If the words Fiji and Tahiti don't conjure up images of romance, pleasure and respite, then what will? Travelers have loved Tahiti since Captain Cook first anchored there in 1769. Some have even stayed: Just ask the French painter Gauguin or the actor Marlon Brando the latter of whom bought a nearby South Pacific island. Tahiti and Fiji are not so different now than they were in the past; the palm trees continue to sway, the red of the tiare flower is still vibrant and see-through waters are as clean as clean can be.
Pleasant Holidays (tel. 866/501-3874; www.pleasantholidays.com) has low-priced deals to both Fiji and Tahiti. A seven-night trip to the island of Moorea in Tahiti with accommodations at the Bali Hai Club directly overlooking Cook's Bay costs $1,315 with airfare out of Los Angeles -- just a seven-hour flight from Tahiti. The Club Bali Hai Club is a luxury resort perfectly situated on the water with expansive views of the inland mountainous terrain that characterizes Moorea in photos and films. With ample beach area and a swimming pool, the hotel makes for easy living. Local restaurants serving French fare and grilled fish are within walking distance or a short scooter ride away.
Pleasant Holidays has a trip to Fiji, also out of L.A., starting at $1,520 with lodging at the three-star First Landing Resort. Rooms at the property are decked out in cherry wood paneling. Some rooms even have small, private patios nestled within a cocoon of fauna and palm trees. First Landing, on the island of Viti Levu, also boasts the only white sand beach in Fiji's Nadi area, a spot known for large coral reefs teeming with sea life. Travel for this trip is good through November 30, 2006 with departure on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Fiji Travel (tel. 800/500-3454; www.fijitravel.com) out of California offers a variety of long and short trips to Fiji and environs. A five-night trip leaving from west coast gateways starts as low as $1,019 with an extension to Australia costing just $99 per person. Accommodations for this package are at Crusoe's Retreat, a boutique beachfront hotel located on Fiji's Coral Coast. You need to book this trip by December 15, 2006 for travel between now and March 31, 2007. Other available hotels include the Mana Island Resort -- the largest resort on the island with 160 rooms spread out over 35 acres -- for $1,289 per person. These no frills get-you-there deals include round-trip air transportation from L.A., transfers to and from the resort (a picturesque two-hour drive from the Nadi Airport in some cases), and five nights at the resort of your choice.
Travel to Tahiti with Fiji Travel costs only $946 from L.A. and $1,146 from New York. With accommodations at the Tiare Tahiti in downtown Papeete, this package puts you in the center of the action. The 38-room hotel is directly across the street from Papeete's port and within walking distance to the town's outdoor market -- a potpourri of smells, tastes, colors and people. From delicious street food with Asian, French and Polynesian influences to hand-woven baskets to freshly caught black pearls, the huge indoor/outdoor market is a site to behold and not to be missed. From the hotel, you can catch a US$2 bus ride to the black sand public beaches or any of the popular surfing sites scattered about the island. The ferry to Moorea -- a 45 minute high-speed ride away -- and other small local islands is right across the street, costing no more than $24 for a round-trip. Air taxes and security deals are not included in the price of any of the above packages. Travel on the Tahiti deal is good through December with that same December 15, 2006 booking deadline.
For travelers looking to get to Tahiti on their own, Air Tahiti Nui (tel. 877/824-4846; www.airtahitinui.com), has some specials on flights out of L.A. Nonstop round-trip to Papeete from L.A.is just $518 if you travel between November 2 to November 11, 2006 and issue your ticket by November 2, 2006. The fare does not include the government taxes and security fees (which don't exceed $110). The airline also has a combination special bundling Tahiti and New Zealand with Australia for $1,198 round-trip from New York to Sydney. The free stopovers in Auckland, New Zealand or Tahiti also include deals on hotels such as $50 per night stopover specials when you purchase the Sydney round-trip. The flights must leave from either New York or L.A. The hotels included in the package are four and five star properties such as the Sheraton in Tahiti and the Pearl Resort in Moorea.
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