TRANSPORT © LonelyPlanet www.lonelyplanet.com/travel_services. p191. see For informationontravelling withinTonga, either SamoaorAmericanSamoa,see p111 . Australasia. exploration of theSouthPacific oreven ful route planningthatmayenable further make toengage more insomecare- sense resent thegreatest valueformoney.Itmight probablywon’trep-grouping, forinstance, out there. Flying direct to/fromeach island ful considerationtothebestwayof getting togiveand Tongameansyouneed care- The physicalisolationof theSamoanislands arrival in (see arrival inSamoa(see p199 ). risk countryinthesixdayspriortoyour will alsoberequired ifyou’ve visited ahigh- tional yellow fever vaccination certificate the nameof ahotel handy).Aninterna- addresscontact withinthecountry(have valid foratleastanothersixmonths, anda you musthave anonwardticket, a passport onarrivalinSamoa, To beissuedavisa Samoa Entering REQUIREMENTS ENTRY CONTENTS Transport 194 Flights andtoursFlights canbebooked onlineat For informationontravelling within nr eurmns 194 Sea 197 Air 194 Entry Requirements careful, up-to-date research. ers andare notasubstitute for yourown this chapter shouldberegarded aspoint- travel. Shopcarefully. The detailsgiven in the securityrequirements forinternational you maybuy)worksandtobeaware of sure youunderstand howafare (andticket with theairlineoratravel agent tomake larly vulnerabletochange. Checkdirectly The informationinthischapter isparticu- THINGS CHANGE … arrive atNuku’alofa. the majority of visitingTongawill those will arrive nearPago Pago onTutuila,and visitingAmericanSamoa on ’Upolu,those or NorthAmericaandNewZealand. and round-the-worldfares Europe between over orcheap ‘optionalextra’onsometickets and theSamoasare alsopopularasastop- good discountfares routes. Tonga onthese runs,andthere are oftenbest-served some and Nadi/Suvaare themostconvenient and one of connectingpointsfirst. Auckland these elling there reaching willalmostalwaysentail An geles. Fromanywhere trav- however, else, Australia,Fiji,Hawai’i New Zealand, orLos from island groupisfairlystraightforward and airfares often reflect this.Accesstoeither lar asFijiorTahiti either(notyetanyway), as TuvaluorKiribati,theyare notaspopu- exactly asremote orobscure adestination While theSamoanislandsandTongaaren’t AIR areahigh-risk inthepastsixdays. ifyou’vetificate toa willbenecessary been international yellowfever vaccinationcer- months’ validityandanonwardticket. An ofpresentation apassportwithatleastsix day visitors onarrivalinTongaupon visa Citizens of mostcountriesare granted a31- Tonga Entering Samoa alsoapplytoAmericanSamoa. advance. see Forfulldetails, p110 . in toapplyforavisa countries willneed onarrival.Nationalsof avisa other obtain ticket willallownationalsof 29countriesto beyond yourarrivaldate andanonward A passportvalidforatleastsixmonths Samoa American Entering Air NewZealand Samoa, American SamoaandTonga): tioned here are fordiallingfrom within following (note allphonenumbers men- theregion includethe Airlines thatservice Airlines tional Airport) 23192; www.airnz.com; hubAuckland Interna- Nuku’alofa Visitors toSamoawillarrive nearApia The yellowfever regulations thatapplyto (airlinecodeNZ; % 20825, TRANSPORT 195 (www.flightcentre.com) (www.flightcentre.com) TRANSPORT •• Air (www.roundtheworldflights.com) (www.roundtheworldflights.com) (www.cheapflight.com) Informative site (www.cheapflight.com) Informative (www.travelonline.co.nz) Good place to (www.travelonline.co.nz) (www.tiss.com) International site for flight (www.tiss.com) (www.airbrokers.com) This US company (www.travelocity.com) US site that allows (www.statravel.com) Prominent in international An alternative type of RTW ticket is one is ticket RTW of type An alternative specialises in cheap tickets. with specials, airline information and flight searches from with specials, airline information the USA, the UK and other regions. This excellent site allows you to build your own trips from the UK with up to six stops. Respected operator handling direct flights. Australia avail- From Australia, flights to Samoa are able from Sydney and Brisbane with Poly- Blue has flights between Pacific nesian Blue. Tonga and Sydney, with connections to flights other Australian cities. Air Pacific tickets; and an easy-to-search cheap fares offers database. Travelocity (in US$) from/to practicallyyou to search fares anywhere. Travel Online check worldwide flights from New Zealand. Asia flights from Tokyo to has direct Air Pacific connect with flights to Apia Nadi, which (Tonga). Air New (Samoa) and Nuku’alofa Zealand flights from Hong of has a number Kong, Tokyo and Osaka to Auckland, where many onward flights to Samoa are there Most flightsand Tonga. from other parts through Auckland also routed are Asia of and Nadi. ONLINE TICKET SITES ONLINE TICKET SITES bookings, including RTW For online ticket start with the following websites: fares, Air Brokers Cheap Flights Flight Centre International Flights.com Roundtheworld.com STA CIRCLE PACIFIC TICKETS TICKETS PACIFIC CIRCLE is similar to a RTW ticket A Circle Pacific region, limited a more but covers ticket airlines to connect of using a combination Australia, New Zealand, North America in the Pa- options with stopover and Asia, there tickets, with RTW cific islands. As as to how many and limits restrictions are you can take. stopovers student travel but you don’t have to be a student; site sites. linked to worldwide STA put together by a travel agent. These are usu- These agent. are by a travel put together fares than airline RTW expensive ally more to devisebut allow you your own itinerary.

, Skyteam Tafuna Tafuna % Apia 21261, Tafuna 699 Tafuna and % % Nuku’alofa 24566; (www.staralliance.com)

Apia 22172, Nuku’alofaApia 22172, % Faleolo 42580, Tafuna 699 42580, Tafuna Faleolo % Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (airline code SPEX; % scheme in the UK. If you scheme ( (airline code PH; (airline code HA; (airline code HA; . They give you a limited time you a limited . They give (airline code DJ; www.polynesianblue Star Alliance (airline code DJ; (www.oneworldalliance.com) (airline code FJ; code FJ; (airline

Paying by credit card offers some protec- card offers by credit Paying

7100; www.interislandair.com; hub Tafuna International Tafuna hub 7100; www.interislandair.com; Airport, ) hub 699 9126; www.polynesianairlines.com; Airport, ’Upolu) Faleolo .com; hub Brisbane International Airport) Oneworld 1875; www.hawaiianair.com; hub Honolulu International hub 1875; www.hawaiianair.com; Airport, Hawai’i) (usually a year) in which to circumnavi gate gate to circumnavi (usually a year) in which the partici- You can go anywhere the globe. pating airlines go, as long as you stay within or number extents kilometre the prescribed stops and don’t backtrack when flying be- of tween continents. Backtracking is generally ent, though contin within a single permitted see with certain the relevant restrictions; for details.websites (www.skyteam.com) Round-the-world (RTW) tickets are gener- are tickets Round-the-world (RTW) airline biggest by the three ally put together alliances – INTERCONTINENTAL (RTW) TICKETS (RTW) TICKETS INTERCONTINENTAL

(ATOL; www.atol.org.uk) (ATOL; Tickets sales work well if online ticket Automated doing a simple one-way or return you’re no substitute are but trip on specified dates, with the low-down on agent for a travel stop- for avoiding special deals, strategies useful and other advice. overs, tion if you unwittingly end up dealing with card as most agency, a rogue fly-by-night you if you can prove refunds provide issuers Alternatively, for. what you paid didn’t get as such from a bonded agent, buy a ticket by the one covered South Pacific Express South Pacific Polynesian Blue Polynesian Airlines Pacific Blue Pacific Inter Island Airways Air Pacific www.flypacificblue.com; hub Brisbane International Airport) lonelyplanet.com have doubts about the service doubts about the have at provider, the airline and confirm least call the very that your booking has been made. 23422; www.airpacific.com; hub Nadi International hub Nadi International 23422; www.airpacific.com; Airport) 699 9900; [email protected]; hub Tafuna 699 9900; [email protected]; hub Tafuna International Airport, Tutuila)