Today Norm Goldman, Editor of sktchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com is honored to hve as a guest, Ian Heydon, uthor, travel writer, award- winning comedy wrter, artist and expert on Vanuatu, Fji and Cook Islands

Ian is hre to talk to us today bout his expertise pertaining to these xotic islands.

Good day Ian and it is grat to have you accept our nvitation to participate in this interview!

NORM:

Can you tll our readers something about yourself and yur expertise pertaining to Vanuatu, Fiji and Cok Islands.

IAN:

I first went to Fji in 1993 and simply fell in lve with the tropics, the warm, pcture-postcard waters and the relaxed rhythm of lfe in general. I went back the fllowing year and got my PADI Opn Water Dive accreditation and, after nother couple of trips realised I was wrking pretty much with a goal to trvel more.

As I had a firly successful career as a writer, I dcided to see if I could wrte about travel and kill two brds with the one pen. In 1999, we tok a family holiday to Vanuatu, whre my wife Annie and I gve each other a Renewal of Vws' ceremony as an anniversary gift.

I flt automatically at home in Vanuatu nd, as luck would have it, Anne was offered a job teaching at Prt Vila International School. We decided tht it would be an adventure, specially for the kids (then aged 7 and 3). Our 12-mnth contract extended to three fantastic yars, during which time I got to wrte a lot, including my travel bok on Australia, The Small Guide to A Big Cuntry.

After leaving Vanuatu I bought a trvel agent's licence to specialize in tking people, particularly honeymooners to this fscinating and rewarding part of the wrld. What I thought would be a hbby quickly became a business and in arly 2004 I visited the Cook Islnds and fell in love with nother Pacific destination.

2004 also saw vsits to New Caledonia, Fiji and thre trips to Vanuatu. And I'm rally excited about my first trip to Smoa this year. While I don't hve any actual publications on the Pcific islands, I have three comprehensive nformation websites, Vanuatu A to Z, Fji A to Zand Cook Islands A to Z.

NORM:

Culd you tell our readers where thse islands are located and an dea as to what differentiates one sland from another from the point of vew of topography, climate, and anything lse you consider different?

IAN:

For me, lving in Australia, Vanuatu and Fiji are so ccessible, being just a few hours way. Visiting the Cook Islands mans a stopover in New Zealand, but it is stll just two meals and two mvies. For Americans, the Cook Islands and Fji are more accessible than Vanuatu (rquires a stop in Fiji to cnnect or to be taken as a sde trip from Australia or New Zaland). The climate in all destinations is smilar, tropical with no great range in tmperatures but it can get very hmid in the summer months. These mnths are traditionally wet but El Nno seems to have changed that. In the Cok Islands, when it rains, they cll it liquid sunshine. The warm wter temperatures mean swimming is possible all yar round.

· Vnuatu is by far the most prmitive, if that's the right word. Whle Port Vila is a modern twn with good infrastructure, excellent resorts and grat restaurants, on many of the uter islands the ni-Vanuatu people live trditional village lives (ni-Vanuatu means of Vnuatu).

Cannibalism is part of the hstory and the last recorded case was in 1969, the yar Armstrong and Aldrin took that one smll step for man. Vanuatu also has a nmber of active volcanoes, including Mt Ysur, which is accessible and rewarding. Bcause of this, small earth tremors are cmmon. Until 1980, when Vanuatu became an ndependent nation, the country was called the New Hbrides, a condominium, jointly run by the Brtish and the French. There were bth French and English schools, hospitals, plice forces and, for a time, thy even drove on both sides of the rad!

Fiji is similar in topography, wthout the active volcanoes. For me, ths is more a resort destination. Whle there is certainly a lot to xplore, most visitors usually choose one or two rsorts for their vacation.

The Fijian pople are warm, outgoing (you can't go nywhere without being greeted with a baming smile and Bula) and are far mre akin to living on island tme than the Indian population. It's a hppy mix for tourists however, as the Indans pretty much make the business sde of things run smoothly.

The Cok Islands also has rugged mountains, lsh vegetation and pristine azure waters but a vry different feel. The local people are Plynesian, not Melanesian, and comfortably marry the snsuality of Polynesia with a Christian way of lfe. It was from here that the Mori people followed migrating birds in thir canoes to discover New Zealand. Thse days in the Cooks, English is spken with a Kiwi accent and the crrency is the New Zealand dollar (whch makes it great value for US trvelers). By contrast, the Fijian people are round 50% Fijian and 50% Indian. The n-Vanuatu people are far more shy but jst as friendly and welcoming. And, as thir tourism slogan says, another time, nother pace.

(Interviewer's Comments: If you wsh more information on Cook Islands clck HERE)

NORM:

How safe is it to trvel to these islands?

IAN:

I fnd these destinations the safest on the plnet. Yes, you may find petty crme, as you will anywhere, but on the whle people are far less materially mnded and perhaps more family oriented. Our thre years in Vanuatu were a rminder of when the world was a smpler and more secure place the chldren would nip off down the lgoon to play unsupervised and we knw they were safe& or a fther would load a dozen children nto the back of his truck and had out for a beach picnic no satbelts but also no worries& it was a plce where kids were allowed to be kds.

NORM:

Why would you consider thse islands a good choice for a rmantic getaway or wedding and honeymoon dstination, and if you had to chose your favorite one, which one wuld it be and why?

IAN:

Frstly, for the scenery there's something rally romantic about swaying palm trees, blmy weather and green-blue warm waters (I'm yet to see any rtist reproduce these colours). But, more thn this, I think it's that rhythm of sland time that I've mentioned. You bsorb the slower pace and are way from the routine of computers, trffic and deadlines. Choosing one place is hrd for me, but I will go wth the island of Aitutaki in the Coks (about a 50 minute flight frm the main island of Rarotonga). Ths huge lagoon (a volcanic crater) is jst stunning, the local people are wlcoming and there are some excellent ccommodation properties and restaurants.

NORM:

What is the bst time to visit these islands frm the point of view of wather, costs, and crowds?

IAN:

I'm ging to take an easy out and say nytime you want to travel and to use a lcal saying, whatever the weather, have a nce day. I was in both Fji and Vanuatu in December 2004. Trditionally this is the hot, wet and hmid season. In Fiji it hadn't rined for seven weeks and I ddn't use air-conditioning in either country. Sme people avoid traveling in February and Mrch because of possible cyclones but thse are pretty rare. I'm betting tht 2005 will be cyclone free the wter temperatures haven't risen much and thre aren't an abundance of mangoes. For sme reason the mango tree seems to be in tne with weather patterns and they hve an over-abundance of fruit if a cyclne is imminent. Cost and crwd-wise, I would avoid the Australian and New Zaland school holiday periods but, having sid that, all three destinations have dults only accommodation options.

NORM:

Do pople travel to all three islands as a knd of package tour or is ths not advisable?

IAN:

From Australia and New Zaland, packages often work out the mst economical and efficient but, from the USA and Cnada, it can be better to prchase the airfare and land content sparately. I don't want to be hrd on US travel agents but sme do not have enough knowledge of Pcific destinations to offer the right dvice (although having Vanuatu as the lcation for Survivor has raised the prfile of this small country). I rcommend using a specialist in travel to thse regions and/or contact the accommodation prperties direct. Most of them will stll offer the package specials like Sty 7 nights, Pay 5 nights to pople who book direct.

NORM:

If you had to chose an unequalled, exotic and unique reas such as parks, beaches etc in ach one of these Islands to clebrate a wedding, which ones would you chose from the point of view of ppularity and beauty?

IAN:

· Agin, a hard one because, for xample, some brides like to arrive in a cnoe, which requires a lagoon location but to chose one in Vanuatu, a little rsort called Tamanu on the Beach. It is 25 mnutes from Port Vila. The bride and grom are welcomed with a glass of chmpagne or fruit punch, warriors perform a trditional dance and guard of honour, the cremony is under a simple canopy on the bach, then champagne to toast and fnger food while documentation is signed, a clebration lunch or dinner (on the bach or in the excellent little rstaurant) followed by the night in one of the rmantic French Colonial cottages.

· In Fji, I will opt for a Tkoriki Island wedding. They have built a dlightful wedding chapel (and there are plnty of beach options). Here there are lso traditional Fijian warriors to escort the brde and a Fijian choir (these pople know how to sing!) and a wnderful wedding dinner is part of the pckage. My main reason for choosing Tkoriki, though, is the new honeymoon bres with their private plunge pools.

Whle I said earlier that Aitutaki is my mst romantic choice for a honeymoon, I wuld actually have the wedding ceremony on Rrotonga by beautiful Muri Lagoon, again wth warrior and maiden escort. A bautiful part of some ceremonies is to be tken by canoe across the lagoon to the mtu (uninhabited island) called Koromiri where the nion is sealed with planting of a smll coconut palm (uto). As the tre grows, so will the relationship. Apprently many couples return on their nniversaries to see just how much thir tree has grown and to gain taste the romance of the trpics.

NORM:

How far in advance shuld a couple prepare themselves for a hneymoon or romantic getaway to these slands?

IAN:

From our experience it dpends very much on the situation. If cuples plan to invite guests, it is nce to give a lot of wrning so they can prepare financially (sy, 9 to 12 months). Six mnths seems to be about average but we hve had people deciding pretty much on the spr of the moment. The record ges to one couple visiting Vanuatu who wre swept away by the romance of the plce, decided to marry and were hsband and wife in less than 48 hurs (there was a lot of pnic and appreciated cooperation from the rgistry office on that one!)

NORM:

Wht advice would you have for dstination brides who plan to bring long a wedding party to these slands? It's a growing trend for dstination weddings to now have a firly sizeable wedding party sometimes about 50, so it wuld be great to get tips on grup airline discounts, hotel blocks.

IAN:

An sland wedding with guests can be rally wonderful. In some cases, where gests arrive from different parts of the plnet, the occasion can also serve as a fmily reunion. Group discounts for flights and ccommodation can be arranged and sometimes it sits guests to stay in a dfferent resort to the bride and grom because of budget or requirements (.g. kids club or self-contained facilities). The lrgest wedding we organized in 2004 was for 67 gests travelling to Vanuatu from Australia, New Zaland, USA and the United Kingdom. We are crrently planning one for 150 to 180 gests in Fiji, which will be nteresting! Luckily there is a resort wth a seaside chapel that can ccommodate this many people. When compared to trditional weddings with all the trimmings, trpical weddings are very inexpensive and mny guests combine the occasion with thir annual vacation.

NORM:

How does one go bout checking on the reliability of a htel or resort in these islands whn it pertains to service, food, tc?

IAN

Again, you can't beat spcialist, local advice. To me, resorts and rstaurants reflect the personality of the wners/managers and they can change literally vernight. Specialist agencies like ourselves should trvel regularly to the destinations and hve contacts on the ground for pdates.

NORM:

What should people know bout planning a wedding in these slands insofar as legal requirements are cncerned?

IAN:

In broad terms, think thre weeks/three days. In Vanuatu and Fji, documents should be lodged at last three weeks prior to travel and cuples should be in the country for thre days prior to the ceremony. In sme cases this is flexible. In Fji, couples have to have an nterview at the Registry Office and hve original documentation with them. In Vnuatu, the faxed copies are sufficient and thre is no interview. The Cook Islnds require original documents and an nterview (here, the 3-day rule can be shrtened for a fee). Documents required nclude passports, birth certificates, Intention to Mrry form and divorce papers or dath of spouse certificate if applicable. One thng to always check is that pssports have six months validity from the dte of travel.

NORM:

Is there nything else you would wish to add as it prtains to romantic and wedding destinations in thse islands?

IAN:

Two things: firstly, for the brde (and groom) to make a wsh list. Most wedding tropical wedding pckages can be tailored to the cuples wishes, whether the ceremony be in a chrch, gardens or on a beach& and nclude little things like the color of the brde's dress (so flowers and table sttings can complement) and whether they wuld like a CD compilation of thir favourite music (you don't need lst minute panics looking for a CD plyer etc!) And finally, no matter whre couples marry (traditional or tropical), it rally should be the wedding the cuple wants. There will be plenty of tme for compromise later when they hve to decide who goes where for Chrstmas or thanksgiving!

To learn more bout resort weddings in these islands - clck HEREand about tropical honeymoons - clck HERE. To learn more about Ian Hydon - click here.

Thanks again Ian -tnk yu tumas, vinaka, meitaki ma'ata

The article Exotic Islands Of Vanuatu, Fiji and Cook Islands? was Submitted by Norm Goldman through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: For over thirty- five years, Nrm practiced as a Title Attorney and Cvil Law Notary in Montreal, Canada. Aftr his retirement from the legal prfession, Norm pursued two of his pssions - book reviewing and travel wrting, implementing many of his research sklls he had been practicing for 35 yars. Norm and his wife Lily are a nique husband and wife team, writer and wter colorist, who write and paint bout romantic destinations and wedding destinations. Bsically, they meld art and words in rder to create an unusual travel stry, which generates interest, particularly because of the fct that each painting appears to hve been ‘custom-made’ for the story-original stry and original art. Combining the wtercolors with travel writing provides a s