The South Pacific’s remote, pristine Marquesas Islands make Hawaii look like Harlem. I can honestly say these South Seas sojourns to French Polynesia’s untrammeled atolls and isles have been the greatest excursions of my life. …

Nadi, Fiji, is a 10-hour direct flight from LAX. It’s ideal for travelers – especially ones who sleep soundly on planes, as I do. The flight leaves at 11:30 p.m. via Fiji Airways and arrives …

Papeete is the capital city of Tahiti, in French Polynesia. Relatively easy to reach from the West Coast, it's an eight-hour nonstop flight from LAX. Upon arrival at Tahiti's Faaa Airport, we were greeted by …

A thick drizzle soaked me one Saturday afternoon in Pago Pago, American Samoa. (Pronounced something like “Pango Pango.) But the drizzle was a welcome relief from the Deluge of Heaven that had just raced across …

The Fiji Islands are known for their friendly natives, good-natured spirit and outgoingness of their people. Set in the South Pacific, Fiji is made up of over 300 islands, although most visitors touch base on …

As I was being driven to my hotel by the hotel’s transfer service from Tongatapu’s international airport, the King of Tonga decided to provide me with a personal escort into Nuku’alofa, the capital city. Ok, …

Sitting halfway between Tahiti and Fiji, the Cook Islands are yet to be discovered by most Americans. The vast majority of visitors who do come here are Australians and New Zealanders (for whom it’s a …

“Whenever you come to a fork in the channel, go left,” the owner of my hotel said as he prepared a kayak for me to paddle into the Mutunnenea Channel in northeastern Kosrae, Micronesia. “Eventually …

Part of Tahiti and French Polynesia, Bora Bora is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Although it's just an eight-hour flight from LAX, visiting Bora Bora is like stepping …

I became interested in shark calling when I met shark enthusiasts like myself who had visited the remote island of New Ireland off the coast of Papua New Guinea. I arrived at the village of …

Fiji is best known to travelers as a destination of exclusive white-sand beach resorts, catering more to honeymooners than backpackers or budget travelers. However, the more remote – and unspoiled – Yasawa Islands have a …

Those travelers looking for an authentic South Pacific experience without the exorbitant price tag should look no further than the Cook Islands. A nine-hour flight from LAX (one weekly nonstop) made the main island of …