South Pacific Islands Shore Excursion Recommendations

[Slim31]

Hi All,

 

Just looking for some recommendations for things to do at the following ports of call:

 

Noumea: (We have already done the Tchou Tchou Train) We are thinking of doing the Amedee Lighthouse Island Day Trip

 

Vila: (We have already done the Buggy Off-Road Adventure and the Zego Sea Safari)

 

Isle Of Pines: (We have already done a local tour offered by a driver on the island)

 

Luganville: (Never been there, have no idea what to do)

 

Lifou: (Been there once but didn't really do anything as such, just went for a walk)

 

Champagne Bay: (Never been there, have no idea what to do)

 

Mystery Island: (Been there once and went swimming, also did a bit of shopping)

 

Any recommendations would be great, either shore excursions or our own thing

 

Thanks,

Slim

[Chmielel]

Noumea - I recommend Aquanature full day snorkeling tours they are just a short walk from the ship. They also have 1/2 tours and will work with you around your ship's schedule. You will see lots of sea life and beautiful hard and soft corals in amazing colors. I can't begin to count the number of sea life we saw but they included stingrays, moray eel, and sea cucumbers. Even saw a black tipped reef sharks or two which made my heart pound. On our way to the 2nd snorkeling site our boat spotted and followed behind a humpback whale. We snorkeling above canyons that make up the reef and saw giant clams in bed in the coral. This was the best snorkeling I have ever done and that includes Hawaii, Mexico, Fuji, the Caribbean and the 2 sites I snorkeled at the Great Barrier Reef.

 

Luganville - Known for it 4 lane road built during WWII. I have not done this tour but the people on my ship that did enjoyed swimming in the Blue Hole. Nanda Blue Hole (also known as Jackie's Blue Hole) is often referred to by visitors as the most beautiful blue hole in Vanuatu. There is a $5 entry fee and you can google it for more information.

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise.

[sarjau]

Isle of pines - stay near where the boat drops you and do snorkelling to the right of the land or swim with turtles to the left. Enjoy some pretty nice local fare for lunch!

 

Lifou - check out the snorkelling at Jinek (prebook your pass to enter, do the island tour (hopefully you get Johnny as your tour guide!). There is also a cave waterhole you can swim in - it's small and bit of a walk but worth it IMO. Walk off ship, up main path, turn right, look for the little archway just past the church where they sell drinks and coconuts. Only costs a few dollars pp.

[Jacs]

Vila I would do a trip to the Mele Cascades, it's a stunning series of waterfalls and rock pools that you can swim in. We picked up a private tour at the port, a limo took 6 of us around for the day for $300, and this was definitely the highlight.

[LuckiePuris]

Hi All,

 

Just looking for some recommendations for things to do at the following ports of call:

 

Noumea: (We have already done the Tchou Tchou Train) We are thinking of doing the Amedee Lighthouse Island Day Trip

 

Vila: (We have already done the Buggy Off-Road Adventure and the Zego Sea Safari)

 

Isle Of Pines: (We have already done a local tour offered by a driver on the island)

 

Luganville: (Never been there, have no idea what to do)

 

Lifou: (Been there once but didn't really do anything as such, just went for a walk)

 

Champagne Bay: (Never been there, have no idea what to do)

 

Mystery Island: (Been there once and went swimming, also did a bit of shopping)

 

Any recommendations would be great, either shore excursions or our own thing

 

Thanks,

Slim

 

Hi there,

 

I have been to these ports a few times, and these are a few of the things I have done before At these ports.

 

Noumea - I have done Amadee Island twice, absolutely fantastic and worth the price. So much to do on the tour, or you can just relax and do nothing. I have also done the hop on hop off bus twice and plan to do this again on my next cruise. The hop on hop off will take you generally to lemon bay, anse vata beach, tjibaou cultural centre, aquarium, and some also to duck island. Hop on hop off can be organised independently once off the ship.

 

Port Vila - we have done the Cascade Waterfalls with a ship excursion, however it is also easy to hire a driver on arrival to the port to take you. Many do recommend not paying the drive yet, to ensure that they wait for you to take you back to the ship when you're ready.

Also through the ship excursions I have done the Round Island Safari which was just amazing, and gave a fantastic tour of different parts of the island. And I have also booked the Pele Island shore excursion for a beach / snorkelling day.

If you're looking for duty free shopping, Fung Kwei is the best variety and price wise. Much cheaper than the ship, and the ship actually purchases their duty free from here. You can buy alcohol, and they deliver to the ship for you.

 

Isle of pines - if you already done the local tour, I would suggest spending the day relaxing on the beautiful beaches and snorkelling. Just a reminder when you first arrive on the island, along the main road to the left there is a local stall setup with a benviene / welcome banner offering free grass hats and coconuts.

 

Luganille - is part of the island Espiritu Santo. Famous for deep blue waterholes and natural lagoons for swimming. You can organise a local driver on arrival. A few market stalls out the front of the port for shopping.

 

Lifou - snorkelling at Baie De Jinek is amazing. The ship may sell passes or if not, you can purchase this locally for approx US$15 per person. They only allow approx 200 guests a day so get there early to avoid missing out. There is also a fantastic rainforest walk which takes you through to a cave with a fresh water hole for swimming, entry approx $5 per person. Massages on offer approx $10. Market stalls but souvenirs more on the expensive side. Fresh fruits, coconuts, beers available for lunch at good prices.

 

Champagne Bay - on the island of Espiritu Santo on the north. Absolutely stunning beach, fringed similar to something from Jurassic Park. One of the best things about this port is the local seafood. You see the fishermen come in with lobsters and crabs, you pick the live one you want and you watch them cook this in front of you use. Served with fresh lime on a banana leaf. Take cash for this! Fresh fruits also for sale. Food and market stalls cheap and affordable.

 

Mystery island - quite a small island, mainly a beach day. There is a great market area setup for souvenir shopping, and a big cannibal pot to have your photo taken in. The locals do offer a range of excursions, paid locally in cash such as fishing, snorkelling, swimming with turtles etc.

 

Hope this helps!

Edited January 31, 2015 by LuckiePuris

[aussielozzie18]

Noumea: Loved our day at Amedee Lighthouse Island

 

Lifou: snorkeling at Jinek Bay. If you are on Royal, they don't sell tickets. You just have to pay $15AUDpp to the locals before you enter the water.

 

Champagne Bay: Beautiful beach. You can do short outrigger canoes rides from the beach for $5AUD pp. Lots of markets on the beach, they accept AUD in small denominations ie $5 or $10 notes. My friend did a local tour from the beach to the Blue Hole. About a 15-20mins trip in a truck/ute to a beautiful blue swimming hole.

[Ned Flanders]

Hi Slim

 

For Vila, given you've been on 2 "out- there" type excursions previously, I reckon the Toast to Vila may be up your alley.

For about $65 or $70, you get a pre-tour (alcoholic) beverage, a rollicking good bus trip with some old favourites sung the way we might like them when we're in holiday mode, plus 4 or 5 bar/restaurant stopovers with a free drink & nibblies in each.

Throw in a bit of a sight seeing tour through & around town & I think it's the best way to soak up Vila!

We had a blast.

Cheers.

Phil