Facilities on campsites in FP?

Dear campers,
We've just returned from a camping holiday in New Caledonia. We found as campers we were often on the bottom of the accomodation range, the sites were often crummy (no electricity, no hot water, no cooking facilities, everything broken etc.).
We are now planning to go to FP. What is camping like there really?Has anybody been camping there recently? Is it just a piece of land with lousy facilities and a hefty price to pay? I think it is the financial side of this that puts us off most.
Another question: How do you transport a camping gas stove when you fly around the islands? We had this problem in New Caledonia and we had to constantly ask for hot water.
Are there any campers out there who have been to FP recently and can give us any advice.
Thanks!

I haven't camped in FP but I know that some camping places such as Chez Nelson (Moorea) and Camping Moorea have kitchen facilities. Others such as at Kahaia Beach on Tikehau have nothing for folks camping. I was staying in the pension and the camping couple had to ask me for some hot water (from the thermos that they gave me with my breakfast) to make their morning coffee. I would not expect hot showers (but FP is HOT so while a hot shower is a treat after a couple of weeks without I did not find not having one in the pensions that I stayed at a hardship). The prices for camping (and everything else) in FP are higher than what I have seen quoted for NC (via the Lonely Planet and the tourism web sites).

I had read a previous post where you had mentioned the campsite on Ile des Pins that you didn't like. Were the campsites on the Loyalty Islands and Grand Terre bad too?

I found most campsites in NC idyllic and excellent value (costing around 1000 CFP on average).

I must think that if OP found them"crummy" or otherwise "bad", he probably had the wrong expectations (sg. like the fully equipped holiday parks in the West) and should probably budget to stay in pensionnes instead.

Hi we went camping in FP last year. There are some decent campgrounds on Moorea, we stayed at Mark's Place which was fine, good facilities and he is a very friendly American who is keen to make your stay pleasant. Outdoor kitchen, hires kayaks and bikes. A bit away from things but we were able to hitch rides around the island. Having said that though it was buggy and wet and after a few days in the steamy tent we had had enough and went back to Tahiti. Didn't go to other islands. Tahiti did not have campgrounds. We enjoyed going down to Teachupo but couldn't camp there so stayed with an elderly Tahitian lady, Mama Sina. The worst part with camping was lugging the tent and gear around in the heat. We usually walk everywhere but with so much gear it was not fun. We wouldn't do it again. Tahiti is very beautiful but not easy to do on a budget!

The camping facilities I looked at on Fakarava and Maupiti were fine, though I didn't actually camp. I traveled with a stove all over FP and never had a problem. Just use a multi fuel one (I use an MSR Whisperlite Internationale) and use whatever fuel you find when you get there. Fuel is amazingly expensive though. And if you use small engine fuel it'll also have oil mixed in with it. But it burns and heats fine.

Ed

Oh and you can camp on Tahiti-iti, just past Teahupoo. Pension bonjouir has camping. It wouldn't be any hotter or buggier than the cabins I stayed in there. And the people, scenery, food and ambiance were totally end of the world perfect. You can only get there hiking or by boat. I did it both ways, and the hike was great fun, then again so was the boat ride.

Ed

fthe best camping that we had was on Raiatea. It was in Sunset Beach Motel. we camped on Bora Bora - very poor. Huahine - 2 places - each od them has pros and cons.On Moorea in Moorea camping - we were there 2x, it was nice.