Savai'i
The country's most western point is not only gorgeously scenic (until Samoa hopped the dateline, it was the last place in the world the sun set each day),…
Must-see attractions in Rarotonga, Samoa & Tonga
'Upolu
Robert Louis Stevenson's final resting place is adjacent to the museum that bears his name. Follow the signs for the path – known as the 'Road of Loving…
Aitutaki
After you’ve been to Rarotonga, Arutanga, Aitutaki’s only town, seems astonishingly quiet, with few signs of life even on weekdays when the shops are open…
Savai'i
This striking spot offers a fascinating glimpse at the destruction wrought by the 1905 eruption of Mt Matavanu. Most photogenic is the ruined LMS Church:…
American Samoa
The village of Leone welcomed the first missionary to Tutuila in 1832. John Williams subsequently erected the island’s first church, garnishing it with…
'Upolu
The pea-green crater of Lake Lanoto’o is about as removed from human habitation as you can get on Upolu. Its remote central-highlands location and…
American Samoa
This sacred site is where Tagaloa is said to have created the first humans before sending them out to Polynesia. Its volcanic boulders, wild surf and…
'Upolu
This gorgeous beach is a beautiful spot for a paddle or a picnic. The water is deep enough for swimming but there’s no reef to protect you – the…
Tonga
Hihifo, the contiguous suburban area south of Pangai, hides some archaeological relics seemingly of more interest to rooting pigs than anyone else. Hidden…
Tongatapu
Honeymooners, start your engines! Fronting onto a magnificent beach, Fafá Island Resort is the most elegant on Tongatapu’s offshore islands, but it makes…
Highland Paradise Cultural Centre
Rarotonga
High above ‘Arorangi, Highland Paradise stands on the site of the old Tinomana village with panoramic views over the west and south coasts. Members of the…
Savai'i
This wobbly walk takes you across a 24m jerry-built bridge strung between two large trees almost 10m above the rainforest floor. After you cross the…
'Upolu
About halfway between the international airport and Apia, this museum – run by the Congregational Christian Church – is Samoa's largest. While the…
Tongatapu
The closest island resort to Nuku’alofa, Pangaimotu makes an easy day trip. Daily departures (including Sunday) chug out from the wharf beside the Fish…
'Upolu
The architecturally interesting Bahá’í House of Worship is one of only eight such structures in the world; all are different except for being domed – this…
Savai'i
Gorgeous Afu-A-Au Falls, also known as Olemoe Falls, are a dream come true on a steamy Samoan day (which is, truthfully, almost every day). Cascading down…
The Cook Islands
The remains of Te Pare Fort, set deep in the makatea, are Mitiaro’s most impressive ancient ruins. The fort was built as a defence against ‘Atiuan raiders…
'Upolu
Secreted beneath the campus of Piula Methodist Theological College, Piula Cave Pool consists of two blue-green, fish-filled freshwater grottoes, only…
Vava'u Group
Developed by Tonga's former Minister of Agriculture, these gardens are brimming with botany (550 different plant varieties!). Access is via guided tour:…
Savai'i
Cyclones Ofa and Val struck the peninsula in 1990 and 1991, completely destroying the village of Falealupo. The decision was made to rebuild the village…
Cook Islands Library & Museum Society
Avarua
Inland behind the Para O Tane Palace, this collection of Pacific literature incorporates a small museum. Intriguing exhibits include an old whaling pot,…
Rarotonga
Te Vara Nui combines a purpose-built village showcasing local culture including traditional medicine, carving, tapa making and legends, with one of…
Tongatapu
Tongatapu’s most famous cave is an over-loved, slightly eerie place full of stalactites and stalagmites, and blackened from the soot of flaming-frond…
Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Apia
Looming over the harbour, this lofty cathedral is breathtakingly beautiful. Originally constructed in 1884, the building was recently rebuilt at an…
Tongatapu
South of Nuku’alofa, between Tofoa and Pe’a, you’ll pass the private royal residences of the Princess, adorned with white tigers and cannons, and the King…
American Samoa
A cross-island road leads from the village of Faga’itua up over a pass before winding slowly down to Masefau, a village that looks too idyllic to be true.
Rarotonga
On the eastern edge of the abandoned Sheraton resort site, a road leads inland to Wigmore’s Waterfall, a lovely cascade dropping into a fresh, cool…
Shirley Baker Monument & European Cemetery
Tonga
About 800m north of Pangai, the grave and monument of the imperious-looking Reverend Doctor Shirley Waldemar Baker (1836–1903), Tonga’s revered first…
American Samoa
While there's nothing to see here now, it was at this site (just behind Ofu Beach) where archaeologists found an unprecedented array of artefacts dating…
Vava'u Group
A flat-topped mountain looming behind Port of Refuge, 131m Mt Talau (Mo’unga Talau) is protected as part of Mt Talau National Park. To check it out, from…
Vava'u Group
Paintings, prints, local arts and crafts...on a boat! If you're keen to visit, phone first, then take a taxi to ‘Ano Beach – you’ll be picked up there. Or…
Savai'i
Legend says this site – a partially collapsed lava tube – is the result of a house-building competition between Falealupo’s men and women, a contest the…
Rarotonga
A small sign points off the road to the island’s most important marae site, Arai-Te-Tonga. Situated just off the Ara Metua, there’s a stone-marked koutu …
American Samoa
Also known as Mt Pioa, 523m-high Rainmaker Mountain traps rain clouds and gives Pago Pago the highest annual rainfall of any harbour in the world. From…
American Samoa
For a memorable, mayhaps romantic evening, this is a tough spot to beat: Tutuila’s westernmost point is the last place on earth the sun sets each day.
Port-au-Prince Massacre Monument
Tonga
A few hundred metres north of the airport runway is a signed turn-off west to the beach where a monument commemorates the spot where the Port-au-Prince…
Tongatapu
As you round the coast to the north of Mu’a, keep an eye out for Tonga's famed fishing pigs. When the tide is out, these unusual porkers trot out into the…
Cook Islands Whale & Wildlife Centre
Rarotonga
Visit this centre to learn about whales and other wildlife frequenting the Cook Islands. It’s an essential stop if you’re planning on going whale watching…
American Samoa
The exterior of Tafuna’s imposing, snow-white Catholic cathedral is striking, with a space-age bell tower and dissected dome, though a homier beauty lies…
Avarua
On the inland side of the main road is this palace and its surrounding Taputapuatea marae. The palace is where Makea Takau, the paramount ariki (chief) of…
