Fiji Vs Vanuatu Vs Samoa Vs Cook Islands

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  [Deactivated] on 19/02/2018 - 22:00

  i would say Fiji as it ticks off on the things they like and has some developed areas which are really nice. Vanuatu is beautiful too so you can’t go wrong..

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    railspider on 22/02/2018 - 21:15

    what do you think of bridport island jeff?

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      [Deactivated] on 22/02/2018 - 22:38

      NOt bad spiderman

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  Quantumcat on 19/02/2018 - 22:52

  -1

  Port Vila is yucky. Loads of people trying to pressure-sell you stuff and you don't know if they're planning to abduct you or something. It's poor and dirty (but vibrant).
  If they don't like snorkelling though (and presumably not nature, hiking, etc) why not just go to the Gold Coast? Cheaper and nicer for what they want.

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    [Deactivated] on 20/02/2018 - 06:33

    I guess its more the thrill of going to another country. Sounds like Port Vila is pretty ordinary.

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      Quantumcat on 20/02/2018 - 08:56

      Well any other country nearby is going to not be very interesting if they only want experiences in town. Other countries are only good if you want to explore the countryside and nature which we don't have

      That being said, what about Singapore, Hong Kong, or Japan? That way they get the first world experience and still visiting another country

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  JediJan on 20/02/2018 - 00:31

  +1

  Don’t forget Cairns or Port Douglas but not travel right now because of the Wet Season.

  They may like taking the tourist train from Cairns up to Kuranda, visit the markets, Barron Falls, and perhaps return on the cablelift through the rainforest ride.

  Cairns and districts are quite a tourist destination. Many restaurants to suit and a nice walk along the esplanade. There are many sightseeing trips they can join in; sure to find something that would suit them. Cruises out to the reef, glass bottom boat trip to the islands, crocodile parks, sugar cane museum (Innisfail), and Parnella Park.

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    [Deactivated] on 20/02/2018 - 06:35

    Cheers for the reply. Unfortunately they've been to a lot of places in Australia. So i'm looking for something international, where they have never been to and not a too long of a flight.

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      JediJan on 20/02/2018 - 14:36

      I would go with Fiji or Samoa. I sometimes book flights for Samoan friends and it is only Air New Zealand or Virgin Pacific from Australia. Unfortunately the fares are almost the same as flying to the UK. You can get direct flights or a stop over in New Zealand though. Samoa not as touristy as further on past Fiji.

      Another place for an even quieter visit is the Seychelles.

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  chumlee on 20/02/2018 - 08:29

  Hawaii

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  Roofus on 20/02/2018 - 08:43

  I've been to Vanuatu twice on cruises. Port Vila is pretty crap most of the shops are expensive and the main town is quite dirty and you get a lot of the locals trying to rip you off. But they also put their prices up when the ships come in. In saying that though I didn't really have time to go exploring around the island. Apparently there is a couple of nice waterfalls.

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    Quantumcat on 20/02/2018 - 08:54

    Yeah I went for the waterfall walk and it was lovely, and my friends did a horseriding thing on the beach

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  Piranha2004 on 20/02/2018 - 09:13

  Went to Vanuatu on my honeymoon. Yes it is a different experience as people said but the overall country is very nice. Flip a coin between Fiji and Vanuatu.

  EDIT: Forgot to mention that its a direct flight to Port Vila from Brisbane..

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    [Deactivated] on 20/02/2018 - 11:47

    What did you get up to? Is there much night time entertainment

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      Piranha2004 on 20/02/2018 - 12:21

      +1

      We had our own night time entertainment :)

      No but we didnt go out at night and stuck to the activities in/around the resort so I cant really help you out there.

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  trilby on 20/02/2018 - 11:41

  Both Fiji and Vanuatu can be quite dirty and have people hassling in the main town.
  Vanuatu, because of the French influence (it was co ruled by Britain and France once) has good restaurants.
  The people in Vanuatu are lovely, but every thing is done to their time, so don't expect super efficiency.

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  Bananaramas on 20/02/2018 - 15:40

  Another option is New Caledonia (a French territory). Can often get sub $600 flights on AirCalin. Noumea has nice restaurants, is very clean- especially compared to Nandi and Port Vila- and lots of activities. Can head up to the Sheraton Deva which is a short-ish drive. Isle of Pines is nice (but an additional flight).

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  sydsm on 21/02/2018 - 14:25

  Would love to know about Cook Islands if anybody has tips…

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    smit0847 on 22/02/2018 - 04:41

    Its beautiful, expensive and full of honeymooning Kiwis.

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  smit0847 on 22/02/2018 - 04:47

  I did 10 days in Samoa several years ago. I enjoyed it but wouldn't go back. The beaches are beautiful (especially those with volcanic rocks - they're really dramatic), weather perfect and the people are probably the most friendly and genuine I've ever met - they all wave at you as you walk down the street but I kept comparing it to South East Asia and it is REALLY expensive and not really worth the extra expense. Fiji and Vanuatu would offer better value in the South Pacific I believe with Cook Islands being the most expensive of all. It's also not that well set up for tourism so while its rustic and authentic, its a pain to get around.
  Apia is a hole, in my 10 days there I only spent a few hours there and it was enough. There's some beautiful beaches in the south east corner of the Upolu island. Unless they really want something unusual I would stick with Fiji or Vanuatu.