Unspoiled Pacific Islands Take You Away From It All

Fiji and Tahiti are well known, but there are nearly endless islands in the South Pacific. Lesser known islands let you really unplug.  Here are 5 to consider when you want to escape.

Palau

Most tourists who come here like to spend their time underwater, for Palau is among the world's most spectacular diving and snorkeling destinations.  It features coral reefs, blue holes, wartime wrecks and hidden caves.  You can kayak through the magnificent Rock Islands or spot crocodiles swimming through mangrove swamps.  Head to Jellyfish Lake and snorkel, where millions of sting-free jellyfish follow the movement of the sun each day.

Rarotonga

Rarotonga is the largest of the Cook Islands.  Tradition and a cultural heritage are trademarks of the island.  The call of the drum is loudest but the high rhythm of the sticks pounding out a tattoo on hollowed out tree trunks is a talent taught from childhood.  Rarotonga offers a bewitching blend of craggy mountains, dense jungle and glorious bone white beaches.

Savai'i

Samoa’s largest island is known for its gentle and traditional way of life, pristine scenery and archaeological sites.  A well-paved road encircles the island making it easy to explore.  The coastline is dotted with Polynesian villages where visitors can stay in open-air huts called fale and join locals for a traditional umu, a meal with fish, pig and root vegetables cooked under hot volcanic stones.  A popular dive site in Savai'i is the wreck of the Juno which was shipwrecked in 1881 and now is the home to hundreds of fish and coral species.

Molokai

While the islands of Hawaii are some of the most visited islands in the Pacific, not all of them are well known.  Molokai, a satellite island of Maui, is one place in where visitors can trade resorts and torch-lit luaus for empty beaches and unspoiled scenery.  It’s a place where somedays, the only footprints you see on the beach are your own.  If you’re looking for old Hawai’i, this is it.  This is an island where no building is taller than a palm tree.  On Molokai, you can snorkel, scuba, fish, whale watch, golf, hike and more, all while being shielded from “the real world”.

Hiva Oa

Hiva Oa is the second largest island in the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean.  This serpentine island is a picturesque mix of lush jungle, sea-smashed coastal cliffs and towering volcanic peaks.  Visitors can lose themselves in mythical jungles where waterfalls tumble 1,000 feet down volcanic cliffs.  The island is also known for giant stone tiki and as the final resting place of poet Jacques Brel and artist Paul Gauguin.