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by osseous

World First in Exotic Destinations ? South Pacific Island Resort Offered in Raffled

Right now people are looking for exotic and different destinations, on shoe string budgets.

Everything in the known world is crashing around their ears, with the stock market in the biggest bear market, for a very long time, with the ‘r’ word floating around. No-one can afford to be rash in their investments or spending. Every cent spent must count, as extra cash is in short supply.

There is however, one exotic destination that has something very special and still in everyone’s reach. It has some of the last untouched wilderness areas in the world. People still live in custom villages, the way their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. A place where you can breathe the fresh air and see the brightest stars in the tropical night sky. That place is Vanuatu, in the South Pacific.

The charity, YouMe Support Foundation in partnership with winaresort.com is raffling a boutique resort in the capital of the island nation, Port Vila, only three hours by plane from Sydney, Australia.

Funds from the raffle provide non-repayable education grants for geographically and financially underprivileged children. A return airfare and one week’s accommodation is included in the 1st prize.

Later this year someone will become the proud new owner of Seachange Lodge. With it goes a tax-free income. Retirement waiting on a South Pacific island.

The raffle will assist children who cannot help themselves. “Unless we get outside help, our students will never have a chance to go to high school,” Mr Harris Apos, the Banks Area Secretary in Vanuatu said. “They will never have the opportunity to live their dreams of being a school teacher, doctor, mechanic, carpenter, or nurse. They simply have to stay in the village on the remote island.”

The Prime Minister Mr Lini, admitted, “The government does little to assist these people,” when he visited the area recently. “Sometimes all that is needed is only $US500 to bring a classroom into use.”

One exercise book is shared between several pupils and pencils broken into three pieces to give them something to write with. Qualified teachers are in the minority and often it is the recently graduated primary students who assist the younger ones. Many parents cannot read or write.

In 2006, the nation of Vanuatu, made famous by A Michener’s ‘Tales of the South Pacific’, (and the film ‘South Pacific’) was voted the Happiest Country on Earth, by the British New Economics Foundation’s (NEF), Happy Planet Index.

“The Index was based on life expectancy and environmental footprint, to rank the countries”, according to Adrienne Wilson, writing for Gadling.com on July 15th 2006.

Yet the local schools are without resources of any kind. Most of the children will never leave their villages.

“We really appreciate our guests, who since 2004 have helped us to send desperately needed school supplies to these isolated areas,” said Richard Tendys, the current owner of Seachange Lodge. “For those of us who use the benefits of the 21st century without a thought, it is good to invest in some children who hardly know the technology, that can help them, even exists.”

Vanuatu has never become commercialized like some of its South Pacific neighbours and so has maintained it own unique blend as an exotic travel destination.

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by osseous

A Private Island Paradise To Dream About For Your South Pacific Honeymoon Could Be Dolphin Island Fiji

A Fiji Honeymoon has to be the ultimate in the South Pacific if you can afford to go there in the first place!

What are dreams for, if not to come true, and Dolphin Island could be just waiting for you and your new spouse’s honeymoon vacation. The dream honeymoon should be spent on your own private island, waited on hand and foot, surrounded by blue seas, white sand, and no troubles in the world to come near you .

Potentially you could find all this on the seven acre Dolphin Island, which is the perfect place for either a stopover or a three day interlude in your honeymoon vacation.

Firstly of course you have to get to Fiji, which is an eleven hour flight from Los Angeles, but only four hours from Auckland, Sydney, and Brisbane. You will arrive at Nadi airport, and you can then choose how you get to Dolphin Island.

The least expensive option is a two hour drive around the coast to Rakiraki followed by a 10 minute boat trip.

Alternatively there is the helicopter and seaplane which are much quicker but not included in the price!!

Dolphin Island apart from this is all-inclusive, and it really is a private island paradise, consisting of just two dwellings or Bures, and you will be the only guests on the island at any one time.

The two Bures stand next to each other, built in traditional Fijian style, they are built up off the ground with wide and roomy verandas to maximise the sea breezes, and face the setting sun. One Bure is purely for dining, and relaxing, whilst the other one has two completely separate suites and both are air conditioned.

Truthfully there isn’t a huge amount to do at Dolphin Private Island, but most activity is naturally based on the sea. Snorkeling equipment is available as well as advice on where to most enjoy the crystal clear water and the multi coloured fish. The more energetic can paddle kayaks or sail a Hobie Cat.

On land you can walk around the island at low tide and here you get the chance to look at ancient Fijian fishing pools. If you are feeling particularly adventurous you can follow a walking trail and spend a night sleeping out in a room on the other side of the island.

Dolphin Island is truly a magical hidden island and perfect for a few days in the middle of a South Pacific Honeymoon. Just don’t expect sophisticated modern accouterments. This is simple and quite magnificent. The bures are decorated in the style of the local Fijian houses. The furniture is handcrafted, the bures have wooden beams hewn from local trees, and a dark local cloth covers the walls.

The food is exceptionally good, and of course cooked especially to please you, the only guests, in this exclusive laid back paradise that is Dolphin Private Island, home of the owner of New Zealand’s famous Huka Lodge. The management and staff also go out of their way to ensure you feel like the owners during your stay!!

If you can get to Dolphin Island and you don’t have to be on your Fiji South Pacific honeymoon. You might just be in need of a romantic break, and a Fiji Island vacation. This will do nicely!!

If you like the idea of a South Pacific Hideaway, then click on http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com/categories/Pacific-Ocean-Hideways/

by pareidoliac

A Different South Pacific Island For Your Romantic Getaway

A South Pacific Vacation makes you think of Fiji, French Polynesia, Tahiti, but not perhaps Lord Howe Island. Yet Lord Howe Island could be just the perfect South Pacific Island vacation destination, a real romantic getaway, and yet easily accessible from the eastern seaboard of Australia, as it only takes two hours flying time.

Lord Howe Island is an extraordinary place, and has been described as the last paradise, where you will often find more fish and bird species than people, and this includes the visitors as well!! The reason for this is there are around 300 residents and then a restriction of 400 visitors at any one time. For this reason it is never crowded, and a good reason to call itself a real south pacific island romantic getaway

Lord Howe Island has the most southerly coral reef in the world and it is absolutely teeming with over 500 species of fish, plus many varieties of coral. It makes a superb sight below water line but pretty spectacular above, where there is a lovely lagoon protected by the line of surf that denotes the reef. This is a place with no pollution and the beaches are spotless.

Lord Howe Island is dramatic to look at, as it came from an ancient volcanic eruption, and the southern end is dominated by two large mountains called Mt.Gower, and Mt.Lidgbird, named after the Commander of the first ship to visit the island, which soar 875 metres out of the ocean.

Visitors definitely step back in time when they arrive here, and there are few of the trappings of resort style 21st century life for the holidaymaker. This is a place for nature lovers, and people who like nothing better than to walk and even hike in the mountains.
In addition you can hand feed the fish at Ned’s Beach, go for a lagoon cruise in a glass bottomed boat, charter a boat to go fishing, or take the two hour round the island trip. By the way the island is 11 kms long and 3kms at its widest.

I terms of where to stay on Lord Howe Island, then there are 17 family run accommodation properties, ranging from full board to self catering, but please note, there is no camping permitted. You can hire a car when you are here if you pre book it, but bicycles are the popular mode of transport.

The weather on Lord Howe, is sub tropical varying from 18-28 degrees C.
The Best time to visit Lord Howe Island is really anytime!! In fact from September to May is summertime, and it is usually fine and mild to warm and hot. You are advised to bring a jacket for cooler evenings, and that you should bring a raincoat. You’ll need comfortable shoes and sandshoes for reef walking. You’ll need a torch to find your way around at night because there are no street lights.

There are no entry requirements, and Australian citizens don’t need a passport.
Lord Howe Island isn’t only a great place for a romantic getaway it is also a paradise for children because they can roam free in perfect safety, because there are no snakes, nothing poisonous, and almost zero crime. Honeymooners and escapists love it because you are out of the range of mobile phone masts.

Go to Lord Howe Island for a South Pacific Island Vacation with a difference.

For more information about South Pacific Hideaways http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com/categories/Pacific-Ocean-Hideways/

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by osseous

Nukubati Island Resort Labasa The Most Romantic Hotel In The South Pacific

I had a week on Nukubati Island Resort Labasa, as part of my honeymoon and I thought it was absolutely amazing. Whilst being greeted by hotel staff on the beach is quite commonplace in the South Pacific, this was something else.

Their voices are so harmonious, and apart from our welcome song, there were ice cool flannels, and welcoming drinks, and boy did we need them!! We had read reports which included quotes like “Most romantic hotel in the South Pacific.” And we very quickly realised why.

It is important to be aware that this is an all inclusive resort, and we were looking for all inclusive adult only hotels for our South Pacific Honeymoon.

This is the perfect escape with no phones, no television just serious relaxation.

Jetlag can spoil the first few days of a vacation especially when you are close to the international dateline, and having to conform to meal times isn’t what you want to do. We need not have worried, because we discovered after sleeping in almost all day after arriving, that you can pretty well eat when you want to. We were brought champagne and canapés, and then we had a wonderful seafood meal, and tons of fresh vegetables which we discovered were literally from the back garden!!

We could have eaten in our honeymoon bure all the time, but the dining room was a real treat with tablecloths, candlelight, fresh flowers, looking out onto the beach, and views you can’t really do justice to here.

If you want to see photographs then go to http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com/articles/128/1/Nukubati-Island-Resort-Labasa-the-Most-Romantic-Hotel-in-the-South-Pacific/Page1.html

Fiji and the Pacific islands in general are so lush, and not without reason. It is because of the amount of rain, but it is such warm rain, and it hits you so hard it is totally exhilarating to be out in. I’d never realised before now how much fun swimming in the rain can be!!

Above all it was the superb service, and the attention to detail that we loved. The little things we observed like the mosquito repellent burner at your dinner table, the water tray at the door of the bure, so you don’t bring sand in. The boat bringing you in, takes you to the beach outside your bure, and there would have been a towel on your seat on the boat to stop you from burning yourself.

We attended Sunday church in the local village, and the singing and the harmony was so moving it made me cry.

We also were taken out for a sandbank picnic, which was epic, not only for the picnic, but also the snorkelling afterwards. These little sandbanks only appear for a few hours, but we were taken there, and the staff set up umbrellas, table, chairs, champagne, and a three course delicious lunch, then they picked us up before the sandbank reappeared.

Nukubati is without a doubt the most romantic place I have ever visited. I felt so far away from every care, in fact from the world. I felt we were seeing the traditional Fiji. I know we came looking for an all inclusive adult only hotel for our South Pacific Honeymoon, and what we found was the most romantic hotel in the South Pacific

Kelli O’Hara and Paulo Szot perform “Some Enchanted Evening” from the Broadway revival of South Pacific on The View.

by Kim Smith

The Most Romantic Hotel In The South Pacific Has To Be The Wadigi Island Resort In Fiji

The most romantic hotel in the South Pacific has to be the Wadigi Island Resort in Fiji. If we were to make a list of the most romantic getaways we have enjoyed then the two most romantic vacations have both been in Fiji, but the Wadigi Island Resort was quite exceptional.

When my husband and I planned our wedding we decided to look for the most romantic affordable honeymoon ideas, but the more we looked at the Wadigi Island Resort, the more we knew, that never mind the cost it just looked the most romantic hotel never mind in the South pacific, but almost anywhere!!

Everyone wants an exotic honeymoon vacation, and Julian and I were lucky enough to be able to afford the Wadigi Island Resort, but having said that we only discovered it from a business acquaintance who thought it would be a great idea to tell us of his most romantic honeymoon ideas in the South pacific.

So think about this, Wadigi Island is hidden in the Mamanuca Islands, but it is just a 10 minute helicopter flight from Nadi Airport.

It is a tiny resort with only three deluxe suites, right on the edge of a cliff, with just the most incredible views.

We had two gourmet chefs, a hostess, maid, and the boat captain who appeared to be completely at our beck and call, so it won’t be a surprise to learn that the food was just gourmet, and the surroundings private and pristine.

To return to the food for a moment, when you are on your honeymoon, you want the best of the best, and when it comes to the food, then that is what you get, all totally personalized, fresh, quite beautifully presented, and you can pretty well choose where you want it served to you. I haven’t mentioned the drinks service either, our hostess prepared what we wanted when we wanted it, and the wines we were served at dinner, or lunch, were the best.

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