French Polynesia Experience

The Islands of Perpetual Sunday

Advantages: Pristine rainforest and beaches, amazing diving, welcoming locals
Disadvantages: Not for those who cannot make their own entertainment

...♣♣♣Fact Box♣♣♣ Country: Independent Samoa Capital: Apia Location: 13 .5 S & 171.5 W, in the South Pacific between New Zealand and Hawaii Time: GMT-12hours Neighbours: American Samoa, Fiji, Cook Islands, French Polynesia Language: Samoan, English People: Polynesian Currency: Samoan tala Getting there (from U.K.): Use Qantas/BA to Australia, then Polynesian Blue to Apia, or Air New Zealand from London to ...

cladach29 12.09.2006 · Read Full Review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Independent Samoa (South Pacific Islands)

Don't eat the Mahi Mahi

Advantages: Beauty beyond compare
Disadvantages: The French and the cost

...miles from the capital of Tahiti is everybody's dream of a South Pacific Island whilst Bora Bora's scenery never fails to leave me gasping. Bora Bora is an atoll similar to the one the French test thier bombs on. It is surrounded by a coral reef that traps delicously warm sea water creating the perfect beach envirioment. On land, a massive rock is the center piece of the island. You can cycle around the atoll on the only road in about 4 hours, stopping ...
...Being so remote and indeed exclusive, it is of course hiddously expensive. A bootle of beer will cost you £4 and expect food to be similarly expensive. But, if you can afford to get there, you can afford to be there. By the way, I ate the Mahi Mahi and am using all 15 fingers to type this. ...

Jasonrow 28.02.2001 · Read Full Review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Tahiti & French Polynesia (South Pacific Islands)

Escape to Vanuatu

Advantages: Lush rainforests, turquoise waters
Disadvantages: Numerous earth tremors

...halfway between Australia and Fiji, Vanuatu is a Y-shaped Chain of about 80 islands in the southwest pacific. According to geologists, massive tectonic plates in the earth crust collided at this point to form lofty mountains that are mainly underwater. The peaks of the tallest of these rose above the ocean surface creating Vanuatu’s rugged islands. Today, the geologic crunch and grind triggers numerous earth tremors and fuel nine active volcanoes. ...
...European explorers first arrived in Vanuatu in 1606. Fierce tribes inhabited the islands and cannibalism was widely practiced. At the time, forest of sandalwood, an aromatic wood prized in Asia, carpeted the landscape. Smelling profit, European traders systematically plundered the trees. They then turned their hands to blackbirding. Blackbirding involved recruiting indigenous islanders to work on sugar and cotton plantations in Samoa, Fiji and Australia. ...

quan 31.07.2007 · Read Full Review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Vanuatu (South Pacific Islands)

Not Quite The Island Paradise We Hoped For.

Advantages: Pristine beaches, clear seas, tropical fish.
Disadvantages: Mosquitos, humidity, some negative male attention, nothing to do per se.

American Samoa. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ American or Western Samoa, as I will refer to it here, is composed of a group of six islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand. Western Samoa is composed of two main islands (Savaii and Upolu), several smaller inhabited islands and a number of other uninhabited islets The islands are mostly coastal naturally although ...
...such as The Cook Islands and Fiji. The islands re volcanic, they are rocky and rugged with steep mountainous interiors. The population is around 60,000 and this is gradually declining. I visited Western Samoa for about 8 days in between August and September 2000 while I was on a back packing trip (see my other review on New Zealand) with my best friend. Clearly this was quite a while ago although it should be bourn in mind that this review was first ...

nickyturnill 20.01.2005 · Read Full Review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of American Samoa (South Pacific Islands)

Tonga

Advantages: Fantastic scenery, beautiful beaches, extremely friendly people!
Disadvantages: Can be expensive to reach.

Tonga is the first country in the world to see in a New Year. It lies just past the international dateline and became the focal point for the Millenium celebrations of 2000. This is how Tonga first came to my attention, I saw the broadcast from the isalnd and thought it looked fantastic and decided that I would definitely go. I happened to have the chance to go to New Caledonia and looking at a map saw that nTonga was nearby (relatively speaking). ...
...make the short flight to Tonga and stay for as long as our money would hold out. We weren't disappointed! GETTING THERE We flew with Air France from New Caledonia to Fua'amotu International Airport which is about 10 miles away from the capital of Nuku'alofa. This flight cost about $150 for the round trip. There was a $25 departure tax upon leaving. I beleive that most people fly to Tonga from either New Zealand or Australia so a flight may be cheaper ...

mr_christa 23.06.2004 · Read Full Review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Tonga (South Pacific Islands)