Meet the World's friendliest People

The South Pacific, home to people who have been largely unspoilt by the trappings of the outside world and who continue to live a traditional lifestyle which places kinship and kindness above the so-called civilised values of material possessions and wealth.

These are people who rely on the natural bounty of the sea and the land: who still live as their forebears, in harmony with nature and alll the gifts she has bestowed on this vast expanse of oceans and islands.

This is a place like nowhere else on earth. Culture and tradition live side by side, gently guiding the lives and customs of these friendly, caring people.

Perhaps the words of a well known travel trade journialist who, when writing about the South Pacific said it best: "These are the lands before the wind. Life is lived in the moment. Tomorrow is only a concept. Today is Joy."

A Community of 3,300 Islands

The Pacific ocean is the largest geographical feature on earth, larger than all the land areas of the world combined. Yet little is known about it. Here you more than 11 million square miles of ocean dotted with islands, some no larger than a suburban back yard. The names themselves conjure images of times past, great voyages of discovery and pitched battles now etched in history - American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji Islands, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Niue, numbers just 2500. Yet, there is so much to see and do in this rich and diverse cosmos that is the South Pacific.

You can dive the pristine waters of Vanuatu or the Solomon Islands, experience the exhilaration of white water rafting or take in the cosmopolitan cocktail of people, religion and culture tha makes a visit to Fiji Islands such a memorable experience.

The options are endless. This is truly the last frontier and it is all here waiting for you to discover.

A Clash of Culture and Curiosities

In this part of the world, culture is a living, vibrant thing which you can reach out and embrace. You’ll experience it in Samoa where the ancient art of tattooing is still practiced today. And in the Solomon Islands where shell and feather money is still used as part of a dowry or to barter for food and other items. It’s where ancient mud dancers from the Papua New Guinea highlands perform ritualistic song and dance handed down from generation to generation. It’s the Fijians with their colourful mekes (song and dance), or the Tahitians with their vibrant and lively tamure. The Cook Islands dance, which is similar to the Tahitian tamure, is also guaranteed to leave you breathless. It’s all this and more. Myths, legends, folklore and stories all come together in a fascinating blend of traditional song, dance and celebration which makes your island holiday experience that much more satisfying and memorable.

A Colourful and Adventurous Past

The allure of the South Pacific is still as strong for us today as it must have been hundreds of years ago when traders, explorers and adventurers from then faraway Europe and America first discovered the bountiful delights of this unchartered new land. They encountered a people like none other they’d ever seen before. Evidence of this provided by Pottery shards, known as ‘lapita’ which have been unearthed on many islands and the ancient Ha’amonga Trillithon, Tonga’s own Stonehenge. Here were people who’s ancestry could be traced back over 3000 years when their Polynesian forebears had courageously ventured south, in little more than open outrigger canoes., to settle in the pacific. The western influence is, however, quite strong today. – the early French, English and Spanish and Portugese all left their mark in some form or another. Cook, Bligh, Mendana, Wallis and Bougainville – their names live on.

The magic and mystique of the Pacific has been preserved too by the great writers and artists of our time. Somerset Maugham, Michener with his tales of adventures in Paradise, Robert Louis Stevenson, Gaugin – they captured the spirit that is the Pacific and at the same time captured our imagination and created a desire to experience the exotic lifestyles that they led.

11 Million Square Miles of Oceans and Islands

If you’re expecting plenty of nightlife, restaurants and tourist attractions on Kiribati, Tuvalu or Niue, you’re going to be disappointed. Part of the charm of these small, remote islands is the solitude they offer. No crowds, no traffic lights, no hassles. Just peace and quiet. But that’s nopt to say you won’t find plenty to keep you busy elsewhere. Dive to vibrant, living cotal reefs, in water so clear you’ll think you’re floating on air. Try your hand at deep sea fishing or fighting marlin and other game fish. Go whale watching, sail or surf. Or try your hand at a nature tour or trek and visit a village to experience true hospitality, island style. Sport plays a big part in the lives of the people of the Pacific. Rugby is almost a national religion in most of the nations and,  in Samoa they play a version of cricket (Kirikiti) which involves entire villages and would have the members at Lords shaking their heads in disbelief. Golfers are well catered for in this part of the world. Night owls have not been forgotten either. Dining out and nightlife abound. Depending on the country, the local menu may feature anything from the Indian curries, such as those found in Fiji Island, to French haute cuisine, as in New Caledonia and mouth watering island feasts wherever you go. From the sophistication of cosmopolitan cities to the magnificent isolation of small coral atolls, you’ll always find something to enjoy and enthuse about.

From Five Star to Fale

The thought of spending five or six days on a deserted beach living in a thatched roof hut, surprisingly, isn’t everyone’s idea of a holiday. Some people prefer the creature comforts, service and trappings of a five star hotel and others again warm to the idea of communal backpacking in a dormitory. To each his own. And here in the South Pacific you’ll find a range and style of accommodation to cater for all tastes. If five star is your idea of living then countries like Fiji, Tahiti, Vanuatu and New Caledonia provide alternatives that include intimate island resorts, big name hotel chains and, exotic, exclusive hideaways often frequented by movie stars and celebrities who want to get away from it all.

The Birds and The Bees the Flowers and the Trees

Nature has blessed this part of the world with an abundance of flora and fauna that’s unique in every way. Rare crested iguanas, spectacularly colourful birds of paradise (38 different kinds of them), exquisite and delicate orchids and ferns plus a collage of living corals in a kaleidoscope of colours plus the fascinating world war 2 wrecks lying in the waters of Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands which have captivated divers from around the world.

This place is an ecologist’s delight. The hiking trails of Aitutaki in the Cook Islands are among the most untouched in the world and you will also find a rich diversity of flora and fauna endemic to each outer island. Niue’s network of caves are hauntingly beautiful and the jungles and forests of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands almost primeval in their makeup. Several countries like Samoa and Vanuatu, where ec-tourism is currently being established, have set aside national parks to share and preserve their national heritage.

Whether trekking, bushwalking or reef-walking you’ll be fascinated by the diversity of the plants and wildlife you encounter. This is indeed a region richly endowed with nature’s bounty.