Seeking council Tuamotus (Society Islands), Taveuni (Fiji) & Vanuatu

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Same for what others said. I take all my own gear with me for every trip but it can be a pain especailly with weight restrictions even for UW cameras as carry on. The Fijian puddle jumpers have restrictions but have fees for overweight bags and it is much less than larger commercial planes. However if the plane is not full and you're nice they may wave you through with no fees. But be prepared to pay.

We did experience surge especially in the Somosomo straights and it can be tiring. Other places it was calm. There are quite few of Fiji trip reports and threads on SB. Check out usual weather for August.

If you are in Nadi for any amount of time and want souvenirs, Jacks is a good place. It is my understanding that the war clubs and some wooden articles are made in Vanuatu not Fiji. The black pearls we saw (and bought) were Tahitian but Fiji at the time was trying to build up the industry. There will be others selling their wares locally but inventory can be sparce. They carve tiki masks for display and they mean different things depending on what is on it.

If you go to the falls on Taveuni especially the lower one, be careful if you jump off the small cliff next to the falls, which btw is my avatar on SB. First the rocks are very slippery, I went up barefoot with better luck than sandals and second, there is a large rock underwater that you cannot see from above the surface. We watched the kids jump first. They know where it is. The water is a bit chilly too.

Make sure you have at least a land camera. The scenery is great.
 
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Of the places you have listed, the Tuamotos is the most advanced diving and probably best left for a future dive trip when you have additional experience. If it were me and you are coming from Tonga, I would choose Taveuni. Gorgeous island that in addition to diving has some other land based things to enjoy- Great diving, great people, great culture, great food. There are any number of decent dive operators on Taveuni.
Here are a couple links to get you started: Ecotourism and Adventure on Taveuni Island, Fiji and Home

I'm planning a dive in Taveuni, Really looking forward to the trip.
 
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