Chilean Coast To French Polynesia & Fiji

Buenos Aires, the vibrant capital of Argentina, dances to the rhythm of tango and pulses with cultural energy.

Nestled at the southernmost tip of Argentina, Ushuaia stands as the gateway to the wild and untamed landscapes of Tierra del Fuego.

Red roofs and smoking chimneys decorate the gently sloping hillsides of Punta Arenas (Sandy Point), the bustling center of one of the world's largest sheep farming areas. This pleasant community welcomes you with attractive parks and delightful Victorian architecture.

The towns are largely built of abundant local woods, and many houses are elaborately shingled in intricate designs. Even the cathedral is a beautiful, vaulted structure crafted of local hardwoods. The forest and the sea are the source of livelihood and much more in this rustic outpost.

The lake country of southern Chile seems to be altogether another world from the deserts of the north. The Lake District is graced with spectacular scenery, including the magnificent snowcapped volcanic cone, Mt. Osorno. Puerto Montt serves as the principal port for this region and as a gateway for cruises southward into Chile's fjords.

This large, modern port serves Chile’s capital, Santiago, a city with Spanish colonial charm and a vivacious spirit. Encircled by the Andes and the Coastal Range, Santiago is centered around the Plaza de Armas, with several of the city’s landmarks: the 18th-century Metropolitan Cathedral the Palacio de la Real Audencia from 1808, the City Hall and the National Museum of History. North of San Antonio lie the picturesque old port and university town of Valparaíso and the colorful seaside resort of Viña del Mar. In between the coast and the capital are valleys filled with some of Chile’s most famous wineries, all inviting you to come and taste.

Over 1,000 miles away from its nearest inhabited neighbour, remote Easter Island is a unique Chilean treasure in the South Pacific.

Adamstown is the capital of, and the only settlement on, the Pitcairn Islands.

The 77 Tuamotus, (the name means “Distant Islands” in Polynesian) comprise the largest chain of coral atolls on earth. They sprawl across the vast blue South Pacific Ocean encompassing an area the size of Western Europe. Atolls are literally the skeletal remains of coral reefs, forming rings of crushed coral sand surrounding a shallow central lagoon. The natural flora and fauna of the Oceanic realm is adapted to this environment, and Fakarava’s large lagoon is designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. The people of Fakarava farm coconuts for copra on shore and pearls in the lagoons. They also host the travelers who flock here to bask on the beaches and snorkel or dive in the luxuriant coral gardens along the shore. At the long spit of Les Sables Roses, the pink blush of the sand reveals its coral origin. The sleepy towns of Rotoava and Tetamanu offer scant attractions for visitors, except for their distinctive rock lighthouses shaped like stepped pyramids. Tetamanu does boast a 19th Century church built of coral rock by missionaries, and an adjoining cemetery with coral rock headstones. Aside from snorkeling or beach-basking, some visitors enjoy a visit to a lagoon pearl farm, to see how the large, flat bivalves are coaxed into creating the treasured gems formed by the lustrous nacre inside their shells.

Explore the breathtaking beauty of Tahiti with its vast mountains, white sandy beaches, turquoise ocean and glittering coral reefs.

The second-largest of the Society Islands is practically twinned with its neighbor Taha’a. Actually they are connected by a reef in the same lagoon and may have been one island in the past. The main town, Uturoa is where most of the population lives. It’s lively, although no competition for Tahiti. Called the Sacred Island, Raiatea’s name means “bright sky,” and it was probably the first human community in the islands. The ancient sacred site of Taputapuatea is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and may have been the place from which Polynesian migrations to Hawaii, the Cook Islands, New Zealand and the rest of the South Pacific started. Although less touristed than Tahiti, caring for visitors has grown in importance. Agriculture is mainly given over to coconuts, pineapples and vanilla. Vanilla orchids are hand-pollinated, since Raiatea has no insect pollinators for vanilla blossoms. South Seas pearls are farmed in the lagoon in various colors. A hike up Mt. Tapioi rewards with stunning views of the lagoon and sea, and tall Bora Bora on the far horizon. Another favorite hike leads to the island’s three waterfalls. The tallest peak, Mt. Temehani, is the place to look for the unique, five-petaled Tiare Apetahi flowers that grow nowhere else. The lagoon is dotted with tiny motus, which are mostly coral sand beach, and are popular for castaway swimming and snorkeling adventures.

Spread over 850,000 square miles of the South Pacific Ocean, these beautiful islands and atolls were formed by volcanic activity.

A total of sixteen islands comprise the Samoas, considered to be the heart of Polynesia. It was from these islands that early Polynesians sailed to populate other Pacific Islands. Today this chain of islands is divided into two political units - the U.S. Territory of American Samoa and the independent country of Western Samoa. Much of the charm of the Samoas lies in the simple village life and the friendly people, combined with a striking landscape of soaring mountain peaks, rugged coastlines, white sandy beaches and tropical rainforests rich in flowering plants. Western Samoa consists of a total of nine islands with the two main ones, Savi'i and Upolo, separated by a narrow strait. The country's capital Apia, resembling an old South Seas port during the early trading days, perches on the north coast of Upolo. Colonial-style wooden buildings and churches line the tree-shaded main street that curves around the harbor. The primary attractions include Parliament House, the village green, Independence Monument and the former home of Robert Louis Stevenson, now the residence of Western Samoa's head of state. A trip around the island passes mile after mile of stunning landscape, interspersed with tumbling waterfalls, breathtaking views, tiny villages, and coconut and cocoa plantations.

Vavaʻu is the island group of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. It is part of Vavaʻu District which includes several other individual islands. According to tradition the Maui god finished up both Tongatapu and Vavaʻu, but put a little more effort into the former.

Explore a lush rainforest, feast at a lovo before trying Kava, or simply unwind on an uninhabited atoll without a care in the world.

A major seaport, Fiji's second-largest city, Lautoka is the main center of the sugar and timber industries. Towering royal palms march in a long, orderly row from the main street to the harbor and into the heart of the city. Although Lautoka grew up around the Fijan village of Namoli, it is a very Indian town today.