snorkelling, watersports as well as hiking.

Fiji felt the most over-touristy by far. We didn’t love Viti Levu but had an enjoyable few days in the Mamanuca Islands.

Samoa felt the most authentic of the places we went. We hired a car in Samoa which meant we were able to get to properly deserted beaches which were stunningly beautiful.

I think my main advice though would be to wait until you can afford to do the trip with some level of luxury. It is very very expensive - accomodation, food etc.

@cherryassam thank you so much for telling me about what seems like the holiday of a lifetime. Did you plan it yourselves or through an agent? Which route did you take to travel there? It M definitely interested in exploring it further

Well we’re a bit unusual in that we both work in travel - and DH’s specialism is long haul luxury travel, so he did almost all of the planning himself using his connections.

We did break up the trip as well.

So we flew from London to LAX and had a couple of days in LA staying with friends - that’s about an 11h30 flight.

We then flew from LAX to Papeete in French Polynesia (Tahiti) with Air France I believe and that took about 8 hours.

From Papeete we then flew to Nadi, Fiji but I don’t think that’s a route that is still being flown unfortunately.

From Nadi we then flew on to Apia in Samoa.

We then went from Apia to New Zealand to visit family for a couple of months so not too helpful for getting back to the UK!

If we weren’t splitting our time as we were with some time in LA before and then New Zealand after, we would not have tried to do all 3 countries, but we wanted to make the most of the flying time and we both worked and still work remote jobs so could afford to have a big trip alongside work.

If I was going from the UK, I would probably look at going to either French Polynesia or Fiji & Samoa. French Polynesia with some time in LA on the way there and back would be a somewhat manageable trip I think.

I've been to a Fiji (live aboard dive boat for a week) and the Cook Islands. Raratonga was very touristy, Aitutaki slightly less so but it's minute. French Polynesia is hugely expensive. I'd like to go to Tonga and Samoa

I've been to Easter Island and Tahiti. I loved both and would love to explore more of the South Pacific area. I'm going to steal tips from this thread!

I've been to Fiji and loved it! It's just like the photos

I've been to Bora Bora. It rained the whole time we were there which may cloud my views but I also hated the crowds of obnoxious (mainly American) tourists there. I was so disappointed. We did, however, also go to a different island for a few days called La Taha'a and that was magical.

Oh, and we used an agent. It was actually cheaper than doing all the bits ourselves plus they sorted all the the extras. And negotiated with the hotel in Bora Bora for a partial refund because of the other guests who ruined our trip.

We stopped in the Cook Islands for 5 days on a return trip from New Zealand. DD was 18 months old and I was pregnant with DS. It's beautiful, amazing snorkelling and walks. We didn't think the food was great but perhaps chose unwisely. Our accommodation was a pretty basic bungalow on the beach

Was going to say I really enjoyed the musical, until I noticed you’d ousted in ‘Holidays’.’.

I’ve been to quite a few countries, including the Cook Islands, Fiji, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu. A fantastic region that I absolutely love - beautiful with an interesting culture. I went when we lived in New Zealand, but if you’re coming from the UK etc. it is very far (but worth it). As remote island nations, things are generally pretty expensive. We organised everything ourselves - car hire, accommodation, inter-island flights, activities etc. We’ve been to amazing cultural festivals, stunning beaches, fantastic snorkelling, historical sites, traditional villages, and more. If your dream is Bora Bora (it’s also one of mine!) I haven’t made it there yet… But if you’re open to other destinations I’d be happy to answer any questions and help you figure out what might suit you.

How funny! We stayed at Le Tahaa and that was spoilt for us by obnoxious american tourists! We got chatting to a lovely couple from California. They said they got their flights and hotels through costco (?) so it cost them £2,500 each for 5 nights. Our hotel alone cost way more than that. I can't imagine how much worse they must've been in Bora Bora. Sadly we really didn't rate Le Tahaa.

@lipshutz Oh that's a shame! There were only about 4 other guests when we stayed there and they were all French/European. I'm sad to hear that you had what sounds like a similar experience to the one we had on Bora Bora. I found it magical but it sounds like it has been ruined too.

Went to Moorea in FP, chose it over Bora Bora as less well known & easier to explore. Incredibly beautiful, it was wonderful.

I planned it, I got a sample itinerary & booked it myself all individually. I saved a considerable amount doing it like this & I got very lucky as I booked a garden bungalow but got upgraded to over the water.

The snorkeling there was amazing right?
Ah this makes me want to go back to French Polynesia...

Also broke up the journey going to LA

The snorkelling was incredible although the first time I saw a shark I was a bit 😳

I've been to the Cook Islands - Raratonga and Aitutaki.

They were the most beautiful places I've ever been.

I’ve done Samoa and Fiji. I’m not much help on the travel front as we were living in New Zealand at the time but I cannot recommend them highly enough. Absolutely beyond beautiful and somehow a million times better than I expected while also being just what I’d hoped for, if that makes sense? Pretty expensive I seem to remember but I don’t exactly know what we spent in the end.

Another vote for French Polynesia. You don’t need to stay in a resort, they’re mainly filled with West Coast Americans on their one week holidays or those on honeymoon.

Very easy to rent an airbnb and a car. Supermarkets are good on some islands. Food costs maybe double that in a regular supermarket or just a bit more than corner shops in central london.

Food/car/airbnb cost us around £100-125 per person per night as a couple.