Introducing Pacific
Slip on that sarong, listen for the lullaby of waves broken only by the satisfying ‘thunk’ of coconuts falling on golden sands and throw away your watch in preparation for ‘island time’. The Pacific has a mindset all of its own. Its hugeness is big enough to hold all your dreams of snorkelling around idyllic coral atolls, slow-sunset evenings distilled with cocktails and beaches beautiful enough to send even the most stressed visitor into a catatonia of relaxation.
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From tiny Tuvalu to controversial bad boy Fiji to uber-chic French Polynesia, the family of Pacific islands is a varied bunch. And you can choose how you’ll acquaint yourself with this diverse crowd. Many opt for resorts in big centres like Fiji, the Cooks or Vanuatu, or plunge into another world diving among the dazzling coral and magical marine life that makes Nemo look like a pallid goldfish.
But there’s other ways to discover the Pacific. You could puzzle over lost civilisations amid the icons of Easter Island or see why Fletcher Christian hopped off the Bounty in favour of the remote paradise of Pitcairn Island. Why not get intrepid and seek out the live volcanoes or don your pith helmet to trek into lush forests? Then there’s the shipwrecks to dive, bohemian capitals to explore and did we mention that a cocktail with at least a couple of tropical fruits in it is compulsory?
Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
- Travel around the island paradise of Tasmania
- Go rafting on one of the world's greatest wild rivers
- See the best of New Zealand on an action-packed 21 day tour
- Explore Fiji's Yasawa Islands by kayak
Last updated: Jan 22, 2013
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Pacific
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Make it happen
Our Top Picks For Pacific
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1 Kakadu National Park, Australia
Find legroom, extraordinary wildlife and ancient culture in Australia's largest national park
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2 Franz Josef & Fox Glacier, New Zealand
On the ground or in the air, discover the icy grandeur of these centuries-old ice floes
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3 Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu
Flipper-kick into a luxury liner, hack through to a cave, bus up to picture-perfect beaches
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4 Rurutu, Tahiti & French Polynesia
Believe in magic after swimming with migrating humpback whales
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5 Tongatapu, Tonga
Marvel at the South Pacific's Stonehenge, explore pyramidal tombs and applaud the spurting blowholes