Pacific Islands Archives - Planet Whitley

Orchid at the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, Fiji.

The strange origin of the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, Fiji

The Garden of the Sleeping Giant on Viti Levu is one of the most popular tourist attractions. But its back story comes as something of a surprise. Under the Sleeping Giant Mountain Sat under the looming Sleeping Giant Mountain, the Garden of the Sleeping Giant…

Fiji, gardens, Pacific Islands

How I got trapped in Guam’s Ritidian Point Wildlife Refuge

A long layover, tiredness and a Japanese map almost lead to disaster in Guam… A layover in Guam Around the world, there are some places we never spend time in by choice. Nonetheless, we’re forced to tackle them through inconveniently long layovers between connecting flights.…

driving, Guam, Pacific Islands, stopovers

What to do on a short break in Noumea, New Caledonia

French flair meets South Pacific relaxation on the world’s largest lagoon – and here’s what visitors to New Caledonia should consider doing. What is Noumea like? Noumea is an intoxicating swirl of contradictions. Urban, but with an island time vibe; in the South Pacific, but…

New Caledonia, Pacific Islands

Noumea: The Pacific’s great missed opportunity

The capital of New Caledonia is a weird throwback. The rule of thumb with island capitals Cities on paradise islands have a tendency to be surprisingly drab and functional. Samoa, for example, is largely stunning but anyone getting excited about Apia is seriously deluding themselves.…

New Caledonia, Pacific Islands

Tricots rayés, clownfish and giant lighthouse: An Amedee Island boat trip

In New Caledonia, Amedee Island is frequented by semi-aquatic sea snakes, but on a glass-bottomed boat trip there are plenty more surprises beneath the water To skip the story and book a full day trip to Amedee Island from Noumea, with a glass-bottomed boat tour,…

cruises, New Caledonia, Pacific Islands, wildlife

The Bishop's Cruises boat at One Foot Island, Aitutaki.

A Cook Islands cruise to One Foot Island, Aitutaki Lagoon

In the Cook Islands, the Bishop’s Cruises boat crosses one of the most spectacular lagoons on earth. And One Foot Island is the target at the other end of the Aitutaki Lagoon. Trevally in the Cook Islands There’s quite a commotion by the boat. Yelps…

Aitutaki, Cook Islands, cruises, Pacific Islands

Kayaks lined up by the Muri Lagoon, Rarotonga.

A quick travel guide to Rarotonga, the Cook Islands

What to see in Rarotonga To get an idea of traditional life on Rarotonga, the main island of the Cooks, head to the Te Vara Nui Village. The tour takes in presentations of all manner of skills and crafts, from coconut husking and carving to…

Cook Islands, Pacific Islands, Rarotonga

A quick guide to Aitutaki in the Cook Islands

What to see on Aitutaki Aitutaki in the Cook Islands is a tiny bit of land and a whole lot of lagoon. And, boy, what a lagoon – take all those romanticised images of South Sea island paradises and multiply it. Fringed with tiny motu…

Aitutaki, Cook Islands, Pacific Islands

Muri, Rarotonga: The perfect holiday town?

On Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, David Whitley discovers that a decade can make a substantial difference. How Muri has changed Muri doesn’t quite look or feel like it did. The key lure is still the same – the most photogenic stretch of Rarotonga’s lagoon,…

Cook Islands, Pacific Islands, Rarotonga

Samoa’s Pulamelei Mound: The mystery pyramid of the Pacific

David Whitley heads to the largest man-made structure in Polynesia, and tries to work out whether it proves an old adventurer’s controversial theories right. Walking to the Pulamelei Mound “This track is impassable after heavy rain,” says Warren Jopling as we plod diligently up the…

Pacific Islands, Samoa