Melanesia

Melanesia is a region of Oceania.

Melanesia consists of the following small island nations:

Fiji A major island tourist destination. Resorts, coral reefs and beaches.

New Caledonia (France) France in the tropics but at twice the price. A short flight from Australia.

Solomon Islands Site of major Second World War battles. Its main island is Guadalcanal.

Vanuatu Rewarding destination of very disparate islands with a relatively well-developed tourist infrastructure. As the New Hebrides, was a British-French Condominium until 1980.

Geographically, the Australian island territory Norfolk Island is situated in Melanesia, although no ethnic Melanesian people ever settled there:

The large nation of Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait Islands in Australia are usually considered part of Melanesia, and sometimes its neighbour Papua (Indonesia) is, too. Though this is accurate, culturally and historically speaking, both are covered in separate articles.

• 🌍 Honiara — the capital of the Solomon Islands
• 🌍 Luganville — the second city of Vanuatu.
• 🌍 Nouméa — the capital of New Caledonia.
• 🌍 Nadi ー Fiji's main tourist hub.
• 🌍 Port-Vila — Vanuatu's capital.
• 🌍 Suva — the large capital of Fiji.
• 🌍 Le Mont-Dore — the major hub for New Caledonia's "Grand Sud" meaning the Great South.

• 🌍 Blue River Provincial Park
• 🌍 Espiritu Santo — the largest island in Vanuatu
• 🌍 Isle of Pines — a small island in New Caledonia and one of the most beautiful islands in the Pacific
• 🌍 Minerva Reefs

There are flights from Australia and New Zealand to Melanesian destinations. Fiji and New Caledonia have some direct flights from Asia and North America too.

Unless you're cruising, the only practical means of travel between countries in Melanesia is by plane, since there are very few if any cross-country ferries.

Planes are also the main method of getting around in each country. There are limited passenger and cargo ferries, but schedules are erratic and creature comforts few. For example, domestic ferries between the main islands in Vanuatu often take up to 24 hours across rough waters, and passengers are advised to take food, water and sleeping mats with them.

Each country and territory of Melanesia has exactly one world heritage site. They include:

• The Levuka Historical Port Town in Fiji.
• The Lagoons of New Caledonia.
• East Rennell in the Solomon Islands, the largest raised coral atoll in the world.
• Chief Roi Mata’s Domain in the Shefa province of Vanuatu.
• Australian Convict Sites on the Norfolk Island.

As much of Melanesia is unspoiled and untouched, natural sights are the biggest tourist attractions. From the reefs, lagoons and mountains of New Caledonia to the beaches in Fiji and Norfolk, much of the natural scenery is a unique sight in their own right. Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands are also nowhere near short in natural attractions; however, as both those countries get fewer tourists, the highlights of those areas are often underrated.

Although some indigenous villages are willing to take tourists in, others may not. Often those that take you in are the villages that are tourist spots.

Melanesia is well connected to the rest of Oceania.

• Australia
• Micronesia
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Polynesia