We smelt the inside of the Earth long before we saw it. It stormed up our nostrils, scorched our sinuses like a giant helping of wasabi, and made us cough and splutter.

Quiet, warm, friendly, relaxing. There's no television or wi-fi in the bures. Just the sound of blissful quiet or the soothing melody of ocean waters gently lapping.

Helloworld has some great accommodation deals for Rarotonga.

A is for Aitutaki. Outside of Rarotonga, this is the most famous of the other 14 islands in the Cooks and can be explored on a day trip.

Here are our top five sites to see the best sights the Pacific has to offer under water.

People rush back and forth behind the window, calling out orders as they move in seemingly synchronised motion.

Even being woefully underprepared for a river rafting trip didn't stop me from enjoying the five hours spent floating down the tranquil upper portion of the Navua River in Fiji.

Night snorkelling with giant manta rays off the Kona coast in Hawaii is undoubtedly a major drawcard for tourists.

The Solomons had a pivotal role in foreign war, writes Emma Kemp.

If you've felt the itch to escape boring and live it up on an island for a while, then this may just be the push you need to book that flight.

John Borthwick visits Kennedy's namesake in the Solomons Islands.

Stepping off Fiji Airways flight FJ415 in Nadi, I'm expecting little more than a week of watching sunsets from the comfort of my sun lounger, cocktails in hand.

I fell in love with Samoa in the unlikeliest of places, 4 hours after leaving New Zealand.

Friendly, of course - we are in Fiji after all. Staff took our details and then accompanied us to our rooms, refusing to let us carry our own bags.

Hawaii is a perfect family destination and the Hilton Hawaiian Village is a large multi-purpose resort complex close to many iconic attractions.

In 1866, Mark Twain wrote that he "went to Maui to stay a week and remained five". I would have done the same had I been given the chance.

There's something a little risky but also exciting about playing beer pong in front of your young children.

It's an exhilarating feeling to launch a sea kayak from the beach and set out to explore a cluster of islands shimmering like a mirage under the tropical sun.

Say 'I do' on the golden sands of a sun-kissed isle as soft waves gently lap the shore. Bridget Jones writes.

Shandelle Battersby finds herself floating on Cloud 9 - literally - in Fiji's Mamanucas.

Steve Braunias finds a fortress of New Zealand pride on a Fijian resort island full of Australians.

The museums of the Solomon Islands house plenty of memorabilia from the Pacific campaign, writes Gillian Vine.

Michael Antonievich makes up for missing a morning riding the waves in Fiji.

In search of adventure, Tess Nichol is soon hurtling through the treetops, upside down on a wire.

The perfect place to see a volcano erupt is high in the banyan treetops of Vanuatu, writes Peter de Graaf.

The 'E2 Way' keeps angler Jane Jeffries happy - and her prey gets to live another day.

For a few blissful days before a conference, Leah McLennan enjoys a luxurious bonding time with her beloved mum.

Niue's slower pace has plenty to offer eco-adventurers, as Sophie Barclay discovers.

Chris Daniels climbs aboard a bike to explore a different side of Rarotonga.

The brightly coloured fish of the Marquesas would have inspired Doctor Seuss, writes Elisabeth Easther.