October 17, 2003 -- Choose from picture-perfect French Polynesian islands of Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti, or go farther afield to the more ethnically diverse and friendly Fiji for an idyllic fall or winter vacation. We've found some not-insane prices on packages to these beauties in the South Pacific.
In the race for our attention, Go-Today wins with the cheapest package, starting from $999 to Fiji for a five-night stay. The deal includes roundtrip airfare out of Los Angeles, five nights at the Club Fiji Beach Resort, with buffet breakfast daily, hotel taxes and hotel service charges, and an airport lei welcome. For only $150 more ($1,149), you can stay at the Hideaway Resort and get complimentary introductory sessions on scuba diving, a free 30-minute massage, a village tour and a cabaret/cultural show (excluding a fire walking exhibition). You must book by November 27 to get these prices for travel through December 4. Add-on prices include:
- $70 from San Jose, Phoenix and San Francisco
- $160 from San Diego
- $300 from Dallas, Denver, Houston or Tulsa
- $400 from Chicago, Kansas City, New Orleans or St. Louis
- $500 from Atlanta, Boston, New York, Washington, D.C. or West Palm Beach
Contact Go-Today at www.go-today.com or phone them at 425/487-9632. You can talk for free, but be warned -- there's an additional $20 fee for booking over the phone.
Tahiti Vacations, an Air Tahiti company, has come out with several winter packages, the cheapest of which is a Tahiti-Moorea pairing giving you two nights at Maeva Beach and four nights at Ia Ora Moorea; prices start from $1,299. There are four more six-night packages involving Tahiti, Moorea and/or Bora Bora, ranging from $1,399 to $1,799. The prize for value, they say, is Bora Bora. A five-night stay includes four nights at the Maitai Polynesia on Bora Bora with daily breakfast and dinner included, and one night at the Te Tiare on Tahiti. The package features roundtrip air from Los Angeles, inter-island air in Polynesia, all transfers, baggage handling and lei greeting, for only $1,499. The deals are good from November 1 through March 31, 2004. Prices are per person, double occupancy, and airport/departure fees and taxes of about $65 not included. Certain restrictions apply. Contact Tahiti Vacations at www.tahitivacations.net or by phoning 800/553-3477.
Islands in the Sun, a specialist in this part of the world, has just announced a five-night Moorea vacation from only $1,399, including lodging at the Sheraton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa in a garden bungalow. Add Tahiti, and you have a six-night package for $1,459, including five nights at the InterContinental Beachcomber Resort Moorea in an air-conditioned lanai room, and one night at the same company's Tahiti resort in a garden view room (and dayroom until departure), with American breakfasts daily. There's a Tahiti/Bora Bora/Moorea deal of eight nights, including one in Tahiti, three nights in Bora Bora and four in Moorea, all at Sofitel properties, in either garden view or garden bungalow rooms, with American breakfast daily, from $1,749. All vacations include roundtrip air from Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui, interisland transport by air and all transfers, flower lei on arrival, shell lei on departure, and a free Tahitian black pearl pendant. Travel from November 1 through December 3 and again January 4 through March 24. Prices are per person, double occupancy, with some restrictions. There's a departure tax of about $69. For more information, phone Islands in the Sun at 800/828-6877 or go to www.islandsinthesun.com, click on Sizzling Specials.
