6 best South Pacific holidays to take in 2025
From the Solomons to Samoa and Fiji to Vanuatu, the islands of the South Pacific are filled with epic options for affordable holidays.
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Every time I visit the South Pacific, I prepare myself for whiplash. One minute I’m sweating it out hiking to waterfalls along jagged volcanic cliffs; the next I have a frangipani behind my ear and a cocktail in hand, lounging beside a suitably sexy pool.
Fast-forward a day to steamy markets heaving with fresh produce such as mangosteen, jackfruit and avocados the size of footballs, complemented by cooling underwater adventures alongside a kaleidoscope of fish and turtles. The southern reaches of the world’s largest ocean dial up the drama in nature, culture, food and weather – its island nations are the ultimate destinations to extend your summer when the heat in Australia begins to subside. The best bit? From flights to accommodation and activities, there are countless ways to make your island hop affordable.
Pick your own paradise among these standout South Pacific holiday destinations to book this year.
FIJI
There’s a reason Fiji consistently ranks in the top 10 destinations preferred by Aussie travellers – it’s deliciously dreamy, easily accessible and can be as affordable or as luxe as you desire. You’ll likely jet in to Nadi on Viti Levu. And while spending time here is encouraged (and a breeze), there are more than 330 other island reasons to explore further.
WHY: There are regular existing flights from Australia to Nadi. And now, Fiji Airways is helping Queenslanders touch down directly with a new route from Cairns starting in April 2025. Spend four-and-a-half hours in the air then prepare to be pampered, sip cocktails or indulge in a South Pacific adventure.
STAY AT: Newly renovated, the Crowne Plaza Nadi Bay sits on Wailoaloa Beach, turning heads with its 10 restaurants and bars including European-styled beach club Urban Sugar. On Denarau Island, the Westin Fiji Golf Resort & Spa reopens this month with a new look across its thatched-roof villas, strung amid a coconut grove.
EAT HERE: As their names suggest, Cloud 9 and Seventh Heaven will fulfil all your tropical island dreams. Both are set on pontoons, and boats ferry you to each from Denarau. And both come with a bar and a restaurant – the latter also has space for you to book a massage between dips in the bathtub-warm water that surrounds.
DO THIS: If you prefer to keep your feet on dry land while dining, head to private island Malamala Beach Club for the day. Swim in the pool, hire a kayak or paddleboard, or nab a cabana for cocktails.
ALTERNATIVE: To the west of Nadi, the Mamanuca archipelago is a necklace of 20 glorious islands – you can get here by boat or helicopter from Denarau. Many visitors come here for romance (there are plenty of adults-only resorts), but many more arrive for adventure: surfing Cloudbreak’s legendary swells, diving and jetskiing are among the activities on offer.
COOK ISLANDS
The Cook Islands is a heady patchwork of hallucinatory white beaches and impossibly clear water – in fact, more than 99 per cent of the country’s exclusive economic zone is ocean. The 15-isle volcanic atoll is setting global goals when it comes to conserving its biggest asset, launching Marae Moana (“Sacred Ocean”) as the largest commitment by a single country for integrated marine management and conservation.
WHY: The Cooks’ popularity will see Jetstar up its direct Sydney to Rarotonga flights in early 2025, which means 20,000 more seats to the island nation annually. When you touch down, get set to slow down – speed limits on roads are capped at 50km/h, and most people get around on bikes or a bus that does a languid loop.
STAY AT: Little Polynesian Resort on Rarotonga is a charming boutique bolthole with 14 villas stilted over a golden stretch of sand. Beachfront rooms have views of the lagoon from bed, not to mention bathrooms with outdoor showers and tubs.
EAT HERE: A fun way to get a taste for the Cooks is on a progressive dinner – a three-course meal at three different homes. Splashing out? Tamarind House is set in a beautiful timber building with tables spilling onto a beachside lawn. Order the seafood platter, with tastings of sashimi, oysters, fish curry and shrimp-and-papaya salad.
DO THIS: Whether you’re on a sea-scooter safari or snorkelling cruise, Rarotonga’s marine environment doesn’t disappoint. Grab your snorkel and prepare to gaze, unobstructed, at more than 130 species of coral, 600 types of fish, numerous species of threatened turtles, endangered reef sharks, whales and dolphins.
ALTERNATIVE: On the island of Aitutaki, mountainous jungle drops to coastal mangroves where thousands of mud crabs scuttle. Explore the lagoon on a longboat that takes you past dreamy motu (islets) to One Foot Island (regularly voted one of the world’s best beaches), where chilled beers are sold from the tiny post office.
PALAU
Sitting pretty between Guam and the Philippines, Palau is all lapis lagoons and limestone islands (some of them World Heritage-listed) covered in Jurassic jungle. Underwater adventures abound – in fact, the archipelago has the world’s highest concentration of marine lakes and one of its most diverse coral reefs.
WHY: Qantas understood the “paradise found” brief when it launched direct flights from Brisbane to Koror (the main island) in late 2024. Which means that within a few hours of departing Australia you can be exploring this protected marine territory, ticking off bucket-list dives, glimpsing ancient monoliths or surfing.
STAY AT: Linked to Koror by a causeway, Malakal Island is home to the archipelago’s newest hotel, Indigo Palau. Design here is earthy with sea foam flourishes, to connect you with the ocean eye-candy outside, and the infinity pool doesn’t disappoint when it comes to extending the views. ihg.com
EAT HERE: You can’t get much closer to the water than Elilai Seaside Dining, where dishes range from steamed Koror mangrove clams to ukaeb, a Palauan speciality featuring minced crabmeat and coconut milk.
DO THIS: Divers flock to Palau for its underwater wonderland of stalactite caves, canyons, reefs, wrecks and blue holes, where vast schools of wrasse, sweetlips, barracuda and tuna are shadowed by placid reef sharks, manta and eagle rays, turtles and whale sharks. The other marine attraction is Jellyfish Lake, home to some 700,000 stingless jellyfish that you can flipper between.
ALTERNATIVE: Splash out aboard the newly renovated Four Seasons Explorer, a catamaran with space for just 26 guests. This floating resort is based in the archipelago, navigating its 340 islets on itineraries that can last from a night to… as long as you like.
VANUATU
Australians are being encouraged to be part of Vanuatu’s recovery from the earthquake that struck off the west coast of its largest island, Efate, in December. “We’re so happy to share that so many of our beautiful properties and island attractions have been able to open and are keen and ready to welcome guests,” Vanuatu Tourism Office chief executive Adela Issachar Aru says. What draws people to Vanuatu’s 83 volcanic islands, Aru says, remains the same – the pristine landscapes, kastom (culture) and the smiles. “We want our Aussie neighbours to show their support for our community by choosing us as their next holiday destination as soon as they are able.”
WHY: For most visitors arriving from Australia, first stop will be the colourful capital, Port Vila, on the west coast overlooking Mele Bay. If you’re a marine fanatic, it is the ultimate base to take a deep dive into the South Pacific’s pivotal role during World War II. American troops were based here for more than three years, and the sad remains of their battles languish at the bottom of the ocean in the form of sunken ships and fighter planes, reclaimed by coral and tropical fish.
STAY AT: The 29 bungalows at Mangoes Resort & Restaurant are all individual in layout, which means some come with sea views and plunge pools, and others overlook hibiscus-laced gardens.
EAT HERE: Frozen cocktails are blended with verve at Waterfront Bar & Grill on Port Vila’s harbour. The seafood platter is staggering, replete with lobster, prawns, calamari, cod and a mountain of sauce-soaking fries.
DO THIS: When it’s time to cool off, make a beeline for the Blue Lagoon to swim in water the colour of an ice mint. Follow the lead of locals climbing trees and performing aerial acrobatics on rope swings – the competition for best vault is fierce, but friendly.
ALTERNATIVE: It may be half the size of Efate, but the southern island of Tanna packs a punch when it comes to natural attractions: the world’s most accessible active volcano, jungle-laced waterfalls, and more stellar diving and snorkelling.
SAMOA
There’s no denying Samoa’s intense natural bounty of iridescent seas, jade jungles and crystal waterfalls. Yet this tiny paradise remains defiantly humble, a place where traditions are strong and mega-resorts are minimal.
WHY: On Upolu, gentle coastal roads slip through sleepy villages and coconut groves, hugging glorious bays and beaches that fade into a stunning fringing reef. At other turns there’s epic surf, with waves within easy reach of the colourful capital, Apia.
STAY AT: One of the most legendary hotels in the South Pacific, Aggie Grey’s has been welcoming visitors for almost a century. Its rooms and bungalows have been given new life thanks to Sheraton, although care has been taken in renovation to highlight the history of this grande dame.
EAT HERE: Grab a cold niu (drinking coconut), then wander Apia’s market, where stalls sell the likes of palusami (fish, coconut milk and onion wrapped in taro leaves) and faiai eleni (smoked fish bake).
DO THIS: If you’ve ever received a postcard from Samoa, it’s likely To Sua Ocean Trench was the star. This dramatic 30m-deep swimming hole fills with tides from the ocean, enveloped by basalt cliffs and jungle. It’s just one of the reasons author Robert Louis Stevenson found the island so idyllic, and called it his home for six years. Visit his former residence, Villa Vailima, today a museum, and trek to his resting place at the top of an adjacent hill.
ALTERNATIVE: It’s an hour’s ferry ride to the island of Savai’i, where your footprints will likely be the only ones along powder-white beaches. Jump into a deep rainforest pool at Afu Aau Falls, feel the force of nature at the Alofaaga Blowholes or hike to the crater of forested volcano Mount Matavanu.
FRENCH POLYNESIA
Artists and poets such as Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel once called French Polynesia home – for good reason. This archipelago of more than 100 volcanic islands is a fantasy of pearls, vanilla, powdery white-sand beaches and opalesque lagoons. Begin your explorations around Tahiti, the largest of the country’s islands, then pootle off to places that romance was made for.
WHY: Turtle-shaped Tahiti is as appealing for its dramatic black-sand beaches as it is for its mountainous interior – a wild and largely untouched place of mystical valleys, streams and waterfalls.
STAY AT: Treehouse bungalows at Vanira Lodge fully embrace nature, crafted from recycled timber and often sans walls and windows. There are multiple pools to cool off in, and the chance to gain new skills at a Polynesian cooking class. A short ferry ride away on the island of Moorea, Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort has the romantic overwater villas Polynesia is famed for.
EAT HERE: Sunsets are as memorable as the food at hilltop O Belvédère. Take a dip before devouring truffled fondue or baked Camembert – this is a French territory, after all.
DO THIS: French Polynesia’s famous dive site, The Aquarium, is within easy reach of Tahiti. In addition to three artificial wrecks, underwater attractions include flamboyant fan corals and hundreds of species of tropical fish. From June to December you’ll also spot migrating humpback whales.
ALTERNATIVE: An hour’s flight northwest of Tahiti, Bora Bora is a honeymoon dream – think hammocks strung between coconut palms, backdropped by a jagged volcano and turquoise lagoon. Borrow bikes and explore the main village, Vaitape, browsing boutiques for black pearls, eating seafood skewers from streetside stalls and then cooling off at gorgeous Matira Beach.
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Originally published as 6 best South Pacific holidays to take in 2025
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