Fiji and Vanuatu ..... Now What? (Help Request)

[coldfire]

Hi All

Greetings! I just signed up to the board. I have a dilemma that
I was hoping I could get some input on. I am taking the months of
July and August off this year to travel around the South Pacific.

I will be diving in Fiji and Vanuatu for 3 1/2 weeks in July. The other
half is going back stateside after this. I now have 5 weeks to wander
about. I would love to get to the Solomon Islands and also do a
liveaboard out of Cairns.

What would you do with 5 weeks leaving out of Vanuatu?

Any suggestions from the board on some other options that are within
reasonable travel distance.

Thanks in advance. Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Mark W

 

[OnTheSpot]

Hi Mark,

What a terrible dilema you have

I would dive the Ribbon Reefs/Cod Hole and Osprey Reef out of Carins on a liveaboard. August offers excellent visibility and the minke whales may still be arround.

Have a look at our trip report for Spirit of Freedom - this should help convince you.

Hoping you have an excellent trip.

 

[Luko]

Yeah... I really wouldn't like to face such a problem .. My oh my, 5 weeks to spend aimlessly in the South Pacific : what a boring life... :drooling:

Seriously : Solomons and/or PNG!!! If you enjoy a bit of traveling on top of diving activities, august in festivals months in PNG like Mount Hagen. There are flights from Port Vila to Honiara (Solomons) and there should be flights from Honiara to Port Moresby.

Although I feel 3 1/2 weeks is a bit short for Vanuatu & Fiji, why not take your time and get to more remote traveling/diving destinations in both countries, they deserve a much longer time (I lived 8 years in New hebrides ex-Vanuatu). Will you go to Tanna in Vanuatu, visit Malekula, Pentecost or other cultural tribe islands? Are you diving Levuka or the Lomaiviti group in Fiji or do you even consider doing a Bligh Waters liveaboard?

If you want excellent diving too, beaches to die for and french flair, you could also consider going to New Caledonia closeby (50 minutes flight from Port Vila).
Loyaute islands are outstanding, Ouvea is probably one of the most beautiful sandy islands in the South pacific, manta rays guaranteed too, Lifou island diving, which once closed seems to have chances to resume in the close future (contact member Harmony on this board).

 

[coldfire]

Hi All
Thank you OnTheSpot and Luko. By the way Luko, great pictures you have posted.

Yes I realize that 3 1/2 weeks in Fiji and Vanuatu are not nearly enough for both places but the other half doesn't have the luxury of 2 months. She will be doing her open water cert dives in Fiji. We will be in Taveuni then to Beqa, After this we go to Espiritu Santo and Port Villa in Vanuatu. She will be leaving out of Port Villa and I will see her off. I plan to spend a few more days in Port Villa and get a few dives in (any suggestions?) before I head out.

I have a spot on the Spirit of Freedom for the first week of August (you didn't have to convince me OnTheSpot ). After this I plan to head out to the Solomons for 2 weeks. My plan was to get to Munda and Gizo. From doing some research these two places appear to have good diving. I will hopefully get to do some hiking also.

Any input on the Solomons????

I probably will lose a few days catching flights and doing non dive things. This will leave me about a solid week of time to explore some of Cairns, Brisbane and Sydney before I have to head home. Not too bad me thinks.

Maybe I should take another month!

Thank you for the input folks. I would like to hear more. Especially on the Solomons.

Mark W

 

[caymaniac]

PNG is right to the west and offers a good variety, a little farther west is Indonesia another great dive opportunity.
The Cains thing is nice to do as we have been there twice. Osprey was a good trip, you may be in whale season near the Ribbons.

 

[Luko]

I plan to spend a few more days in Port Villa and get a few dives in (any suggestions?) before I head out.

Forget about Moso island (tranquility dive resort), I wouldn't recommend the operation when it comes to both diving and lodging, I was also quite disappointed with the fish life around.
Hideaway on Mele bay has a very good dive centre but the diving is also tame in the bay, probbaly your best bet would be going out directly from Vila to Paul's Rock or one of the wrecks sunken into the bay with Nautilus diving (they've been around for 30 years and even more...).

May I really INSIST that both of you fligh to Tanna in order to see the sunset on mount Yasur volcano spurting lava splashes. This is not diving but probably one of the most beautiful sights you may the chance to witness in your whole life. You just need to spend one night on Tanna island and bring a bottle of champagne to uncork on the rim of the volcano.
If I were to marry again, I think that's where I would bring my better half FIRST.

 

[jcohen32]

May be a bit late for my input...but has Palau vanished off the face of the earth? That would be my first choice after Cod Hole/Ribbon Reefs/Coral Sea!

 

[Luko]

...but has Palau vanished off the face of the earth?

Not really, but it hasn't drifted close to the Coral sea yet.

Recommending going to Palau after a stay in Fiji/Vanuatu is just like advising the Red Sea after a Caribbean vacation. It should take three flights and two days if the connections are right.

On a straight distance Palau/Fiji is comparable to Houston/Lima Peru and almost no land in between.