'Upolu
This outrageously photogenic spot is a Samoan icon; skip it to your everlasting regret. Though the first thing you'll see upon entering the grounds is To…
Must-see attractions in Rarotonga, Samoa & Tonga
Aitutaki
Aitutaki’s stunning lagoon, brimming with marine life and ringed by 15 palm-covered motu (islets), is a South Pacific tearsure. Maina (Little Girl) offers…
Apia
Abuzz with local merchants, shoppers, loiterers and men slamming it down over games of mu (Samoan checkers), this 24-hour market is a must-see shopping…
Rarotonga
With its four motu (islets), Muri is the most beautiful section of Rarotonga’s encircling lagoon. The blue water is packed with tropical fish, especially…
The Cook Islands
Eerie Anatakitaki is ‘Atiu’s most spectacular cave, a multichambered cavern surrounded by banyan roots and thick jungle. It’s also home to the rare kopeka…
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Robert Louis Stevenson Museum & Mt Vaea National Reserve
'Upolu
The Scottish author's former residence is an enchanting estate, with a centrepiece lawn and perfectly manicured gardens. Stevenson's mansion,…
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'Upolu
Kids and adults have a brilliant time skimming down these natural slides – actually small waterfalls – into blessedly cool waterholes; you'll hear happy…
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Apia
Though this 'village' is open every weekday, it's the interactive sessions that are an absolute must. Knowledgable and extremely affable hosts take…
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American Samoa
This is the town’s social centre on a Friday night. Locals come to gossip, ransack food stalls and pick over fresh coconuts, breadfruit and other produce;…
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The Cook Islands
A real highlight in this region is the deep sparkling-blue Vai Nauri, Mitiaro’s natural swimming pool. Local women used to hold gatherings known as…
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American Samoa
Get your camera ready: you'll spot these iconic offshore rock formations on your drive into Pago Pago from the airport. Legend has it that a couple named…
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The Cook Islands
Motuanga (the Cave of 100 Rooms) is a complex of tunnels and caverns in the island’s southeast that’s said to extend all the way under the reef and out to…
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The Cook Islands
Vai Tango is the best cave for swimming, a short walk from Ngatiarua village. Schoolkids often head there at weekends and after school, and they can show…
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The Cook Islands
Te Ana O Rakanui is a burial cave packed with musty old skulls and skeletal remains. It’s a tight squeeze inside – claustrophobics be warned.
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The Cook Islands
At 169m, Rangimotia is the highest point on the island, with stunning coastal views. From the Oneroa side, a dirt road leads to the top.
'Upolu
The 54m-high Sopo’aga Falls empty themselves into an enormous gorge close to where the Main South Coast Rd meets Le Mafa Pass Rd. The well-signposted…
American Samoa
Ofu island's crown jewel is the beach along the south coast - 4km (2.5mi) of shining, palm-fringed white sand. The offshore waters are deep enough for…
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The Cook Islands
An 18km-long circular road negotiates Ma’uke’s secluded coves and beaches, which are among the island’s main attractions. One of the nicest is One’unga,…
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'Upolu
The name of this 29-sq-km national park means ‘from the coast to the mountaintop’. There are some superb (if rough) hikes to be had here. A trail (six…
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American Samoa
Standing in stark relief to Nu’uuli’s scruffy strip of restaurants and convenience stores, this secluded waterfall with a deliciously cool swimming hole…
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'Upolu
The 14 sq km of wild and rugged terrain that comprise the Uafato Conservation Area boast untouched rainforest that marches down from Upolu’s northeastern…
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Samoa
The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum is set in the Scottish author's beautifully restored former residence, Villa Vailima. Stevenson had the mansion built in…
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'Upolu
At the southeastern end of Upolu, Aleipata district has a reef system that’s making a good comeback after being pummelled by the 2009 tsunami. It already…
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American Samoa
The most famous of Tutuila’s legends is set at this dramatic cliff-top site. According to one version, an old lady and her granddaughter were turfed out…
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'Upolu
Robert Louis Stevenson's final resting place is adjacent to the museum that bears his name. Follow the signs for the path – known as the 'Road of Loving…
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Aitutaki
After you’ve been to Rarotonga, Arutanga, Aitutaki’s only town, seems astonishingly quiet, with few signs of life even on weekdays when the shops are open…
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American Samoa
The village of Leone welcomed the first missionary to Tutuila in 1832. John Williams subsequently erected the island’s first church, garnishing it with…
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'Upolu
The pea-green crater of Lake Lanoto’o is about as removed from human habitation as you can get on Upolu. Its remote central-highlands location and…
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American Samoa
This sacred site is where Tagaloa is said to have created the first humans before sending them out to Polynesia. Its volcanic boulders, wild surf and…
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'Upolu
This gorgeous beach is a beautiful spot for a paddle or a picnic. The water is deep enough for swimming but there’s no reef to protect you – the…
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Tonga
Hihifo, the contiguous suburban area south of Pangai, hides some archaeological relics seemingly of more interest to rooting pigs than anyone else. Hidden…
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Highland Paradise Cultural Centre
Rarotonga
High above ‘Arorangi, Highland Paradise stands on the site of the old Tinomana village with panoramic views over the west and south coasts. Members of the…
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'Upolu
About halfway between the international airport and Apia, this museum – run by the Congregational Christian Church – is Samoa's largest. While the…
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'Upolu
The architecturally interesting Bahá’í House of Worship is one of only eight such structures in the world; all are different except for being domed – this…
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The Cook Islands
The remains of Te Pare Fort, set deep in the makatea, are Mitiaro’s most impressive ancient ruins. The fort was built as a defence against ‘Atiuan raiders…
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'Upolu
Secreted beneath the campus of Piula Methodist Theological College, Piula Cave Pool consists of two blue-green, fish-filled freshwater grottoes, only…
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Rarotonga
Te Vara Nui combines a purpose-built village showcasing local culture including traditional medicine, carving, tapa making and legends, with one of…
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Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Apia
Looming over the harbour, this lofty cathedral is breathtakingly beautiful. Originally constructed in 1884, the building was recently rebuilt at an…
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American Samoa
A cross-island road leads from the village of Faga’itua up over a pass before winding slowly down to Masefau, a village that looks too idyllic to be true.
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Rarotonga
On the eastern edge of the abandoned Sheraton resort site, a road leads inland to Wigmore’s Waterfall, a lovely cascade dropping into a fresh, cool…
