Polynesia

Located in the south part of the Pacific Ocean, Polynesia consists of a large group of over one thousand different islands. While not to be confused with French Polynesia, which contains such islands as Tahiti, the Polynesian Islands contain such islands as Easter Island, Fiji, and New Guinea. The Polynesian people are credited with populating many of the surrounding island chains hundreds or thousands of years ago, and you can see their stamp on the culture of most of the surrounding island chains still today. Some scholars think that the ancient Polynesians started to spread out to other islands sometime between 1600 and 1200 BC, and kept spreading until they controlled the islands that we know of as Polynesia today. While they are credited with settling many other islands as well, some have now become independent states or have been controlled by other countries around the world. One of the most famous Polynesian Islands is Easter Island, with the giant Tikis, and has been seen around the world on countless pictures and postcards. The Polynesian culture is very rich in tradition and superstitions, from magic to Gods, the Polynesian way of life still exists today on these very islands.
 

Polynesia Travel Resources

 

Regional Destinations in Polynesia

  • American Samoa

    American Samoa

    A United States Territory located in the southern Pacific Ocean, American Samoa is part of the Samoan Island chain. The chain under the United States includes such islands as Cook Island, and is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the Pacific ... Read More

  • Cook Islands

    Cook Islands

    The Cook islands started out under the control of the Crown but during the later years they were transferred to New Zealand in a trade agreement. This would last for many years until an agreement was reached to make the area a self governed subsidy of ... Read More

  • Easter Island

    Easter Island

    One of the most isolated islands on earth Easter Island also known as "Rapa Nui" and "Isla de Pascua," more than 2000 miles from nearest population center. It is well known as land of magic, magnificence & mystery. Live your next adventure and discover... Read More

  • French Polynesia

    French Polynesia

    French Polynesia is made up of a wonderfully scenic group of islands deep in the South Pacific. Tahiti, Bora Bora, Raiatea, and Tikehau are just a few of the beautiful islands in this group. Known for it's romance and laid back atmosphere, the French P... Read More

  • New Zealand

    New Zealand

    This island nation is located in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the equator. The nearest large landmass is Australia, 1,000 miles to the west. New Zealand includes two large islands that comprise most of its landmass, as well as many small islands. ... Read More

  • Niue

    Niue

    The "Rock of Polynesia", Niue is a tropical paradise located in the southern Pacific Ocean. One of the few self-governing islands in the Pacific, Niue is one of the great places to spend your next tropical vacation. With beautiful rain forests and soft... Read More

  • Pago Pago

    Pago Pago

    Pago Pago is a wonderful resort city located in American Samoa and has been a hot spot for tourism for many decades. During the 1940’s the city was used as a port for the US Navy to dock and add coal to the ships and also for some repairs during the lo... Read More

  • Pitcairn

    Pitcairn

    Located in the Southern Pacific Ocean, Pitcairn is a small group of islands consisting of four islands, named Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno. Pitcairn is the second largest and the only inhabited one, and the only remaining British colony still i... Read More

  • Samoa

    Samoa

    Samoa became one of the great tourist destinations recently with the publicity that it has gotten over the past decades. Samoa is only one of the islands in the Samoan chain, which includes American Samoa, Pago Pago, Tutuila, and many others. These isl... Read More

  • Swains Islands

    Swains Islands

    Swains Island was discovered for the first time in the 1600’s by a Portuguese sailor under the direction of the Spanish fleet. He called the island Hermosa or island of the beautiful people. The Spanish left the island and never used it for any kind of... Read More

  • Tokelau

    Tokelau

    A colonial territory of New Zealand, Tokelau is made up of three coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean. Tokelau is also referred to as the Union Islands by some westerners. Tokelau is becoming a great place for tourists and visitors from all over the world... Read More

  • Tonga

    Tonga

    The Kingdon of Tonga is located in the South Pacific and surrounded by several other island chains such as Fiji, Samoa, and Hawaii. The rich Polynesian culture is still alive and well here, and you can enjoy the friendliness of the natives and culture ... Read More

  • Tuvalu

    Tuvalu

    The Tuvalu island is known as a coral island. This is said to be the way that the island was formed, from coral as it grew and then died and massed on top of the dead. All of this was debated as the truth about coral is that it only grows at shallow de... Read More

  • Wallis

    Wallis

    Wallis island is named after the English captain Samuel Wallis who discovered the island as part of one of his sea expeditions. His visit was very brief but he was still named as the chief discoverer of the area. Much is known about the island and rese... Read More