Pacific Honeymoon Destinations

Tahiti

French Polynesia alone has 118 islands scattered across four million kilometres of the Pacific, but the islands of Moorea and Bora Bora are two of the world’s most celebrated honeymoon destinations.

Both feature plenty of sandy beaches, five star seaside resorts, water activities and French cafes. The islands also have the same jaw dropping natural beauty discovered by European sailors more than 200 years ago: mist shrouded mountains, lush valleys, emerald hills and turquoise waters rimmed with coral reefs.

Moorea, 17km from the busy mainland of Tahiti, is the easiest to reach and explore. Laid back and peaceful, Moorea offers a cluster of resorts, hotels and restaurants in the north; good snorkelling, scuba diving and hiking; and a scenic coastal drive with tranquil bays, craggy mountains and picturesque churches.

Bora Bora has fewer distractions, more exclusive romantic hideaways and the same majestic landscapes – all surrounded by a multi hued lagoon encircled by a coral reef. If you do nothing else in Bora Bora, spend some time in the sea: sailing, diving, swimming with sharks and stingrays, or just staring out to the horizon.

New Caledonia

For couples pining for something French, New Caledonia also puts a distinctive European accent on the Pacific. Full of boutiques, stylish hotels, fine restaurants, nightclubs and a charming coastline, the capital city of Noumea easily evokes images of seaside towns in France.

To add some Pacific flavour, sample the traditional Kanak culture and heed the local’s advice to explore la brousse (literally, ‘the bush’), which means everything outside the city. (It’s a good strategy to follow wherever you go in the Pacific – the further you travel from the mainland centres, the more idyllic your experience is likely to be.)

New Caledonia’s most popular example of la brousse is the Isle of Pines, named by Captain Cook for the soaring araucaria pines that line the island’s white sand beaches and emerald lagoon. Elsewhere, outdoor enthusiasts can go hiking in rainforests, horseback riding in the mountains, snorkelling and scuba diving around the reefs.

 

Tonga

Snorkelers and scuba divers will see something different off the Vava’u islands in Tonga. Each year, from June to November, humpback whales migrate to these waters to breed. Most whale watchers go by boat to see these 40 tonne mammals frolic and sing in the sea, but Tonga also offers the rare opportunity to swim with them underwater.

Tonga has many of the typical Pacific attractions, such as pristine beaches, coral reefs and tropical forests. But with far fewer tourists and resorts than other Pacific islands, Tonga will suit honeymooners who want somewhere slow and different – like good sailing waters, archaeological sites, a vibrant Polynesian culture and the home to one of the world’s last sovereign kings.

Cook Islands

Aitutaki is love at first sight. From the air, the Cook Islands atoll appears as a green speck spectacularly surrounded by a vast, azure coral lagoon that will keep most visitors busy for days. You can don a snorkeler’s mask to gaze through the clear waters at giant clams, orange coral and sea turtles. You can paddle a kayak around the protective reef, and you can take a lagoon cruise to a motu (uninhabited islet) for a castaway’s swim and picnic.

The Tahiti like beauty of Rarotonga is best viewed from the mainland’s coastal road, which winds along the coral lagoon and white sand beaches, and past sacred marae, villages, and clusters of waterfront resorts, guesthouses and restaurants. Hikers can follow the Cross Island Track across thick mountain forests and take in the island’s dazzling scenic wonders from above.

Rarotonga boasts a variety of accommodation choices and styles. From the basic and function through to the luxurious and sophisticated, there is something to suit almost every budget. At night, make a date for a culture show or an island night, where you dine of local specialties, listen to traditional music and watch some of the best dancing in the Pacific.

Vanuatu

Old Pacific ambience is the biggest charm of Vanuatu, particularly if you don’t plan to venture far from the main island of Efate. The sleepy capital city of Port Vila offers the best choice of resorts, island tours, diving trips and French seaside restaurants, where you can dine of escargot, baguettes and bouillabaisse.

Vanuatu’s unique attractions are father flung. On Tanna Island, 200km from Efate, you can walk along the rim of an active volcano and watch fountains of glowing as and stones shoot high into the air. On Espiritu Santo, scuba divers and descend into clear waters to view the sunken wreck on an American warship. On Pentecost Island, in April and May, you can witness the ancient land diving ritual (the inspiration for bungy jumping), in which boys jump of towers with only springy vines to break their fall.

Niue

If you don’t need sandy beaches and stylish accommodation for your honeymoon, consider one of the smallest and most relaxed places in the Pacific. Niue, a raised atoll with a rocky coastline of steep limestone cliffs, is a place to explore caves with stalactites and stalagmites, mix with the locals and play in the sea.

Divers and snorkelers come to Niue’s coral reef and clear, deep waters to marvel at colourful reef fish, turtles, sea snakes, dolphins and humpback whales. Deep sea fishing is also popular in Niue, particularly for marlin, tuna and wahoo. With fewer than 100 rooms at Niue’s resorts, hotels and guesthouses, visitors can mix comfortably with Niueans over fresh tuna, coconut crab, taro, breadfruit and cassava.

Norfolk Island

Seclusion is easy on Norfolk Island. A small volcanic dot in the vast Pacific, this former Australian penal colony is 1000km from Auckland and farther still from Sydney.

No one does hard time on the island anymore. With a mild subtropical climate, Norfolk Island is a year round haven for couples who like to fish, golf, enjoy gourmet food and sample the island’s natural beauty: sandy coastline, rocky cliffs, Norfolk pines and large tree ferns.

 

Fiji

Fiji has something for nearly everyone. With more than 300 islands full of postcard images of the Pacific and hundreds of resorts catering to a wide range of needs, it’s easy to understand why Fiji is a favourite honeymoon destination for New Zealanders.

Whether you stay at a five star resort on the mainland or a small resort on its own island, Fiji’s attractions are all around: palm fringed white sand beaches, azure lagoons and reefs, pink and orange sunsets, and the Fijians’ trademark ‘Bula’ friendliness.

Fiji has a wilder side, too. The island of Taveuni has long been an attraction for scuba divers, but its lush green interior is home to the largest population of indigenous plants and animals in the South Pacific. Fiji’s ‘Garden Island’ features spectacular coastal hiking treks, waterfalls, rugged mountains, rainforests, rare birds and orchids.

You can find many of the same mainland activities, such as tennis, golf and horseback riding, but more than likely you’ll spend your time at a swimming hole, drinking kava or watching islanders play rugby.

Travellers to Fiji, especially in and around Suva, should visit www.saftravel.govt.nz for the latest information in Fiji’s political situation.

photo credit: Cherrie 美桜 Rhodes

Samoa

Samoa makes it easy to get back to the basics. A friendly and accessible place, Samoa surprises most visitors with its abundant natural beauty: thick stands of nikau palms and towering banyan trees, bush clad gorges and surging waterfalls, copra plantations, and a coastline fringed with fish filled reefs and sandy beaches.

On the main island of Upolu, two buildings tell the story of Samoa’s past – the legendary Aggie Grey’s hotel, a long-time meeting place of the rich and famous; and Vailima, the estate where Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson spent his last years.

Most honeymooners will stay at well appointed resorts, but many of the best beaches on Upolu and Savai’i islands feature something rare in the Pacific’s popular destinations – inexpensive beachside accommodation. These very basic traditional thatched roof fales come with a think mattress and linens.

If nothing else, they are a reminder of the simple pleasures of the Pacific – a place to anchor your days at a palm shaded beach, feasting on fresh fruit and fish, swimming towards the sunset and falling asleep listening to nothing more than the lap of the sea and the swish of coconut palms.