15

It is also an option to stay in Indonesia, but I am addicted to loneliness and small islands.

Check out Maluku and the Raja Ampat Islands - in my signo lines, for example.
They are easily as beautiful (in fact more) as Vanuatu or Tonga, and visiting them may save you some long flights. Maluku would also be a lot cheaper than the SP proper, though Raja Ampat could be just as pricey. Between them these eastern Indonesiabn islands offer every type of tropical island scenery imaginable from volcanoes through limetsone rock islands to coral atolls.

16

The information on Solomon Islands on the website you posted is out of date and very limited. It is possible that the information for other countries is too.
The Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau site is much more up to date and informative. You may also find the site in my sig line informative.
Is it necessary for you to go to New Zealand? The Melanesian countries are much closer to Australia, particularly Brisbane.

17

I've been to F.rench P.olynesia so my comparisons are based on actually having been to the places I write about.

The C.ooks and A.merican Samoa are scenicly similar to parts of FP. R.arotonga is a poor man's M.oorea and A.itutaki is a poor man's B.ora B.ora but more atoll like.

The beach on O.fu island in A.merican S.amoa is spectacular even by FP standards.

In the north P.acific there are the R.ock I.slands of P.alau which have scenic beauty equal to FP. There are a lot of visitors and the main town of K.oror has no charm. But you have the opportunity to kayak and camp on the islands which is an incredible experience.

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Silvanocat, so have you been to Bora Bora and Aitutaki? is Bora Bora worth the extra $$$ is there a big difference in the beauty of the places? in your opinion?
when you say Aitutaki is more atoll like, can you explain what you mean a little, not sure if you think its a positive or negative?
i like the idea of the atolls as more places to go, but Bora Bora looks unbelievable, but would be using money id rather be using to pay off the house faster and go to the cooks instead as they seem almost the same to me in alot of ways, yet i keep hearing people say Bora Bora is worth the $$$ :)

19

B.ora B.ora has dramatic mountains in the center of it, A.itutaki is more flattened out (with just a small hill, thus more atoll like, it's much further in its transition from high island to atoll). I have never seen anywhere else the colors and the variations of colors that are found in the lagoon of B.ora B.ora. I almost wept when I got off the plane at the sheer beauty.

The lagoon of Aitutaki is very, very beautiful. I generally prefer atolls myself but B.ora B.ora is B.ora B.ora.

If you're fine with visiting London or New York but never seeing Paris then go to Aitutaki. (I've been to A.itutaki twice, the first time I was rained out most of my week there and I wanted to return and try to spend time there in the sun so it really is beautiful.)

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20

I really want to see Bora Bora and im worried that by the time i can afford it, it will be too touristy to be as beautiful, im hoping to go to Rarotonga and Aitutaki, and do a stopover for a few days on route to see family in the uk as we usually go to LA for disneyland for our girls & / or venice beach, santa monica and vegas for us, which only costs us about $2500 each for airfare from Sydney, so hoping to do a stop over and fall in love and go for a real visit, thinking stuff the price :)

21

Hi

I would love some information on the differences between Bora Bora and the Lagoon Resort Aitutaki...

I am considering both, but since we are coming from Aus I seem to think Bora Bora (in a decent hotel) will be double the cost.

We want to have our wedding in one of these 2 locations so will have extra expenses other than accom, such as the ceremony, celebrant, music, feeding our guests etc...

I would be going to relax, a little sightseeing, warm sunny days and perhaps a half/full day sailing trip

Any time of year suggestions would also be great..looking for not too busy, warm weather, no rain

Thanks so much
K