Looking for a Pacific island paradise where you really can relax? Look no farther than Niue Island, a breathtaking raised coral atoll in the Pacific.
-By Pamela Grant

Some vacation destination spots lure people with promises of relaxation, and all they find is a hectic tourist environment. Niue Island promises a place where you really can take it easy. The remote island, located approximately 1,500 miles northeast of New Zealand, was originally the discovery of the English navigator James Cook.

Visiting this island benefits islanders and eco-travelers alike. Tourists give the island economy a much needed financial boost and get to experience a Pacific island offering pristine beaches, no crowds, seclusion, plenty of outdoor activities, and most importantly, an opportunity to reconnect with nature.

Fakaalofa Lahi Atu (Greetings)
The small island of Niue is only 100 square miles of land and has 39 miles of coastline. Anywhere you go on the raised coral atoll, set atop an underground volcano, you are quite likely to have a stunning view of the ocean. The island is situated in the center of a circle with American Samoa to the north (333 miles), Tonga to the southwest (376 miles), Cook Islands to the southeast (672 miles), and Fiji to the slight northeast (797 miles away).

The self-governing island, in free association with New Zealand, is different from its neighbors in several ways.

One is the language. Niueans speak Niue, a language developed centuries ago after settlers from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa arrived. It has distinct linguistic differences from other Polynesian languages. Europeans arrived in 1774, and today Niue residents speak both Niue and English.

The island is affectionately known as “The Rock” because it is the largest upraised coral atoll in the world. The forests also set this island nation apart. For centuries, humans were not allowed to enter the forests, meaning the only sign of humans today are the trails.

Also setting Niue apart is the fact it has no traffic lights, no lines and no crime. It does have villages, but the total island population is 1,500 residents.

Religion plays a large role in the culture, and eco-travelers should respect island traditions. Sunday is a day for play like sightseeing and swimming. Fishing and boating are not allowed because they represent work for Niueans. Also, swimwear is only worn at the beach and pool, and not in public. Hard to believe such modesty is still respected in a tourist location.

Nature Hasn’t Been Broken at Niue
This is truly, as the Niue say, a place where “nature hasn’t been broken.” The things to see and do on the beautiful island are mostly outdoor sports.

There is a spectacular cave system along the coastline where the sea continues to carve out niches. This is an opportunity to explore colorful caverns where stalactites and stalagmites are continually forming. The guided Talis Cave Tours takes eco-travelers through limestone caverns that have a rich variety of formations and easily spotted fossils.

Of course, water plays a central role in the recreational opportunities. There are beaches and sheltered pools for swimming, like Utuko Beach, the sandy Hio Beach and Limu. Amazing today, but the beaches are bar and spa free.

Visit the island from July to October, and you just may get one of the world’s few chances to swim with humpback whales through an organized swimming tour. They migrate to the waters in this area to nurse their young. Even if you choose to stay on land, the whales put on a tremendous show close to shore as they slap fins on the water, dive and surface, and call to each other. Niue participates in the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary efforts, and conservation efforts are strictly adhered to.

Another adventure eco-travelers enjoy is riding in a small boat, towed by a tour guide boat, through waters filled with pods of dolphins. Other ways to enjoy the ocean include diving and snorkeling in crystal clear pools like Avatele, Limu Pools, Utuko and Matapa Chasm.

Even the fishing is spectacular. Niue is called a “fisherman’s secret paradise” because the fishing is so good whether casting from land or a canoe, netting flying fish, spearfishing, or trolling for big fish like yellowfin tuna, marlin, and sailfish.

Walking the trails through the Huvalu Rainforest, a designated conservation area, is an irresistible activity for eco-travelers. The natural rainforest is home to 29 bird species; fruit bats (peka); coconut crabs (uga); and a myriad of spectacular and unusual trees, including the Tahitian chestnut, kafika and banyan. Hiking is easy because there are well-maintained trails like the Fue Track and the Vinivini Track, and the trails to Togo Chasm and Vaikona Chasm. These trails go through mature forest, bush gardens, and rainforest and along the wild coastline.

Preserving Paradise
Niue may be small but accommodating. Preserving this isolated paradise depends heavily on visitors. The main source of income for the islanders are tourism and the sale of commemorative stamps. Despite its remote location, there are several options for accommodations, and of course, each must be “green” by necessity.

The Matavai Resort Niue is set on top of a cliff and gives visitors a 180-degree view of the Pacific Ocean. It has all the luxuries people could ask for including wireless, a swimming pool and restaurant.

Another option is the Scenic Matavai Resort, which has self-catering rooms and is set in tropical gardens and amidst palm trees. It even has a fresh water swimming pool.

The Anaiki Motel, Coral Gardens Motel, Kololi’s Motel, Kau’es Getaway and many others cater to the different ideas people have of relaxation. Soak in a tub on a porch overlooking the blue Pacific, sleep among lush tropical gardens, stay in a room surrounded by lush green forest or close to walking trails or the beach, or enjoy a home converted to a guest house.

Dine at the restaurants on locally grown tropical fruits and fresh caught fish. If you plan your trip to catch one of the annual village showdays held by each of Niue’s 14 island villages, you get the pleasure of enjoying traditional cooking in a large earth oven called an umu.

Come, spend your money in Niue, and know that, for a change, it will go toward preserving an earthly paradise where taking it easy comes naturally.

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