'Upolu
This outrageously photogenic spot is a Samoan icon; skip it to your everlasting regret. Though the first thing you'll see upon entering the grounds is To…
Must-see attractions in Rarotonga, Samoa & Tonga
Aitutaki
Aitutaki’s stunning lagoon, brimming with marine life and ringed by 15 palm-covered motu (islets), is a South Pacific tearsure. Maina (Little Girl) offers…
Apia
Abuzz with local merchants, shoppers, loiterers and men slamming it down over games of mu (Samoan checkers), this 24-hour market is a must-see shopping…
Rarotonga
With its four motu (islets), Muri is the most beautiful section of Rarotonga’s encircling lagoon. The blue water is packed with tropical fish, especially…
Tongatapu
On an especially good day at Mapu’a ‘a Vaea (Chief’s Whistles), hundreds of blowholes spurt skywards at once. Time your visit for a windy day with a…
The Cook Islands
Eerie Anatakitaki is ‘Atiu’s most spectacular cave, a multichambered cavern surrounded by banyan roots and thick jungle. It’s also home to the rare kopeka…
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Robert Louis Stevenson Museum & Mt Vaea National Reserve
'Upolu
The Scottish author's former residence is an enchanting estate, with a centrepiece lawn and perfectly manicured gardens. Stevenson's mansion,…
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Tongatapu
The South Pacific’s equivalent of Stonehenge, the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui (Maui’s Burden) trilithon near Niutoua, is one of ancient Polynesia’s most intriguing…
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Savai'i
These powerful blowholes are among the most spectacular on Earth, and well worth going out of your way for. Strong waves are pushed through a series of…
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'Upolu
Kids and adults have a brilliant time skimming down these natural slides – actually small waterfalls – into blessedly cool waterholes; you'll hear happy…
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Apia
Though this 'village' is open every weekday, it's the interactive sessions that are an absolute must. Knowledgable and extremely affable hosts take…
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American Samoa
This is the town’s social centre on a Friday night. Locals come to gossip, ransack food stalls and pick over fresh coconuts, breadfruit and other produce;…
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The Cook Islands
A real highlight in this region is the deep sparkling-blue Vai Nauri, Mitiaro’s natural swimming pool. Local women used to hold gatherings known as…
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Tongatapu
Want to see the real of Nuku’alofa? Wander through the aisles at Talamahu, Tonga's main fresh-produce hub. You’ll find produce piled into handmade woven…
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American Samoa
Get your camera ready: you'll spot these iconic offshore rock formations on your drive into Pago Pago from the airport. Legend has it that a couple named…
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Tongatapu
On the sunset side of the island, Ha’atafu Beach is a sandy slice protected by a reef, where some of Tonga's best surf peels in (experienced surfers only…
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The Cook Islands
Motuanga (the Cave of 100 Rooms) is a complex of tunnels and caverns in the island’s southeast that’s said to extend all the way under the reef and out to…
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Tongatapu
Near nowhere in particular is this impressive arch, aka ‘the pigeon’s doorway’ – a natural land bridge over the pounding Pacific waves, formed when the…
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The Cook Islands
Vai Tango is the best cave for swimming, a short walk from Ngatiarua village. Schoolkids often head there at weekends and after school, and they can show…
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The Cook Islands
Te Ana O Rakanui is a burial cave packed with musty old skulls and skeletal remains. It’s a tight squeeze inside – claustrophobics be warned.
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The Cook Islands
At 169m, Rangimotia is the highest point on the island, with stunning coastal views. From the Oneroa side, a dirt road leads to the top.
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Savai'i
Polynesia’s largest ancient structure is the intriguing, pyramidal Pulemelei Mound (sometimes called Tia Seu Ancient Mound). Constructed sometime between…
'Upolu
The 54m-high Sopo’aga Falls empty themselves into an enormous gorge close to where the Main South Coast Rd meets Le Mafa Pass Rd. The well-signposted…
American Samoa
Ofu island's crown jewel is the beach along the south coast - 4km (2.5mi) of shining, palm-fringed white sand. The offshore waters are deep enough for…
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The Cook Islands
An 18km-long circular road negotiates Ma’uke’s secluded coves and beaches, which are among the island’s main attractions. One of the nicest is One’unga,…
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Savai'i
If you've got a 4WD and a sturdy pair of boots, a visit to the volcano responsible for the devastation visited upon northeastern Savai’i a century ago is…
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'Upolu
The name of this 29-sq-km national park means ‘from the coast to the mountaintop’. There are some superb (if rough) hikes to be had here. A trail (six…
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American Samoa
Standing in stark relief to Nu’uuli’s scruffy strip of restaurants and convenience stores, this secluded waterfall with a deliciously cool swimming hole…
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'Upolu
The 14 sq km of wild and rugged terrain that comprise the Uafato Conservation Area boast untouched rainforest that marches down from Upolu’s northeastern…
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Samoa
The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum is set in the Scottish author's beautifully restored former residence, Villa Vailima. Stevenson had the mansion built in…
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Savai'i
This intriguing subterranean lava tube leads downwards as if to the centre of the earth. The cave is named after a legendary group of dwarves, who…
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'Upolu
At the southeastern end of Upolu, Aleipata district has a reef system that’s making a good comeback after being pummelled by the 2009 tsunami. It already…
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Tongatapu
The Mu’a area contains Tonga's richest concentration of archaeological remnants. In AD 1200, Tu’itatui, the 11th of the Tu’i Tonga kings, moved the royal…
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Tafua Peninsula Rainforest Preserve
Savai'i
This preserve contains superb stands of rainforest and rugged stretches of lava coast studded with cliffs and sea arches. A highlight is the Tafua Savai’i…
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American Samoa
The most famous of Tutuila’s legends is set at this dramatic cliff-top site. According to one version, an old lady and her granddaughter were turfed out…
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Savai'i
The country's most western point is not only gorgeously scenic (until Samoa hopped the dateline, it was the last place in the world the sun set each day),…
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'Upolu
Robert Louis Stevenson's final resting place is adjacent to the museum that bears his name. Follow the signs for the path – known as the 'Road of Loving…
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Aitutaki
After you’ve been to Rarotonga, Arutanga, Aitutaki’s only town, seems astonishingly quiet, with few signs of life even on weekdays when the shops are open…
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Savai'i
This striking spot offers a fascinating glimpse at the destruction wrought by the 1905 eruption of Mt Matavanu. Most photogenic is the ruined LMS Church:…
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American Samoa
The village of Leone welcomed the first missionary to Tutuila in 1832. John Williams subsequently erected the island’s first church, garnishing it with…
