Around the World Flights -  via The Pacific Island

Explore the Pacific Islands

This ticket is ideal for those who want to experience a slower, more relaxed pace of living on their round the world tour.

Expect white sandy beaches, aquamarine waters teeming wiith rainbow coloured fish. days spent swaying in hammocks and evenings relaxing at beachfront bars. Plus you won't meet many friendlier locals than the Pacific Islanders...

  

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0845 344 7667

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Product Details

"Around the world tickets" (a.k.a 'Round the World' or 'RTW' tickets) are a series of single flights built into one ticket. Valid for 12 months - this ticket literally takes you "Around the World" - making this one of the cheapest way to do a big trip to Australia.

How do they work?
Simple - choose the regions / countries you want to visit on your way to Australia and then on the way back. You can build your own ticket - for example - the most popular route is:

London - Los Angeles [USA] - Fiji - Cook Islands [Pacific Islands] - New Zealand - Australia - Singapore - travel overland to - Thailand - London

Price guide:
- Basic routes (4-6 stops) leaving off peak (April-August) cost as little as £800 (incl. taxes*)
- Many stops on many Continents leaving at peak times (Nov-Dec) could cost £2,500+ all-in
- Most people: leave Sept, Oct, Jan-March and pay £1,500-£1,800 (incl. taxes*)

* BEWARE! Watch out for 'Fr' or 'From' [e.g. Fr £566] and what look like really cheap RTW tickets. Once you include taxes and your travel dates the price will be similar to above.

Around the world via the Pacific Islands

If you're looking for paradise, you'll find it in the Pacific Islands. Take part in a kava ceremony in tropical Fiji, check out the legenary surf in Hawaii, snorkel and dive to your heart's content in the Cook Islands. Basically if beaches and baking yourself are your bag, head here...

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"BUILD YOUR OWN" AROUND THE WORLD TRIP: 3 easy steps

1. Read below what gapyear.com users have to say about the Pacific Islands
2. Find out what you can do and where
3. Decide whether to build this region into your RTW ticket

When you're ready to compare the routes you like, or if you're struggling and need assistance, simply call 0845 3 447 667 or enquire through our online system and we'll help you with the rest. Details at the bottom of this page.

1. THE KEY RTW STOPS IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS:

The most common stops are Fiji and the Cook Islands. However, bring your travel agent a box of Quality Street and they might let you stop in Tonga, Tahiti or Hawaii instead.

2. POPULAR ROUTES THAT INCLUDE THE PACIFIC ISLANDS:

London - Cape Town - travel overland to - Johannesburg [South Africa] - Perth - Cairns - travel overland to - Sydney [Australia] - Auckland [New Zealand] - Fiji - Hawaii [Pacific Islands] - L.A. [USA] - travel overland to - Mexico City [Mexico] - London

London - Johannesburg [South Africa] - Ho Chi Minh City [Vietnam] - travel overland to - Bangkok [Thailand] - Sydney [Australia] - Christchurch - travel overland to - Auckland [New Zealand] - Fiji - Cook Islands [Pacific Islands] - LA - travel overland to - San Francisco [USA] - London

London - Johannesburg [South Africa] - Singapore - Bali [Indonesia] - Brisbane - travel overland to - Melbourne [Australia] - Christchurch [New Zealand] - Fiji - Cook Islands [Pacific Islands] - L.A. - travel overland to - New York [USA] - London

London - Hong Kong [China] - Auckland [New Zealand] - Cook Islands or Fiji [Pacific Islands] - L.A. [USA] - London

London - Hong Kong [China] - Brisbane - travel overland to - Melbourne [Australia] - Auckland [New Zealand] - Fiji or Cook Islands [Pacific Islands] - L.A. [USA] - London

3. THINGS TO SEE & DO IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS:

1. Beaches, snorkelling
2. Beaches, 'island night', beaches
3. Windsurf, beaches, sail, beaches
4. Cross-island trek (to other beaches)
5. Buy black pearls

1. Surfing
2. Rainforest trekking
3. Whale watching
4. Warty for the King's birthday (early July)
5. Scuba diving and sit on a beach drinking cocktails

1. Watch the Billabong pro-surfing competition
2. Dive with sharks and rays
3. Enjoy the 'Heiva i Tahiti' festival
4. Visit the Gauguin museum

1. Visit Pearl Harbour
2. Surf the world famous Pipeline Beach
3. Visit active volcanoes in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
4. Do the Crater Rim Drive
5. See a hula fight at the Merrie Monarch Festival in April

1. Go to the Fiji Museum and see the shoe of the last person to be eaten on Fiji
2. Take part in a Kava ceremony in a village
3. Snorkel, Scuba dive
4. Hibiscus Festival in Suva
5. Go for the New Year’s celebrations

The most popular trip around this region:

Flying into Fiji, doing the Feejee Experience (a brilliant backpacker tour of Fiji - see at the bottom of this page) and then heading onto the Cook Islands for chilling in an idyllic setting.

If you’re considering a quick stop-off for less than a week on a Pacific Island then the old saying ‘beautiful beaches all look the same’ comes into play. Chances are you will be offered the option to stop off at more than one or maybe even all of them as part of your round the world ticket. Most choose Hawaii and Fiji. However, following their trip and armed with the benefit of hindsight, advise people to choose Fiji and the Cook Islands. If you do choose Hawaii spend slightly more time there, escape the concrete mess that is the island of Oahu and head to the other islands. Fiji is great, but also has other islands you should try and visit in the search for true Fijian village life, and not just a pretty beach. The Cook Islands are ideal for the perfect ‘Pacific Island photo’.

Our recommendation?

Two weeks minimum in Fiji travelling around the islands and checking out village life - the Feejee Experience is a great way of doing this. One week in the Cook Islands for the ‘Pacific Island Experience’… and then head on.

Why the Pacific Islands?

Your idea of the Pacific Islands probably involves white sands, warm seas, hammocks, palm trees, a chilled pace of life and several uses for the word 'azure'. Don't worry - we're not going to shatter this vision - the Pacific Islands have all these things and more. The 'more' part includes a fascinating history, largely intact traditional cultures, fascinating wildlife, diving, watersports and a lively backpacker scene.

What others say about this region...

Jess Elvidge: "I had a brilliant chilled-out time on Raratonga. I found the pace of life so relaxed. Just get yourself some snorkelling gear and go to the lagoon opposite 'Fruits of Rarotonga'... the fish are amazing and you won't see anything like it anywhere else."

Jenny Dodson: "The cluster of islands belonging to Fiji are all beautiful and so quiet. It was everything I hoped it would be. One day we had a whole stretch of beach to ourselves - it was truly paradise. Plus, I don't think you could ever find friendlier people than the Fijians..."

Cook Islands

Jenny Elvidge writes...
Working from the ocean inwards on Rarotonga, the main island of the group: first you have the deep blue Pacific Ocean which has stretched for hundreds of miles before you reached the island. Surrounding the island is a reef, about 100m offshore.

The waves crash onto the reef and so between there and the shore all you have is a perfectly clear blue lagoon, teeming with tropical fish, which encircles the entire island. Then there’s the beach, again running all the way round, absolutely beautiful. Then you reach the palm trees. Then cross the only road, a 30km circle looping round. After this you reach yet more palm trees and greenery, a few houses before the ground climbs more and more, and eventually becomes steep and craggy rock faces, covered in lush greenery. Couple this with warm but not humid weather, a mood so laid back its almost horizontal and backpacker friendly prices - I think they’ve got something good here.

Jenny's Top 5 things to do:

1. Snorkel amongst thousands of fishes
2. Windsurf or sail off Muri Beach
3. Buy black pearls, brightly-coloured clothes and rather rude Tangaroa figures
4. Do the cross island walk, from north to south Rarotonga
5. Go to an ‘island night’, eat traditional food (umukai - food cooked underground) and watch traditional dancing

Summary

A destination that sounds great when you talk about it to your mates. So, you are likely to have a choice of Pacific Islands, why choose this one? They all have great beaches, palm trees and unique 'island life' known only to these guys stuck out in the Pacific. We think the difference here is that it is a bit more backpacker friendly. A good selection of backpacker hostels and all the trimmings such as tours and entertainment that goes with it. The thing is, take the beaches and palms away and you'll find it's always great to experience a place like this with like minded people.

Tonga

Tonga is located in the very heart of the South Pacific, east of Fiji and south of Samoa. Made up of 176 islands, it is one of the most scenic and unspoiled of the Pacific Island nations.

Top 5 things to do:

1. Surf off the west coast of Tongatapu
2. Take a whale-watching trip
3. Dive amongst rainbow-coloured fishes and visit submerged wrecks
4. Hike in the pristine rainforest
5. Party like a Tongan during the first week of July, around the king's birthday, with parades, music festivals and torch-lighting ceremonies

Summary

If you can rate the islands on a 'beautiful Pacific Island rating', this would be up there with top marks. Less backpackers around than the rest, which is great if you want to take in this beauty. Photographers, divers and chilled beach worshippers will enjoy this place. So beautiful and less backpackers. If you want this, pick here.

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Tahiti

Tahiti and its 118 islands, arranged in five great archipelagos, cover over two million square miles of the South Pacific Ocean. Spread over an area as large as Western Europe, the total landmass of all the islands adds up to an area only slightly larger than the tiny state of Rhode Island. Head to Tahiti for craggy peaks, white, coral-sand beaches and sheltered lagoons, and a culture that is a blend of South Pacific charm and French chic (feast on French bread, croissants and cheese).

Top 5 things to do:

1. Catch some waves at the Billabong Pro surf competition at Teahupoo
2. Visit the Gauguin museum - the artist lived and painted in Tahiti
3. Visit the central market in Papeete
4. Dive with friendly sharks and giant sting-rays
5. Go in June / July for the 'Heiva i Tahiti' festival, where you’ll experience impressive costumes, drums, traditional sports and the Mr and Miss Tahiti competitions

Summary

Similar to Tonga in that it is not a popular, well visited backpacker destination. Plenty around mind, but quieter. If you're looking for more entertainment etc... consider the Cook Islands, Hawaii or Fiji. Again, beautiful islands, great for diving. The French culture and feel to the place is a massive feature that stands out from the rest - the one and only time you'll buy a croissant from a guy in a hut under a palm tree on the beach!

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Hawaii

Tom Griffiths writes...
Most people, when faced with a choice for their Pacific Island stop-over, will choose Hawaii every time. This may be a bad decision. Oahu, the main island that you will fly into, is more ‘America’ than idyllic Pacific Island. Honalulu / Waikiki is a concrete disgrace, so avoid. If you do go to Oahu, once you have done the obligatory visit to Pearl Harbour, head North.

The famous ‘Pipeline Beach’ may have massive waves if you time your visit with the appropriate weather conditions, and there is some cool accommodation up there. A few nice waterfalls to trek to, some nice national parks, plantations and loads of Americans on vacation kinda sums this place up. The nicer islands are Maui and Kauai. That said, if you are only going to visit the Pacific Islands once in your life and want a real Pacific Island experience, choose one of the others.

Tom's Top 5 things to do:

1. Visit Pearl Harbour
2. Surf off Pipeline Beach if the waves are up
3. Go to the Merrie Monarch Festival in April in Hilo, where hula groups compete
4. Check out active volcanoes & dramatic volcanic landscapes in the Hawaii Volcanoes Nat Park
5. Do the Crater Rim Drive, an 11-mile loop road that encircles the summit of Kilaue; you’ll see some amazing landscapes and maybe active lava flows

Summary

Chosen by most because they think it will be great, most leave disappointed. It's OK, but not the Pacific Island paradise you'll find in Tonga, Tahiti and the Cook Islands. If you're after that, go there. If you want more of a taste of interesting history, village life and a 'worldly feel', consider Fiji. Hawaii is good for Pearl Harbour, loads of American and Japanese tourists and 'big island' life. The other islands of Kuai and Maui are nice, but you need to take the time to head there and see them. The most expensive of the Pacific Island destinations, and also the most concreted. However, the islands are amongst the biggest, meaning that you can really get out and about to see stuff like the waterfalls, forests and unique countryside. If you have only one island option on your RTW, we'd suggest look elsewhere.

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Fiji

Tom Grifiths writes...
One of the most famous objects on Fiji is a shoe in a museum. No ordinary shoe, this is the shoe of the last person to be eaten on Fiji in the days when cannibalism still existed donkey’s years ago. Legend has it that the shoe has teeth marks in it. The reason for this little gem? Fiji has a history. It is an interesting history. If you end up going to Fiji and not living the history, not visiting some of the amazing Fijian villages that still operate under a Chieftain system and not getting involved in a Kava ceremony (where you clap hands and drink muddy water that makes your mouth tingle), then you have missed the point.

If you want to laze around on beautiful beaches and do squat all day, choose one of the other Pacific Islands. Fiji is full of islands, so go explore. You can of course do the lazy beach thing, but make sure it is on one of the remote islands with 30 other backpackers also trying to get away from it all.

Stories about beaches and palm trees are not told in pubs when you get home. Shoes with teeth marks and drinking muddy water in wooden thatched huts with some of the nicest people on earth - that’s your baby! Remember to take a gift from home to present to the Chief - they still have respect and manners in their culture.

Tom's Top 5 things to do:

1. Go to the Fiji Museum and see the shoe...
2. Take part in a Kava ceremony in a Fijian village
3. Snorkel or Scuba dive
4. Go for the New Year’s celebrations, which can last from a week to a month
5. Visit the Hibiscus Festival in Suva in the first week of August for colourful shows and parades

Summary

As Pacific Islands go, it is probably less beautiful than the Cook Islands, but nicer than Hawaii. The diving is good and the beach life is great too. The slow island life may drive you crazy when the bus doesn't come, but you'll grow to love it. Cheaper than Hawaii, more expensive than Vietnam. It's easy to travel around, English speaking, friendly place - a recommended stop-over.

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PACIFIC ISLANDS: SUMMARY:

Hawaii aside, most the Pacific Islands are relatively affordable, on the backpacker trail and very easy to travel around (walk too far and you get your feet wet). This option is attractive because it is a region you may never return to and it is the perfect destination to unwind on the way to Australia and boast about to your mates. Very safe, very beautiful, great beach-life.
The Pacific Island experience is awesome, so well worth considering.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR 'AROUND THE WORLD TRIP'

1. Click on 'Email' or 'Get a quote' above or below
2. Fill in the basic details of roughly / exactly when you plan to travel
3. For your 'Around the World' ticket, in the 'Trip information' box:

EITHER: Type in a list of countries/cities you would like to visit
OR: Show us a route you have seen on this site that you like

- If you need details of bus passes, visas etc. (shown below) please add this in
- Let us know if you qualify for 'Mate's rates' Discounts (if you're travelling with others)
- We'll get back to you within 48 hours and make your dream trip a reality!

Prefer to speak to us on the phone?
Call 0845 3 447 667

Money saving tips!
- Oz Experience is cheaper bought from our UK team than from Oz Experience in Australia
- Buy everything in one hit (RTW ticket, insurance, Oz experience etc.) and get a discount
- Solo travellers: get 'Mate's rates' discounts buy booking with others doing the same stuff

IN ADDITION TO YOUR RTW TICKET YOU ARE LIKELY TO NEED:

1. For Southern Africa
Hop-on-hop-off bus passes: Baz Bus
Overland truck tours: Check out our overlanding section

2. For Australia
Hop-on-hop-off bus passes: Oz Experience (include tours) OR Greyhound (just bus)
Starter Packs: Work starter pack, Country starter pack
Visas: Working Holiday Visa, Non working Visitors Visa, Study Visa
Tours: (Ayers Rock, Fraser Island, Blue Mountains etc...)
- We suggest you include these as part of your Oz Experience bus tour
- If you are using Greyhound you can book direct using our Tours section

3. For New Zealand
Hop-on-hop-off bus passes: Kiwi Experience, NZ Flexi Pass, Magic Bus OR Haka Tours
Starter Packs: Work starter pack, Country Starter Pack
Visas: Working Holiday Visa, Non working Visitors Visa
Tours: We suggest you include these as part of your bus tour and don't book direct

4. For General Travel
Discount Cards: Gap Year Card, VIP, YHA

Explore the Pacific Islands

This ticket is ideal for those who want to experience a slower, more relaxed pace of living on their round the world tour.

Expect white sandy beaches, aquamarine waters teeming wiith rainbow coloured fish. days spent swaying in hammocks and evenings relaxing at beachfront bars. Plus you won't meet many friendlier locals than the Pacific Islanders...

  

OR CALL OUR ADVISORS ON

0845 344 7667

THE AROUND THE WORLD HELPLINE