Noumea - in the afternoon

[aussiebossyboots]

Arriving in Noumea in July and have booked a snorkeling trip in the morning and estimate we should be back on the ship to 'clean up' by 11.30am.  So we will have the afternoon free to do a bit in the city from say 12.30pm to 4.30pm.  Sail away is 5.30pm.

 

What would you suggest?  We were considering going to Lemon Bay but it looks like this is a taxi ride away.  Any idea about the cost and availability of taxis when we want to return to the ship?  Or should we just walk around the main town - looks like the market will be closed.

 

All suggestions most welcome.  Thanks,

[Aus Traveller]

You can go to Lemon Bay either by taxi or by public bus.

 

What else to do? Have a look at the market stalls upstairs in the cruise terminal.  You can walk around town, but there isn't much to see within walking distance. Vendors in the terminal will offer tours. I suggest taking a sight-seeing tour around Noumea.

[Obilix]

There's a hop on hop off bus for about $25 AUD which stops at about 8 or 10 popular spots around town and is pretty regular. It stops at Lemon Bay if I remember correctly.

 

It gives you a chance to see the town and stop off at a few spots that catch your interest over 4 or so hours.

 

Check on last service times and bus colours and note that there are at least 2 different companies that offer this service and they are not interchangeable.

 

The complimentary ships transfer bus drops you off at the booking offices/ information centre and returns you to the ship.

 

But please check online rather than take the words of a random poster as gospel!

[aussiebossyboots]

Thanks guys, I would just like to take a taxi to Lemon Bay.  I have read that the Hop On/Off bus can be very full with returning cruisers at the end of the day, and I am a bit of panic merchant unfortunately.

 

Can we arrange with the same taxi to collect us after say 2 hours?  Do a deal?  Or will there be taxis at Lemon Bay waiting to take cruisers back to the ship?

 

Because it is the afternoon, I am a bit nervous about missing the boat.

[Dobby_The_Ship_Elf]

Go to the Casino department store across the road from the information centre.

 

Don't forget to stock up on salted snacks and other such delicacies which are either not available or ridiculously over priced on board.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Anse Vata bay is actually more interesting than Lemon Bay as there are some lovely shops at the far end of the bay and an excellent coffee shop ( with free WiFi) in the shopping complex near the roundabout. Both bays are very pretty though but Lemon Bay mostly has restaurants at one end. Anse Vata has the aquarium at the other end and there is a short-cut through to Lemon Bay at the aquarium corner.

 

I can't help with taxi info though, we've always used the HoHo but that can be a bit irregular.

 

If you need to get local cash there is an ATM at the Casino Supermarket diagonally across from the terminal where the shuttle buses drop off.

[aussiebossyboots]

15 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Anse Vata bay is actually more interesting than Lemon Bay as there are some lovely shops at the far end of the bay and an excellent coffee shop ( with free WiFi) in the shopping complex near the roundabout. Both bays are very pretty though but Lemon Bay mostly has restaurants at one end. Anse Vata has the aquarium at the other end and there is a short-cut through to Lemon Bay at the aquarium corner.

 

I can't help with taxi info though, we've always used the HoHo but that can be a bit irregular.

 

If you need to get local cash there is an ATM at the Casino Supermarket diagonally across from the terminal where the shuttle buses drop off.

 

Thanks for your suggestion - I have had a look at Google Maps and thought that it would be nice to take a taxi to Lemon Bay and then walk (via the Aquarium all along Anse Vata Beach (about 30 minutes).

 

There is a Tourism Information Centre at Anse Vata Beach, about in the middle, do you think they could organize a taxi for us to return to the ship?

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

15 minutes ago, aussiebossyboots said:

 

Thanks for your suggestion - I have had a look at Google Maps and thought that it would be nice to take a taxi to Lemon Bay and then walk (via the Aquarium all along Anse Vata Beach (about 30 minutes).

 

There is a Tourism Information Centre at Anse Vata Beach, about in the middle, do you think they could organize a taxi for us to return to the ship?

 

It's a lovely walk, we've done it a couple of times but usually going the other way - we go to Anse Vata first fot coffee then walk around to Le.on Bay for lunch.

 

I'm sure the Tourist Info office would help you get a taxi, or even one of the shops, especially if you buy something. There is a great hat shop there, and a souvenir shop with reasonably decent quality souvenirs. However some of the shopkeepers don't speak much English so it might be worth polishing up your French. 😉

[aussiebossyboots]

Ok, I have now researched the Public Bus system!!!!  Shall we dare! 

 

Bus #s 10 and 11 go to Anse Vata Beach.  Maybe a taxi from the cruise terminal and then a walk and 'fingers crossed' another taxi, talk to the Tourism Office/helpful shop, to get a taxi or find the public bus stop.

 

This is on a Saturday afternoon so hoping that with a ship in town there will be options.

 

Still looking at Lyvai Hop On/Off Bus which is very reasonably priced but just worried about not getting on a bus to return because it is full.

 

French!!!  Well that was in school and a long time ago.

 

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions.

[lyndarra]

It's about a 1 hour, 4klm walk from Terminal drop off to Anse vata and Baie de Citrons a little less. I've walked it a couple of times when younger (early 60s). Last time, a bit over a year ago, we used the Ho-ho bus. No problem with overcrowding although on that day it rained and many cruisers high-tailed it back to the ship early.

[aussiebossyboots]

Thanks Lyndara for the heads up.  Just checked good old trusty Google maps and you are correct.

 

This should be relatively easy for us - taxi to Anse Vata and then walk back to the terminal via Lemon Bay... Yeah! 

 

Looks like this is a plan.  Thanks Heaps

[Aus Traveller]

3 minutes ago, aussiebossyboots said:

Thanks Lyndara for the heads up.  Just checked good old trusty Google maps and you are correct.

 

This should be relatively easy for us - taxi to Anse Vata and then walk back to the terminal via Lemon Bay... Yeah! 

 

Looks like this is a plan.  Thanks Heaps

If you don't find a taxi near the cruise terminal you can walk to the main taxi rank. To reach it - When you leave the cruise terminal turn to the right and cross the waterfront road at the first set of traffic lights (only about 50 metres). Walk 'inland' for a couple of blocks until you see an open parking area on your right. This is where you will find taxis. When we have used the taxis, we had to have Pacific Francs. On one cruise we returned from the Aquarium on the local bus. Cheap and easy. We didn't know how much the fare was and the driver didn't speak English so I just apologetically held out a hand-full of coins. The driver laughed and took what he needed for the fare.

[MicCanberra]

If you book the HOHO bus in the cruise terminal, it was $15 pp last time we were there. There is a stop at Lemon bay and Anse Vata.

[OzKiwiJJ]

15 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

If you book the HOHO bus in the cruise terminal, it was $15 pp last time we were there. There is a stop at Lemon bay and Anse Vata.

Two stops at each bay from memory, one at each end of the bays.

[banzaii]

Just checking which ship you are on.

 

Larger ships dock in the working port and provide a free bus to the tourist centre opposite casino supermarket.

[Chiliburn]

The local bus is better than the hoho bus and not as busy especially in the afternoon going back to the ship.

Local #10 bus leaves from coconut square and is about $2.A few minutes walk.Theres a few ATM’s on the way.

Lemon bay there’s a bar -restaurant called La Barca. Very nice.

on the way to lemon bay there’s the shopping mall also a couple of places to eat. 

The french bakery’s are the best this side of Paris.

The bus will drop you off in town at multiple stops and you can window shop on the way back to the ship.

 

[MicCanberra]

The Boulangerie about 1 1/2 blocks from the cruise terminal is awesome,  I have found that the duty free store there has better prices than the one by the cruise terminal as well. Although neither are that great for top shelf alcohol.

[aussiebossyboots]

Banzaii - We are on the Pacific Explorer (P&O).  Hoping it stops at the 'in town' terminal.

 

MicCanberra - I have located the boulangerie, I think, its called Les Petits Choux.  There is Noumea Duty Free just across the road.  Thanks for your recommendation.

[Aus Traveller]

13 minutes ago, aussiebossyboots said:

Banzaii - We are on the Pacific Explorer (P&O).  Hoping it stops at the 'in town' terminal.

 

MicCanberra - I have located the boulangerie, I think, its called Les Petits Choux.  There is Noumea Duty Free just across the road.  Thanks for your recommendation.

What other ports are you going to? Maybe you aren't going to Vila, but if you are, the duty free is much better there than in Noumea.

[Aus Traveller]

12 hours ago, banzaii said:

Just checking which ship you are on.

 

Larger ships dock in the working port and provide a free bus to the tourist centre opposite casino supermarket.

The tourist centre you refer to is what we call the Cruise Terminal. Smaller ships dock there rather than at the container wharf. The last ship I saw there was the Pacific Pearl. My guess is that the Pacific Explorer will dock at the container wharf. Passengers will be bussed to the cruise terminal - maybe a ten minute drive from the ship, but a bit longer going back because of the one-way streets.

[aussiebossyboots]

Just going to New Caledonia so no Vila.  We did Vanuatu for a week earlier in our travelling days.  We have only recently discovered cruising (getting older so it is easier).  Have only done two so far with Cunard in Europe and Canary Islands, but need to stay closer to home this 12 months due to family requirements.  So trying P&O mainly for timing and being closer to Australia.

 

[aussiebossyboots]

Well that has put a spanner in the works.  Will now need to plan from a different location

[aussiebossyboots]

Any idea where the container terminal is?  What is the 'proper name' for this location so I can Google Map the location.

 

Thanks for your information.

[DT1304]

The bus transfer from the container terminal is literally 4 minutes. It's so close you could walk it (although they dont allow people to walk around as it is a working container terminal so thats why they will take you by bus)

[mr walker]

2 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

Lemon bay there’s a bar -restaurant called La Barca. Very nice.

 

That's our 'go-to' spot in Noumea. We usually do a loop on the HOHO bus (just for a look) & then second time around hop off at Lemon Bay for a swim, and then across the road to La Barca for a couple of local beers [#3] and a baguette. 

When you are at the bar, when the bus goes past on the outwards leg, you know you have about 10mins to get to bus stop (less than 100m) for the ride back to terminal.