American Samoa

Photo: Bryan Chernick/Shutterstock

Five rugged volcanic islands and two coral atolls, American Samoa rises sharply out of the Pacific Ocean, west of the Cook Islands and east of Australia.

Read More

The Washington D.C.-sized territory is full of marine sanctuaries, 3,000-foot sea cliffs, active submerged volcanoes, and one of the US' most hard-to-get-to national parks: National Park of American Samoa.

Pago Pago will be your home base, and a drive from here over the village of Vatia leads to some pretty breathtaking views of the famous harbor below. You'll also want to visit Ofu Beach -- some say it's one of the world's most beautiful -- hike to a "quick-sand" lake, and climb Rainmaker Mountain. Drive the southeastern coast of Tutuila for a scenic extravaganza, and top off the journey with as much taro as you can handle. Be warned: Americans, with a passport, can stay here indefinitely.