Île des Pins Travel Guide

 
by hunwagner
 
  •   Île des Pins
    by hunwagner
  • Pine trees in the tropics?
      Pine trees in the tropics?
    by Geisha_Girl
  • Land of Enchantment
      Land of Enchantment
    by Geisha_Girl
  • The Isle of Pines - taken from the ship..Pacific S
      The Isle of Pines - taken from the...
    by K.Knight
  • Anne and Twin sister Sue. (Anne, my wife, on the r
      Anne and Twin sister Sue. (Anne, my...
    by K.Knight
 

Pro

hunwagner profile photo

  Stunning scenic beauty 


Con

Maximilian21 profile photo

  expensive 


In a nutshell

K.Knight profile photo

  A Jewel in the crown of the South Pacific. 

 

Explore Île des Pins

Things to Do  

Upi Bay

Upi Bay, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  If you find Oro Bay a bit too crowded for your taste, a half hour's hike across the forest takes you to less visited Upi Bay.It may not be quite as stunning as the better-known beaches around the island, but is still not bad... 

Oro Bay

Oro Bay, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  Perhaps the most picturesque corner of an island that seems to be beautiful wherever you look, Oro Bay with its "natural aquarium" and standing rock attracts more visitors than anywhere else on the island and is the only spot that gets close to what could be called... 

Bay of Pirogues

Bay of Pirogues, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  Just north of St. Maurice Bay, this bay has a collection of the traditional pirogues the island is famous for. Such traditional watercraft have mostly disappeared from the rest of New Caledonia, but here tourism has demanded their preservation! ;-) 

St. Maurice Bay

St. Maurice Bay, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  One of the most-photographed images of the island is the line of carved posts surrounding an ugly, silver-coloured statue of Jesus (left off the photos) here.They stand on the shores of St. Maurice Bay, only about 500 metres from the church in Vao. 

Vao

Vao, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  Vao is the main settlement on the island, dominated by a fine church.It also has New Caledonia's most photographed carvings, yet because most tourists stick to the beaches it is very quiet most of the time. 

Ruins

Ruins, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  Incredibly, this gorgeous island was once the site of a penal settlement.There are a few crumbling ruins from that era, such as this thick wall that once separated the administrative areas and the military from the convicts. 

La Rocher

La Rocher, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  A large, overgrown limestone rock jutting out into Kanumera Bay and connected to it by a narrow sandbar is one of the most popular scenic wonders of this island.Old guidebooks warn that it's on private land where trespassers are not welcome, but these days it seemed to be... 

Kanumera Bay

Kanumera Bay, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  Just south of Kuto, separated from it by a narrow isthmus that forms the entrance to the Kuto Peninsula, Kanumera Bay rivals Kuto in terms of beauty, and is home to some of the island's best snorkelling spots. It also has two *relatively* inexpensive resorts. 

Hotels  

Le Meridien Ile Des Pins

 2 Reviews and 131 Opinions  Lovely bar lounge where you can relax and unwind........with a $10 cocktail !! 

Oure Hotel

 55 Opinions

Restaurants  

local gite, local hut/open-air restaurant: Savor the Tastes of the Island!

local gite, local hut/open-air restaurant: Savor the Tastes of the Island!, Île des Pins

 WideWings Says:  My husband is native to New Caledonia and we have visited on Ile-des-Pins-- I find it odd that the author of the tip was warned not to try the traditional dishes. Definitely find a place to have some Bougna! This is a traditional dish that is cooked in a pit in the ground,... 

Try some local dishes!

Try some local dishes!, Île des Pins

 lou31 Says:  Restaurants will be hard to find and very expensive. I wondered into a beach side resort and paid $15 for a bowl of hot chips!! The staff were not too friendly either and I was more tolerated than anything. However I was pleasantly surprised when a group of local native... 

Transportation  

Getting here

Getting here, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  There are several flights to the island from Noumea daily.Note that the airport is in the "remote" interior of the island far from any of the beaches and not served by public transport, so you may be in for an expensive taxi-ride if you arrive here.More convenient is... 

Boat

Boat, Île des Pins

 Maximilian21 Says:  Its wonderful to see some of the villagers fishing in the surrounding bays, it truly looks like an incredible lifestyle. If you have the opportunity see if you can hitch a ride on one of the boats on a fishing trip or hire one to expolre the lagoon and maybee do some fishing... 

Shopping  

Sarongs

Sarongs, Île des Pins

 lou31 Says:  Just as you get off the jetty there is a cute little stall selling sarongs. The French lady is very friendly and the sarongs are eyecatching. I paid $20 for one and it is very well made. I wish I had've bought more for gifts. They came in the most beautiful colours of blue,... 

Local Customs  

The language barrier

The language barrier, Île des Pins

 lou31 Says:  From what a saw or heard the main language here is French. I was taken back to find that the local women who were selling the hot dishes had little knowledge of English. Even simple phrases were not understood. May be I just tried talking to the wrong ones. 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Respect local customs and beliefs!

Respect local customs and beliefs!, Île des Pins

 K.Knight Says:  The Rock at Kanumera Bay, is a sacred area and although it is ideal for snorkelling around its base in the crystal clear waters, The Rock is sacred ground to the local villagers who believe that the souls of their ancestors are now the plentiful "Striped T-shirt" snake. As a... 

What to Pack  

Photography.

Photography., Île des Pins

 K.Knight Says:   I do not like digital cameras so I always travel with my Minolta SLR camera with 2 lenses (1x 35/80 and 1x 75/300 zoom), a two times converter, a polariser for both lenses, a spare battery and 10 spare rolls of 400 asa film (36) with 1 loaded into the camera. I find you do... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Off-shore islands

Off-shore islands, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  The main island is surrounded by a scattering of uninhabited, smaller islets.Perhaps the most inviting of these is Ilot Brosse with its own dense pine forest, ringed by seemingly perfect white-sand beaches.To reach any of these islands you will have to charter a boat of some... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Snorkelling

Snorkelling, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  The island's crystal clear waters are irresistable for snorkellers, with Oro Bay's "Natural Aquarium" and Kanumera Bay being the most popular, readily accessible spots.That said, I must admit that while there was plenty of coral here, diversity seemed pretty low.Maybe I am... 

Hiking

Hiking, Île des Pins

 hunwagner Says:  There are various interesting hiking trails around the island.Perhaps the most popular is the one leading from te Kuto area up to Pic N'Ga, the island's highest point, which offers good views.For forest walks, the east coast seemed better, with narrow trails through... 

Favorites  

Rubbish bins? what rubbish bins?

Rubbish bins? what rubbish bins?, Île des Pins

 lou31 Says:  One feature that was conspicuous by it's abscence was rubbish bins. We walked around for ages until we found an odd structure which proved to be on closer inspection - a rubbish bin. A raised platform 4-5 feet off the ground and about 5 feet square. Obviously built to deter... 

The Place

Plan a Île des Pins vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Île des Pins locals

Experience Île des Pins
  •   55 Tips and Reviews
  •  85 Photos
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Map of Île des Pins
 

The People

 
Our Members Say
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 Restaurants will be hard to find and very expensive. I wondered into a beach side resort and paid $15 for a bowl of hot chips!! The staff were not too friendly... 

 

Questions and Answers

MFAMILY profile photo

Q:  Hi Can anyone post an opinion about this island? My husband has a fixation on it since he came across some pictures on a... 

Couplesynergy profile photo

A: We went there a few years ago in January and it is absolutely beautiful. Its not very big though and apart from swimming and relaxing there is nothing much else to do. ... 

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Top Île des Pins Writers

1

The Isle of Pines: Paradise with a Difference

hunwagner profile photo

 The South Pacific in general, and New Caledonia in particular, are certainly not short of "Tropical Paradise" type of beauty, which usually takes the form of a white-sand beach with turquise waters,... 

2

The Isle Of Pines

Maximilian21 profile photo

 Ile des Pins or the isle of Pines is situated off the coast of New Calledonia and is most commonly reached by boat, Usually cruise ship. I remeber before visiting the island people telling me how...... 

3

The Isle of Pines - A Jewel of the South Pacific.

K.Knight profile photo

 On September 1st 2005, (Anne and my 15th wedding anniversary,) Anne and I set off with Sue (Annes' twin sister) and Danny (our brother-in-law,) to celebrate the girls birthday! We had planned to visit... 

4

Isle of Pines

Geisha_Girl profile photo

 It's an Aquatic Dream The sound of the breakers Pounding on the shore, The cry of the seagull Circling up above, The warmth of the sand Shifting below my feet, The tang of the salt Tantalizing... 

5

Ile des Pins

lou31 profile photo

 I visited this lovely island in January 2004 via the cruise ship Pacific Sky. Of the four places we stopped at this was my favourite. The whole place [or what I saw of it ] was straight out of a... 

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