Polynesia

The "many islands" triangle of the central and south Pacific: lagoons and indigenous culture in Tahiti and Bora Bora, the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Niue.

Polynesia is the great Pacific triangle of islands with Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island as its corners. For travel purposes, the region here mainly means the tropical island nations and territories of the central South Pacific: French Polynesia (Tahiti, Bora Bora, Rangiroa Atoll), the Cook Islands (Rarotonga, Aitutaki), Samoa (Upolu, Savai'i), Tonga (Tongatapu, Vava'u) and Niue; Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island are covered under other regions. Highlights include the overwater-bungalow lagoons of Tahiti and Bora Bora, and Rangiroa's dolphins and atoll drift snorkeling; Rarotonga's cross-island hike and Aitutaki, considered one of the world's most beautiful lagoons; Samoa's To Sua Ocean Trench, blowholes and traditional fale beach huts; Vava'u in Tonga, where you can legally swim with humpback whales from July to October each year; and Niue's coral reef caves and bays. These islands generally lie away from major flight routes and often require connections via Auckland, Nadi in Fiji or Los Angeles, and 5–8 days per country is ideal. Prices are high and inter-island flights are few; on Sundays most shops in Samoa and Tonga are closed, and visitors should respect local religious customs.

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