Fiji to New Zealand: 8 must-have cultural experiences in the Pacific
From a special form of sunshine in Fiji to an exhilarating thrill in New Zealand/Aotearoa, these are the cultural experiences across the Pacific you should put on your bucket list.
1. Soak in the Bula spirit of Fiji
Travelling with: Taylah Darnell
“You will never hear someone from Fiji say ‘Bula’ without a smile. It is a Bula smile. If you don’t smile, it is not a true Bula, and the sunshine will go away,” says my driver, Joni, as we make our way to Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay on a hot summer night in December.
Soak up Fijian sunshine at Fiji Marriott Resort in Momi Bay.
And he’s not wrong; the sun is practically beaming when I wake up the next morning. It’s no coincidence though; everyone I meet lives up to Joni’s sentiment, forecasting sunshine for my entire trip.
Be surrounded by turquoise waters on Tokoriki Island.
From Josateki, who becomes accustomed to my penchant for pina coladas at Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort, to Asa, my snorkelling guide at Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island. Everyone has that Bula smile and by the time I leave, I’m the proud owner of one, too.
Sip piña coladas by the poolside at Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort. (Image: Taylah Darnell)
2. Experience the living heritage of Vanuatu
Travelling with: Emily Murphy
To understand Tanna, one of 83 islands that make up the Vanuatu archipelago, you need to be familiar with kastom culture, the traditional customs and beliefs that govern the lives of the ni-Vanuatu people. In Tanna, kastom villages are still alive and well and can be visited with local guides organised through White Grass Ocean Resort & Spa.
Blue Cave is a best-kept secret hidden on Tanna Island in Vanuatu. (Image: Groovy Banana)
They’re a way to experience Vanuatu’s culture and traditions as they were before white settlement, mass tourism and the arrival of modern technology.
Experience the living heritage of Vanuatu. (Image: Emily Murphy)
I gain an understanding for myself at Yakel village, where cultural song and dance reflect their deep spiritual connection to the land and ancestors, and by visiting Mt Yasur – not only a geographical wonder but also a vital cultural landmark for the people of Tanna, who believe the volcano is their ancestor and inhabited by spirits.
Immerse in the culture and traditions of ni-Vanuatu people. (Image: Emily Murphy)
3. Visit the village longhouses of Palau
Travelling with: Kee Foong
The tiny, remote Micronesian country of Palau is famous for its stunning dive sites, World Heritage-listed Rock Islands mushrooming out of turquoise sea and some of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific during the Second World War. Equally fascinating is its unique matriarchal culture. Make time for a village visit to the state of Arai, where the last remaining traditional bai, a thatched-roof longhouse that serves as meeting places for village chiefs, still stands. Adorned with motifs, it richly illustrates Palauan heritage. The most luxurious way to discover Palau, including visits to the bai, is onboard the Four Seasons Explorer catamaran.
A thatched-roof longhouse serves as a meeting place for village chiefs.
4. Celebrate the cultural diversity of Papua New Guinea
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
The tribesmen are daubed in mud, their wooden spears raised aloft as they march towards the spectators of the Goroka Show, whooping and shrieking. The staged war dance is one of the highlights of the September festival designed to celebrate Papua New Guinea’s independence. More than 100 tribes from all over the island country descend on the town of Goroka in the Eastern Highlands for the cultural exchange, which was first held in 1957. The gathering, otherwise known as a ‘sing-sing’, celebrates colourful rituals that range from traditional dances put on by tribes decked out in ancestral dress to drumming on carved wooden garamut and kundu as well as traditional mumu feasts.
Papua New Guinea is famous for its tribal gatherings and cultural festivals (Image: Kirklandphotos)
5. Attend an arts festival in the Marquesas Islands
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
The Marquesas Bird Dance starts slow and rhythmic before building in intensity in tune with the drumming on the pahu, which reverberates around the jade-green jungle. The dancers are dressed like feathered lorikeets and the performance is one of freewheeling pleasure at the biannual Matavaa o te Fenua Enata (Marquesas Art Festival), which began in 1986.
Witness the vibrant Marquesas Art Festival. (Image: Danee Hazama)
In addition to the bird dance, Polynesians from all six inhabited islands will gather to perform the haka and show off everything from traditional designs on tapa cloth to tiki sculptures and tattoos. There will also be stalls selling traditional kaaku (breadfruit paste) cooked in a humu kaikai (earth oven). The three-day event is one of the highlights on the Aranui 5 cruise around the remote archipelago in December 2025.
Polynesians gather to perform the haka. (Image: Danee Hazama)
6. Cruise the Pacific onboard Scenic Eclipse II
Travelling with: Taylah Darnell
Scenic Eclipse II, the latest vessel to join the Scenic fleet, will flip the script on some of our favourite destinations when it cruises Australia, New Zealand/Aotearoa and the South Pacific this year and next. The ultra-luxury ship accommodates just 228 guests across 114 suites. Dive into island culture on a 13-day Treasures of the Pacific itinerary from Fiji’s Yasawa Islands to Auckland, stopping in at Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island en route. Guests can gain new perspectives of the region’s landscapes from above, on Scenic Eclipse II’s private helicopters, and underwater, in its custom-designed submersible.
Discover the unique landscapes of New Zealand onboard Scenic Eclipse II. (Image: Eduardo Zapata)
7. Explore the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead
Te Papa Tongarewa is a ‘container of treasures’ for art and artefacts that encapsulates the heart of New Zealand/Aotearoa.
Immerse yourself in New Zealand’s unique culture, history and landscape at Te Papa Tongarewa. (Image: Alamy/Image Broker)
Spanning six storeys in the country’s capital of Wellington, the museum showcases a vast and diverse collection, from Māori artefacts to iconic artworks and the world’s only colossal squid.
Te Papa Tongarewa showcases vast and diverse Māori artefacts. (Image: Alamy/Image Broker)
Many of the displays are interactive, offering a creative way to immerse yourself in New Zealand’s unique culture, history and landscape.
8. Do a world-first bungee jump in Queenstown
Travelling with: Quentin Long
I have been cocky since we arrived in Queenstown. I laugh all the way through check-in, weigh-in, waiver-signing and pre-jump selfies with the kids. I am confident as the young English lass on the bridge over the turquoise Kawarau River takes my card and details and gives me a harness to step into. I chat with my jovial instructor as he attaches me to a safety wire and invites me to sit on a simple pinewood caged platform.
Queenstown launched the world’s first commercial bungee jumping in 1987. (Image: KuLouKu/Getty Images)
AJ Hackett Bungy at Kawarau Bridge was the first permanent commercial bungee jump in the world when it opened in 1988. The fear eventually grips me when my instructor wraps a simple towel around my ankles and binds them with a nondescript strap. The time has come. My instructor is now my counsellor. No longer jovial and loud, but soft and firm. I can’t look down, just out ahead, and focus on his words. “Three… two… one…” And I am soaring, in the hands of the gods.
Plunge towards the turquoise river from Kawarau Bridge (Image: donvictorio/Getty Images)
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