Niue - 8 days

Hi

I'm off to Niue for 8 days next week, and was wondering if anybody can help with what the island is like, what to do etc?
do you need good walking boots or are trainers/sneakers good enough?

whats the town centre like? does it finally have an ATM?

any help will be great

thanks

Niue is a great place, hire a car and explore the beach tracks and caves.
Sneakers are fine.
We snorkeled from the whalf most days.
A lot of the coral was damaged in the cyclone but it was starting to grow back.
Not much in the town centre a few shops and cafe's, we would just eat at whatever was open in town or drive to Washaway cafe.
Loads of sea snakes but they seem harmless.
Not sure if they have an ATM currently.
You can buy Duty Free at the bond store in town for a few days after you arrive.
Niue is different to most of the Pacific Islands, very laid back and friendly

Great place and unusual. Sneakers are fine. (In which country do they call 'sneakers' trainers?)

Take a cave tour and nature tours with local guides. I contacted Ida in the tourist office before I arrived. She arranged the tours for the two of us. We were greeted like friends when we finally met in person.

Our cave tour was just for the two of us and on a day when Tali usually works in the fields. Wear black clothes or clothes you don't need on the trip any more. They only came clean in the washing machine back home.

One caveat: Some visitors are a bit suprised that so many houses stand empty.

Niue is great... I loved it.

It is also a great place to get a motorbike. Even if you are not so good on a bike, the fine roads, light traffic and courtious drivers make it very enjoyable.

Make sure you go to the Lima pools for some of the most amazing snorkelling you'll ever do.

Sneakers will be fine unless you have weak ankles (the terrain is rough).

Also consider visting Matapa chasm, togo chasm, anaiki caves. It is a beautiful island.
Don't plan on lot's of sandy beaches though.

The sea snakes are actually sea krates. While extremely venomous they are placid and pose no threat, their mouths aren't wide enough to get a good bite on a human unless you shove an ear lobe in their mouths.

When I was there a few years ago, there was a local guy doing nature trips into the forest. At the time he was only doing it one day a week so check into it early. It was very much a highlight of the trip. If you want to go to the local market you need to go early in the morning before things are sold. Some good food there if you get there early. I got around by mainly walking but I found if I put out my thumb to hitch a ride...the first car along would stop! Every walk way down to the ocean is worth taking a look at. Beautiful rock gardens formed by nature and then the skirting reef to explore. I stayed at Kololi's guesthouse and highly recommend it....a quiet garden setting but only a few minutes walk away from the stores and wharf. Aloha

I'd say good walking boots are a good idea, as the sharp coral rock that makes up Niue is destroying soles quickly if you get off the roads.
The forest reserve does have a road going through it, making exploring it on your own easy.
Tracks to chasms and caves along the coast can be more rough.

I also found riding a push-bike a nice, quiet way to see Niue.
It's small enough, and traffic definitely very light.

The town centre is forgetable.

Hi

thanks guys for the tips.

had a great time, i got more out of the island than i was excepting to be there.
Ended up chatting with lots of local people who give me hints etc. If you go agian a must see place will Be HIO reef at low tide and walk out past the right hand side, theres a deep and long coral pool with arches you can dive under, with plenty of sea life too.

Also recommend doing the Dolphin swim with the Dive Niue guys.

even in March 2008 still no ATM and lots of cafes open at ramdom times, so food was some times hard to find.
you can get food at the Matavi resort but if your not a guest you need to book during the day.

still plenty of run down homes.

Cheers

ps The UK calls sneakers "trainers"