The Cook Islands

The Cook Islands are also a large group of islands that are all classified under one name and banner in the south pacific. The Cook Islands are often confused to part of New Zealand and are often mistakenly associated with the Kiwi nation. In actuality the Cook Islands are their own entity and are recognized as their own country. The Cook Islands are conveniently located between Tahiti and Tonga which provides a great location for the air traffic coming and going from LA to New Zealand. The Cook Islands are a very humble and small island chain with only about 18,000 people in total population. The main tourist locations, in association to the Cook Islands, are Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Rarotonga is very famous for its very rugged and rocky interior. These location qualities make it a very desirable location for the adventurous types. Some of the activities that many occur is rock climbing up perilous cliffs, extreme off road adventures in 4×4 vehicles, repelling, skydiving, and even spelunking. Rarotonga also serves as the hub section to many of the other reaches of the Cook Islands because of Air Rarotonga. This airline flies to 8 of the 15 main islands that make up the Cook Island chain including Aitukai. Aitukai serves as a more relaxing location then Rarotonga’s extreme qualities. Aitukai is probably most well known for its placid and beautiful lagoons. All in all, the Cook Islands offer a wide variety of activities and enjoyment opportunities that can be taken with you and remembered forever.

Micronesia

Micronesia is a very vast a large area that encompasses many a small island groups. It is so vast that it stretches from the Hawaiian Islands all the way to the Philippines and is located just north of Papua New Guinea. Some of the countries or territories that are included in this massive area in the south Pacific are as follows; Saipan, Guam, Yap, koror, Palua, Chuuck, Pohnpei, Tarawa, Majuro, the Northern Mariana Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, Kanton, Kiritimati, and Wake Island. This area was known as the island hopping region and was involved at some point or another in World War One and World War Two. Wake Island was especially involved in this era for the United States of America. Wake Island is a protected territory of the United States of America and is home to one of the most intricate and advanced Air Force station build and run by its citizens abroad. The island has only 12 miles of coastline and is very small by even standards of inhabited islands. However, the United States of America have successfully been able to construct and run a very successful military operation there for some time now and continue to do so today. The island includes a very long runway strip for planes and also has a missile facility located on the island for national defense purposes. Hurricanes have often plagued this area of the south pacific in general and have often posed a threat to the US military forces and their families who occupy the island.

French Polynesia

French Polynesia is one of the best places for exotic holidays. Most people are familiar with the island of Tahiti which happens to be part of the chain of islands known as French Polynesia. Tahiti is also one of the most popular vacation destinations of island travelers going to the South Pacific. French Polynesia conveniently lies almost halfway in between California and Australia, which can lead to the explanation of why some many people visit Tahiti. Many cruise line ships have Tahiti as one of their hub stops along the way to other famous locations such as Auckland, New Zealand, Tonga, and Australia.

Some other island groups that are also inclusive in the French Polynesia chain are Tuamotu Islands, Gambier Islands, Rurutu, and Tubai. Another very famous location in French Polynesia is the island of Bora Bora. Bora Bora is one of those places that almost everyone has heard of at some point in their life, but really has no idea where it is located or when they heard of it. I first heard of Bora Bora in the movie the Parent Trap (the one with Lindsay Lohan, no the original…almost as good). It was the scene where the sister that goes to California is being questioned by the house work lady. She quickly comes up for a reason for why she was on the phone so late at night and talking long distance and she says that she was calling a friend from camp who was on vacation in Bora Bora.

Vanuatu

The destination of Vanuatu is sort of the “hidden gem” of the South Pacific. Not many people have ever heard of it, but it is a very popular spot indeed for tourism. The islands that make up Vanuatu have adapted well and changed with the times. They have done, what seems, everything possible in order to make their islands very desirable places to visit. Many cruise lines schedule stops at multiple islands with in Vanuatu. Some of the islands, such as Port Vila, boast some of the best in exotic shopping in the world. Others simply have the best in black sand beaches and other coral type beaches that often serve as exotic locations for swimsuit shoots and modeling. Vanuatu has also done a phenomenal job at staying current in the airline and shipping industries. There are multiple ways to gain access to the islands via airlines from various countries and locations such as New Zealand, Fiji, etc. The thing that really put Vanuatu on the map, however, was that it is the origin of Bungee Jumping. This extreme sport has since evolved and moved onto other locations all around the world, but it remains a fact that the sport was conceived and done first in this island chain. Due to this, extreme sports enthusiast journey from near and far to come to this nation in order to participate in many other extreme activities. Vanuatu is a favorite location for kayak enthusiasts, wind surfers, mountain bikers, rock climbers and more.

Visiting Fiji

I first heard about Fiji from the movie the Truman Show. In the movie his secret love’s father tells Truman (who is about to discover the truth of his life on TV) that they are moving to the island of Fiji…so for the rest of the movie Jim Carrey’s character dreams of traveling to and living in Fiji to follow his love. Funny enough, this type of story line actually comes close to what Fiji can offer its visitors and residents. The romanticism that the island seems to exude is supposed to be very infecting, making it one of the most desirable places to visit. Fiji is one of those island nations that follow many, if not all, of the most common clichés of island nations. If you happen to go there or if you are just viewing pictures, you will find that Fiji has some of the best swimming waters in the world. Honestly, the water is that beautiful ice blue that is so clear you can see down almost a hundred feet. It’s the type of water that you don’t even think can really truly exist because you have never seen anything like it. Fiji also boasts some amazing reefs that surround many of the islands. This provides for some amazing adventures in scuba diving and, or snorkeling. Fiji resorts also boast the old world cabana hut style where old looking huts are fashioned atop the shallow water (they look like old world huts but of course they are full of all of the new world amenities and comforts).

Jamaica

I really want to go to Jamaica. I want to listen to reggae, smoke a splif, and get to know the Rasta culture. It’s supposed to be a great and beautiful island. Many of my friends went during spring break to Negril when we were younger and back in college. I never got a chance to go because I never had the money. I’ve been to some islands in the Caribbean but not that many. Jamaica is one I really want to see….at least as an adult. When I was 10, my family and I went on cruise and one of the stop was Jamaica but I wasn’t allowed to go off the boat for some reason.

Now, that I am an adult, I really want to go there and check it out. I hear it is a great place to see the rasta culture and hike some great tropical jungles. I hear it is also really poor and that can be an adjustment but I have been to poor places in the world and find that what they lack in material wealth they make up for in cultural wealth.

Since I will be down near Florida this summer, I might try to find a cheap flight and go down. There are many great travel deals now and I’m sure there is one for Jamaica! Right mon?!

Ko Lipe Thailand

Ko Lipe is an island in Thailand. I went there a few years ago and planned to stay a few days before I moved on to Malaysia. Some of my best travel stories come from there. A few days turned into a few weeks. I just couldn’t leave. This island was pure paradise to me. It was quiet, it was cheap, there was a coral reef you could swim too, the locals were really nice, and the power went out at midnight. There were no lights since it was just a small village so the stars could be clearly seen and when you went swimming at night, you could kick up the phosphorous and the ocean sparkled. Moreover, the food- the food was amazing. You could get a whole fish for two dollars! TWO DOLLARS!!! While I was there I met some great people and we became close friends. We spent all day swimming and all night drinking and relaxing under the stars. There was a big group of us and it was amazing. Ko Lipe is a tiny island in the south of Thailand. The island is near the Ko Tarutao national park (though not in it) and it’s about a three hour boat right from the mainland. In the last few years, the island has become a lot more developed. There is now a concrete sidewalk and a lot more tourists than when I went. However, by Thai standards, it is still pretty undeveloped. There are not a lot of tourists there compared to places like Ko Phi Phi or Phuket. You can still get things a lot cheaper than you would and since the local population is very small, they are happy to have you. One of the best parts of the trip was that the locals were so friendly and nice.

The South Pacific

Some of the best tropical islands in the world are in the south pacific. I’ve been talking about a lot of specific places lately but I want to talk about an area now. The south pacific is home to places like Fiji, French Polynesia, Micronesia, Cook Islands, and much more. This place is the place to go to if you want to visit islands and live in a postcard. In fact, all those tropical island photos you see are usually taken here. Here you will find sun kissed white sand beaches, clear blue water, great food, jungles to walk in, and amazing sites to go dive. I mean this area of the world really has it all. If you ever wanted to be Robinson Crusoe, this is the area of the world to do it. The best part is that most of these islands are very undeveloped. Sure, places like Fiji and Bora Bora have huge resorts on them and are really expensive! (especially Bora Bora) but there are thousands of island to choose from in the south pacific which means you are bound to find areas where it’s just you and your guesthouse. Even in countries like Fiji which sees millions of tourists a year, you can find this- all you need to do is go out to the eastern islands to get away from the hordes of tourists. Islands like Tonga and Micronesia are relevantly quiet too. The islands in the South pacific are my favorite in the world. If I could visit any tropical island, I’d always choose one in this area of the world. With good reason- they are beautiful. Forget Southeast Asia. Forget the Caribbean. Go to the South Pacific. It’s more than just a famous musical.

The Maldives

The Maldives is an island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching south of India. The twenty-six atolls of Maldives encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets, of which two hundred and fifty islands are inhabited. These islands are beautiful and will make every visitor go WOW!

The islands cater to high end clients and travelers. Like the Seychelles, they aren’t cheap. These islands have big resorts that cater to high travelers and offer big package tours for travelers and honeymooners. However, while trips to these islands are expensive, they are beautiful. The islands are mostly coral atolls that rise only a few meters off the ocean surface. During the Tsunami in 2005, many of these islands were covered or destroyed by the tsunami. However, they have recovered.

These islands are beautiful and lovely. You can stay in resorts that over look the ocean. These bungalows are right over the ocean so you can jump right into the ocean in the morning. They are luxurious and you can get whatever you want from the resorts. Great food, great wine, and you can get massages at the resorts.

The best way to get here is to fly from Bangkok, Singapore, or Malaysia.

The Seychelles- Heaven!

If I had to imagine paradise, I think I would imagine it would look a lot like the Seychelles off the coast of Africa. This island nation is pure paradise. The beaches are whiter than white, the water crystal clear even when out off the islands, there are lots of fish around the coral reefs, and the bungalows are paradise. Of course, there is a price to this beauty and the Seychelles are not a budget destination. All prices are regulated by the government. Hotels, meals, tours- everything. You need a lot of money or have to know someone if you are going to go there. Moreover, they are secluded (which helps reduce the tourist numbers) so it costs a lot of money to fly there, especially if you are like me and live in North America.

I am going to save and save to get to these places. There are is coral reefs so big they come out of the ocean! The water is warm (I hate cold water!) and there are many chances to get away from everyone and live like Robinson Crusoe. I am going to have to start saving now and it will be a few years before I get to this paradise but I’ll get there one day!