Discover The Melanesian Islands

The Pacific archipelagoes of the Melanesian Islands are more than just pretty beaches and a tropical climate: Melanesia’s four countries are also home to countless indigenous cultures, historical relics and dynamic adventure tours for the traveller prepared to take a step off the beaten track.

Vanuatu

Fly into Port Vila, the capital of the Melanesian volcanic island nation. This a vibrant waterfront town on Efate has warm sandy streets, plenty of souvenir shops and beachside eateries. A popular  port of call for cruise ships, the are boasts a range of adventure activities, such as L’Hippocampus, the Sea Horse Ranch just a ten-minute bus journey from town. Think rainforest rides, bareback swimming and sunset trails.

A couple island hops south is Vanuatu’s most popular tourist destination, black-sanded Tanna. The main town on the island is Lenakel, with a market and port, but to see the real show you’ll have to take a chancy road trip up Mount Yasur’s ash plain to witness the fuming, active volcano.

Back up north you’ll find Espiritu Santo (or Santo) and the high-powered Millennium Cave tour, featuring bamboo bridges, cascades and cave bats. For the adventurous.

Solomon Islands

Ecotourists, scuba divers and history buffs will love the Solomon Islands, to the north west of Vanuatu. Here you can experience the authentic feel of Melanesia, complete with its leaf-hut houses and crocadile-infested mangroves. Lodges can organise snorkelling trips in the islands’ many lagoons, but you are recommended to bring your own gear.

Guadalcanal, home of the capital, Honiara, isn’t just a pretty face. Nestled in and among the raw tropical forests are countless scattered ruins from the Second World War. Guadalcanal was home to some of the most furious fighting of the 1940s, and one of the bloodiest campaigns as the Allies fought to repulse Japanese expansion. Relive history discovering the wrecks scattered at the Iron Bottom Sound, or visiting Honiara’s US War Memorial detailing the Guadalcanal campaign.

Fiji

We all know Fiji’s great. Besides the masses of scuba-diving, windsurfing, wildlife watching, watersports and trekking opportunities, Fiji has an ancient and vibrant cultural wealth. Witness the indigenous meke dance, at shows available in pretty much any resort. Or travel deep to the Sigatoka Valley to visit the sacred Naihehe Caves and the grey-brown sand dunes, one of the largest burial grounds in the Pacific.

At the foot of the Sabeto mountains, like something out of a fairy tale, is the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, now open to tourists. Find lagoon and boat tours at the Arts Village of Pacific Harbour, alongside stunning if unnerving displays of Fijian fire-walking. There’s so much to do in the islands that it can be overwhelming, but HotFiji.deals can help you out with competitive deals and an insider’s advice on all the best tours, activities and other fun stuff to do in Fiji.

Papua New Guinea

Don’t miss out on this wealthy pacific archipelago, home to over 800 tribal cultures, world-class scuba diving locations and a heavy WWII heritage. Rabaul, a north western island is the premium scuba spot on the Bismarck Sea with dives seeing up to five times more underwater activity than in the Caribbean.

Down in the capital, Port Moresby, is the island’s hub and soon-to-be host city of the 2015 Pacific Games. Head to Tufi to see one of the world’s four only tropical fjords, giving the area its nickname: ‘The Scandinavia of the Tropics.’ The local resort works with locals to provide overnight stays in native guesthouses where you can learn such skills as weaving tapa cloths and making hunting nets.

Images courtesy of Maxim 75, Torberbrinker and Julie Lyn

By Sarah Morland