PLAN YOUR TRIP

Welcome to Rarotonga, Samoa & Tonga............ 2Map .................................. 415 Top Experiences ........ 6Need to Know ................. 14If You Like... ..................... 16Month by Month ............. 19Itineraries ........................ 22Which Island? ................ 26Outdoor Adventures ...... 31Travel with Children ....... 36Regions at a Glance ....... 38

YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT

Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions to help you put together your perfect trip

UNDERSTAND RAROTONGA, SAMOA& TONGA

Rarotonga, Samoa & Tonga Today ................. 212History ............................. 215Culture, Religion & Tradition ....................... 223Myths & Legends ........... 227Art & Craft ....................... 230Food & Drink ................... 233

and courthouse in Rarotonga were constructed with Chabour. Around NZ$2 million is gifted annually by Chin

d b t thi id d fi it l ith t i tt h d

national parks &reserves(% of country)

Samoa

5

American Samoa

18

Cook Islands

7.5

Tonga

6

if these couwere 100 pe

3 would be Cook Islande51 would be Samoan28 would be Tongan18 would be American S

1888k Islands estab-hed as a British as protectorate oid French inva-Within 13 years, ts will be ready

ad the Cooks to New Zealand.

1889 Robert Louis

Stevenson abandons the chilly moors of

Scotland for his own ‘Treasure Island’, and the warm delights of

Samoa.

a throughout the Pacific

pans on of Christianitynaries success was due to three major factors. Firstly leverye a art, particularly the conversion of influential Tonganahau. After conversion, he went on to seize control of Ha’apaihtful heir, Laufilitonga. Baptised in 1831, Taufa’ahau took on n name of Siaosi, or George, after the king of England, and surname Tupou.

GE

TT

Y IMA

GES

©

Island Escape Scattered over a vast expanse of empty ocean, these islands are a castaway’s dream come true. If you’ve ever fantasised about escaping to a remote desert island, far from the hustle and hum of the modern world, then look no further than these fascinating islands. Here you’ll nd a couple of thou-sand years of Polynesian culture sitting side by side with some of the most spectac-ular natural scenery in the South Paci c.

Paradise The idyllic norm in these small island na-tions involves lush, reef-fringed islands with sandy foreshores that virtually glow in the tropical sunshine. Even when it rains, the

sense of verdancy is so strong that you can almost hear the heilala (Tonga’s national ower), teuila (Samoan red ginger), fran-

gipani and hibiscus owers stretching up-wards. After the rain, the tropical bouquet can be so pervading that you’ll wish you could bottle it up and take it home. The pristine oceanic depths that thread through this Paci c enclave host thousands of spe-cies of marine life, from kaleidoscopic coral to the ukes of humpback whales that come to spawn their young in the warm waters.

The Polynesian Smile People here are so passionately idiosyn-cratic that almost every encounter yields a memorable moment. Locals can burst

Think lush, reef-fringed islands with sandy foreshores that virtually glow in the tropical sunshine. These are the central South Pacific islands that dreams are made of.

welcome to Rarotonga, Samoa & Tonga

“All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET

PAGE

2

PAGE

211GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP

Learn about the big picture, so youcan make sense of what you see

Islander Welcomes

6 A garland of owers is one of the most simple

yet beautiful o erings on the planet, and no one gives out more of these than the people of the Paci c. There’s a sel ess beauty to island welcomes that feels un-tainted by the modern world. Loudness and brashness are out, subtle hospitality and genuine goodwill are in. If they could give you the moon, they would.

HO

LGE

R LEU

E / LON

ELY P

LAN

ET IM

AG

ES ©

DA

N H

ER

RIC

K / LO

NE

LY PLA

NE

T IMA

GES

©

5

6

9

Beaches Beaches, beaches and more beaches. These South Pa-cific islands are surrounded by them! Everyone has a favourite. Go out and find yours! Ofu Beach On Ofu Island in American Samoa’s remote Manu’a Group, this is a palm-fringed white-sand stunner backed by ridiculously pictur-esque jagged peaks (p 158 )

Uoleva’s west coast This island in Tonga’s Ha’apai Group has a spectacular leeward coast of white sand lapped by surely the clearest water on earth. Did we mention the humpbacks that breech o shore? (p 188 )

Isolated Islands There are some very remote islands out in the central South Pacific. Getting there will take a huge ef-fort, and finding out more will certainly spark the imagination. Niuafo’ou Also known as ‘Tin Can Island’, Niuafo’ou is at Tonga’s northern extremes. It’s shaped like a oating donut with an enclosed lake 23m above sea level (p 199 )

Suwarrow In the Cook Islands’ northern group and the country’s only national park, Suwarrow was home to the infa-mous hermit, Tom Neale. Read of his adventures in An Island to

Diving & Snorkelling These central South Pacific nations boast some excep-tional underwater spots to check out the marine life. There are plenty of relative-ly unknown dive sites and decent operators through-out the region. Vava’u, Tonga A diver’s delight, sites in Vava’u range from coral gardens and encrusted wrecks to sea caves and other geologi-cal marvels (p 191 )

Samoa Many travellers use Samoa as a place to gain their certi cation and there are good operators on the main islands. Popular spots include Tialipi’s

if you like…

16

I SBN 978 -1 -74220 -033 -0

9 781742 200330

99815

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PHRASEBOOK

rarotonga-samoa-tonga-7-cover.indd 2rarotonga-samoa-tonga-7-cover.indd 2 27/07/2012 2:36:43 PM27/07/2012 2:36:43 PM

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Craig McLachlanBrett Atkinson, Celeste Brash

p145(USA)

American Samoa

p44Cook Islands

Rarotonga & the

p100Samoa

p168Tonga

YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE

In-depth reviews, detailed listings and insider tips

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Transport ........................ 238Health .............................. 243Language ........................ 245Index ................................ 257Map Legend .................... 263

VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO

HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP

ON THE ROAD

RAROTONGANRarotongan (or Cook Islands Maori, as it’s also known) is a Polynesian language similar to New Zealand Maori and Marquesan (from French Polynesia). There are minor dialectal di erences between many of the islands, and some northern islands have their own languages. English is spoken as a second (or third) language by virtually everyone.

Cook Islands Maori was traditionally a spoken language, with no written form. The language, in its Rarotongan guise, was written down by missionaries in the 1830s.

Most consonants are pronounced as they in English, although the letter

ced closer to English sound is soft, pronounced the same

English word ‘singing’, but in Raro-en occurs at the beginning of a

Ngatangi’ia). The glottal stop e middle of ‘uh-oh’)

ilar Polynesian in writing by

Pe’ea korua?

Pe’ea koutou?(to more than two people)

E meitaki au.E vera/anu au.’Ine.Meitaki (ma’ata).

Turou!Kia manuia!Ae./Kare.Penei ake.

au tak

Language

PAGE

40

PAGE

237

Look out for these icons:

o Our author’s recommendation S A green or

sustainable option F No payment required

On the Road

See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.

RAROTONGA &THE COOK ISLANDS 44RAROTONGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Avarua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Around the Island . . . . . . . .57AITUTAKI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69PALMERSTON . . . . . . . . . . . . 75’ATIU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76MA’UKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80MITIARO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82MANGAIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85NORTHERN GROUP . . . . . . . 88Manihiki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Rakahanga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Penrhyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Pukapuka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Suwarrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89UNDERSTAND RAROTONGA& THE COOK ISLANDS . . . . 89Rarotonga & the Cook Islands Today . . . . . . . . . . . 89History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89The Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91SURVIVAL GUIDE . . . . . . . . . 92Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . . . . .92Getting There & Away . . . . .95Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . 96

SAMOA . . . . . . . . . . . .100’UPOLU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Apia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Around Apia . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Eastern ’Upolu . . . . . . . . . . 117South Coast . . . . . . . . . . . .120Northwestern ’Upolu . . . . .122Manono . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123Apolima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124SAVAI’I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Salelologa & the East Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125Central North Coast . . . . .128Northwestern Savai’i . . . . .130South Coast . . . . . . . . . . . .132UNDERSTAND SAMOA . . . 134Samoa Today . . . . . . . . . . . .134History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134The Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . .135Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Environment . . . . . . . . . . . .138SURVIVAL GUIDE . . . . . . . . 138Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . . . .138Getting There & Away . . . .142Getting Around . . . . . . . . . .143

AMERICAN SAMOA . .145TUTUILA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147MANU’A ISLANDS . . . . . . . 158Ofu & Olosega . . . . . . . . . . .158Ta’u . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159UNDERSTAND AMERICAN SAMOA . . . . . . 161American Samoa Today . . 161History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161The Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . .162Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162Environment . . . . . . . . . . . .162

SURVIVAL GUIDE . . . . . . . . 163Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . . . .163Getting There & Away . . . .164Getting Around . . . . . . . . . .165

TONGA . . . . . . . . . . . . 168TONGATAPU . . . . . . . . . . . . .171Nuku’alofa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172Around the Island . . . . . . . 179Offshore Islands . . . . . . . . . 181’EUA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181HA’APAI GROUP . . . . . . . . . 183Lifuka Group . . . . . . . . . . . .185VAVA’U GROUP . . . . . . . . . . 189Neiafu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190Around Vava’u . . . . . . . . . . .196Southern Vava’u Islands . . 197Eastern Vava’u Islands . . .198NIUA GROUP . . . . . . . . . . . . 198Niuatoputapu . . . . . . . . . . .199Tafahi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199Niuafo’ou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199UNDERSTAND TONGA . . . .200Tonga Today . . . . . . . . . . . 200History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201The Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . 202Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203Environment . . . . . . . . . . . 204Food & Drink . . . . . . . . . . . 205SURVIVAL GUIDE . . . . . . . .205Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . . . 205Getting There & Away . . . 207Getting Around . . . . . . . . . 207

Rarotonga

See RarotongaEnlargement

See 'UpoluEnlargement

EnlargementSee Tongatapu

EnlargementSee Tutuila

AitutakiTraditional food, dance

and music (p69)

’AtiuDelve into hidden

limestone caves (p76)

AvaruaEnjoy breakfast at

Punanga Nui Market (p51)

Cross-Island TrackClimb ‘the Needle’ (p59)

Cape Mulinu’uGateway to the

underworld (p131)

Pulemelei MoundPolynesia’s largest ancient

structure (p132)

Ha’apaiSwim with humpback

whales (p183)

Vava’uSea kayak in paradise (p189)

S O U T H

O C E A N

P A C I F I C

SOUTH

PACIFIC

OCEAN

HarbourAvana

Pass

age

Papu

a

Ava

avar

oaPa

ssag

e

(USA)

(New Zealand)

AVARUA

AVARUA

PAGOAPIA

NUKU'ALOFA

PAGO

Inte

rnat

iona

l Dat

e Li

ne

(Islands not to Scale)

WallMatavera

School

The Pinnacles

Ngatangi'ia

Area

TakitumuConservation

(235m)Te Tanga(485m)

Te Manga

'Ikurangi

(154m)

Bluff (340m)Maungatea Oroenga

(292m)

HillHospital

Te Reinga oPora (438m)

BlackRock

Maungapiko

Te Kaki Motu(344m)

Koromiri

Oneroa

Motutapu

Taakoka

(450m)Te Atukura

(638m)

(523m)

Te Rua Manga

(413m)(The Needle) Te Ko'u

(588m)

Te Vaakauta(365m)

Raemaru

Maungatongaiti

(509m)

Northern Ridge

(222m)

(653m)MaungaroaMaungatea

160ºW

10ºS

170ºW

20ºS

Penrhyn

Manihiki Rakahanga

Pukapuka

Nassau

Suwarrow

NORTHERNCOOK

ISLANDS

Manuae

'Atiu

MitiaroAitutaki

Takutea

COOKISLANDS

SOUTHERN

PalmerstonAtoll

Mangaia

Rarotonga

Ma'uke

Vava'u

GROUPHA'APAI

Tongatapu

Tutuila

Savai'i 'Upolu

ValleyAvatiu Takuva'ine

Valley

TikiokiBeach

Matavera

Pue

AvatiuNika'o

Ngatangi'ia

Muri

TikiokiVaima'angaTitikaveka

Kavera

'Arorangi

AMERICANSAMOA

SAMOA

TOKELAU

ISLANDSCOOK

NIUE

TONGA

InternationalAirport

RarotongaAraM

etua

RdH

appy

Valle

y

Ara

tuaAra Me

Metua

Metua

Ara

TapuAra

Ara Tapu

TapuAra

TapuA

ra

200 km120 miles

00

1 mile2 km0

0

› Rarotonga, Samoa & Tonga

'Upolu

Tutuila

Tongatapu

Fagatele BayParadise in a submerged

volcanic crater (p152)

Nuku’alofaHome to the kingdom’s

royal family (p172)

To Sua Ocean TrenchSwim this enchanted

sunken waterhole (p117)

Nu’uuli FallsSecluded deliciously cool

swimming hole (p149)

Piha Passage

UafatoTi'avea

Fale'ula

APIA

Falefa

SolosoloVailele

SauniatuSamamea

Saletele

Lefaga

Manono-uta

Falelatai

Apolima-uta

Leulumoega

Satitoa

Onenoa

Aunu'u

VavauSalani

Poutasi

Sa'ilele

Lauli'ituai

Alofau

Masefau

Vatia

Aua

AfonoAmouli

Nu'uuli

Tafuna

A'asu

'Ili'ili

PoloaNua

Vailoa

Leone

A'oloaufou

Ha'atafu

Ha'akili

Fagamalo

Mulivai

Fagasa

Vaitogi

PAGO PAGO

Kolonga

Hoi

NUKU'ALOFA

Folaha

Vaini

Nukuleka

Fatumu

Lavengatonga

Pelehake

Fua'amotu

NiutouaPukeFatai

TofoaHa'utu

Fo'ui

Ha'akameHouma Pe'a

SamusuSalamumu

Mt Fito(1028m)

(960m)Mt Fiamoe

(653m)Matafao Peak

Mt Olotele(493m)

Manono

Aunu'u

TalPola

FafáVelitoa

Monu'afe

Fukave

'Eue'iki

Top Experiences

12 miles20 km

00

10 km6 miles

00

10 km6 miles

00

Top Experiences ›

OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their fi rst travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offi ces in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

Craig McLachlan Coordinating Author, Tonga An island addict from way back, Craig has covered the islands of Greece to Okinawa to Tonga for Lonely Planet. His first foray to Tonga was as a teenager when his father, an architect, designed a resort island in the kingdom and Craig experienced his first kava session. He’s never looked back. A Kiwi who markets himself as a ‘freelance anything’, Craig has an MBA from the University of Hawai’i, speaks Japanese and has written several books.

Check out www.craigmclachlan.com.

Brett Atkinson Rarotonga & the Cook Islands From his home in Auckland, Brett’s travelled to many of the island nations in his South Pacific backyard. For this extended research trip to the Cook Islands, he explored the underground caves of ’Atiu, scootered and snorkelled around Aitutaki, and uncovered local foodie treats at Rarotonga’s weekly market. Venturing to far-flung and friendly Ma’uke and Mitiaro were other absolute highlights. See www.brett-atkinson.net for the latest

details of his travels and freelance writing.

Celeste Brash Samoa, American Samoa Celeste first visited French Polynesia in 1991 and moved there in 1995. Her first five years were spent on a remote atoll and the next 10 on Tahiti. Throughout this time she’s travelled as far as New Zealand to the west, Easter Island and Pitcairn Island to the east and visited many dots in between. Her award-winning travel stories have appeared in Travelers’ Tales books and her travel articles have appeared in publications including the LA

Times and Islands magazine. She’s written over 30 Lonely Planet guides but considers the South Pacific her speciality. She recently moved to Portland, Oregon, and often complains of the cold.

OUR WRITERS

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9837th edition – November 2012ISBN 978 1 74220 033 0© Lonely Planet 2012 Photographs © as indicated 201210 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

Itiner-aries

Whether you’ve got six days or 60, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other travellers.

AITUTAKI

MANGAIA

#•

#•

#•

#_ AVARUA#•

RAROTONGA

Muri Lagoon

AnatakitakiCave

’ATIU

MakateaCliffs

#–

#–

#–

#–

SOUTH

PACIF IC

OCEA N

É

É

É

É

É

Two WeeksCook Islands Southern Sights

The Southern Group islands are easily accessible from Rarotonga. If you haven’t got enough time, consider just visiting the first three islands; but if you can manage to do the whole route, you won’t regret it.

Start your trip with four days on Rarotonga, time for a stroll around the island’s capital, Avarua; a hike up the Cross-Island Track; a day’s snorkelling in Muri Lagoon; and a visit to the Cook Islands Cultural Village. Don’t forget to check out an island night while you’re here.

Hop on a plane for the 50-minute flight to Aitutaki, hire a scooter and explore the island. A lagoon cruise is essential, but you could also consider hiring a kayak to explore some of the deserted motu (islets) around the lagoon’s edge.

Then it’s another short hop to ’Atiu, where you can visit Anatakitaki, the cave of the ko-peka (’Atiuan swiftlet); sample the island’s home-grown coffee; and take a memorable eco-tour.

Back to Rarotonga and onto another quick flight to Mangaia and its extraordinary caves and vast makatea cliffs, perhaps the most dramatic sight anywhere in the Cooks.

22

Manase

S O U T H P A C I F I C

O C E A N

Lava Field

AlofaagaBlowholes

Manono

To SuaOceanTrench

LalomanuBeach

AlegaBeach

RainmakerMountain

SAVAI’I

’UPOLU

TUTUILA

Robert LouisStevenson

Museum

#•

#•

#•

#•

#•#•

APIA

#Ù#•

#ÙRR #•

Aunu’uPAGO PAGO

Palolo DeepMarine Reserve

Piula CavePool

#•

#f

#f

É

É

É

É

ÉÉ

É

É

É

É

#–É

#_É

Mt Alava

‚

To Ofu(100km)

#–

#_

Fagatele BayNational Marine

Sanctuary

#Ù

Two to Three WeeksSamoan Island-Hopping

Start your Samoan experience with a visit to the delightful Palolo Deep Ma-rine Reserve on ʼUpolu, before heading inland to the charming Robert Louis Stevenson Museum. Backtrack to Apia and head eastward to the seductive sands of Lalomanu Beach, with a pit stop at Piula Cave Pool. Meander along the south

coast, peeking into the sublime depths of the To Sua Ocean Trench and lazing in beach-side fale (houses). Finally, take a boat out to the island of Manono.

Return to ʼUpolu to catch the ferry to Savai’i. Motor up the east coast, stopping for a dip at the beautiful beaches along the way. Now traverse the desolate lava field before depositing yourself on the sand at gregarious Manase. Return down the east coast and continue west for the wave action at the Alofaaga Blowholes, then catch the ferry back to ʼUpolu and return to Apia.

Fly from here to Pago Pago in American Samoa and admire the capital’s beautiful har-bour setting. Travel east to climb Mt Alava for spectacular views, then maroon yourself on Alega Beach, detouring for a close-up of Rainmaker Mountain. Wind along the coast to Au’asi and take a small boat to the island of Aunu’u to explore its wild nature, before taking a slow ride back to Pago Pago. Alternatively, head southwest from Pago Pago to explore the pristine Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

If there’s still time, fly from Pago Pago to the island of Ofu to experience the stunning Ofu Beach – 4km of picturesque white-sand beach.

23PLAN

YOUR TRIP IT

INER

AR

IES

VAVA’UGROUP

LIFUKAGROUP

HA’APAIGROUP

TONGATAPUGROUP

’Eua

TongatapuMapu’a ’a Vaca Blowholes

PangaimotuNUKU’ALOFA

KaoTofua

’Uiha

Ha’ano

Mt Talau

#f

#f

#f

Vava’u

É

É

É

‚

To Niuas Group(240km)

#•#•

#•#•

R#•#•#•

Swallows’ Cave

#•

#_

#•#•

#•

#•#•Uoleva

LapahaArchaeological Site

S O U T H P A C I F I C

O C E A N

#f#–

É

Fafá

Mariner’s Cave

É

É

É

É

É

#f

Tongan HighlightsSlow Boats Around Tonga

Two WeeksTongan Highlights

Head straight to the paradisal Vava’u Group, Tonga’s activities playground, either by plane or ferry. On Vava’u, climb up to the peak of Mt Talau for

some amazing island views, then join a char-tered or bare-boat yacht and sail around the islands of the group. Change your anchorage each night and jump off board each day to snorkel at the various sites. A multiday guid-ed sea-kayak tour is another superb option. Go out whale-watching, swim into Swal-lows’ Cave, or experience the magical fog of Mariner’s Cave before moving on to idyllic islands further south. Arrange your charter to sail through the Ha’apai Group en route to the Tongatapu Group, or catch the ferry or a short flight back to the main island.

On Tongatapu, have a quick look around Nuku’alofa and then visit the island’s fasci-nating archaeological excavations, including the Lapaha archaeological site, followed by the energetic Mapu’a ’a Vaca Blow-holes. Then get yourself in holiday mode by spending a day or two snorkelling, swim-ming or just being lazy on one of the resort islands to the north of Tongatapu, such as Pangaimotu or Fafá.

One MonthSlow Boats Around Tonga

After spending a little time pottering around Tongatapu and acclimatis-ing to the tropics in Nuku’alofa, head out to nearby ’Eua, either by

ferry or light aircraft, and spend a few days hiking through the island’s lush rainforests and exploring its caves and sinkholes. You’ll sometimes have to climb huge, tangled ban-yan trees to get out.

Once back in Nuku’alofa, clamber aboard the ferry and head for the coral charms and soothing serenity of the scattered, low-lying Ha’apai Group. Spend some time absorb-ing unexploited Tongan culture on friendly islands in the Lifuka Group, such as Ha’ano and ’Uiha, then shack up in a beachside fale on Uoleva. There should be plenty of oppor-tunities to see whales, and if you have the inclination, charter a boat to take you out to Tofua and Kao.

If time is not your scarcest commodity, continue on to the magical distractions of the Vava’u Group where there is just so much to do…if you want to do anything, that is! The remote Niuas, three volcanic islands where you’ll find lava fields, untrammelled ridges and languid locals, may also beckon.

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One MonthCook Islands Northern Exposure

For those hardy travellers who are really keen to get off the beaten track, how about visiting the distant islands of the Northern Group. They’re a long, long way from the busy main island of Rarotonga, and that makes them a fantastic place to experience and appreciate traditional Cook Islands culture.

You could start your voyage of discovery with the classic trip around the Southern Group of islands in the itinerary a few pages back, making sure not to miss the amazing Aitutaki lagoon and its spectacular motu. Before heading north, possibly tack on two more southern group islands – tiny Mitiaro with its lovely underground pools and Ma’uke, the garden island, with its deserted beaches and historic caves. There are flights to both of these Pacific jewels.

Then it’s back to Rarotonga as a springboard to the real adventure. You could catch a plane all the way to the Northern Group islands, but it’s astronomically expensive. Defi-nitely the most adventurous way to get to the northern islands is via inter-island freighter all the way to Manihiki, the black-pearl capital of the Cook Islands, with its tiny coral atolls and massive natural lagoon.

With a bit of luck there will be a boat moving on to isolated Rakahanga, or if it’s not stopping there, straight on to Penrhyn, where life is still lived very much along traditional lines.

Only the hardiest and most intrepid of travellers ever make it out this far, but if you can surmount the logistical challenges, the rewards are sublime. This is not the trip to take if you’ve got any time constraints! You’ll have plenty of time to get to know the islanders and practise your fishing skills – but don’t plan on going home too soon, as the next boat might not be around for a while…

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