15 Beautiful Places in the South Pacific That (Almost) Don’t Look Real

This natural, ocean-fed pool is evidence of an ancient volcanic explosion that peppered the landscape of the Samoan island of Upolu with various blowholes. One of the isle’s most magnificent is so tua ( “giant swimming hole” in the local language), which is up to 30 metres deep in some places. The AU$8 visiting fee (paid in local currency) is a contribution to the local families that look after these idyllic tropical grounds that include sandy beaches and great fishing spots. Descend the long timber ladder to reach the swimming platform before sunset; it closes at 5pm daily.

Just half an hour from the capital of Port Vila via sealed roads that skim the gorgeous Efate coast, this swimming spot and its bright, cyan-toned water surrounded by leafy forest is beloved by locals and tourists alike. It’s AU$6 to visit, so bring local currency (cash only) as well as lunch provisions, a towel and your rope-swinging skills as there are plenty dangling from the waterside branches, tempting you to execute an Insta-flawless splash into paradise.

This thundering 54-metre-tall waterfall is not an AI-generated scene from Jurassic Park but rather a natural gem in the heart of Samoan rainforest, six hours by plane from Brisbane. Visible from a viewing platform and surrounded by abundant vegetation, it’s part of a 25-hectare, privately owned property (hence the AU$10 access fee), which also hosts events, guided tours and cultural experiences including coconut grating.

As humpback whales migrate from the Antarctic to the South Pacific during cooler months, they pass through Tonga’s tropical waters. This is when intimate, up-close experiences become available from four of Tonga’s 170 islands (Tongatapu, ‘Eua, Ha’apai and Vava’u), enabling you to swim with these peaceful giants in clear waters of a temperate 20-odd degrees. As per Tongan protocol, only four people are allowed in the water with a guide at a time, so small tour groups may guarantee you more time with the migratory mammals.

Fiji’s Yasawa Island chain is a veritable playground for those who like their adventure with a side of unreal visual splendour. This collection of 20 volcanic atolls just north-west of Viti Levu (accessible by ferry), delivers postcard-worthy panoramas at every turn. Yasawa is also a hub for manta rays from May to October; swim with them on a small group tour as they glide through crystal-clear waters. If you’re game for more rugged experiences, tackle the walking tracks that wind along honeycombed rock faces or embark on a guided journey into the ethereal (and chilly) Sawa-i-Lau caves.

This captivating lake – the only natural lake in Tahiti – was formed in ancient times, when falling volcanic rocks trapped water inside an 800-metre-long valley. Now best explored by ATV with pit stops at waterfalls and secluded swimming spots, the surrounding valley is as majestic as ever, with a heady scent of ginger flowers and a backdrop of dramatic mountains encasing it all.

This active basalt volcano on the archipelago’s island of Tanna has been bubbling away for 800 years, earning it the name the “lighthouse of the Pacific”. This commanding sight, standing at 361 metres tall with a 400-metre-wide crater mouth, is enchanting – most notably for its moonscape-like exterior and smouldering lava-filled cauldron, which can be viewed from the crater’s rim, a safe 150 metres away. You can take a 4WD to an area just below the rim (it’s a further 20 minutes on foot to the crater’s first viewing area) or ascend the whole way on foot. Our choice for descent? An “ash boarding” experience down the volcano’s sloped sides.

This spectacular pocket of French Polynesia (about an hour north by plane from the capital Papeete) is blessed with fantastic shades of blue and green, from the water to the mountains and sky; all of which are made even more striking against the sugary white shoreline. Surrounded by the remnants of a long-ago-dormant volcano, Bora Bora Lagoon is now dotted with overwater bungalows, schools of bright butterfly fish and snorkelling spots aplenty, making it ideal for romantic escapes or an indulgent self-care holiday.

A slice of paradise just two hours by plane from Australia’s east coast, Lord Howe – which hosts a maximum of 400 visitors at a time – is a case study in untouched natural beauty and protected ecosystems. Here you’ll find few tourists, but you might run into any number of the 207 different bird species and 241 endemic plants found exclusively on this 11-kilometre-long island. Mount Gower overlooks all this beauty, offering 360-degree views of the surrounding marine park, reef systems and day-touring fishing charters, which are known to help eager travellers snag a trevally, silver drummer, bluefish and endemic double-header wrasse all in one afternoon.

Shadows of coconut palms mingle with the ever-changing technicolour troupe of marine life in this lagoon-adjacent beach on Rarotonga, one of the most popular stretches of sand in the Cook Islands, just six hours by plane from Sydney. The warm turquoise waters, surrounded by a canopy of rainforest foliage, are as popular with turtles and rays as they are with surfers and scuba divers. It’s also home to the cash-only Muri Night Markets, held at Muri Beach Village, which hosts local food trucks and souvenir stands.

Both the gigantic size and intricacy of the resident hand-carved stone heads and statues, or moai, is hard to fathom for any visitor to this remote Chilean isle. On Rapa Nui (Easter Island), there are up to 900 of these megalithic creations, some of which stand at almost 10 metres tall. Their presence is made all the more impressive by their location – they’re placed across a landscape of grassy hills bordered by cliffs of volcanic ash, now deemed a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Each moai face has its own unique personality, expression and texture; find your favourite, then finish your adventure with fresh ceviche at La Kaleta, a renowned seafood restaurant right on the waterfront.

A cluster of 62 volcanic islands surrounded by low-lying coral reefs, the string of Tongan isles known as Ha’apai brims with natural beauty. Comb its white-sand shores to spot critters or take a step back in time on Lifuka (one of the chain’s biggest atolls) as you explore archaeological sites such as Hulu’ i Paongo Tomb (the final resting place of Mata’uvave chiefs) or the Langi ‘o Olovehi burial grounds. With average daily temperatures of 26°C, the islands are ripe for unhurried exploration.