The islands of the South Pacific hold a special place in our imagination, illustrated in part by Gauguin paintings and Hollywood musicals, but are all too often reduced to romantic clichés of sun, sand and palm trees. Now the narrative is changing, and while it’s still a pretty good place to play castaway on honeymoon, local voices and experiences are becoming more amplified. ‘Hotels are working with native storytellers, athletes and craftspeople, creating experiences that go beyond traditional dance performances during dinner,’ says Misner, who goes off the beaten track in search of fresh stories from the South Seas.
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