10th Anniversary - Where to go???
 

Our 10th anniversary is coming up next spring, so I'm starting to think about where we might want to spend it. We just got back from three weeks in Southeast Asia, so I need to start planning something before the shock of daily life drives me mad!

For our anniversary, I'm thinking tropical island paridise. Preferably nothing that will totally break the bank, but basic creature comforts are nice. My main concern is beautiful scenery, crystal clear blue water, and awesome snorkeling.

We've already been to Hawaii, Tahiti, and Moorea. I'm toying with either Bora Bora (and/or other FP islands), Fiji, Palau, or the Cook Islands and need help narrowing it down.

Suggestions???

okay, I know you all have some suggestions...

Perhaps you could look at Lord Howe Island off the coast of New south Wales in Australia ? Lizard island up north is luxurious...not cheap but neither are some of the other places you've mentioned. If you are talking about US Spring time, then maybe one of the Barrier reef Islands would be suitable?

Sounds nice, but we may only have about two weeks. When we finally get a chance to "do" Australia, I'm hoping to have three or four weeks. For this trip, I guess I'm looking for something a bit cloer to L.A. Thanks for the ideas though. I'll definitely add them to my Australia/NZ list.

any more south pacific suggestions?

FP, Fiji, Cooks, Pulau???

Well you've already been to FP so don't need information. I've been to Fiji twice and have stayed at Matangi, Yasawa Island Resort, Royal Davui & Tokoriki. They're all different and unique in their own way. I'd have to say my favourite was Royal Davui for accomodation, snorkelling & ambiance. From what I'm told, FP is much more picturesque than Fiji and Fiji's people are the most welcoming to tourists, unlike those in FP where language seems to be a barrier to some.

Hey bdavis, thanks for the suggestions for Fiji. I'll check them out. I did find FP to be quite beautiful, but also very expensive, so I'm definitely considering Fiji or the Cooks.

Wow! Those places sure look nice, but I must say that $1,000 US/nt. is a bit out of our league. I'm thinking more like the under $350 range.

Rarotonga in the Cook Islands has all you want : beautiful scenery, crystal clear water and awesome scenery! We stayed in a beachfront villa at Palm Grove and loved it! We've been to Hawaii, Fiji, Morea, Samoa and Tonga, but if we had to choose one to go back to it would be Rarotonga and we'd stay at Palm Grove again - the view from our beachfront villa and the snorkelling from the beach immediately in front of it were amazing. It won't break the bank either!

Hope this helps,

Gaynor

What about Vanuatu? I like the food there better than Fiji - French influences from the old days helps.

Gaynor, thanks for your input. I am leaning heavily toward the Cooks right now. I'll look into that resort you mentioned.

Pat_Woolford, does Vanuatu have crystal blue lagoons like the Cooks and FP? I must say I don't know much about it other than I what I saw on the t.v. show, Survivor. The volcano looked awesome though!

The Cook Islands are wonderful to visit and good value as the NZ dollar is the currency. My husband I were married there 5 years ago and loved it. We stayed at the Raratonga Beach Resort and really enjoyed the place. They also have a sister property on Aituatki and if you have time I would split my time between both islands. The islands are small so if you just want to kick back on a beach, relax and snorkel I think you will love it.

Thanks for the input on the Cooks. I am really leaning that direction right now!

We are considering similar islands (w/similar price ranges as LA_F). But our trip needs to be in January (long story). I've heard mixed things about the south pacific during its Summer. Is it unbearable or is it like Hawaii where it's more or less the same all year round?

We were there the last week of Dec. and no it was not unbearable at all, very nice. we did have some rain and those days it was a little more humid. for some reason the snorkeling seemed even better after a rain.

Meichx - The main 2 islands in the Cooks (Rarotonga and Aitutaki) are "mirror images" of Hawaii - directly south of those islands at the same latitude but in the southern hemisphere instead of the northern, thus their temp range is virtually identical to that of Hawaii (as compared to places like Samoa, Fiji and the Society Islands of French Polynesia, all of which tend to be warmer).

There are really only 2 differences in the climate between those islands and Hawaii:

1) Summer is the "rainy" season (as compared to winter in Hawaii).

2) The islands are smaller/lower than the main islands of Hawaii, so there is no distinct wet and dry side.

Since December is a summer month for the Cooks you will get more rain than in say, July (when it is cooler and dryer). I have been to the Cooks for the last 2 weeks of March (which is statistically the rainiest month) and the first week in April a few years back and had pretty darned nice weather. We were there this year for 2 weeks in April and the first week was perfect while the second week was very blustery with a bit more rain. Aitutaki tends to be both warmer and dryer than Rarotonga.

Personally, I would NOT hesitate to go to the Cooks in December. Love that time of year down there. Keep in mind that December is a busy time in the Cooks as so many locals living abroad come home for the holidays so flights etc will book up early.

Ken