New Caledonia and Vanuatu

[serval_girl]

Anyone have opinions on diving and snorkeling at any of the following?

Noumea, Lifou, Vila, Champagne Bay, Luganville, Mystery Island, and Isle of Pines.

 

I am experienced with both snorkeling and diving and a bit spoiled with some of the places I have been-but my mum is coming and she loves snorkeling but cannot swim well-once I convince her to get in she is happy but its the getting in part...so for snorkeling options I also would like places easy to get into the water, especially near shore/shallow for her.

 

:)

[dataquatics]

Hi there,

Have snorkelled all the locations you gave, and have dived in Noumea, Luganville and Vila. The snorkelling is amazing in champagne bay and mystery island, with easy access and usually no current to speak of. Same goes for Isle of Pines, but it usually gets fairly murky if there are a stack of people from the boat all there at once. The tip is to get there first - as soon as the first tender can get you there.

Diving in Noumea is varied - depends a lot on the operator. The one I had used there no longer operates, which is a good thing for diver safety. I have had mixed reports on other operators there. The snorkelling out of Noumea at places like Amedee Island or Duck Island is good - on a good day.

Diving in and around Vila is excellent. Same goes for the snorkelling. You will find many shore tours offering both in Vila, or could arrange transfer to Hideaway island (20 mins drive) which has a full Padi centre at the resort, and great snorkelling as well.

Luganville, again snorkelling and diving are excellent. Sounds like you are if for some fun times, enjoy and be safe.

 

Cheers,

[cjm66]

Hi Serval Girl

 

To add to the advice from dataquatics - on our last cruise I decided to try something different on Isle of Pines and Mystery Island - partly to avoid the crowds in the favoured snokeling spots. On Isle of Pines I did a tour to the Natural Aquarium - a horeshoe white sand beach with a sheltered lagoon area with lots of fish - very little coral. Walk in from the beach, no stirred up water due to limited numbers and favoured by less confident snorkellers. An excellent bush walk along the lagoon to reach the beach and an interesting drive to get there. On Mystery Island, I hired a local boat ($aud20) from the tour board displayed where you get off the tender and had a lone guided snorkel around coral outcrops well off shore - good value and the boats can take 4 passengers which cuts the cost per person. They also do longer trips to different snorkeling spots.

 

Colleen

[serval_girl]

thanks for the suggestions:) dataquatics-that was what I was worried about-non-safe outfits-I have seen the best and worst and find I tend to shy away from dives if I cannot find independent verification that the outfit is good. Good to know lots of snorkeling for my mum though:)