Lonely Planet Vanuatu & New Caledonia

Harding Paul

Description

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet Vanuatu & New Caledonia is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Stare into the volcanic cauldron of Vanuatu's Mt Yasur; eat snails by turquoise coves on New Caledonia's Ile des Pins; or discover traditional tribal culture, all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Vanuatu and New Caledonia and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet Vanuatu & New Caledonia Travel Guide: Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, politics, food, drink, tribal culture, environment, arts, architecture. Over 45 colour maps Covers Vanuatu, Port Vila, Mt Yasur, Efate, Ambrym, Ouvea, Malekula, Espiritu Santo, Luganville, New Caledonia, Noumea, Grand Terre, Ile des Pins and more The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Vanuatu & New Caledonia, our most comprehensive guide to Vanuatu and New Caledonia, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled. Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet South Pacific for a comprehensive look at all the region has to offer. Looking for a guide for Rarotonga, Samoa, Tonga or Fiji? Check out Lonely Planet's Rarotonga, Samoa & Tonga and Fiji guides for a comprehensive look at all these islands have to offer. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves. eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

Sujets

• New Caledonia
• Nouvelle-Calédonie
• Vanuatu

Informations

• Publié par: Lonely Planet
• Date de parution: 01 novembre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781786574008
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 42 Mo

Extrait

Vanuatu & New Caledonia

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Vanuatu & New Caledonia
Vanuatu & New Caledonias Top 12
Need to Know
If You Like
Month by Month
Itineraries
Which Island?
Diving
Travel with Children
Regions at a Glance

On The Road

Vanuatu
Vanuatu Highlights
Efate
Port Vila & Around
Efate Ring Road
Havannah Harbour
West Coast Offshore Islands
Nguna & Pele
Epi
Tanna
East Tanna
West Tanna
Malekula
Lakatoro & Around
Uripiv & Uri
The Dogs Head
Lamap
The Maskelynes
Ambrym
Central Ambrym
West Ambrym
North Ambrym
East Ambrym
South Ambrym
Espiritu Santo
Luganville & Around
The East Coast Road
Pentecost, Ambae & Maewo
Pentecost
Ambae
Maewo
Banks & Torres Islands
Gaua (Santa Maria)
Vanua Lava
Motalava & Rah
Torres Islands
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Highlights
Grande Terre
Noumea
The Far South
La Foa & Around
Bourail & Around
Northwest Coast
The Far North
Northeast Coast
Loyalty Islands
Mare
Lifou
Ouvea
Ile Des Pins
Vao
Kuto & the West Coast
Baie dOro & Around

Understand

Vanuatu Today
Vanuatu History
Vanuatu Environment
Traditional Village Culture
Art & Music
Vanuatus Local Food
New Caledonia Today
New Caledonian History
New Caledonian Environment
Traditional Kanak Culture
Arts & Architecture in New Caledonia
New Caledonias Local Food

Survive

Vanuatu Directory AZ
Accommodation
Customs Regulations
Electricity
Embassies & Consulates
Food
Gay & Lesbian Travellers
Insurance
Internet Access
Maps
Money
Opening Hours
Photography
Post
Public Holidays
Safe Travel
Telephone
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Visas
Volunteering
Women Travellers
Vanuatu Transport
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
New Caledonia Directory AZ
Accommodation
Customs Regulations
Electricity
Embassies & Consulates
Food
Gay & Lesbian Travellers
Insurance
Internet Access
Language Courses
Maps
Money
Opening Hours
Photography
Post
Public Holidays
Safety
Telephone
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Visas
Women Travellers
Work
New Caledonia Transport
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Health
Before You Go
In Vanuatu & New Caledonia
Language
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers
Welcome to Vanuatu & New Caledonia

Tropical weather, sandy beaches and turquoise waters await you. Locals welcome visitors, with dazzling grins and a chance to peek into their unique Melanesian cultures.


Life in the Tropics
In Vanuatu and New Caledonia you’ll find a touch of the exotic in the everyday. Life here is always entertaining, whether you’re being surprised by turtles peeking out of the sea, sidestepping crabs at the market, or eyeing up unruly mounds of kava before they get pounded up at a kava bar. Wherever you go, take in the little pleasures that pop up each day, whether it’s bright flowers strewn on your bed, fresh coconut milk ready for drinking, or being in town during a harvest festival.

Something for Everyone
Take the kids to Vanuatu; the ni-Van children are a lot of fun, and there’s always beachside hermit-crab action for entertainment. Peering into a live volcano will give a whole new meaning to future geography classes. There’s plenty to do for adults, too. Party in Noumea and practise your French. Discover one of the world’s largest reefs on a diving trip. Yachties flock to the Pacific, and the ni-Van in particular know how to extend a warm welcome. Sound like too much work? These countries are also ideal for anyone keen on doing nothing but relaxing.

A French Twist
Noumea, especially around Baie des Citrons and Anse Vata, is decidedly French. Its food, language and architecture may make you wonder exactly which hemisphere you’re in. Port Vila crouches around a bay which, on cruise-ship days (and there are plenty of those), is a hive of adrenaline-boosting activity. It doesn’t have the la-di-da factor of neighbouring Noumea; instead, it’s a down-to-earth collection of dusty, low-rise buildings where carvings and boar tusks jostle for space with bright Mother Hubbard dresses, and fresh raspberries are lined up invitingly at the fruit and vegetable market.

Offshore Islands Await
Finding island paradise is a frangipani-scented breeze in New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Less than half an hour after arriving in Vanuatu you could be chilling in your lagoon-facing room and settling into island life with an icy welcome cocktail. In New Caledonia, even the cheapest island bungalows are charming. Getting around is easy too, with reliable flights, ferries and roads making connections from coast to mountain to atoll simple. Off the main islands, Vanuatu’s bungalows are basic affairs, but who needs electric lights when they just dull the glow of the stars?

Pirogue (outrigger canoe) approaching New Caledonia’s Île des Pins | SEBASTIEN COTE/GETTY IMAGES ©


Why I Love Vanuatu & New Caledonia
By Craig McLachlan, Writer
I love colour, especially those hues of aquamarine that dominate the lagoons and seas around Vanuatu and New Caledonia. And it gets better. Those waters are full of a kaleidoscope of technicolour tropical fish that are quite happy to eyeball me through my mask as I snorkel around their paradise. Out of the water, the skies are a stunning blue, rainforests a brilliant green, sandy beaches white or black, and my cocktail can be virtually any colour I choose.
Vanuatu & New Caledonia’s Top 12

Mt Yasur, Tanna
Staring down into the cauldron of Mt Yasur as the magma boils, spits and periodically explodes is a surreal – some say scary – experience. The fact that it is only a five-minute walk to get here makes it all the more amazing: welcome to the world’s most accessible active volcano. You can even ‘ashboard’ down the side of the crater, if you choose. Away from Yasur, Tanna island is an extraordinary place, with primitive villages, white- and black-sand beaches, rustic island bungalows and Vanuatu’s most potent kava.

WHITWORTH IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES ©


Top Experiences
Île des Pins
Known as Kunié to the Melanesians, Île des Pins (Isle of Pines) is a tranquil paradise of turquoise bays, white-sand beaches and tropical vegetation 110km southeast of Noumea. There's plenty of fun to be had, from snorkelling at La Piscine Naturelle and Baie de Kanuméra, to exploring Queen Hortense's cave, taking part in a pirogue (outrigger canoe) excursion or heading out on a day trip to spectacular Nokanhui Atoll. The island is known for its seafood and delectable Île des Pins snails. Try them at your resort or local accommodation.

Kanak totem poles | BLAINE HARRINGTON III/GETTY IMAGES ©


Top Experiences
Espiritu Santo
Want to experience outer island life but with a healthy dose of comfort and plenty of adventure? Vanuatu’s largest island offers a lively main town, island resorts, dazzling white-sand beaches and a rugged interior where mountain treks and caving adventures await. Scuba diving and snorkelling are major attractions. The wreck of the ocean liner USS President Coolidge is the world’s most accessible, while Million Dollar Point is a real eye-opener. Experienced dive operators will take you out, then swap stories at a local bar or restaurant.

Wreck diving, Million Dollar Point | BO TORNVIG/GETTY IMAGES ©


Top Experiences
Noumea's Beaches
Cosmopolitan Noumea has gorgeous beaches 10 minutes' drive from the city centre. Trendy Baie des Citrons attracts locals and visitors alike. The beach is great for swimming, while the strip of restaurants, bars and nightclubs along the main road could well pull you in from breakfast until the wee hours. Just around the corner, Anse Vata is a hotspot for visitors to Noumea, who come for hotels, restaurants, shopping and other attractions. Locals relax here, too, especially on the petanque courts next to the beach.

CRAIG MCLACHLAN ©


Top Experiences
Port Vila, Efate
Vanuatu’s capital is the buzzing heart of the archipelago. Some say this is far removed from the ‘real’ Vanuatu, but what it lacks in island culture, Port Vila more than makes up for with good food, luxury resorts, adventure activities, markets and ease of transport. Set around a pretty harbour and two lagoons, Vila has beach bars, movie nights and every conceivable activity above and below water. Hire a car or quad-bike and tour Efate on the sealed Ring Rd.

Port Vila market vendor | JOHN SONES SINGING BOWL MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES ©


Top Experiences
Malekula
One of Vanuatu’s wildest islands, Malekula abounds with stories of tribal warfare and cannibalism. Visit the intriguing Big Nambas and Small Nambas tribes, burial sites of chiefs or trek with a local guide deep into the highlands of the Dog’s Head. If you’re not feeling that adventurous, Malekula has some excellent offshore islands where you’ll probably be the only guest, and you can spend lazy days on the beach or snorkelling in marine reserves. In the Far South, the Maskelyne islands are just such a place.

Big Nambas men calling for dancers | ERIC LAFFORGUE/GETTY IMAGES ©


Top Experiences
Ouvéa
Think 25km of perfect white beach backed with grass, tropical flowers and thick forest inhabited by the protected Ouvéa green parrot. Look out over an exquisite turquoise lagoon that stretches as far as you can see. Add a chain of tiny islets, the Pléiades. Sound unreal? Ouvéa may leave you shaking your head in wonder. The Ouvéa lagoon was one of six marine areas in New Caledonia to be listed as a Unesco World Heritage site. It's stunning, and there's plenty to do in it, on it and around it.

Lekiny, Ouvéa | JEAN-BERNARD CARILLET/GETTY IMAGES ©


Top Experiences
Ambrym
Smoking Ambrym is famous for its twin active volcanoes: reasonably fit hikers can traverse the island in several directions via the calderas of Mt Marum and Mt Benbow, camping at the base. Finish your trek with