The dream of sailing through the sea and exploring picturesque islands at your own leisure is certainly a dream that is alive and well. The pacific islands particularly are an excellent region to explore – having achieved legendary status as an absolute paradise, the epitome of natural beauty, the pacific will leave you with no shortage of idyllic holiday destinations.
However, with so much to do and see across these numerous islands, it’s important to plan ahead and have a general understanding of what to expect from your trip. Your beautiful trip exploring many islands could quickly turn into a nightmare, falling far short of your expectations. In order to get the most out of your trip, here are a few tips to bolster your pacific island expedition.
Plan your transportation
At the heart of any trip is the organisation of the travel itself. Will you be opting to purchase tickets and travel by air, or will you choose the route of yachts and luxury catamarans? Many of the islands you’ll be visiting may be unlikely to have adequate public transportation, so consider whether you’ll be needing to hire any vehicles at each individual island.
Having how you travel planned ahead of time can be the difference between smooth sailing the whole way ahead and a stress headache on your third day in Bora Bora because your partner misread the ferry timetable.
Plan the islands
The way that each individual chooses to explore this region will undoubtedly be different. With many different islands with a slew of different cultures to discover and be welcomed into, there is definitely no one correct way. It’s important to put together a list of islands that you wish to visit – considering how easy your final list will be to travel between – and try your best to create an itinerary that will be able to fit in them all.
The Solomon Islands are rich with history and Melanesian culture. They were a significant site during World War II, commemorated in places such as the Guadalcanal American Memorial and the Japanese War Memorial.
Exploring somewhere like Tahiti will not only afford you snorkelling, sunbaking and an amazing surf. There are also other less conventional attractions such as the Black Pearl Museum or The Water Gardens of Vaipahi.
Decide on the sights
Within each island you’ve decided upon, there are certainly going to be sights or attractions which drew you to it in the first place. Consider creating an itinerary for each island you visit – or simplifying further to a list of must do activities to work around in a looser fashion.
Even with a plan, spontaneity can still be king! Don’t be afraid to wander off the beaten track where it is safe to do so and add things to your itinerary during the trip that you wouldn’t have thought to add before the trip. Even though lazing on the beach may seem like the quintessential pacific island experience, many of the best and most novel experiences are to be found elsewhere.
Create a budget
As you’re planning each of your dream destinations, ensure that you budget. When planning a long holiday, particularly one with island hopping, leaving some overhead in your budget can be helpful in case things begin to blow out of proportion during the excitement of it all. It can be wise to plan ahead, too, to be better prepared for what the trip might throw at you.
For example, If your budget won’t allow you to have each meal at a restaurant or a cafe, then brushing up on your cooking skills before your trip is a must, lest you be left in hot water as your funds run dry.
Pack everything that you’ll need
When you’re packing for the trip it’s important to make sure you grab everything that you need, otherwise you might end up spending unnecessary money on goods that could have easily been brought from home. Consider the weather at each of your destinations – not only the islands more broadly, but where you’ll be travelling within them – and pack accordingly. If there are specific cosmetic products that are the only ones you trust with your skin or hair, then it’s probably worth prioritising those, too.
Ensure that you’ve packed things such as medication, sunscreen, umbrellas. Create lists and go over them – it is too often that you will realise what’s missing when it is far too late. However, if you are travelling by air, consider which items might be prohibited for air travel and avoid packing them, otherwise you may simply have ended up packing them only to bin them at the airport.
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With these tips under your belt, the planning of your next adventure will surely lead to it being one of the greats. Whatever form your pacific island journey takes, it’s sure to be a holiday to remember.
