So help me decide if will it be Tonga, Vanuatu or New Caledonia (or somewhere else).

[Oakie]

Starting to think about our next tropical island jaunt (winter 2016).

Done Rarotonga twice, Samoa once so looking beyond those shores (although we'd gladly go back to either some time).

Choices seem to be Tonga, Vanuatu or New Caledonia. (Fiji and Norfolk don't appeal and Nuie is probably not a starter).

We're not into excitement packed holidays. Strolling down the beach, reading in the shade, keeping hydrated :), seeing a few of the sights and having some nice meals at night is about our style.

Advice anyone?

[Madness]

Vanuatu, Santo to be more precise.

New Cal is expensive & French.

Tonga is... Tonga.

[Headbanger]

I just spent 7 nights in a 5 star resort in Fiji

(yeah, I see your not interested in Fiji, But fuck me, I'm talking here)

FUCKING MINT!!!

We got the meal package, ate like fucking kings all day, lobstar, crab, prawns, coconut infused salmon, roast meats of a variety I couldn't even describe...and fucking BACON

When I wasn't eating I was laying out by the pool drinking, swimming, drinking, and then back for a meal before some more fat lazy arse drinking while lying down before drinking while swimming.

Then back for another feed.

When I die, If I don't wake the fuck up in Fiji surrounded by food, then me and the big cheese are going to have words.

Pity all the ladies are ugly, and the place is over run with poverty, But I can deal with it. Cunts just need to get a job, Magical cure for everything.

Hear that Fiji?.....Get a job.

[oldrider]

Starting to think about our next tropical island jaunt (winter 2016).

Done Rarotonga twice, Samoa once so looking beyond those shores (although we'd gladly go back to either some time).

Choices seem to be Tonga, Vanuatu or New Caledonia. (Fiji and Norfolk don't appeal and Nuie is probably not a starter).

We're not into excitement packed holidays. Strolling down the beach, reading in the shade, keeping hydrated :), seeing a few of the sights and having some nice meals at night is about our style.

Advice anyone?

Judging by your previous experience and comments - New Caledonia - Tonga is pretty boring by comparison - Niue very small island. Vanuatu, don't know!

[mossy1200]

I just spent 7 nights in a 5 star resort in Fiji

(yeah, I see your not interested in Fiji, But fuck me, I'm talking here)

FUCKING MINT!!!

We got the meal package, ate like fucking kings all day, lobstar, crab, prawns, coconut infused salmon, roast meats of a variety I couldn't even describe...and fucking BACON

When I wasn't eating I was laying out by the pool drinking, swimming, drinking, and then back for a meal before some more fat lazy arse drinking while lying down before drinking while swimming.

Then back for another feed.

When I die, If I don't wake the fuck up in Fiji surrounded by food, then me and the big cheese are going to have words.

Pity all the ladies are ugly, and the place is over run with poverty, But I can deal with it. Cunts just need to get a job, Magical cure for everything.

Hear that Fiji?.....Get a job.

Sounds like you had fun.
When we went to Fiji we were not impressed with the mainland and especially Nandi. Matamanoa island was ok but overpriced and didn't have a good swimming beach. Alcohol on the resort was overpriced.


If you want a good spot. Prague is the place to lax out but wrong time of the year. June would be better.

[Headbanger]

Sounds like you had fun.
When we went to Fiji we were not impressed with the mainland and especially Nandi. Matamanoa island was ok but overpriced and didn't have a good swimming beach. Alcohol on the resort was overpriced.


If you want a good spot. Prague is the place to lax out but wrong time of the year. June would be better.

Everything outside of the resort was absolute shit from what I could see, Never seen real poverty before that bus trip.

The food was wickedly expensive so the food package was very very cool, My kids ate free as part of the deal.

Fiji Bitter $5au, cocktails for the wife $12au, we had our fill. I also grabbed a couple of bottles of boubon at duty free and knocked em back while at the pool.

Beach wasn't fantastic as a beach, But snorking in the lagoon with all the coral and tropical fish was a highlight.

[nodrog]

You can come and stay here for a week, its like a pacific island. we have screaming Bantu's next door, and I can put an umbrella in your beer.

[Ntoxcated]

Did one of the island cruises and stopped at a bunch of places in Vanuatu. Santo was nice. Hideaway Island in Port Vila had some fantastic snorkelling with the Cascades waterfalls close by. The resort probably costs an arm and a leg, but you can be a day visitor for $10. $10 for a carton of ciggies duty free - not that you can bring them back any more. Noumea just reminded me of Mission Bay for some reason, but only there in the main city for the day so can't really judge all of New Caledonia based on that. On another trip, the reefs around the main island of Tonga (Tongatapu) seemed almost dead a couple of years ago compared to when I was there in 1984 as a youngster, but apparently the northern islands like Vava'u are still good. A reasonable trip from the main island though. Tahiti? We only stayed on the main island but it was still good. The outer islands can only be better.

[mashman]

Had a colleague return from Norfolk Island and said he loved it.

[James Deuce]

Just fuck off, will you?

[Oakie]

Had a colleague return from Norfolk Island and said he loved it.

Mostly rocky coastline though. We want soft squishy golden sand. Perhaps Norfolk when we're retired. (Oh hang on ... we won't be able to afford it then).

[Swoop]

New Cal is only partially cheap if you do the "Club Med style" resort way.

And then it is still pricey. And frogolian.

Also, do NOT arrive on a private yacht...

[mashman]

Mostly rocky coastline though. We want soft squishy golden sand. Perhaps Norfolk when we're retired. (Oh hang on ... we won't be able to afford it then).

How long you going for?

[awayatc]

Vanuatu , lovely place lovely people, not much in nice meals...

Tonga...., big people, not great on service , hopeless at nice meals...
Fafa island is very nice and peacefull with great food...
run by Germans, so everything works and it is clean..

New caledonia, ....just booked cheap flights,
will wing it while there, my French is fluent, so that may help..?
expect good food and bit more to see then garbage strewn around as per some other pacific islands

[p.dath]

Why don't you add a poll to the thread and let people vote ...

[EJK]

I heard North Island is pretty nice too :msn-wink:

[Banditbandit]

Tonga's off the list for now ...

https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/25981698/tonga-volcano-disrupts-600-air-nz-flyers/

[merv]

We did New Caledonia just a few years ago staying the whole time in Noumea at Anse Vata Beach during July, our winter. It was expensive as some have said, food and drink like coffees about twice the price of here, so very French. It was pretty good except we were disappointed that the one let down (maybe it is because of it being winter there) was it was very windy a lot of the time. That we figured is why there is a lot of wind surfing at the beach.

Club Med had been closed in 2002 so when we were there the building and site was a derelict mess. I understand it has been refurbished and reopened as the Chateau Royal in the last few years.

I didn't rent a car at the airport as the rates seemed very high, but once we got sick of walking around (the infrastructure such as roads and footpaths were well past maintenance times) I rocked up to Hertz in Anse Vata and got a car for a few days much cheaper than it showed on line in the first place. Too and from the airport we used the bus which was okay.

The lagoon is big and with the winds that made going on a jetski tour quite good with some interesting waves to tackle - about a 1 to 2 metre swell.

[Blackbird]

Have been to Vanuatu and really enjoyed it - stayed at a small villa complex on a lagoon. It was run by Kiwis but with local staff and the food they cooked was excellent. Vanuatu was a bit down at heel compared with a lot of the other Pacific destinations but still really enjoyable and the people were lovely. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to go to the volcano.

We've been to Rarotonga twice too and loved it. However, our favourite is Samoa - just so much to see and do. If you're interested, there are some photos of where we stayed and some other parts of the island here: http://geoffjames.blogspot.co.nz/2010/08/place-in-sun.html . We had a bit of an emotional connection to the place anyway as our eldest son, his partner and our granddaughter narrowly missed losing their lives in the tsunami there the previous year. The locals were just wonderful to them so it was great to go and thank some of the people personally and spend money there.

[Oakie]

How long you going for?

Probably 7 or 8 nights.

[Oakie]

Why don't you add a poll to the thread and let people vote ...

Because the good folk of KB might think it's funny to send my arse to Bikini Atoll ... or Mururoa.

[mashman]

Probably 7 or 8 nights.

I haz jealouseez. Reckon we've got another 12 years before our next getaway :crybaby:

[Kickaha]

We're not into excitement packed holidays. Strolling down the beach, reading in the shade, keeping hydrated :), seeing a few of the sights and having some nice meals at night is about our style.
Sounds incredibly boring, you may as well just lie in bed at home and wait to die

Isle of Man :msn-wink:

[Oakie]

Sounds incredibly boring, you may as well just lie in bed at home and wait to die

Isle of Man :msn-wink: Does laps of Rarotonga on scooters match?

[schrodingers cat]

Because the good folk of KB might think it's funny to send my arse to Bikini Atoll ... or Mururoa.

Heaven forbid you make a decision yourself.

Good advice is not the basis of this website

[Oakie]

Heaven forbid you make a decision yourself.

Good advice is not the basis of this website

Don't have any problems making decisions. Just aware that the best decisions are made with a bit of background data. I'd rather base that on the experiences of those who have been there rather than the websites and their pretty pictures.

[ellipsis]

Sounds incredibly boring, you may as well just lie in bed at home and wait to die

Isle of Man :msn-wink:

...yeah, this...the sand is yellowish, much like...sand, and they have some good fish'n'chippies...10 days in June...

[oldrider]

Sounds incredibly boring, you may as well just lie in bed at home and wait to die

Well! - what's left after you reach your use by date? - Hmmmm thinks! - posting on KB! - yes sir! - that will do it every time! :lol: What a way to go! :eek:

[merv]

Mate to further update you this was the thread I posted when we went to New Caledonia (basically Noumea) in 2008 http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/77313-Hi-from-Noumea-suckers?. What I forgot to mention last was back then it seemed like a bikers paradise mainly with the yoof racing around on small 'tards so it can't be all bad if bikes are accepted so well. The question is how much has it changed in 6 years?

[Oakie]

We had a bit of an emotional connection to the place anyway as our eldest son, his partner and our granddaughter narrowly missed losing their lives in the tsunami there the previous year. The locals were just wonderful to them so it was great to go and thank some of the people personally and spend money there.

Yes, our first overseas trip was to Samoa pre-tsunami. Was quite a shock to see footage after the tsunami of what was left of the resort we stayed at. They have rebuilt and it would be nice to go back.

[Berries]

Interested to know why Fiji is off the list given the variety such a large place can offer. I can only compare it with Raro and I won't write my thoughts on that shit hole. Let's just say the x-ray department is underfunded.

[neels]

Interested to know why Fiji is off the list given the variety such a large place can offer Would agree with this, went to Fiji for a family wedding and stayed in Denarua, very nice 5 star resort with a remarkably cheap shopping centre, restaurants etc a $5 taxi ride away, so best of both worlds. You can even get the local bus with the driver using both of it's working gears into Nadi to see how the locals really live.

[Oakie]

Interested to know why Fiji is off the list given the variety such a large place can offer. I can only compare it with Raro and I won't write my thoughts on that shit hole. Let's just say the x-ray department is underfunded.

Originally it was the shit that went down there with coups and stuff that made it an absolute 'no'. My position has softened a little I must admit, but still wouldn't be happy living it up in a resort while the locals still don't have all the freedoms we take for granted. Locals in poverty on the other side of the fence from a resort is also something that would leave me feeling guilty.

[skippa1]

Samoa or Raro.

raro would be my first choice......beautiful beaches, good food, prices ok, plenty of freedom to ride the scoot.........i dont go on holiday to get an xray
Crud beaches on Nuie, Fiji over rated and you really need to go to the outer islands for the best experience (then eating is limited to resort)Tonga will give you the pacific islands as an islander lives......Tahiti and New Cal expensive, Norfolk like NZ in the summer

[Berries]

..i dont go on holiday to get an xray
Neither do I but a good samaritan episode left me with my face fractured in three places and permanent nerve damage. Whilst perhaps a one off and just a case of wrong place wrong time I saw another side of Raro after that which showed me quite clearly how they care about the tourist dollar and not the actual tourist.

[tri boy]

My thoughts. (from past experience),
Fly into Fiji at dusk.
Transfer from airport to Denarau Isld. (pick a resort, theres heaps)
Stay one night.
Early morning fast ferry to Mana Isld.
Relax, and take in a sailing day trip out to an outer island and visit a proper Fijian island with the locals. (small markets, kava ceremony with the island elders, sail back to Mana)
Relax, snorkle, eat, drink.
After sevral days, fast ferry back to Denarau.
Do a twilight cruise.
Stay a night.
Fly home.

Forget about local strife and unemployment, without tourism they would be well fucked, so really your helping them.
Win, win:msn-wink:

Young kid at work got a honeymoon package for the French connection. Rated it highly. Can get details if you want.