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46<br />
south pacific<br />
A SAMOAN BEACH<br />
BLACK-TIPPED REEF SHARKS<br />
POISSON CRU, A TAHITIAN FISH DISH<br />
“Hotels are seeing a 30%-<br />
plus increase in room nights<br />
from the UK, so we’re<br />
benefitting from increased<br />
length of stays and UK<br />
visitors are venturing<br />
further than Rarotonga and<br />
experiencing islands such as<br />
Aitutaki, star of E4’s<br />
ShipWrecked”<br />
Ian Griffiths, Cook Islands<br />
churches for the four-part harmony<br />
singing, the ladies’ pandanus hats and the<br />
big welcome by the locals afterwards<br />
(often with a picnic!)<br />
Be a daredevil: Samoa has plenty of<br />
nature-based adventures. Try the<br />
natural waterslides of Papase’ea Sliding<br />
Rocks, the turquoise waterhole/lava tube<br />
of the Sua Ocean Trench and – for<br />
experienced surfers only – the biggest<br />
waves in the region.<br />
An island of your own: On Paul<br />
Gauguin cruises you get to spend<br />
time either on their beach retreat on the<br />
islet of Motu Mahana off the coast of the<br />
beautiful island of Taha’a, or in Bora Bora.<br />
Either way, you spend the day swimming<br />
and snorkelling and enjoying a<br />
sumptuous barbecue feast and cocktails<br />
from the floating bar.<br />
Dive deeper: The Pacific region has<br />
some of the best examples of coral<br />
and tropical fish on the planet, as well as<br />
an abundance of PADI dive instructors.<br />
And if your clients want a truly heartpumping<br />
experience, in Fiji they can go<br />
diving with the sharks.<br />
What’s new<br />
Flights: There’s a new option for getting<br />
to Tahiti with United Airlines. The new<br />
route flies from Heathrow to Papeete,<br />
Tahiti’s capital, with a stopover in San<br />
Francisco. You can take the stopover on<br />
the way out or the way back (united.com).<br />
Fiji Airways (fijiairways.com) is now<br />
codesharing with British Airways and has<br />
flights between Nadi and Hong Kong, L.A.,<br />
San Francisco, Signapore and Narita<br />
Real Tonga Airlines (realtonga.to) now<br />
has a codeshare arrangement with<br />
Samoa Airways and a new route between<br />
Tongatapu and Apia via Vava’u. There are<br />
two flights a week on a 30-seater and it<br />
takes just over three hours.<br />
Accommodation: Cook Island<br />
Rarotonga’s Moana Sands Lagoon Resort<br />
(moanasands.co.ck) opened in October<br />
2018. It overlooks Muri Beach (arguably<br />
the island’s best) and has deluxe studios<br />
and a spectacular swimming pool –<br />
it’s the newest offering in the Moana<br />
Sands Group which already has the MS<br />
Beachfront Hotel and Beachfront Villas.<br />
The Pullman Nadi Bay Resort and Spa<br />
Fiji Hotel (accorhotels.com) is opening<br />
this month (<strong>April</strong>) on the beachfront<br />
of Wailoaloa Bay, seven kilometres by<br />
car from Nadi International Airport. It<br />
will have 236 rooms and suites, four<br />
restaurants, three bars, three pools, a day<br />
spa and fitness centre.<br />
Outrigger Resorts has a combination<br />
package for Outrigger Fiji and Castaway<br />
Island. Spend three nights at both and<br />
receive F$700 (about £250) in-resort<br />
EXPLORING MOOREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
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