Bill Goodwin's Travel Guides

My Travel Guides
Frommer's South Pacific
Complete travel information about Tahiti and French Polynesia, the Fiji Islands, Rarotonga and the Cook Islands, independent Samoa, American Samoa, and the Kingdom of Tonga
Frommer's Tahiti & French Polynesia
A more detailed guide to Tahiti and French Polynesia, including Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, Tahaa, the Tuamotu Archipelago, and the Marquesas Islands
Frommer's Fiji
Complete coverage of Fiji including chapters on Northern Viti and Kadavu Island, which do not appear in Frommer's South Pacific.
Frommer's Virginia
Travel made simple in the beautiful and historic Old Dominion, my adopted home

Updates to
Frommer's South Pacific,
Frommer's Tahiti & French Polynesia
and Frommer's Fiji

All travel guides are updated every year or two. I spent 3½ months in the islands doing the research for the 11th edition of Frommer's South Pacific, the second edition of Frommer's Tahiti & French Polynesia, and the first edition of Frommer's Fiji. The first of these books was published six months after I returned home. In other words, it's impossible for any guidebook to be up-to-the-minute accurate even when it's hot off the press.

Since the Almighty has not seen fit to possess me of clairvoyance, this page contains changes which have occurred since I prepared my most recent editions. Click on the names below to go directly to recent developments. See the sidebar column for airline news.

Tahiti & French Polynesia
Tahiti
Moorea
Huahine
Raiatea and Tahaa
Bora Bora
Maupiti
The Tuamotu Archipelago

Fiji
Fiji Hotel News
Fiji Dining News

Rarotonga & the Cook Islands
Samoa
American Samoa
Tonga

REGIONAL NEWS


The South Pacific Tourism Organization has changed its name to south-pacific.travel. Its site at www.south-pacific.travel has visitor information about most South Pacific destinations.

You can watch streaming videos of all the islands at www.videotourpacificislands.com.

Nearly all travelers to the South Pacific islands from the U.K. and Europe will stop in Los Angeles on the way and thus must comply with U.S. immigration procedures. Citizens of 27 countries (including the U.K., most European nations, Australia and New Zealand) can visit and transit the U.S. without a visa, but as of January 12, 2009, they must register online at https:/​/​esta.cbp.dhs.gov more than 72 hours before leaving home under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (www.dhs.gov). Citizens of all other countries without a visitor visa to the U.S. must obtain a C-1 transit visa from the U.S. State Department (www.unitedstatesvisas.gov), even if they don't leave the airport.

The Visa Waiver Program has been expanded to include the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia.

TAHITI & FRENCH POLYNESIA


"Le Truck" on Tahiti
The third edition of Frommer's Tahiti & French Polynesia has been published and is available online and in bookstores.

French Polynesia has experienced 10 changes of government since 2004, with power shifting among those who favor independence from France, those who prefer local autonomy within the French system, and various coalitions. The changes have had no impact on visitors.

One of the France-leaning governments reinstituted June 29 as Internal Autonomy Day, a public holiday.

France has officially designated French Polynesia and its other possessions as "overseas communities", as opposed to overseas departments, territories, or countries. The move allows the French government to enact laws specific to each, rather than being bound by national standards.

Books about French Polynesia and other Pacific islands are available from Editions Hare Po in Papeete (tel. 689/58 26 36; www.harepo.com). Some are republications of out-of-print books, and many are in both French and English.


PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO FRENCH POLYNESIA

Work reportedly has begun on The Brando, an exclusive, eco-friendly resort on Tetiaroa, the atoll owned by the late Marlon Brando. Tetiaroa is a small atoll 35 miles (21.7km) north of Papeete. It is expected to open in late 2012.

Visitors can now get married in French Polynesia without having to be there at least 30 days. It had been impractical for non-residents to get legally hitched in the islands since they would have to be there a month or more to qualify for a marriage license. You will still have to jump through the usual French bureaucratic hoops, and do all the paperwork in French, so let your hotel or resort of choice make the arrangements.

The local government has cracked down on businesses which add a percentage to your bill if you pay by credit card. This annoying practice is common elsewhere in the South Pacific islands.

And it has banned smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants.

Tahiti Tourisme has upgraded its website to include a Google map feature which zooms in on each island. The photo gallery has been expanded, and you can see what travel writers have gushed about the islands on the "Media" page, which has links to recent magazine articles. The site also provides links to numerous money-saving packages to French Polynesia.

Tahiti Tourisme has opened an Australian office at Level 8, 25 Bligh St. in Sydney (tel. toll-free 1300 655 563 or 2 9233 4920; www.tahitinow.com.au), and it if offering Australian visitors a Moorea Madness card including discounts of 10% to 20% off the ferry fare, sightseeing and lagoon tours, and spa treatments. Click Tahiti Tourisme's Australian link for details.

Anchored in the lagoon off Moorea
Air Tahiti has installed self-service check-in kiosks at Tahiti-Faaa International Airport. Passengers with e-tickets can get their boarding passes from the automated machines rather than stand in line at the check-in counters. The airline plans to install kiosks at the airports on Bora Bora and Raiatea.

Air Tahiti now has a "Z" class fare which allows passengers to carry up to 50kg (110 lbs) of luggage, as opposed to 20kg (44 lbs) under its Y class economy fare.

Air Tahiti also has a department known as Islands Adventures specializing in tour packages to French Polynesia, including stays at small hotels and family pensions.

CRUISING AND SAILING

The Aranui 3 (www.aranui.com) has added sport fishing to the list of activities on its 14-day cruises from Papeete to the Marquesas Islands. Ranging from three- to eight hours, the expeditions go after wahoo, tuna, marlin, mahi-mahi at sea and various species in the lagoons.

The luxurious, 318-passenger Paul Gauguin is now owned by Pacific Beachcomber, the same company which operates the InterContinental resorts in French Polynesia. It has a new website (www.pgcruises.com) and toll-free number in the United States (800/848-6172 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              800/848-6172      end_of_the_skype_highlighting). Refurbished in 2009, the ship makes cruises from Tahiti to the Society, Tuamotu, and Marquesas islands in French Polynesia as well as to the Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji, and New Zealand.

All other major cruise lines have ceased sailing in French Polynesia on a regular basis, including the tall ship Star Flyer. A staple in these waters until it vacated the premises in 2009, Princess Cruises has announced plans to send its ships to the islands on a irregular basis beginning in 2011.

TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN

It's getting easier to take your kids to French Polynesia. Le Taha'a Private Island & Spa off Tahaa and the Pearl Resorts on Moorea, Bora Bora, Manihi, Tikehau, and Nuku Hiva now welcome children with such features as a cartoon TV channel and age-appropriate DVDs in each unit. While adults continue to get their welcome baskets full of tropical fruits, youngsters now get their own stash of candies.

The Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti (www.radisson.com/aruefrp) allows kids under 16 to stay free and dine for 50% off. It's a welcomed money-saver.


Papeete
TAHITI

In Marina Taina on the west coast is the Pink Coconut (tel 41.22.23), an open-air restaurant with a terrific view of Moorea. It's owned by Steven Baker, son of an American father and Chinese-Tahitian mother, so English is not a problem. The French and Tahitian fare is very good.

In my Tahiti chapters I mention that a Paul Gauguin painting fetches in excess of US$6 million on the rare occasion when one goes on sale. Make that US$43 million, the price paid recently at a Christie's auction for Gauguin's "Man With an Ax."

A multi-year project to improve Papeete's ferry docks is underway. When completed, a bridge will connect the new terminal with a parking garage on the mainland side of Boulevard Pomare.


Tahiti Hotel News

The Hilton Hotel Tahiti is closed permanently.

The lagoonside Manava Suite Resort (tel. 800/​657-3275 in the US or 50.84.45; www.spmhotels.com) opened in March 2009 at PK 10.5 in Punaauia, just south of where the west coast highway splits from the old coastal road. All but 12 of its 121 units have kitchens, and about a third have balconies with direct views of Moorea. Decor is high-tech European with Polynesian accents. The three-story resort sports a restaurant and bar, a fitness room, and conference facilities. Although it lacks a sandy beach, it has Tahiti's largest swimming pool. It is especially attractive to business travelers, families, and anyone planning a long stay. See http:/​/​manavasuiteresorttahiti.blogspot.com/​ for specific information.


Moorea from Tahiti
MOOREA

Tahiti Expeditions (tel. 28.37.22; www.tahitiexpeditions.com) has a variety of adventures led by Frank Murphy, an American biologist who moved to Moorea in the early 1990s as manager of the University of California's Gump Research Station. The expeditions range from one-day coral reef excursions to extended sailing trips to the Tuamotu Archipelago. Emphasis is on the ecology and history of the islands.

The Sheraton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa is now Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa (tel 800-HILTONS begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              800-HILTONS      end_of_the_skype_highlighting; www.hiltonworldresorts.com). All of its bungalows have received a make-over with new furniture and bathrooms.

The InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa has undergone a major renovation which includes a new infinity swimming pool. The bungalows have been spiffed up and their patios or balconies expanded.

The Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa now has a coral nursery consisting of 63 artificial reefs in its lagoon. The project is designed to repopulate the lagoon and to educate guests about the fragile lagoon ecosystem.

Tamara Kindynis is no longer operating her pension, La Baie de Nuarei, but new owners Corinle and Philippe Guerty have improved Fare Vaihere (www.farevaihere.com). Philippe is a diving instructor and plans to have his own operation at this lagoonside pension.

The Moorea Green Pearl Golf Club, at Temae near the airport (tel 56.27.32; www.mooreagolf-resort.com), has opened all of its 18 holes. The Jack Nicklaus Design course is French Polynesia's second links, joining the Olivier Bréaud International Golf Course on Tahiti.

Moorea has two less restaurants now that La Petite Maison (Chez Lydie) and Maria Tapas have gone out of business.


HUAHINE

Marty and Moe Temahahe have split and sold Chez Guinette, the inexpensive hostel in Fare village. New owners Olivier and Laurence Lebrun have spiffed up the rooms and improved the baths. It’s still the best place for lunch in town.

I no longer recommend Pension Vaihonu Océan and Huahine Camping.

Dorothy Levy, who was instrumental in reopening the Fare Potee Museum at Maeva, has moved to Tahiti. Dorothy's grandfather went to Hollywood in the 1930s to work on the original Mutiny on the Bounty.


RAIATEA & TAHAA

Already one of French Polynesia's most luxurious resorts, Le Taha'a Private Island & Spa (www.letahaa.com) has added two super-luxe presidential suites. Le Taha'a was on the cover of the February 2007 edition of Islands magazine.

Visitors have another lagoon excursion choice on Raiatea and Tahaa: Bruno Fabre's L'Excursion Bleue (tel. 66.10.90; www.tahaa.net). His all-day trips include snorkeling, lunch, and visits to pearl- and vanilla farms on Tahaa.

On Tahaa, Pension Vai Poe (Chez Patricia et Daniel) is no longer operating.


Mt. Otemanu
BORA BORA

Economic hard times have contributed to the closures of the Club Med Bora Bora and the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa. Neither is scheduled to reopen.

The Hotel Bora Bora is also closed, ostensibly for extensive renovations.

New on the scene is the over-the-top Four Seasons Bora Bora (www.fourseasons.com), on Motu Tehotu, a long island on the northeastern side of the lagoon. Facing the north side of Mount Otemanu’s tombstone face, its pool and beach are tops among Bora Bora resorts.

The Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa is now the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa (tel 800-HILTONS; www.hiltonworldresorts.com). It has added two new presidential overwater villas, each with two bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a large deck around its own swimming pool.

Long managed jointly, the Sofitel Marara and Sofitel Motu have officially merged into one resort known as the Sofitel Bora Bora Marara Beach & Private Island. The Marara on the main island has the best beach, while the Motu is more private and intimate.

Le Meridien Bora Bora has added an over-water wedding chapel, a large infinity-edge swimming pool with its own bar and sun deck, and an ecological education center near the resort's award-winning sea turtle sanctuary and nursery. Eight of its beachside bungalows will be combined into four two-bedroom, two-bathroom villas with plunge pools. Decks of the premium over-water bungalows will be enlarged, and all units will have 32-inch flat screen TVs and wireless Internet access.

Le Meridien's award-winning Turtle Sanctuary has been cited again, this time by Green Hotelier magazine, which named it as one of the world's most eco-friendly resort practices. It's also the most child-friendly resort in French Polynesia.

The Bora Bora Beach Resort has dropped its affiliation with the Novotel chain.


MAUPITI

Le Kuriri (tel/​fax 67.82.23; www.maupiti-kuriri.com), the most charming pension on beautiful Maupiti, now has hot water showers in its bungalows. "Not really useful these days," write owners Anne-Marie Badolle and Camille Marjorel of the summer months, "but psychologically more comfortable!"

Much to the regret of the purists among us, more and more houses are going up along the great beach at at Plage Tereia. Among them is Maupiti Residence (tel. 67.82.61; www.maupitiresidence@​mail.pf), whose two bungalows are fully equipped with kitchens and bedroom air conditioners (you pay extra to use the a/​c). Bikes, kayaks, Windsurfers, and a sail boat are included in the rates. You’ll need the kitchen since there is no restaurant within walking distance.

Since English-speaking Simone Chan of Maupiti Loisirs moved back to Papeete, all Maupiti’s tours and excursions are conducted in French. Her pension of the same name is now closed.



THE TUAMOTU ARCHIPELAGO

Rangiroa


On Rangiroa atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Hotel Kia Ora and its subsidiary, Kia Ora Sauvage, are both closed.

The Novotel Rangiroa Lagoon Resort is now known as the Maitai Rangiroa (tel. 93.13.50; booking@​rangiroa.hotelmaitai.com). It's managed by the same company which operates Le Maitai Polynesia on Bora Bora.

Raira Lagon is now owned by Jean-Frederic and Sandrine Ott, an English-speaking French couple. Among other improvements, they have installed air conditioners in the bungalows.

I’m adding two Rangiroa pensions to the second edition: Pension Cecile (tel. 93.12.65; pensioncecile@​mail.pf) and Pension Tevahine Dream (tel. 93.12.75). Both are lagoonside between Avatoru village and the airport.

The economic fallout has cost Rangiroa its two best restaurants, Le Kai Kai and Vaimario, both now closed. On the other hand, you can get good fish and steaks at the new Restaurant Lagon Grill (tel. 96.04.10). Beside the lagoon east of the airport, it’s operated by refuges from the Hotel Kia Ora staff.

Manihi

I am dropping my recommendation of Pension Vainui in favor of Nanihi Paradise (tel. 93.30.40; www.nanihiparadise.com), on a nearby Manihi islet. Its three simply furnished bungalows have kitchens and bathrooms flanked by two bedrooms, all joined by long front porches. Owners Philippe and Vaiana Dantin named it for their daughter, Nanihi. A former chef, Philippe worked in Fiji for many years and speaks English fluently.

Fakarava

On Fakarava, the 30-bungalow Le Maitai Dream resort has been renamed the White Sand Beach Resort Fakarava (www.whitesandfakarava.com).

Beside the lagoon about 8km south of Rotoava village, Pension Kiria (tel. 98.41.83; www.pensionkiriafakarava.com) is the most charming small hotel on the atoll. Its four bungalows are built entirely of native materials. Co-owner Kareen Langomazino speaks English as well as French.

Pension Havaiki has added a full service restaurant open to all comers for dinner. It and the charming Snack-Restaurant Teanuanua are the only restaurants open to non-guests on Fakarava, but you can get very good local fare at La Roulotte (tel. 75.60.49), in Rotoava village. It’s open for lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday, dinner on Sunday.




FIJI


Yasawa Islands Cruise
The second edition of Frommer’s Fiji is now in the bookstores and available online. Following are developments since we finalized the new edition.

While some tourist destinations have suffered during the worldwide economic recession, Fiji has been welcoming visitors at a record pace. Tourism Fiji (www.bulafiji.com) chairman Patrick Wong attributes the success to aggressive marketing, discounted deals offered by hotels and travel agents, and the addition of Continental Airlines flying to Nadi from Honolulu and Guam, Jetstar from Sydney and Melbourne, and Air Pacific from Hong Kong.

Occasional diplomatic spats with Australia and New Zealand aside, Fiji continues stable and peaceful under Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who has ruled the country since leading a military coup in 2006. Bainimarama is censoring the local media and restricting political debate, but he has promised to write a new constitution and hold elections in 2014.

In keeping with Bainimarama's policy of promoting sustainable, environmentally-friendly tourism, Tourism Fiji has launched a "Clean Me, Green Me, Fiji Me" campaign. It includes support of a government effort to plant 1 million trees around the country.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

You can see what the country has to offer at Tourism Fiji's new video-based website www.fijime.tv. The site features five channels of 3-minute videos provided by participating resorts and travel agencies. (Tourism Fiji is the new name of the Fiji Visitors Bureau.)

Pacific Sun, the country's domestic airline (www.pacificsun.com.fj) has stopped flying between Nadi and the Mamanuca Islands, and it has scaled back its service between Suva and Levuka from daily to twice a week. That means you must take a shuttle boat to and from the islands, and you can no longer make day trips to the old capital.

Air Pacific (www.airpacific.com) is once again flying non-stop between Auckland and Suva's Nausori Airport. The flights are convenient for business travelers headed to Fiji's capital city and for casual visitors connecting to Taveuni and Savusavu.

United Airlines is code-sharing on Continental Airlines flights between Nadi and Honolulu, with connections to the U.S. mainland. United and Continental have proposed to merge. Air New Zealand is also now code-sharing with Continental. ("Code sharing" means you may buy a ticket from United or Air New Zealand, but you will fly in a Continental airplane.)


FIJI HOTEL NEWS

Fiji's first over-water bungalows at Likuliku Lagoon Resort in the Mamanuca Islands off Nadi
Lomani Island Resort (tel. 666 8212; www.lomaniisland.com) has opened five new bungalows on the western end of the property. Each has an outdoor shower and front porch overlooking the beach. With one guest unit per bungalow, they are more private than the resort's other accommodations.

King George Tupou V of Tonga was among the first guests at the Club InterContinental, the swanky executive level villas of InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, which opened at Natadola Beach in 2009. With butler service and its own swimming pool, the club is like a resort within the resort.

Tambua Sands Beach Resort (tel. 650 0399; www.tambuasandsfiji.com) is now owned by the Warwick hotel chain (www.warwickhotels.com).

The shuttle bus between The Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa (tel. 653 0555; www.warwickfiji.com) and The Naviti Resort (tel. 653 0444; www.navitiresort.com.fj) now costs F$5 per person a day. It used to be free.

Tokoriki Island Resort (tel. 666 1999; www.tokoriki.com) has added three bungalows to its luxurious "Sunset Pool" collection. They have their own private pools, but unlike the earlier Sunset Pool models, they are not directly beside the beach.

FIJI DINING NEWS

In Martintar, fire has destroyed Ed's Bar, primarily an after-hours drinking spot.

The Great Wok (tel. 672 8200) has opened in Martintar at the corner of the Queen's Road and Northern Press Road. My friends say its spicy Szechuan cuisine is excellent.

Nearby on the Queen's Road, the family-owned Opera Restaurant (tel. 672 1022) looks better after a bit of remodeling. It serves good, inexpensive Indian fare.

One of my favorites, the interesting Nadina Authentic Fijian Restaurant (tel. 992-8371) has moved from its cottage on the Queen’s Road in Martintar to new quarters in Port Denarau.


RAROTONGA & THE COOK ISLANDS


White sand at Rarotonga Beach Bungalows, Titikaveka
The New Zealand dollar, the coin of the realm in the Cook Islands, has dropped from US80¢ to about US57¢ since I prepared the eleventh edition of Frommer's South Pacific, with similar decreases against other major currencies.

Australians and New Zealanders can save by buying special add-on packages to Aitutaki through June 2009. Contact the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation (www.cookislands.travel).

The Cook Islands departure tax will be included in the price of airline tickets beginning in September 2009. You won't have to worry about saving enough New Zealand dollars to pay the tax in cash at the airport before departing.

Sunday is no longer a day of rest for Air Rarotonga (www.airraro.com), which is flying between Rarotonga and Aitutaki on the Christian Sabbath. The Sunday flights are in demand, so reserve as early as possible.

After getting your local drivers license at the new Avarua police station, a modern facility funded by the People's Republic of China, do not ride two abreast on your motorbike. The local traffic cops have been cracking down on bike riders who ride side-by-side, which is illegal.

Digicell, the Caribbean-based mobile phone company which already has moved into Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, has announced plans to buy Telekom Cook Islands, the local phone company.

Telecom Cook Islands already had announced international cell phone roaming agreements with T-Mobile USA, Vodafone New Zealand, and Telstra Australia. Similar arrangements were in the works with Optus/Sing Tel of Australia, 02 of Germany, SingTel of Singapore, and Orange and T Mobile of the U.K.

And it already costs less to call home from the Cook Islands. It's a bit complicated, but you can make international calls from 10 minutes to 1 hour to the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and Fiji for NZ$10, or to New Zealand for NZ$5. You still must pay by the minute for calls of less than 10 or 5 minutes, respectively.

Rarotonga Brewery has gone out of business, putting an end to Cooks Lager, the local brew.

The Cook Islands Parliament has proposed to completely ban smoking on the premises of all hotels, restaurants, bars, including their beaches and other outdoor areas. Fines would be NZ$2,000 per violation, prompting Jack Cooper of Trader Jack's Restaurant and Bar to predict "it would be cheaper to smoke dope."

Formerly known as Tamanu Beach Village, Aitutaki's Tamanu Beach (www.tamanubeach.com) has opened a new beachside restaurant and bar serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and staging an island night feast and dance show on Thursday evening. The building is trimmed with local tamanu (mahogany) timber.

Also on Aitutaki, the phone number for Tuano's Garden Cafe is now 31-562. Tuano and Sonja Raela have stopped serving dinner but they still open 3 to 5pm Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for afternoon tea. Their fruit and vegetable market and souvenir shop (featuring Tuano's woodcarvings and Sonja's paintings and pareus) are open daily 10am to 5pm. They also conduct plantation tours daily with prior reservations.


SAMOA


Lalomanu Beach
The tsunami which struck the Samoas and the remote northern islands of Tonga on September 29, 2009, caused extensive damage on the south coasts of the islands in both Samoa and American Samoa. The death toll for Samoa alone exceeded 140.

Both Coconuts Beach Club Resort & Spa (www.coconutsbeachclubsamoa.com) and Sinalei Reef Resort & Spa (www.sinalei.ws) were damaged but both have reopened.

The southeastern coast of Upolu was devastated. At the great Lalomanu Beach (see photo at right), Boomerang Creek Beach Bungalows and scores of popular beach fales were demolished.

The "Survivor Samoa" television series had completed filming on the south coast a few days before the waves hit.

In Apia, the Hotel Tusitala has reopened as the Tanoa Tusitala after extensive renovation by its new owners, Fiji's Tanoa Hotel Group.

Samoans now drive on the left side of the road, as in the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.

The Samoa Shipping Corporation is operating Talofa Cruises (tel. 26695; www.talofacruises.com) out of Apia on the Lady Filifilia, a 150-passenger fast catamaran. Four cruises are offered including one around Upolu Island and another to the east coast of Savai'i. Prices range from US$115 to US$150 per adult, less for children 5 to 12.

The corporation also has hiked fares on the Lady Naomi ferry between Apia and Pago Pago by an average of US$30.

Captain Chris Donato's Samoa Sport Fishing Adventures (tel. 41-069; www.samoasportfishing.com) now goes offshore in search of blue marlin, sailfish, mahimahi, tuna, wahoo and other species. Fishing is from the Black Pearl, a 31-foot Ocean Master.

Built with aid from Japan, a new visitor center has opened at O Le Pupu-Pu’e National Park on Upolu's south coast. The parks' hiking trail to Togitogiga Waterfalls has been upgraded, and toilets and changing rooms have been added.

Samoa is observing Daylight Savings Time from the first Sunday in October until the last Sunday in March.

Planning a trip is easier now that the Samoa Hotel Association has its own website, www.samoa-hotels.ws. You can search for hotels by price range and by date.

The Apia area has two new hotels. Manumea Resort (tel. 685/27-755; www.samoa-hotels.ws/Manumea_Resort; manumea@ipasifica.net) is on the Cross Island Road in Vailima. Its 12 suites have ocean views from this refreshingly cool perch near the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum.

Closer to the central business district, the boutique-style Samoa Marina Hotel (www.samoa-hotels.ws/Samoa_Marina_Hotel) occupies a century-old home opposite the yacht harbor and main wharf. Opened in February 2009, it will have 14 rooms when completed.

Ian and Lyvia Black have relocated their terrific Sails Restaurant and Bar from the old building where Robert Louis Stevenson once lived to new quarters on the seawall near the Apia Yacht Club on the Mulinu'u Peninsula.

Samoa has new TV and radio stations. Star Television broadcasts over-the-air, as does FETU FM, which emphasizes original music by local performers.

It’s easier to buy local SIM cards for your unlocked GMS mobile phone now that Digicel Samoa (www.digicelsamoa.com) has installed several vending machines, including one in the arrivals area of Faleolo International Airport.

Savai'i

Over on pristine Savai'i, Kuki and Sara Retzlaff have completely rebuilt their Le Lagoto Beach Resort (www.lelagoto.ws) into a terrific boutique hotel. Most of their 12 units are in Samoan-style fales with intricately lashed ceilings. An infinity pool augments the fine beach.

Warren Jopling of Safua Tours is now charging US$50 per person for his fabulous guided excursions around Samoa's big island. They are worth every cent and more.

Vailoa village has built a road to Olemoe Waterfall, near the historic Pulemelei Mound near the island's south coast. The village charges a small admission to use the road and visit the falls. Unfortunately there is no longer a track from Pulemelei Mound to the falls.

Green Turtle Tours and Ecotour Samoa have both ceased operations.


AMERICAN SAMOA


Rainmaker Mountain, from Sadie's by the Sea
The tsunami of September 29, 2009, swept onto the south coast of Tutuila Island and into Pago Pago Harbor. Damage was extensive. Reports are sketchy, but Sadie's by the Sea sits beside the harbor so I must assume it was damaged. As you can see from the photo at right, nothing blocks the hotel from the sea.

The local government has changed the territory's Tourism Office, formerly a division of the Commerce Department, into a quasi-independent authority known as the American Samoa Visitors Bureau. The bureau has been slow to get off the ground, however, and does not have an official website. In the meantime, information is available at American Samoa Tourism.

Chicken of the Sea has announced that it will close one of the two tuna canneries in Pago Pago at the end of September 2009.

The American-based fast food chain Checkers has joined McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken in American Samoa. The new drive-through restaurant is in the Sen. Daniel Inoye Industrial Park on the airport road in Tafuna. And McDonald's has added an outlet in Pago Pago.


THE KINGDOM OF TONGA


Tonga's Royal Palace
More than 90 passengers died when the ferry Princess Ashika sank off the Ha'apai Islands on August 5, 2009. More than 50 people survived. The Princess Ashika operated in Fiji for 20 years before moving to Tonga.

An undersea volcano erupted just 7 miles (12km) north of Tongatapu on March 17, 2009. Smoke and ash could be seen belching out of the sea from the town of Nuku'alofa. No damage was done on Tongatapu. Air New Zealand switched its night flights to daylight hours so its pilots could see and avoid the plume.

Chathams Pacific: The Friendly Islands Airline (www.chathamspacific.com) is the only airline flying between Tongatapu, Hapai'i, and Vava'u. It is operated by Air Chathams (www.airchathams.co.nz), which has flown between mainland New Zealand and the Chatham Islands for 20 years. Airlines Tonga and Peau Vava'u have both gone out of business.

Tonga is issuing new currency notes bearing the image of King George Tupou IV, who assumed the throne when his father, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, died on September 10, 2006, at age 88.

Henceforth August 1st will be observed as a public holiday in honor of King George's proclaimed birthday. His actual birthday, May 4, is no longer a national holiday. The annual Heilala Festival, which marked the late King Taufa'ahau Tupou's birthday on July 4, continues as the country's premier event.

Also, the country will take off July 12 to honor the birthday of Prince Tupouto'a Lavaka, the childless, bachelor king's younger brother and now heir to the throne.

Reconstruction of downtown Nuku'alofa, which was severely damaged during riots in 2006, is underway.

Downtown Nuku'alofa already has a new hotel, the 24-room Loumaile Lodge (www.loumaile.com), on Taufa'ahau Road opposite the Royal Tombs. The rooms are on the top two floors of the building, above a Chinese restaurant and bar, a massage parlor, and shops. It was built by Siosaia Moehau, a successful Tonga businessman who also owns the Black Pearl Suites.

Another newbie is the 11-room Little Italy Hotel & Restaurant (tel/fax 676/25-053; www.littleitalytonga.com), on Vuna Road a 15-minute walk west of the Royal Palace. It's the creation of Angelo Carpanzano, a Milan native, who with his Tongan wife Meleseini founded Little Italy Pizzeria in 1996. The restaurant is now on the ground floor of the hotel. Upstairs, half the rooms have balconies overlooking the lagoon across Vuna Road, while the other half face the swimming pool out back.

The long-delayed Royal International Hotel has opened near Fua'amotu International Airport. It's handy if you arrive in the middle of the night and must wait for a flight to Vava'u the next morning. Otherwise, I cannot imagine staying in the middle of Tongatapu Island.

In other news, Japan has announced plans to open an embassy in Tonga, and the United States will begin processing visa applications in Nuku'alofa.



Airline News



AIR NEW ZEALAND

Air New Zealand has stopped its historic "Coral Route" between Tahiti, the Cook Islands, and Fiji. Inaugurated in the 1950s with flying boats, the Coral Route was the only east-west shortcut between Tahiti and Fiji via the Cooks. Without it, we have to fly around our elbows (i.e., through Auckland or Los Angeles) to get from the Cooks to Fiji.

Air Tahiti, French Polynesia's domestic carrier (as opposed to Air Tahiti Nui, its international airline; see below), is filling part of the gap by flying an ATR turbo-prop plane between Tahiti and Rarotonga on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The flights take 2½- to 3 hours each way. Air Tahiti is code-sharing the route with Air Rarotonga, the Cook Islands' airline.

There is one saving grace: Instead of stopping at Tahiti on the way to the Cook Islands, Air New Zealand now flies non-stop weekly between Los Angeles and Rarotonga, with the flight continuing on to Auckland (and vice versa in the opposite direction). And it is code-sharing on Air Rarotonga's flights between Rarotonga and Aitutaki, thus allowing seamless ticketing from Auckland or Los Angeles to Aitutaki.

Air New Zealand and Air Tahiti Air Nui (see below) are code-sharing their routes between Los Angeles, Tahiti, and Auckland. Air New Zealand continues to fly its planes between Auckland and Papeete, but you will travel in Air Tahiti Nui aircraft between Papeete and Los Angeles regardless of which company sold you the ticket.

The changes mean that only Air Tahiti Nui and Air France actually fly between Los Angeles and Tahiti. It's important, therefore, for North Americans and Europeans to make reservations well in advance of the busy seasons such as July and August.

Air New Zealand also code-shares its flights between Los Angeles and Fiji with Air Pacific, Fiji's national carrier (see below); that is, you'll fly on Air Pacific's planes. It has flights 6 days a week between Los Angeles and Nadi.

Citing economic reasons, Air New Zealand has announced that it will cease flying between Los Angeles and Samoa in January 2011. Traditionally the once weekly LAX-Apia service has gone on to Tonga before terminating in Auckland.


AIR TAHITI NUI

Air Tahiti Air Nui has stopped flying between New York's JFK airport and Papeete. It continues to fly between Papeete and Tokyo, but it has stopped its service to Osaka, Japan. It also will stop flying non-stop between Sydney and Tahiti in March 2009. It will still serve Sydney, but the flights will stop in Auckland on the way to and from Papeete.

While it no longer flies between New York and Paris, Air Tahiti Nui has interline agreements with Delta, Northwest, and American Airlines allowing paperless e-tickets and straight-through luggage checking. It also participates in those airlines' frequent flyer programs as a redemption partner. That is, members can redeem their miles on Air Tahiti Nui but not earn them.


AIR PACIFIC

Air Pacific, has taken over Sun Air and is now flying within Fiji through its subsidiary, Pacific Sun airlines, which has a virtual monopoly on domestic flights following the recent demise of Air Fiji.

You can purchase one ticket from Air Pacific and make convenient connections on Pacific Sun from Nadi to Suva, Savusavu, Taveuni, and Mana and Plantation islands. Pacific Sun is using 42-seat ATR aircraft on the major routes, a vast improvement over Sun Air's fleet of small planes.

Air Pacific no longer flies its own planes between Vancouver, B.C., and Nadi via Honolulu. Canadian travelers can connect to Air Pacific in Los Angeles via Alaska Airlines, which is code-sharing the route.

It also has ceased flying between Fiji and Japan, but it now goes to Hong Kong, a service it code-shares with Cathy Pacific.

Regionally, Air Pacific now flies from Fiji to Tarawa and Tuvulu in the central Pacific, and it stops on the fisher's paradise of Christmas Island between Fiji and Hawaii.


MORE AIRLINE NEWS

Continental Airlines (www.continental.com) is now flying from Honolulu and Guam to Fiji. Travelers can connect to Fiji from the U.S. mainland via Hawaii and from Asia via Guam.

In the Samoas, Inter Island Air (tel 684/​699-7100 in Pago Pago; 685/​22-419 in Apia; www.interislandair.com) and Polynesian Airlines (www.polynesianairlines.com) both fly between Apia and Pago Pago. They use nine- and 18-seat planes, but Inter Island Air is scheduled to add a 30-seat Dornier 328, which will enable it to also fly between Pago Pago and Nuku'alofa, Tonga, with stops at Tonga's beautiful Vava'u and t Niue.

Now more than a charter carrier, Inter Island Air also plans to start flying from Pago Pago to the Cook Islands and to Nausori Airport near Suva, Fiji, when it adds another Dornier in 2010.

Polynesian Airlines is once again flying between Fagali'i Airstrip, near Apia, and Pago Pago in American Samoa. It shortens the trip between the Samoas by eliminating the 45-minute ride from Apia to Faleolo International Airport on the western end of Upolu Island.

Hawaiian Airlines remains the only major carrier serving American Samoa. Its flights between Pago Pago and Honolulu are usually full during the northern summer months, so reserve as soon as possible if you plan to travel between June and August.



Text and photos © 2009 by Bill Goodwin. All rights reserved.