Samoa

At the very center of Polynesia, Upolu and Savaii are the twin islands that truly fulfill the South Seas vision of palm-lined, white-sand beaches and blue ocean beyond the reef. And in the capital of Apia, which has at least some of the trappings of a modern city, you’ll also find a slightly timeworn, sultry townscape out of the old South Pacific. Until 1997, the country was known as Western Samoa – long famous throughout the South Pacific for Fa’a Samoa, a way of life in which traditional customs (dance, a love of kava, and the art of tattooing among them) and strong community ties shape daily living in ways unmatched anywhere else in Polynesia. It’s the kind of place where modest lodgings remain the norm, rugby is a passion, and while you can charter a fishing boat, it’s more fun to watch (and learn how) the locals cast a small net off the beach – then join an outrigger canoe for a practice run across Apia Harbour. Snorkelers will revel in the calm, coral-filled chasm at Palolo Deep National Marine Reserve, a short walk from Apia), and a handful of kayak outfitters now offer trips along the coastline and small offshore islands. Hiking, both in the rugged interior mountains (you’ll want a guide) and along the coast (palm-lined beaches abound on the south and northeast coasts) is virtually untapped. Sheer fun? It’s hard to beat Papaseea sliding rock, a 15-foot ride down a waterfall into a jungle pool straight out of a South Pacific movie…