Least Visited Countries Group 1

Friday 15th December – Palau 

• There are three main flights into Palau — all of which are on a Friday — from Guam, Taipei or Manila, with the Taipei flight arriving at 18:25, the Guam flight arriving at 21.00, and the Manila flight coming in after midnight at 02.35 (flight to Palau not included)
• Transfer to our hotel and overnight in Palau

Saturday 16th December – Palau

Morning

• Breakfast in hotel 
• A relatively late rise after late flights coming the previous night and we meet at 12:00 PM in the hotel lobby for a pre-tour meeting.

Afternoon

• Group lunch at the hotel and you can properly meet the YPT guide and your fellow travelers
• In the afternoon we head out for a once-in-a-lifetime experience: snorkeling at Palau Jellyfish Lake! The jellyfish have evolved away their stingers, having no natural predators around, and make for a phenomenal natural sight!
• Dinner at Carp, which mixes Japanese and local cuisine
• Overnight in Palau

Sunday 17th December – Palau

Morning

• After breakfast we head out on the first of what will be many World War Two trips on our Least Visited Countries tour. The Pacific Islands were the scene of many battles and the region is often overlooked for this side of its history — by Europeans at least!
• We head out in YPT style, by speedboat, to the island of Peleliu which was home to some of the fiercest battles in the region
• On arrival we check out the World War Two Memorial Museum, but the whole island has basically been left as an open-air museum.

Afternoon

• Lunch in a local restaurant
• Check out White Beach where the American military landed, the wreckage of American tanks and planes still left as they were, concrete pillboxes and Japanese machine-gun posts as well as the eerie shell of the Japanese Military Headquarters. We also visit the Japanese shrine built to commemorate those who died
• Head back to the main island and go for dinner at Taj for Indian food
• Check out of the hotel and head for the airport…

Monday 18th December – Palau – Pohnpei 

Morning

• Head to the airport to catch the 2:05AM flight from Palau via Guam to Pohnpei, capital of the Federated States of Micronesia, arriving at 12:45PM

ATTENTION – Since we are changing plane in Guam and Guam is USA territory, we need to go through US Immigration even though we are staying in the airport. This means that you will either need a Guam-Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Visa Waiver (given on arrival to citizens of Australia, New Zealand, UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore), an ESTA (given online if you are eligible) or a visa-free entry (Canadians and Americans). If you are not eligible for any of those, you will need a visa for the USA (either tourist or transit) to transit in Guam.

Afternoon

• Transfer to our hotel, check in and a bit of a rest or freshen up
• In the late afternoon we will check out the local markets in Kolonia then head for dinner at the China Star Restaurant for a dose of Pacific-Chinese cuisine
• Overnight in Pohnpei

Tuesday 19th December – Pohnpei 

Morning

• After breakfast we head out for a full tour of Pohnpei
• In the state capital, Kolonia, we’ll see the relic of a Japanese tank and we’ll see more Japanese on a hike up Sokeh Rock. Near the top stand two heavy gun batteries.

Afternoon

• Lunch in Kolonia
• Day tour of Nan Madol
• We’ll then head to the national capital, Palikir, and check out the area outside the huge US Embassy complex
• We’ll head out for dinner and drinks in Pohnpei
• Overnight in Pohnpei

Wednesday 20th December – Pohnpei – Majuro – (via two of the Marshall Islands). 

Morning

• Breakfast in the hotel, as well as some time to relax before we again say goodbye to another Pacific Island nation. 

Afternoon

• Head to the airport to for a 14:10 flight to Marshall islands – Majuro! Arriving in Majuro at 18:55. 
• The Marshall Islands Resort, or MIR to its friends is perhaps the best hotel in Majuro, so we have dinner and drinks here while overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
•  Overnight at Marshall Islands Resort

Thursday 21st December – Majuro 

Morning

• We hope you haven’t partied too much last night because at 11 am we go to take our boat for the one hour journey to the paradise of Eneko Island. The trip is worth it for the journey itself, with us passing through a number of islands and atolls. Eneko Island itself is famous for being part of a fraudulent 1990s micronation, but taking that aside it is genuinely an island paradise and a great place to spend the day.
• We now expertly cook our BBQ on the beach using coconut shells as the fuel, giving it a unique taste. Eat to your heart’s content! BYOB.

Afternoon

• We have lots of options for stuff to do for the rest of the day on the island, with kayaks, a pontoon to jump from, snorkeling, and of course pristine beaches to simply hang out on. If this island was anywhere else in the world it would be packed with people. It’s not packed, but there’s usually some locals hanging out playing volleyball that might let you join in.
• We head back on our boat at around 6pm, stopping halfway through the journey for you to get perfect sunset shots, weather permitting!
• We go for dinner in the hotel restaurant, which has some of the best sashimi in the world (in our opinion)!
• Overnight in the Marshall Islands Resort hotel.

Friday 22nd December – Majuro

• Group 1 End of tour with YPT able to arrange ongoing transportation
• Breakfast at Marshall Islands Resort
• We take a bus and do a whistle stop tour of Majuro, the capital city of the Marshall Islands, this will include the parliament, as well as other site of interest around the city
• Lunch in the city

Afternoon

• In the afternoon we use the bus to take us to a well known beach on the far side of the island of Majuro that is popular with locals
• We spend the afternoon relaxing on this beach before heading back into town for a freshen up at our hotel
• We head for dinner and drinks at the nearby Robert Reimers Hotel, which has some excellent imported beers, as well as a more than satisfactory menu
• People can then go sample the delights of Majuro town, or relax at the hotel 
• Overnight at Marshall Islands Resort

Least Visited Countries Group 2

Saturday 23rd December- Majuro – Tarawa

Morning

• Breakfast in the hotel
• We offer a free morning to explore Majuro, before we transfer to the airport at 13.30 for the 16.05 flight to Tarawa arriving at 17.20
• Met at the airport where we take the leisurely drive to our hotel in Tarawa
• We will take dinner and drinks at our hotel
• After this those wishing for an early night can do so, while those inclined can head to a very cool local bar located right next to our hotel for a sundowner
• Overnight in Tarawa

Sunday 24th Nauru – Tarawa

Morning

• Breakfast in hotel
• World War 2 Tour
• We will first watch a documentary in the hotel, before we head out for the main tour
• Visit Black beaches 1 & 2 – See British 8″ inch guns, Japanese and Korean war memorial, British, New Zealand and Australian Coast watchers memorial and Green beach.
• Visit Red beaches 1, 2, see American Sherman tank, Japanese 95 type tank and American monument 

Afternoon

• Lunch in Tarawa
• Visit Red beach 3, Visit Mr. Bonnyman’s bunker (who got Medal of honour) Visit Japanese commander’s bunker.
• Watch local dance performed for us, as well as have dinner. 
• For those who wants to go out, we will provide transport for a bit of bar hopping
• Overnight/night out in Tarawa

Monday 25th December – Tarawa – Nauru

Morning

• Merry Christmas Y’all!
• Breakfast at the hotel and then pick up for our early morning tour.
• Visit the Copra Mill.
• Visit Philatelic Bureau (stamps and postcards)
• Visit and explore the biggest Cathedral in Kiribati.
• Visit the Nuns Library to learn about the history of the first missionaries who arrived in Kiribati as well as see the Japanese commander’s notice.
• Some souvenir shopping at Itoininggaina shop.

Afternoon

• Christmas Lunch at Bairiki
• Visit the Parliament.
• Stop at the highest point in Eita for a breathtaking view.
• Visit the national Museum of Kiribati
• Return to hotel for freshen up before leaving Kiribati
• Head to the airport for the 19.00 flight to Nauru arriving at 20.15
• On arrival in Nauru we transfer to the Hotel Menem, where we will have our Christmas Dinner, Secret Santa and of course drinks. 
• Dinner drinks and overnight in Nauru

Tuesday 26th December – Nauru

Morning

• Get up relatively early and head out after breakfast to explore World War 2 relics in Yaren along with our local guide. Explore the remains of Japanese guns, bunkers and pillboxes left over from the Pacific Theatre of the war, and visit the Japanese prison which was used to lock up any non-compliant locals during the occupation.
• We’ll have our local guide take us to some of the secret caves around the island, and tell us some of the scary stories about events that took place there in the relatively recent past.

Afternoon

• We head to the fish and chips restaurant for locally-caught fish and a few beers for lunch.
• After lunch, we grab our supplies and head to the Buada Lagoon: the only freshwater lagoon on the island, a beautiful place surrounded by palm trees, great photo opportunities, and a wonderful place for us to hang out.
• After this, we explore the other side of the nation’s recent past by looking at the detention center at topside, as well as doing some serious urban exploration at the former phosphate ore processing plants of Nauru, and checking out the abandoned industry and shipwrecks at the port.
• At night we head to Od’n Aiwo Hotel, for dinner, drinks, pool, and maybe a bet on the pokeys!
• Overnight at Menen Hotel

Wednesday 27th December- Nauru

Morning

• Ever walked around a country? Ok, maybe you have, but have you ever done it in one day? Nauru is the only country in the world where it is genuinely possible to do this in a few hours! It’s about a 5 hour walk at a gentle pace. For those feeling slightly less energetic, we can arrange for scooter rental at an extra charge.

Afternoon

• Following this, we give the walkers some time to rest, before heading out for Chinese food for lunch. Believe it, or not 8% of people in Nauru are Chinese, and that means great quality food.
• We now do a driving tour of Nauru, which will take us to many of the sites related to former industries of the country, which includes some chances for Urbex
• Ever done a national pub crawl in a day? We visit all of Nauru’s 4 pubs before settling at the last one for our dinner. This is an achievement few have achieved. 
• Overnight at Menen Hotel.

Thursday 28th December – Nauru – Nadi

• A late start to our last day, with there being chances to go for your own exploration. 
• Whilst Nauru is famous for being a country without a capital, it does have a capital village (where the airport is), and we head there to check out the parliament building, high court, and all the other little quirks that make Nauru a country.

Afternoon

• Lunch at Od’n Aiwo Hotel.
• We also know how important it is for people to buy fridge magnets, t-shirts and postcards, so we head the main gift shop and post office to deal with this.
• During our time in Nauru we’ll meet plenty of people who arrived as asylum seekers, who’ll be happy to answer any questions that you might have about how they arrived there, what life is like for them and what hopes and aspirations they have for the future.
• Dinner in Nauru before we head off for our flight
• 20.45 flight to Nadi in Fiji arriving at 23.55, before transferring to our hotel
• Overnight in Nadi

Friday 29th – Nadi

• Breakfast in hotel 
• After so many flights and such a late arrival we pretty much our first rest of the trip, giving people a free morning to catch up on emails, or do washing
• Lunch at hotel

Afternoon

• In the afternoon we head out to the nearby nature park for some site seeing 
• After that we finish off at one of the nearby beaches where we can while away the afternoon with some serious relaxation
• Nadi is famous for its food and nightlife, so we enjoy both with some Fijian food and some drinks 
• Overnight in Nadi

• Full group members: up nice and early for the flight to Tuvalu,
• Group 2 members: tour concludes in Suva, fiji  – YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing flights
• Group 3 members, Meet at Nadi Airport for the flight to Tuvalu
• #TRIP HIGHLIGHT# Arrival in the third-least-visited country in the world, Tuvalu, where we arrive at around 11 – this is where the trip really gets into least visited territory!
• Funafuti is hardly a metropolis and the island’s only proper hotel is conveniently only 50 meters’ walk from the airport. We have time to freshen up and eat lunch before beginning our adventures in country number three.

Least Visited Countries Group 3

Saturday 30th December – Suva – Funafuti 

• Full group members: up nice and early for the 09.00 flight to Tuvalu, included in tour cost
• Group 2 members: tour concludes in Nadi  – YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing flights
• Group 3 members, Hotel transfer at your own convenience and meet the rest of the group.
• #TRIP HIGHLIGHT# Arrival in the third-least-visited country in the world, Tuvalu, where we arrive at around 11 – this is where the trip really gets into least visited territory!
• Funafuti is hardly a metropolis and the island’s only proper hotel is conveniently only 50 meters’ walk from the airport. We have time to freshen up and eat lunch before beginning our adventures in country number three.

Afternoon

• We’ll head off with our Tuvalu guide on an island tour including the government buildings, conservation area, and shipwrecks.
• On a Saturday evening, our hotel is often the location of local family celebrations such as birthdays or weddings, which happen on a grand scale in Tuvalu, so hopefully we’ll get a chance to watch or join in.
• Overnight at Funafuti Lagoon Hotel.

Sunday 31st December – Funafuti 

Morning

• Tuvaluans take their Sundays seriously, so those that want to can attend a local church service to repent their sins!

Afternoon

• The best way to navigate Funafuti is by scooter, so we’ll rent some for anyone wanting to explore by this means. The airport runway is only used for planes a few hours per week and the rest of the time it’s available for recreation, but sadly it’s not permitted to race scooters on it – although we do. 
• Dinner at private family restaurant that we know
• Head to the main bar in town to see in 2024

Monday 1st January – Funafuti 

Morning

• Seeing as we are on an island surrounded by other islands we do what should only come naturally and take a boat out for the day across the lagoon to explore some of the other islands, whilst enjoying the odd drink.

Afternoon

• Picnic lunch on any undisturbed beach that we come across.
• Those aquatically inclined should bring their snorkeling masks to check out the reefs.
• We head out to the local disco/beer garden (yes, you read that correctly) at the Matagigali bar.
• Barbecue dinner, with local dance show entertainment.
• Overnight at Funafuti Lagoon hotel.

Tuesday 2nd January – Funafuti – Suva/Nadi

Morning

• Morning in Funafuti 

Afternoon

• Head to airport to catch flight at 12.20, layover in Suva and Nadi then land in Samoa Apia at 00.55 the next day

Wednesday 3rd January – Apia

Morning

• Late wake up after transfer to hotel.

Afternoon

• Samoa only became independent from New Zealand in 1962 and then changed its name from Western Samoa to simply Samoa in 1997
• Tonight we make the most of our only evening in Samoa, heading straight out for a quick walking tour of the sights of Apia, including catching one of Apia’s amazingly unique public buses, walking along the sea wall and seeing the Immaculate Conception of Mary Cathedral
• It’s thirsty work visiting a cathedral, so we head to the Vailima Brewery for a tour of Samoa’s main brewery, samples will be had
• Back into town for dinner and to check out the nightlife of Apia
• Overnight in Apia

Thursday 4th January – Samoa 

Morning

• After breakfast we’ll be saying goodbye to Samoa as we head to the airport for our very own charter flight from Apia via Pago Pago in American Samoa to Nuku’alofa, capital city of our last stop, the Kingdom of Tonga!
• For those interested in this kind of thing, we’ll be crossing the international dateline and back, so we arrive into American Samoa on the 15th of January before flying back to the 16th in Tonga!

Afternoon

• After checking into our hotel and having a quick lunch we will be heading out on a city tour taking in the Royal Palace, it may be made of wood and somewhat crumbling but it’s still the official residence of the King!
• Visit the town of Mu’a, the previous capital of Tonga, here we can see the numerous tombs of Tongan kings
• Dinner of local fare before a few drinks
• Overnight in Nuku’alofa

Friday 5th January – Tonga

Morning

• In the morning we first head to the Tongan National Culture Centre, here we can see exhibitions on the kingdom’s history as well as locals engaging in traditional artforms like tapa making
• Next we take a boat out to Pangaimotu Island, there will be snorkeling  opportunities and the most impressive sight is a shipwreck that the local kids have turned into a makeshift diving platform

Afternoon

• We’ll walk around the island and grab lunch there before taking a mid-afternoon boat back to the main island
• Head back to the hotel to freshen up and then we go out for our final night of this unique trip, for a Tongan dinner and traditional Tongan performance set inside a cave!
• After dinner we hit the town for a Friday night in Nuku’alofa, what better night for a pub crawl
• Overnight in Nuku’alofa

Least Visited Countries Group 4

Saturday 6th January – Auckland 

• Full group members: transport to the Nuku’alofa airport with flights included in the tour cost
• Group 3 members: tour concludes in Nuku’alofa, Tonga – YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing flights
• Group 4 members, transfer to the hotel at your own convenience and meet the rest of the group.
• Catch a early flight at 05.40 to Auckland Arriving 14.00

Afternoon

• After such a long journey we settle into our airport hotel for a relax in the largest metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. For those in the mood we will arrange a trip into town, or you can take this opportunity to relax before some serious time travelling!

Sunday 7th January – Auckland – Rarotonga

• 08.50 ARRIVES 13.40 on Saturday 6th January

Saturday 6th January Rarotonga

Afternoon

•  13.40 arrival in Rarotonga, where you will get the chance to live exactly the same day twice!
• Check in to the hotel, before we head straight out to sample the Cook Islands. 
• Grab your snorkel equipment and a paddleboard and attend the briefing, then relax on the board as local divers drag you out to an area where snorkelers simply slide off and into a fairly deep crevasse in the ocean where turtles feel safe to feed. 
• I’m sure you are exhausted after a good few hours of snorkeling and playing with the turtles, free time to relax in the beach or the hotel before dinner
• Castaway resort for some happy hour drinks and food – This is a resort based on the famous castaway movie, You can meet Wilson here, who is a volleyball on a stick!
• Overnight in Rarotonga

Sunday 7th January – Rarotonga

• Pack your sun cream and bring your appetite, we are going on the famous Captain Tamas BBQ Cruise, 11AM departure, snorkeling equipment and food all inclusive, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see the famous Giant Trevally, a massive kingfish!
• arrive back inland around 4PM-5PM, free time to walk around the beach, island or rest a little in the hotel.
• Back to the Muri night market for some delicious food and drinks and if time permits, we can have a night out in Pacific resort
• Overnight in Rarotonga

Monday 8th January – Rarotonga – Auckland

Morning

• Pack and check-out of the hotel for 11AM, leave luggage in secure storage in the hotel.

Afternoon

• Lunch at the famous Beluga or Antipodes – In Beluga enjoy sushi, sashimi, and other raw and cooked fish, cure your hangover with the turmeric coffee, also has amazing – Visit the nearby gift shop, full of local handicrafts, also has humorous items like the hand-blown glass anal plugs.
• Antipods has the best view in all of rarotonga – it is a converted hillside villa – Reservations essential
• Final visit to the beach before the flight, enjoy the sunset
• Our flight leaves at 21.00, takes a few hours, but arrives two days later, just after midnight.
• Arrival at 00.30 in Auckland 21.00 – 00.30 flight

Wednesday 10th January – Auckland – Honiara

Afternoon

• 07.25 flight from Auckland to Honiara vis Brisbane and arriving at 13.50
• Met at the airport and transfer to the Honiara Hotel where we will have a chance to freshen up.
• The Honiara Hotel is a local institution – we’ll get the chance to talk to the eccentric owner, Sir Thomas Chan, about his life in politics on the island, as well as his experiences meeting various member of the Royal Family and being invested as a knight by the Queen.
• We dine on the generous buffet and finish with drinks by the pool at our hotel with a performance of Melanesian dance organized for the diners.
• Overnight at Honiara Hotel.

Thursday 11th January – Honiara

Morning

• Up early to explore Honiara central market, which is where real Solomon life occurs, and where we will have a chance to buy local souvenirs.
• Following this, we do a full city tour including all the monuments to WW2, parliament and the national museum.

Afternoon

• The way to really discover a country is through its street food, so on the journey to the next part of our tour we stop at street-food heaven, where the choices are pretty much chicken or fish served with rice and pumpkin.
• #TRIP HIGHLIGHT# We head to a beach which has a major Japanese WW2 wreck for some wreck snorkeling and underwater photography, as well as great views of the city of Honiara, whilst enjoying the beach.
• We stop for dinner on the way back Coral Sea Resort for a nice dinner overlooking the extremely beautiful seafront
• Overnight at Honiara Hotel

Friday 12th January – Honiara – Savo Island 

Morning

• Breakfast in the hotel
• Today we have another trip highlight by heading out to get our private boats to an amazing island
• Today we go to Savo Island, with our first stop being where the Megapode birds lay their eggs, of which we will purchase some for lunch.

Afternoon

• We then head to a truly private area where we will not only have lunch, but also the opportunity to explore Solomon villages on the island, interact with locals, hike in the beautiful scenery, or simply hang out by the beach for swimming and snorkeling.
• We then take the slow boat roads back to the mainland, before heading back to the hotel
• All good things must come to an end, including tours to the least-visited countries in the world, so we enjoy a specially cooked meal for us put on by the Honiara Hotel, a few snaps on the bed that Kate Middleton slept in, goodbye drinks by the pool, and a general end to our Least Visited Countries Tour celebration!

Saturday 13th January – Honiara

• Tour ends in Honiara, with YPT able to offer a number of extensions, such as to Bougainville, or Papua New Guinea

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