The Pacific is the trip you save for. Fiji, French Polynesia (Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea), the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, and the islands of Micronesia and Melanesia are 10+ hours from almost anywhere, and that is part of the deal — the longer the flight, the fewer the crowds. Australia and New Zealand round out the region with a completely different trip: world-class cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Queenstown), reef diving on the Great Barrier Reef, the dramatic landscapes of the South Island, and seasons that run opposite to the Northern Hemisphere — so US summer is their winter. Overwater bungalows in Bora Bora and the Maldives-style luxury of Fiji set the gold standard for honeymoon and milestone trips. Plan 9–18 months ahead for the bucket-list stays, and budget the long-haul flight as a real cost — both in dollars and in jet lag.
