Adventuring in the Pacific: The Islands of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia

Adventuring in the Pacific guides travelers through 15 South Pacific island nations, a region five times the size of the continental United States. This vast area covers all of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, and offers a spectacular range of natural attractions -- volcanic formations, highlands, atolls, coral reefs, lagoons, waterfalls, and beaches -- harboring a broad variety of birds, animals, plant life, and marine creatures.Adventuring in the Pacific features:-- Island-by-island profiles of the terrain, history, native customs, and not-to-be-missed places that give each island its special character, such as Colo-i-Suva, a lush forest park, on Suva, Fiji;-- Outdoor recreational opportunities, such as scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, hiking, mountain climbing, sightseeing by bicycle, car, or boat, and beachcombing on endless white sand beaches like those of Ha'apai, Tonga;-- Travel information on the best seasons to visit, transportation, accommodations, scheduling, visa requirements, language, shopping, and native arts along with entertainment, cultural events, and night life. Current maps clearly display the geography of each region and island nation;-- A chapter on "The Literary Pacific," detailing the works of those writers who helped shape the popular image of the South Seas, including Herman Melville, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack London, and James Michener;-- Nine invaluable Appendices covering airlines, dazzling itineraries for travelers with even the most limited time, field research, birding, helpful vocabulary terms, and a handy "Quick Reference Guide to Pacific Destinations."