Free agent

Hello,

After a couple of fruitless visits to travel agencies (are there any agents out there who've actually been to NC?!) I would really love to get some advice from the thorn-tree experts!

My boyfriend and I have two tickets to Noumea (for January) and the first three nights of our accommodation sorted. What we'd really like to do next is book a couple of nights budget accommodation on another island (Ile des Pines or Loyalty Islands).

Would it be too risky to book accommodation in advance and sort out travel to the islands (whether it be by boat or plane) once we get there?

Also, our flight out of NC leaves at 8am. Can we rely on the airport shuttle bus?

Any assistance greatly appreciated

Johanna

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<hr>Can we rely on the airport shuttle bus<hr></blockquote> - yes, but also price a taxi, as there are 2 of you.

Where are you staying those first 3 nights? What is your budget?

Depebding what day you wish to travel to IDP or the Loyalties, there may not be a ferry that day eg from memory, the Betico (ferry) goes to IDP on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Flights there cost about double the ferry but go daily (from Magenta - Domestic airport NOT the International)

You dont HAVE to prebook accom to IDP but not doing so will limit choice because some of the places are small - eg Gite Nataiwatch has , I think, only half a dozen rooms, Chez Regis likewise.You can book accom, travel etc at the tourist office in central Noumea.

Thanks so much for your help.

We are staying at Le Surf the first three nights (about 8000XPF per night, our upper limit). I've enquired about booking a flight to IDP on Sunday and have reserved two nights at Gite Nataiwatch. If we like it there we might stay until Wednesday and catch the ferry back to Noumea. Otherwise, we'll fly back or swim! :)

Hi skyrocket,

One thing to note is that it is also school holidays in New Caledonia in January.

Gite Nataiwatch is one of the more popular places to stay on iDP given its location on la baie de Kuto.

IDP is VERY popular not only with the residents of New Caledonia, but also France and more Aussies are going there now too (something we discovered on our most recent trip there in January this year) so you may not be able to extend your stay because everywhere is booked solid.

Generally 3 full days is a good time and enough to do everything you may want to do in IDP. If I were you, I would just organise 3 full days there now.

I agree with Mandja. You can book it from the tourist office but trying to do it from the Air Caledonie office in Noumea is time consuming and will eat into your valuable holiday time. From memory, I think it also closes for lunch (like most commercial places in Noumea), so you will be wasting most of the day trying to sort this out. There is no numbering/ticketing system either it's just the people waiting will tell you who was there first. If you don't speak French, that may prove difficult. I have booked and change flights numerous times from that office and I have generally lost a 1/2 day each time.

You should be able to rely on the airport shuttle bus as there aren't that many flights that arrive at Tontouta and flight arrivals and departures are listed in the daily newspaper BUT to be certain I would enquire before your return date.

How long do you have in total on your holiday?

Hi if you have read my posting on the previous item,you can read about my experiences in NC,as recently as last week. I of Pines is great and four days is as much as you need,although I had a week,every day was spent snorkelling or recharging the batteries. One morning we walked up the tallest peak,Pic EN Ga,the steep rocky climb was worth it for the views over all the island.
Gite Nataiwatch is so nice and quiet, although not luxury accomodation. Being close to Kanermera bay is worth being located there.It would have to be one of the best beaches anywhere in the world along side its neighbour Kuto bay.The newer units do have a self contained bathroom/shower,but I preferred the traditional bungalow,as it is the only way you can self cater very well and includes a fridge. You can camp,but you need to bring a fair bit of gear to do that. Bear in mind that the Air Caledonie baggage limit is just 10kg.The Betico ferry is ok,takes two hours each way. Leaves Noumea around 7.00am and returns at around 5.00pm.only on two or three days each week.We had no trouble with transfers as we had pre booked from Australia with a company using the services of ALPHA,a NC agency who arrange those things for tourists.
There are no "small shops"near to Nat. Although you can borrow one of their bikes and ride about two or three ks to a small store and a bit further on there is a bakery with a sandwich shop attached. Their bagettes are the best in NC.They do have odd opening hours and days though,so you can turn up only to find that they are closed at some hours or on some days. 24/7 in non exisitant.Nothing is really very cheap there and to eat at the Nat or other lodges,resorts you should budget close to $A50 each for dinner and lunch and about $A30 each for breakfast.
The staff are very friendly and happy. Vanessa in reception is a gem and very helpful. There is a French manager(?)who I found a little on the rude side,but it could be due to my lack of enough French as is often the case. Food is about 4 or 5 out of 10,although it is mainly local fare and not as good as what you might get in Noumea.Try to use French as much as you can and not expect them to give you too much English in return as they will be more helpful if you do.
Try to avoid being on the island when a cruise ship arrives. The island gets over run for about 6 hours and although the island really needs their $$ for its economy,it does change the island atmosphere when you encounter close to 2000 suddenly on the island on a beach where you are sleeping and wake up to find them all around you.!
I think that it is not too far off before Noumea and NC becomes a hot spot for Aussie and NZ tourists as there is a lot of redevelopment happening. They are slowly becoming more tourist oriented in the better places. On I of P,be patient and remember that many of the poorer locals do not have very much but seem to be very happy. In NC I encountered no drunks or druggies or any sort of agro like I might find in Australia in some places that I have visited.
If you would like to know more or see some pics send me you email direct through here and I shall try to help.
Despite my bad experience on the last few days,I would still like to return again knowing what I know now and have learned more from the experience.I am going to do a French speaking course to help me get more out of NC. BTW ignore the warnings about renting a car and driving,it doesn't take long to get used to the LH Drive cars. I used Europe Car Rental which were very good and quite cheap,less than Aust for a comparible class of car.Excess Insurance removal rate is pretty good too.

Thanks for the advice.

I had read all your previous entries which were really interesting. Your experience, Goes, with the transport horrors has prepared me for being flexible with our itinerary as it seems like a fairly relaxed country when it comes to transport and timetables!

We are staying 7 nights in total, three of which we will spend on Ile des Pines which we're looking forward to exploring. How long is the walk to the top of Pic En Ga? Is there any way of avoiding the cruise ships?! I'd hate to travel all that way and then end up with an island full of my own fellow Aussies!

I speak French (it's one of the main reasons we chose NC for our holiday) so I'm looking forward to practising. Can I assume that most Kanak people speak French? Would they find it offensive to begin conversations in French or is it a better gesture to attempt basic kanak?!

Tropicgirl, I've booked our flight to Ile des Pines through Air Caledonie and elected to collect the tickets from their office. Would it be better to collect them from the airport?

Meals seem to be fairly expensive on Ile des Pines so we're thinking of taking some food from Noumea (less than 10kg worth I guess!). Inevitably we'll eat at some of the resorts while we're there. Are there any others you would recommend over the Nataiwatch restaurant?

Car rental is something we'll look into. Cheers

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<hr>Can I assume that most Kanak people speak French<hr></blockquote> yes, but just "most"....all.

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<hr>Meals seem to be fairly expensive on Ile des Pines <hr></blockquote> - they can be , but not outrageously so.Yes, do take food from Noumea (the market and supermarket, but also there is a bakery near Kuto , and a great "snack" near Vao (I cant , sadly, tell you how to get there - its hard to find.). Also , remeber that the seafood on IDP is marvellous and whilst its not "cheap" is really quite reasonable by Aussie standards. DONT be scared off by what others may have told you.

I loved the meals I had all over IDP, especially at Chez Regis and Gite Manamaky (the latter may now be closed) . Also had good food at Kodjoue Hotel, , Meridien (pricey!), and Oure and Kou Bugny (latter 2 at Kuto/Kanumera)

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<hr>We are staying at Le Surf <hr></blockquote>

Assuming the Casino still operates there, just check in case you are entitled to free gaming vouchers ( we got some when we stayed there - at the time it was an Accor hotel ( prob still is?). Ask on check in.

Can you collect the tickets before leaving?

The domestic flights leave from Magenta NOT the international terminal at Tontouta so you would need to make a special trip out to Magenta to collect them.

If you can't collect them, (ie get them posted to you before leaving) then I would be at the office at 7.30 in the morning when they open.

Mandja is entirely correct - the meals all over IDP are amazing. You can get some lovely snacks, including roast chicken and tahitian raw fish salad from the snack bar in front of the boulangerie opposite the prison ruins in Kuto. The snack bar is closed on Mondays however.

We also ate well at Kodjoue.

Walking along Kuto beach, heading towards the wharf is a little yellow hut. It is a little snack bar called Kuto Koin. (There isn't a sign on it though). On weekends and the days that the Betico comes in it is open. They serve some delicious meals for breakfast and lunch there for VERY reasonable prices. They are related to the chef Anne-Marie who ran the restaurant at the now closed Gite Manamaky. (Mandja can no doubt attest to how sublime her cooking was).

If you have a day out at the Baie D'Oro, I highly recommend a grilled lobster meal at Le Kou-gny which is not far from the Meridien. You sit at open air tables with your feet in the sand facing an aquamarine lagoon dining on fresh grilled lobster. You need to book ahead and advise what you want to eat but I can't recommend it highly enough.

While you are there - try a bounga as well. I believe that Chez Regis offers it (it's a feast of fish and sometimes chicken wrapped in banana leaves and baked with taros, bananas, coconut milk cooked underground). Gite Nataiwatch probably would too.

In relation to car hire, driving around Isle Des Pins is fine. You can even hire a scooter there to circumnavigate the island. They hire them out at Gite Nataiwatch.

Driving OUTSIDE Noumea is not too bad (it's not great because the drivers overtake at high speed without ANY regard to how close oncoming traffic is but is eminently doable). If you plan to head south to Prony for example, I strongly recommend you hire a 4WD as the roads are dirt roads for part of the way and the roads are really not suitable for small sedans.

In the centre of Noumea, however, driving is a nightmare. It has nothing to do with left hand drive vehicles or driving on the other side of the road. The drivers are appalling. I do not base this on one holiday either. My family come from there and still live in New Caledonia, my mother was born there and I go back to visit the family quite regularly. When we go over, we take public transport everywhere in centre ville and only drive when we're out of Noumea.

I didnt have any dramas driving in Noumea, but then I've handled driving in London and LA too !!

Once you arrive at Le Surf, head up the Anse Vata, very close to the Navata Park Hotel is the booking office for the Loyalty Islands - they will help you with any flights or accommodation queries you may have.

Hello,
Here I would like to share my experience and give my impressions of KOU BUGNY hotel on the island of pine – new Caledonia. We stayed 10 days in early January 2008. Being a French family with two children (6 years and 16 months), we selected the following bungalow 25000 fp / day. The last of 110 m2 with mezzanine proposed air conditioning, a fan on the floor, TV, DVD, living in the provision of 3-star comfort. We were housed in the bungalow No. 11.
We actually found a bungalow on an octagonal shape (3 meters aside 7.5 meters in diameter therefore 45 m2 + mezzanine floor 30m2 is already an initial deception on the surface - about 80m2 instead of the 110 announced). In our arrival, we had no home, the receptionist simply asked me if I had heard about all that she had given to the customer who preceded me in the queue. The bungalow was not ready and we had to 16:00 instead of noon. Let me just in a mess of my remarks you as much detail on lodging than on the restaurant and services:
1) housing is very bleak, there are only indirect lighting.
2) Apart from a small closet in the bedroom, there is no other storage.
3) The bungalow has four single beds on the mezzanine convenient but no, no cupboard. Everything must remain in bags
4) The room has a faulty air conditioning and the mezzanine has an old fan up (he reported the soul in 3 days and I had to get myself a fan in another room because I expect yet that leads me…)
5) The hotel provided me a cot dismantled Wood no longer had his paintings and all of the hardware being rusty and rocky.
6) There is in the lounge ("salon") no air conditioning and no fan. The heat is suffocating. There is no DVD player. The show is composed of 3 wood furniture with cushions defined as armchairs and sofa. They are neither comfortable nor aesthetic. There is no decoration on the wall with the exception of a painting of a seascape (nothing to do with the new Caledonia)
7) The bathroom has a large shower and sink. The sink was clogged throughout our stay, the valve was broken, cracked sink. There is no storage or disposal tablet for its toiletries. You are forced to take a coffee cup to plant your toothbrushes. The cleanliness and maintenance is minimal. Joints are black and greyish white stoneware is the lack of maintenance.
8) The flap toilet was broken, rusted screws in the urine. The soil showed tasks now indelible in filth and urine.
9) The walls showed spots of mold.
10) You have no broom or shovel to pick up after your sand beach. Outside a water faucet does not even have a small tube to rinse their feet after the beach.
11) The household was not necessarily done before noon, and given the lack of light, I shall spare you the details of the quality of maintenance.
12) Throughout the bungalow you will find countless spider webs, which are not new.
13) The reception dish at your disposal towels. Quick Tip, take your images. These towels are just fine and old towels, stained and worn.
14) With regard to the restaurant, it offers a limited and the quality is poor when you see the wealth of products that the sea provides. Do not wait any quality service, there was none. You wait for 1 hour dishes, they forget some. They will serve an appetiser at the same time as a main dish. But the worst is whether prices and indecent as the island has few means of restoration, they take you hostage with their prices falling every night for a family with a budget of Eve. This is a detail if the dishes are tasty! But when you see chefs cook the lobster tails at 17.00 and that you order at 20:00, I do not need caches better eating octopus it is cheaper! (Menu to lobster 5495 frs out wine / 47 euros). A children's menu (small filet of chicken fried in fat slice ) costs you anyway 1980 frs / 17 euros. It is a disgrace! We solved the problem by eating at the lodge OURE, Gite NATAWAITCH (camping decor but good quality / price ratio), or by ordering Bugnas in families on the island. At midday, the hotel has a snack around the pool. Anticipate delays! You stay on tables often not freed and after an hour, you resign a move to the counter to order a “panini” and a bad beer. The beer arrives hot at the time dessert and you will have spent the price of a tab at the shallots + dessert wine.
15) The sea water pool is small but correct. I have never seen anyone in 10 days clean and you are swimming among the leaves and plant debris.
16) We had rented a car at the hotel. For the budget of a golf TDI / climatisation any options we had a bad LOGAN who smell mold.

I expressed my comments to the Director of the Hotel, as well as its Managing Director, Mr Lawrence BRIZARD which is the agency responsible for DESTINATION ILE DES PINS with which we moved. The latter did not even bother to check with me my remarks on the bungalow and said to me arrogant tone that if I was not happy I had to wear my complaints in writing . My comments have changed nothing about the quality of cleaning and repairs that were needed in the bungalow.
Finally, the island is beautiful, the location of the hotel between the beaches of KUTO and KANUMERA, but it is a fabulous destination for Adventurers at prices Hotel in St Tropez in France. Apparently, in talking with many customers and regulars of the same opinion as me, it seems that the quality of service delivery and was completely different before the extension work. In short I would strongly. It is not a matter of about a score that could qualify for certain breaks…… but a father who takes some time to write these lines so that others avoid having to be as him.
DO NOT GO!