Shore Tours - Suggestions Please :)

[Surf_Chick]

Below is the itinerary for the cruise me and my 3 girlfriends are going on, im just wondering what are some good shore tours that we could do? or even just things we can do by ourselves on the islands... i love snorkelling so will be doing that :)

 

I dont want to book through P&O as it seems the inflation on the cost of the tours is rather hefty.

 

We are all in our mid 20's

 

 

 

Noumea – 3pm till 11pm

Isle of Pines – 8am till 5pm

Mystery Island - 8am till 5pm

Wala – 8am till 6pm

Champagne Bay – 8am till 6pm

Vila - 8am till 4pm

 

 

:p

[rkmw]

Below is the itinerary for the cruise me and my 3 girlfriends are going on, im just wondering what are some good shore tours that we could do? or even just things we can do by ourselves on the islands... i love snorkelling so will be doing that :)

 

I dont want to book through P&O as it seems the inflation on the cost of the tours is rather hefty.

 

We are all in our mid 20's

 

 

 

Noumea – 3pm till 11pm

Isle of Pines – 8am till 5pm

Mystery Island - 8am till 5pm

Wala – 8am till 6pm

Champagne Bay – 8am till 6pm

Vila - 8am till 4pm

 

 

:p

 

hi, the only ports you have to worry about is Noumeau & Vila as the others are tender ports and they are very good for snorkelling

 

in Noumeau you can get some private tours from the Tourist Information centre at the terminal and in Vila you can hire a van for half a day but come to an arrangement for the fare before you take off and dont pay the driver until he drops you back at the boat or in town....a lot of people go to the Cascade Falls but thats an extra cost to go thru the gate to see the falls

 

Edit: at Champange Bay you can do a private tour to the Blue Hole for about $20 AUD per person and it goes for about an hour

 

rkmw

[Aus Traveller]

Hi,

Noumea - You could book a short sightseeing tour in the terminal on the wharf, but you would have to get off the ship fairly promptly before they are sold out. Alternatively, go to Lemon Bay and Anse Vata by bus, or just walk around town. I suggest you go back to the ship around dark. There is not much to see in town after dark and four girls wandering around on their own isn't a good idea in any city.

 

Isle of Pines, Mystery Island, Wala & Champagne Bay - snorkel and have a lazy day. At Wala the locals have a tour of their village. Mystery Island has a great market.

 

Vila - I suggest going to the Cascades. It is more than just a waterfall. It is an amazing experience swimming under the waterfall and in the rock pools at the base of the falls. Entry is AUD$20 (last time I was there). Taxi to the Cascades, have the driver wait 2 hours then drive you back to the ship should cost around $50AUD - $60 for the whole lot. I have met someone recently who paid $40 but that is unusually low. Don't pay until he drops you off either in town or at the ship. Taxi from town back to the ship is AUD$10 (don't pay more). These prices are already inflated because the ship is in town, so don't be conned into paying more. Also, don't fall for the "per person" price. The prices I have quoted are for the taxi, whether it is a car with 4 people or a van with 7. There are lots of vans around so if you meet up with a few others on the ship, all go together.

[cazz0069]

Vila - I suggest going to the Cascades. It is more than just a waterfall. It is an amazing experience swimming under the waterfall and in the rock pools at the base of the falls. Entry is AUD$20 (last time I was there). Taxi to the Cascades, have the driver wait 2 hours then drive you back to the ship should cost around $50AUD - $60 for the whole lot. I have met someone recently who paid $40 but that is unusually low. Don't pay until he drops you off either in town or at the ship. Taxi from town back to the ship is AUD$10 (don't pay more). These prices are already inflated because the ship is in town, so don't be conned into paying more. Also, don't fall for the "per person" price. The prices I have quoted are for the taxi, whether it is a car with 4 people or a van with 7. There are lots of vans around so if you meet up with a few others on the ship, all go together.

 

Good choice

I would highly reccomend the falls too. Its been 20 years since i did it but still sticks in my memory as being a highlight:)

[Sandielle]

Hi Jas, haven't seen you here for a while. Hope you have recovered now. :)

 

Do you have to climb up the rough part to get to the swimming holes? We would love to go there, but have heard you have to scramble uphill over rocks. I'm fine on the flat but have difficulty on rough ground and hills.

 

Cheers from

Another old crock! :D:D

[Aus Traveller]

Hi Jas, haven't seen you here for a while. Hope you have recovered now. :)

 

Do you have to climb up the rough part to get to the swimming holes? We would love to go there, but have heard you have to scramble uphill over rocks. I'm fine on the flat but have difficulty on rough ground and hills.

 

Cheers from

Another old crock! :D:D

 

Hi Sandy, No scrambling over rock unless you want to. It is about 20 minutes' walk with some slopes, some stairs and walking across one or two very shallow (3" deep) streams. If it has rained recently there could be mud. The best footwear is reef shoes. When you get to the cascades you can just get into the pools at the bottom, or the more adventurous ones can climb up to the base of the falls. I went most of the way and decided that I would need a hand to go further. I didn't want to hold the others in my party back so I just soaked in pools three-quarters way up. The cascades is a magical place where everyone comes away with a smile on their face.

[Sandielle]

Thanks Aust T - sounds heavenly! We are thinking of going there next time.:)

[yma86]

If you want to take the cascades one step further, you can book thru p&o to abseil down the cascades, from memory it was $129 (not sure about booking independantly) and one of the best things we did. You abseil about 50m down through the waterfall it is awesome!

[Surf_Chick]

thanks everyone for your fantastic replies :) i think i will do the cascades, have heard lots about them :)

 

also for noumea, the little train thing, how do i get on/book that when i get to noumea. Is it in the hut where you get of the ship where the little stalls are?

 

And yes i know what Noumea is like on a night and i plan to be back on board safely by dark hehe, we were nearly left in Noumea last time, they were pulling the ramps up as we got back to the ship as a taxi driver wouldnt let us get out of the cab... it was HELL SCARY

[Aus Traveller]

also for noumea, the little train thing, how do i get on/book that when i get to noumea. Is it in the hut where you get of the ship where the little stalls are?

Yes. Buy tickets for the train or sightseeing tours in the terminal on the wharf where the little stalls are. Get off the ship as early as you can so you can organise your tickets before they sell out. :)

 

The stalls are now on the first floor and, if you are lucky, there will be some local musicians playing.

 

Have a great cruise. :)