Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Hotel dilemma in Isle of Pines Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / New Caledonia
damone 15:58 UTC 21 Nov 2007 | Hi, I am planning to go to the Isle of Pines on the in Dec and can't decide on what hotel to stay in. Has anyone stayed at the Gataiwatch or the Gite Kuberka? How are the bungalow? Which is better? |
mandja 04:44 UTC 22 Nov 2007 | Of the 2 Id go for Nataiwatch. Its is marginally better located - nearer the water and has had better feedback on quality. That said Nataiwatch is quite small and Kuberka is a suitable alternative. | 1
newfie43 05:53 UTC 22 Nov 2007 | We stayed at Gite Kuberka last September. It was basic accommodation but clean and comfortable. It has a small pool and a restaurant - you would order your meals in the morning. The food was okay for us but we found the breakfast overpriced for what you got. We walked to Snack Taday and the bakery and picked up our own supplies. It is just a few minutes walk to the beach(which is fantastic) and we were near the start of the trail to Pic n'Gai , which I would recommend. We were able to book excursions with them and we used their transportation service to and from the airport. The other guests were more couples or families when we were there. The one drawback for us was their lack of English - with our very limited French, communication was a problem. | 2
damone 07:20 UTC 22 Nov 2007 | Hi Mandja & Newfie43 for your replies, really appreciated. I have two more questions: 1. What is the best way (and reasonable cost) to get from the airport to Central Noumea and Anse Vata? (theres only two of us travelling). 2. This one might be a silly question though 'the boat leaves Port Morselle to Isle of Pines at 7am' isn't it? Thanks, Damone | 3
mandja 08:50 UTC 22 Nov 2007 | yes, the ferry leaves early morning, which , as I recall is about 7am 2. The international airport is about 45min driven from Noumea. Magenta Domestic is only 15 mins away from Noumea. A cab from Magenta is ok, but pricey from Tontouta International. We always hire a car | 4
fernsie 15:36 UTC 22 Nov 2007 | Regarding your question about cost from airport to Anse Vata - I'm assuming you intend staying overnight in Noumea before travelling to Isle de Pins, if so check with your accommodation to see if they will organise transport for you from the airport - we have found this to be the most economical way to go. | 5
goes 09:45 UTC 23 Nov 2007 | Last month I spent a week at Gite Nataiwatch with my family in a traditional Bungalow.We found them to be more "Island Style" and suited to us as the alternative was to have a modern bungalow with self contained shower and toilet but no fridge,sink,or cooking facility. The Bungalow had a fridge,sink & gas burner with plenty of space and divided room for parents,and single beds off the kitchen for kids. The floors are tiled and an outdoor table with chairs for eating etc.The sides open up for fresh air as there are no fans or air con. They may be a little too hot in mid summer though. The shower/toilet block isn't too far away. One complaint, if you can call it that is that there is sand all around ,so it pays to have a bucket or water to wash off your feet before going inside.There is no laundry on site. We found the staff very friendly,especially Vanessa at reception. Their restaurant was fairly basic,but too expensive to eat breakfast and dinner every day. The place is only a minutes walk from Kamamera Bay and this is a beach to take your breath away. Kuto beach is just a little further on. The snorkelling at either end is great and for a special lunch,the Oure lodge, tucked away at the end of Kanamera under a large native style lodge is superb. Even if you don't go on sight seeing over the rest of the island,if you like snorkelling or just chilling out on the beach,this place is heaven. I would always return to Nataiwatch as it is so friendly,value for money and ideally located. I hope it never goes up market and stays the way it is. | 6