I'm off to the South Pacific in two weeks with an itinerary which will start with Fiji and then move on to Samoa, Vanuatu, the Cook Islands and Tahiti. The current itinerary is roughly half planned out (and booked) and half to be determined when we get there.
The idea being that this way we can scope things out when we get there and be more informed as to what the best local travel and tour options are. This is also taking into account what I've read on some internet forums that state that flight schedules are subject to frequent changes, delays etc so you need to be somewhat flexible.Not having been to this area before, is this a realistic approach? Most of our travel there will be in shoulder season.
I have another more specific question regarding local tours and excursions. Are there shops in Port Vila and Rarotonga where we can book tours locally? We'd also like to do a couple of deep sea fishing charters so I was wondering if there are companies offering charters in Vanuatu and Rarotonga? (we have one booked for Samoa already). Thanks in advance for all feedback and info.
Mark
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My mistake: It's officially on July 19th, 2026-I'm doing a cruise to South Pacific 14 days to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji from Sydney, Australia.
I'm considering doing a Cruise to the South Pacific Islands in June 2026! It goes to Samoan Islands including the American side of Samoa as well as Fijian Islands, Tahiti in French Polynesia, New Zealand and Cook Islands!
And I'm going to Papua New Guinea 2nd time next year!
Having been to all those countries (with Tonga my favorite) I can agree that a flexible schedule is mandatory. Flights can be easily cancelled due to weather. Also, each of these countries is made up of numerous islands, so try to not stay only on the main ones. It's a spectacular part of the world!
Hello Mark,
I have travelled to Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu recently - the latter 15m ago. I find that severe weather and the occasional power cuts are what affects the flight schedules ... though when you do get on board, the signs in pidgin are worth the wait.
Port Vila is reasonably sophisticated when it comes to travel arrangements - comparable to the same size town in Australia, maybe.
As far as a fishing charter, my experience is specific to Espirito Santo island .... my dive boat operator also offered fishing charters. He mostly advertised on Facebook.