can u help

[flowerpower]

hi every one this site is great wanted to no if anyone has been to ouvea,hienghene,poum i would like some advise on what to do at these islands as we have not been to them before we are on the sun 28th jan any info would be great thanx:) :) :) :) :)

[icemaiden2310]

hi flowerpower and welcome!!I returned from pacific sun nov 4 and visited

hienghene ( pronounced Yen gen) Whilst it is a fairly new stop for p & O I think july 2005 was the first time a ship visited there is nothing very exciting about it. The tours are minimal try and get on the highlights tour it sells out fast so book in early thru ur booking sheet. It takes to u the lookout to see chicken rock some walked there but it is a looooong walk no swimmintg snorkeling etc just a few shops at the jetty area

[qld cruiser]

hi every one this site is great wanted to no if anyone has been to ouvea,hienghene,poum i would like some advise on what to do at these islands as we have not been to them before we are on the sun 28th jan any info would be great thanx:) :) :) :) :)

 

Hi flowerpower. of the three ports of call you mentioned....

 

Ouvea is the best. it has the most beautiful beaches...... .. .. heaven....

I enjoyed Hienghene, and was on board when it was first visited by a cruise ship. didn't do any trip though, watched the singing and dancing by the local Kanak people.

Poum is not much to be honest, they do offer a trip to a local village.

and P&O will probably put on a BBQ lunch at Emerald Bay. a short tender trip from Poum.

enjoy your cruise.

kindest regards, Lorraine

[Skyrules]

Of those Poum is the only one I've been to, and as Qldcruiser said, there isn't a lot there. They offer a tour of the village on a train the same as Le Petite train in Noumea, and they also offer a tour to a mine, and a tour to a resort nearby - but from what I've heard on the two cruises we've been on that call there, neither of the latter tours are worth it. The tour of the village is quite good though.

 

It's also bit misleading to say the port of call is Poum, as the only passengers that can go to Poum village are the passengers that book shore tours. The reality is that the Ship anchors in Emerald Bay, and a tender service is operated to beach on Divine Island, where they set up a BBQ on the beach, and have music & games etc on the beach.

 

 

Kym

[novemberbravo1974]

Thats real interesting info on both of those ports.

 

I will never think St Thomas sucks every again after hearing that.

 

Its such a pity the Governments who admin these areas do not invest

in tourism facilities. There is so much potential in the South Pacific but

its ham strung by local corrupt and governments who dont see the big

picture of what tourism can do.

 

Talk about taking things for Granted.

 

Keep on Cruising ( Pity you have to suffer such ports though )

[Tinalou]

Ouvea is stunning- by far one of the best islands- it really is like Heaven.

 

What we did in Ouvea was when we got off the tender and walked up the jetty, some of the locals had come down and parked their cars in the clearing (the 'bus stop') and you just negotiate with them to drive you around the island.

 

For $12 each (they will only accept CP Francs, no aussie dollars), we got a ride with one of the locals who could only speak French! He managed to understand the key places we wanted to see.

 

You have to negotiate with them, because they will all ask for different amounts.

 

When you've picked a driver, make sure you get them to take you to the church, you will pass the cemetery and the best part of all- THE BRIDGE!

 

It was amazing. I have never seen water that blue in MY LIFE!

 

You will love Ouvea. I cant wait to go back! :D

[flowerpower]

great info everyone thanks heaps:)

[Skyrules]

Thats real interesting info on both of those ports.

 

I will never think St Thomas sucks every again after hearing that.

 

Its such a pity the Governments who admin these areas do not invest

in tourism facilities. There is so much potential in the South Pacific but

its ham strung by local corrupt and governments who dont see the big

picture of what tourism can do.

 

Talk about taking things for Granted.

 

Keep on Cruising ( Pity you have to suffer such ports though )

 

 

I think tourism spoils some of these places. The first time we went to Poum/Emerald Bay/Divine Island (they sell it differently on different cruises), the P&O Ships had only just started calling there - and the village was relatively unspoilt - P&O had donated some toilet facilities by the area where they had a small market and had improved the wharf to make access for the tenders easier, but you still got the feeling you were seeing the real South Pacific lifestyle. We wondered at the time what influence the ships calling would have - and we discovered six months later when we called there again on another cruise that the feeling of the village had changed.

 

And as for Divine Island itself, the idea of the BBQ on the beach is a good one, but there's little else there. I think they went looking for somewhere just to set up a BBQ on the beach, but apart from swimming a a short walk up to a lookout where you can see the ship at anchor from, there isn't much else to do. Other island ports, like Wala, Pentecoste, Yasawa-I-Rara, have other things happenig (island walking tours, other walks, the land diving, Markets, etc), making them much more appealing as ports of call.

 

I've noticed that the number of calls to Divine Island/Emerald Bay/Poum has dropped off. It was certainly a good move on P&Os part to take it off the Week Fantastique (7night) Itinerary's out of Brisbane.

 

Kym

[tabbycatz]

Hi Flowerpower,

 

I am travelling on the same cruise with my husband and 6 yr old daughter.

 

Thanks everyone for the interesting info on these ports.

 

:)