tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-190184902008-10-05T15:04:32.841-07:00an island travel blog with news and views from the South PacificDavid Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comBlogger327125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-48169430020662751172008-10-02T09:57:00.000-07:002008-10-02T10:00:13.795-07:00

People sometimes ask me how they can become travel writers. Well, although travel writing is a completely different genre from the guidebook writing I do, Dave Fox’s Globejotting would be a good place to launch a career as the next Paul Theroux. Dave teaches classes on how to write personal travel journals, and his book reveals the secrets of this surprisingly underrated craft. His tips on speed

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-9925503305354599832008-10-02T09:55:00.000-07:002008-10-02T09:56:58.924-07:00

The Fiji Visitors Bureau is to be renamed and rebranded Tourism Fiji in January 2009. French Polynesia changed the name of the government-financed Tahiti Tourist Development Board to Tahiti Tourisme years ago and Fiji is finally following their lead. “Tourism Fiji” is less stuffy than “Fiji Visitors Bureau” and better describes what Fiji’s tourism bureaucracy is all about. Unfortunately for Fiji,

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-43742204306884617332008-10-02T09:53:00.000-07:002008-10-02T09:55:12.206-07:00

Tourist arrivals in French Polynesia are down 8.4% this year, falling from 124,245 visitors during the first seven months of 2007 to 113,805 in the same period in 2008. Resorts with low occupancy rates have begun laying off staff and the airlines are cutting flights. Air Tahiti Nui is suspending its flights from New York and Osaka, and in February it will drop one of its two weekly nonstop

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-48882468448441419462008-10-02T09:52:00.000-07:002008-10-02T09:53:34.445-07:00

It’s reported that the Torres and Banks islands of northern Vanuatu have been without shipping services since 2007. The shops are empty and copra warehouses full. Educational and medical supplies are running out and local schools may have to close. Residents who cannot afford high interisland airfares are unable to travel. Getting around Vanuatu by boat always was difficult and things seem to be

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-219865495828727992008-09-26T14:07:00.001-07:002008-09-26T14:07:45.594-07:00

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-8507912566850099312008-09-26T14:06:00.000-07:002008-09-26T14:07:18.675-07:00

For six months beginning in March 2009, Silversea Cruises will be homeporting the 132-passenger mini-cruise ship Prince Albert II at Papeete. This vessel combines luxuries such as a spa, sauna, whirlpools, beauty salon, fitness center, boutiques, library, evening entertainment, and 24-hour room service with expedition-style capabilities such as a strengthened hull and zodiacs. The Tahitian

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-33033036389873252642008-09-26T14:05:00.000-07:002008-09-26T14:06:19.032-07:00

The Fiji carrier Air Pacific has announced that it will fly to Gold Coast/Coolangatta Airport southeast of Brisbane, Australia, beginning in December 2008. The non-stop flights from Nadi will operate twice a week using a 160-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Queensland’s Gold Coast is one of Australia’s top tourist destinations, which would seem to make it a good fit with Fiji. The famous beaches of

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-75307025190698601332008-09-22T18:36:00.000-07:002008-09-24T18:50:37.642-07:00

In July 2008 several sites relating to the legendary Vanuatu leader Chief Roy Mata were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. In 1967 French archaeologist Jose Garanger discovered the burial site of Roy Mata and 50 sacrificed members of his entourage on tiny Eretoka or Artok island off the west coast of Efate. Garanger had been attracted to the area by oral traditions, which is rather

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-59410159069227593122008-09-22T18:31:00.000-07:002008-09-22T18:33:28.016-07:00

The second Vaka Eiva Paddling Festival will take place at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands from November 14 to 21, 2008. The first Rarotonga Vaka Eiva was in November 2004, and Vaka Eiva 2008 is expected to attract up to 600 paddlers from as far afield as Australia, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Samoa. The week of outrigger canoe races will culminate with a 36-kilometer,

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-66415634521115986532008-09-22T18:23:00.000-07:002008-09-22T19:28:08.250-07:00

For 32 years the Institute of Pacific Studies at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, has been a leading publisher of books about the Pacific islands written by the islanders themselves. Their online catalog lists hundreds of titles in a wide range of fields, some available on Google Books. On September 17, 2008, three new books were launched: A Personal Perspective: The Speeches of

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-19845849974117206382008-09-22T18:18:00.000-07:002008-09-22T18:19:54.124-07:00

I’ve been interviewed by the travel blog Travel Blissful about places in the South Pacific I like and don’t like, the future of tourism to the region, travel writing, and my guidebooks. Travel Blissful styles itself as a “site for everyone who are passionate about travel and photography.” It’s worth a look.

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-15033065228910386042008-09-14T10:24:00.000-07:002008-09-14T10:29:11.459-07:00

The entire text of the 6th edition of Moon Handbooks Fiji is now viewable on Google Books. You can scroll through all 368 pages or use the Table of Contents to find the page you want. Type a number in the Page box, hit enter, and you’ll jump directly to the page. Be aware that this is the 2001 edition of Moon Fiji and the 2007 edition is far more up to date. Moon Handbooks Fiji is the third book

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-40992588713923849222008-08-30T11:41:00.000-07:002008-08-30T11:43:43.563-07:00

To mark the International Year of the Reef, the Fiji Government Departments of Tourism, Environment, and Fisheries, the Fiji Islands Visitors Bureau, and several reef conservation organizations are holding the Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count from November 2 to 8, 2008. That week, participants will be asked to count the butterflyfish they see over a 30-minute period during any normal snorkel,

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-13215485510774322912008-08-30T11:37:00.000-07:002008-08-30T11:40:48.564-07:00

Yanuca Island south of Viti Levu, Fiji, offers visitors gorgeous beaches, spectacular snorkeling, and world class surfing and diving. Rather than the exclusive (and expensive) resorts you’ll find on nearby Beqa and Vatulele islands, Yanuca features a couple of small backpacker camps which provide sports people and slightly adventurous tourists with basic comforts at reasonable prices. Pictured

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-57098236987083836212008-08-30T11:28:00.000-07:002008-09-02T20:12:32.643-07:00

Namuamua village on the Navua River, upstream from Navua town on Viti Levu, Fiji, has long been a daytrip destination for visitors staying at Fiji’s Coral Coast resorts. Trips from Navua organized by Discover Fiji Tours and Wilderness Ethnic Adventure Fiji include a long boat ride past towering cliffs and plummeting waterfalls to Namuamua or a nearby village for a kava ceremony welcome and a real

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-17949793631872356562008-07-09T17:51:00.000-07:002008-08-30T19:57:39.280-07:00

The Mai Dive and Astrolabe Reef Resort (tel. 679-603-0842) opened recently on Ono Island near Kadavu, Fiji. The resort is on a spacious 19-hectare property with green jungly slopes and a lovely one-kilometer beach. Mai Dive is fully owned and operated by local Fijians from Tiliva village on Kadavu and resort guests are introduced to the culture. Most of the resort’s fruit and vegetables are grown

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-12459294587118318372008-07-09T17:49:00.000-07:002008-07-09T17:50:58.473-07:00

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as it is known to its inhabitants, is located in the Pacific Ocean, 3,600 kilometers west of South America. Due to its intriguing statues and complex history, the island has been a source of worldwide fascination since the first visit by Europeans in 1722. Inventing Easter Island examines narrative strategies and visual conventions framing the European image of ‘Easter

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-63053822660592697862008-07-05T12:47:00.000-07:002008-07-05T12:48:12.085-07:00

This six-minute promo video is intended to convince Australian travel agents to book their clients on Fiji holidays. In most parts of the world, such a film would be a poor introduction to a country, but Fiji is a magical place where dreams become reality. Even those on the barest of budgets will experience much of the fun shown here.

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-70577109170311844302008-07-05T12:43:00.000-07:002008-07-05T12:47:16.441-07:00

Savusavu Airport on Vanua Levu, Fiji, will close on July 14, 2008, for four months of reconstruction work. Those who have flown into Savusavu in past may have noticed that the runway is rather short, with the ocean at one end and a hill at the other. Presumably, it will be lengthened at the expense of the lagoon. There haven’t been any major accidents at this airport as yet, although an Air Fiji

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-74070738740252364622008-07-05T12:42:00.000-07:002008-07-05T12:43:29.822-07:00

Pacific Harbour on the south coast of Viti Levu, Fiji, is a world class scuba diving and whitewater rafting center. Now Zip Fiji is offering 1.5-hour rides on a series of eight cable runs through the rainforest canopy. Clients securely attacked to lines up to 200 meters long can attain speeds of 60 kilometers an hour as they zip between platforms from seven to 45 meters high. This sport was

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-27602944193482701252008-06-10T16:19:00.000-07:002008-06-10T16:25:34.296-07:00

The complete text of Tonga-Samoa Handbook is now freely accessible on Google Books. You can scroll through all 321 pages, or use the "Contents" button to jump directly to a specific chapter. You can search inside the book, or reach the index by typing 315 in the "Page" box and clicking enter. When you’ve found a topic you want to check, type the specific page number in the "Page" box again and

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-6365643301994383212008-06-10T16:01:00.000-07:002008-06-10T16:19:32.591-07:00

The July-August 2008 issue of Pacific Magazine will be the last. After 32 years, the Hawaii-based news magazine will cease to be a print publication. Publisher Floyd K Takeuchi cited flat circulation, rising postal costs, and competition from the internet as reasons for Pacific’s demise. The magazine intends to carry on as a web-only news portal, but online it will be competing with dozens of

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-5178487554209862162008-06-10T16:00:00.000-07:002008-06-10T16:01:26.031-07:00

I’ve been interviewed by Write to Travel, a blog intended for those interested in a career in travel writing. I explain how I got started as a guidebook writer, tell about my first big break, provide advice for those just starting out, and reveal a few tricks of the trade.

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-86307131729772729112008-05-24T11:30:00.000-07:002008-05-24T11:33:34.070-07:00

The entire text of the eighth edition of Moon Handbooks South Pacific is now accessible on Google Books. You can scroll down through the 1,091 pages or click the Contents link to jump to a specific section. Buttons at the top of the page allow you zoom in, view two pages at a time, or switch to full screen. From the righthand column, you can search inside the book. Moon Handbooks South Pacific is

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19018490.post-90954984925447892322008-05-22T19:27:00.000-07:002008-05-22T19:29:15.628-07:00

Julian Evans may be known to some readers of this blog as the author of the 1993 travel book Transit of Venus, an account of a journey to the heart of the US nuclear-missile testing programme in the Pacific. Julian’s second book, The Semi-Invisible Man: A Life of Norman Lewis, will be released on July 22, 2008, to mark the centenary of Norman Lewis. This biography will send readers hurrying to

David Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905253252016836689noreply@blogger.com