FrugalMonkey Discount Travel News

Category: Oceania

  • Vacation Like a Star – Celebrity South Pacific Getaways

    When the stars want to escape the glare of the paparazzi they fly out of Hollywood and head across the world to the South Pacific.

    And with the region's pristine beaches, tropical weather, and exclusive resorts, who can blame them? Wakaya Resort is a favorite of a host of stars, with Bill Gates, Pierce Brosnan, Keith Richards, Michelle Pfieffer, and Russell Crowe amongst its famous guests. It's not hard to see why these celebs keep coming back; with just 20 guests allowed to stay at any one time Wakaya offers the sort of privacy few resorts can match. Of course, the stars pay for the privilege with luxury cottages starting from $1900 US a night. But that's just the tip of the luxury iceberg. Most celebs splash out the exclusive House in the Clouds, which costs $7600 a night. That buys the very lucky occupants their own fitness center and cliff-side swimming pool, so there's no risk of unflattering exercise snaps ending up in the tabloids. Nearby Turtle Island, also in Fiji, is another haven for Hollywood stars. It didn't help their marriages last, but high-profile couples Britney Spears and Kevin Federline and Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey all enjoyed honeymoons on this privately owned island. There is just one resort, which caters for no more than 28 guests at a time. They get to enjoy paradise: 14 sparkling beaches and 100 staff eager to serve. [caption id="attachment_3044" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Mount Otemanu in Bora Bora"]Bora Bora[/caption] Their lodgings are private cottages known as bure, each equipped with a plush bedroom, bathroom, private bar, and a Bure Mama. This kindly soul takes care of the housekeeping and laundry, leaving you free to enjoy yourself. While you can set out on your own, she's also happy to tag along as tour guide and personal photographer. It costs $2000 US per night to stay on Turtle Island, but if you've got cash to spare you can reserve the entire isle for a week. That extravagance costs $300, 000. The final stop on our South Pacific star tour is the St Regis Hotel in Bora Bora. This decadent spa resort's guest list includes famous lovebirds Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, and basketball star Tony Parker and Eva Longoria. These stars stayed in one of 100 private villas, and enjoyed the attentive services of a 24-hour butler. There's a private beach and jacuzzi for cooling down, and a private chef for those special meals for two. Compared to the other South Pacific spots we've profiled, a stay here almost seems cheap. Rooms start from $925 US a night.

  • Swim with Whales in Tonga – South Pacific Adventure with Gentle Giants of the Sea

    Many coastal tourist destinations around the world invite visitors to swim with seals and dolphins, but you’ll need to travel to Tonga if you hope to swim with whales.

    The South Pacific nation is known as The Friendly Islands, and its humpback whales are just as genial as the natives. More than 160 of the marine mammals return to Tonga's calm waters each year to mate. They stay there until their babies are born, nursing them in the warm Pacific waters before returning to polar oceans. WhaleSwim is Tonga's premiere whale experience company. Owner Rae Gill was inspired to create the business after meeting her first humpback whale off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Along with a team of conservationists, a marine biologist, and wildlife photographers, she leads three, four, seven and nine-day snorkeling tours. This crew of ecotourism experts ensures the expeditions are run with whale conservation in mind. During the tours you'll learn a lot about the humpback whales, both from the guides and from your own up-close interaction with them. You'll hear their famous songs through a hydrophone on the tour boat, and take home video footage of your time on the tour as a souvenir. This is the kind of footage you'll want to show your friends! [caption id="attachment_3007" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The magnificent humpack whale"]The magnificent humpack whale[/caption] The tours are a little expensive, with the short three-day option costing $600 AUS. However, with expeditions restricted to a maximum of 12 people, and five on the photography expeditions, you are guaranteed to receive a quality experience. This price also includes airport transfers, all meals and accommodation at the Hilltop Hotel and Blue Lagoon Resort. WhaleSwim Adventures conducts tours between late July and the middle of October.

  • Drinking Kava in Fiji – Tips for Traditional Island Ceremony

    During your stay in Fiji, you will likely come face to face with kava. Fiji’s national drink appears much like dirty dishwater, but partaking in it is an essential part of your Pacific stay.

    The national flag of Fiji
    The national flag of Fiji

    Chiefs offer this ceremonial beverage to visitors as part of village tours. It is a sign you are welcomed into the village as a friend. The drink is prepared using the root of the piper methstyicum plant. While it is non alcoholic, kava’s mild analgesic properties may make you feel lethargic and tingly.

    The kava ceremony is serious business. Before drinking, you will sit cross-legged on a woven mat facing the chief. To show your respect, you should wear modest clothes, be quiet, and lower your head. Kava is served in a bilo, or coconut shell. Before accepting it, clap once with cupped hands and say “Bula” to express your gratitude. Clasp the shell with both hands and drink quickly, as you would an alcoholic shot. After downing the kava, return your shell and clap three times before saying “Bula” again.

    Kava is best experienced on a village tour, although most lodging you can book in Fiji also have kava nights. This kava is much weaker than that served in the villages, but it’s often more palatable to Western tastes.

    Kava is an acquired taste, but tourists should mask their displeasure. The chief may be offended if you do not like the kava, or if you refuse it altogether. Instead, embrace the kava ceremony as a unique part of Pacific culture.

  • See Fiji’s Rainforests with a Zip Trekking Tour

    It’s got a reputation for sun, surf, and sand, but there’s more to Fiji than its coastal allure.


    The island nation is also home to thousands of hectares of tropical rainforest.
    While bush walking is always an option, Fiji’s zip trekking tours provide an experience that’s just a little different.

    Zip trekking lifts you up off the rainforest floor and high into the canopy. The method, which originated in Costa Rica, uses specialized climbing equipment to zip from one treetop platform to the next along steel cables.

    By getting off the ground, zip trekking allows you to see Fiji’s flying foxes, colorful parrots, butterflies, tree frogs, and other creatures that don’t live on the forest floor.

    With the platforms elevated as high as 45 meters above the ground, zip trekking is not for the faint hearted. To make you feel a little more confident though, travelers are connected to the wire or zip line by secure harnesses. Each harness also has a brake to slow things down. Once your nerves have settled, feel free to forget the brake and enjoy traveling through the trees at 60 km/h speeds.

    While zipping along is lots of fun, the platforms give trekkers the chance to stop and take in their surroundings. Here the guides will also share their knowledge of the local area and its flora and fauna.ziptrekking

    Zip Fiji runs two-hour zip trekking tours every day at Pacific Harbour, located two hours from the Fijian tourist center of Nadi. They cost $125 FJD for adults and $65 FJD for children. This price includes the tour, the guide, and all zip trekking equipment. Bookings can be made in person or online through the Zip Fiji website.

    [Image Source: Kyhuskers2/Flickr]

  • Romantic Aitutaki in Cook Islands the Ideal Vacation Spot for Honeymooners and Lovebirds

    The Cook Islands is a tropical slice of Oceania made up of 15 isles. Most tourists flock to the capital, Rarotonga, but if you have romance in mind the more peaceful Aitutaki is a much better choice.


    Couples can enjoy a little alone time at luxurious accommodation options including the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa and the five-star Pacific Resort. Both resorts are positioned right on the beach, with fine white sand and fragrant frangipani trees helping to create an idyllic island atmosphere. They also offer the kind of opulent rooms that lovebirds will struggle to leave. However if you do feel like venturing out, the resorts offer plenty of fun activities. You could immerse yourself in local culture with hula dancing classes and ukulele lessons. You could even learn to make traditional seafood dishes, or simply sit back and let the resort staff do all the work. Fishing and diving expeditions and lagoon cruises are other ways of experiencing all the island has to offer without breaking a sweat. This is a destination which encourages rest and relaxation after all.

    aitutakiWith lush private rooms, long white beaches lined with coconut palms, and tranquil surrounds, Aitutaki is a natural choice for honeymooners. If you’re not hitched already, the big resorts can take care of that too. Both Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa and the Pacific Resort offer wedding packages. The hotels take care of the license, celebrant, flowers, and all the trimmings, leaving you more time to relax and enjoy your special day.

    Aitutaki is a 50-minute flight from Rarotonga. The international carrier Air New Zealand flies to Rarotonga via the Kiwi cities of Auckland and Christchurch. Air Rarotonga runs daily flights between the Cook Islands capital and its secluded sister from $390 return.