I'll start with the Cook Islands, a little-known (at least to most Americans) island chain with 15 don't-blink-or-you'll-miss them blips of land spread out over 756,000-square-miles of the South Pacific, most of which is protected as a marine park.

My favorite Aitutaki motu was probably Tapuaetai, the world's only "deserted island" with its own post office.

In the middle of the South Pacific, one of the world's most remote post offices continues to do brisk business in stamps, as tourists from around the ...

Research online but don't book online. Better ships and cabin categories may be available.

After a particularly non-formal process of getting my passport stamped, I walked the approximately 100 feet to my hotel, ready to explore this little slice of geological, geographical wonder that is known as Tuvalu.

Time spent exploring these often overlooked isles is guaranteed to satisfy your wanderlust, no matter how bad the itch.

A little up the beach some hunters are roasting wild boar. The coastline spills out into waves and I can't decide if it looks more like Avatar or Jurassic Park.

When I travel, I want to be Marco Polo, a pioneer encountering little-known people and places. I want to feel the exuberance of newness rather than the comfort of well-trodden paths. I just found it all in Vanuatu.

There are perhaps three different Fijis, one fantastic, one exotic, one soulful. On a trip to the South Pacific, you can find them -- and experience the many dimensions of these wonderful islands.

Just because it's remote doesn't mean you're alone.