Polynesia is the most far-flung, easterly region of Oceania.
Polynesia is comprised of the following island nations:
Polynesia includes smaller overseas territories of larger nations, including: American Samoa (USA)
Much less touristy than neighbouring Samoa, American Samoa is perhaps one of the most beautiful parts of the Pacific
An isolated island with amazing stone carvings.
Includes three islands with a strong claim to being the most beautiful island in the world, Bora Bora, Tahiti and Moorea, but also Mururoa where the French carried out nuclear tests until 1996.
A volcanic archipelago in the tropical Pacific, 2,300 mi (3,700 km) southwest of California (the nearest state), laid-back Hawaii is a vacation paradise.
Home to descendants of the Bounty mutineers, only for the most adventurous travellers.
This small New Zealand territory sees next to no tourism
And it includes the following tiny U.S. territories with no local populations, mainly used for scientific and military purposes:
Baker and Howland Island (USA)
The liveliest of these territories (which isn't saying much), home to a few dozen government staff.
New Zealand is also often considered part of Polynesia both culturally and historically, however, Wikivoyage covers New Zealand under its own separate page.
Polynesia comes from the Greek words "Poly" and "Nēsos" meaning "many islands".
Historically, Polynesia was famous for its seafaring traditions where people used canoes to navigate the seas by using stars and other signs that came from the ocean and sky.
There are many indigenous Polynesian languages spoken, sometime known as the Oceanic languages, a branch of the Austronesian language family. Additionally English is widely spoken in Polynesia, French in much of the rest, and Spanish on Easter Island.
Compared to the rest of Polynesia, Hawaii has excellent connections from mainland North America plus many flights from East Asia. The southern parts usually have flights from New Zealand, Fiji and/or Australia. Easter Island is connected to mainland Chile and French Polynesia to Paris via Los Angeles.
Most travelers get around by plane here. The alternative is cruising on small craft.
There are a couple of world heritage sites in Polynesia:
Take precautions against mosquito bites, as there have been outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus in the 2010s in the tropical countries.