Lifou Tours

[Luxy 1]

Hey Guys, I've finally made it!! :D Have been reading this forum for months. Thanks for all of the excellent info and enthusiasm. Finally, I have worked out how to set myself up to post (computer skills quite poor:confused: !!!) Fortunately a couple of friends have been asking questions for me (way to go Kathy and Sue!!!).
Anyway, was just wanting to know what tour your guys would recommend at Lifou? I have got two primary school age kids and am wondering if it would be better to go on the Melanesian encounter tour (to get a bit of culture!!) or the Forest and Secret Grotto tour (maybe more active and hands on for kids???)
We are cruising on the 22 September from Brissy. Twelve weeks today!!!
Will have to search back through the threads and work out how to set my count down clock.

Thanks for your help:p

[goin' cruisin']

Glad to see you made it on line!!! Interested to see the replies to your questions as we still can't decide on which tours to do either.

[Anissa72]

I will have to have a look up what we done but we went on a bus trip and went to the beach and made some grass hats. It was a really beautiful place. I didnt like the people there much though. It was my least favourite place due to the people acting like they didnt know what our money was. It seemed every place we went and we needed change they wouldnt give it to us and we ended losing to much money. They kept saying they didnt know what we were talking about? (Yeah right!) but it was a pretty place. Will let you know which one it was when I find our paperwork as it was 2 yrs ago and we moved since than.

Take care

[LouLou28]

Hi ... we went to Lifou earlier this year with our two children (6 & 9 at that time) and did the Cliffs of Jonkin. It was lovely ... and a bit of 'culture'! The vanilla plantation was great (I still think of it every time I smell vanilla!) and the village at Jonkin was beautiful.

Although - my 9 year old son did say that Lifou was his least favourite port (he preferred Noumea and Vila .... more to do with the shopping options available than the scenery, etc!!!!) ... That's a 9yo for you I guess!

My then 6 year old daughter loved Lifou ... thought the people were beautiful (they did make a big thing of her ... being one of the few children on the tour) . She had her hair braided at Lifou (which I've later learned is probably the more expensive place to do it - apparently Vila is cheaper!) --- but she thought it was all fantastic!

We loved Lifou ... even in the old clapped out Renault bus that took us on the tour .... it had fold down seats across the middle aisle of the bus and none of the windows shut! But it was a nice place!

[qld cruiser]

I will have to have a look up what we done but we went on a bus trip and went to the beach and made some grass hats. It was a really beautiful place. I didnt like the people there much though. It was my least favourite place due to the people acting like they didnt know what our money was. It seemed every place we went and we needed change they wouldnt give it to us and we ended losing to much money. They kept saying they didnt know what we were talking about? (Yeah right!) but it was a pretty place. Will let you know which one it was when I find our paperwork as it was 2 yrs ago and we moved since than.

Take care

Hi Anissa, did you offer to pay for things with Central Pacific Francs ???
away from Noumea they will not accept Aussie money. (everyone onboard ship is told to use CPF's.)
why would they, it is New Caledonia... enough said about that. ...... people in Lifou, Ouvea etc are part of the northern islands, they live as you see them, and most of the Kanak people only speak french.so they may NOT have known what you were talking about.
we would not accept their Francs in country Australia !!!!
It is a beautiful area, a pity about the attitude of the people in Noumea.
they need to clean the city up, it was filthy there last week.
kind regards, Lorraine:) :)

[Skyrules]

Have to agree with you Lorraine - we'll be visiting Noumea for the 4th time in nearly 3 years in September - and I think we might just stay on the ship this time - maybe just do the Scenic Plane Flight shore tour if it's offered.

Looking forward to Lifou though as it's a new port for me.... Martin's been there before but I haven't. We're having trouble deciding which tour, if any, to do.