Cruising your way through the paradise of the South Pacific islands.

Cruising the South Pacific islands is like a dream, no long drives, no being couped up in a car, bus, or train. Lay back soaking up the sun all while sipping on a cocktail taking in the gorgeous scenery and pristine beaches. We have cruised with P&O and Carnival Cruise and can recommend both there is fun for the whole family, Carnival is our preferred cruise and number one choice for the kids, the water park, slides and kids club were a huge hit, for mum and dad too.

Plunge into the sparkling clear water, admire the colourful marine life, and walk along the stunning white sands. Take in the breathtaking views as you discover the serene tropical Paradise Islands like Port Vila, Mystery Island, Isle of Pines, Lifou, and much more.

We set sail from Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, with the sea breeze in our hair, enjoying the magic aboard our cruise ship while indulging in a mudslide cocktail, with excitement setting in as we prepare to explore seven Dream destinations that will leave you with memories to last a life time.

Isle of Pines (New Caledonia)

New Caledonia is the French-Pacific region well-known for its relaxed culture, tropical climate, turquoise water, untouched beaches, and coral reefs.

A pacific jewel, relax, dive in and snorkel around the Taboo rock admiring the reef and colorful fish, enjoy the island food, get your hair braided, pick up some souvenirs at Kanumera Bay and Kuto bay all a short walk from where you disembark onto the shores from the cruise ship tender boats, and experience the Isle adventure by taking a tour to many of the wonders of the island.

Vao Village and Notre-Dame de L’Assomption – Vao is in the south and is the official administrative centre of the island, there is also the police station and a couple of small shops, in the centre of the village you will find the church built in 1860- Notre-Dame de L’Assomption the only convict-built catholic church, inside you will uncover eye-catching stained-glass windows and an arrangement of saints. Adjacent to the church you will find the house of the Chief.

St Maurice Bay with tribal carved totems – The statue of Saint Maurice is encircled with tribal carved totems, the wooden carved totems represent various animals and birds, each given by the different tribes on the islands. The statue commemorates the first catholic service given in 1848, three days after two missionaries arrived at the Isle of Pines. In the background, there are more totems that line the beach forming a fence. If you have a look closely, you will see the totems all have different expressions. Around the totems we found many large snails, I am unsure if these snails are in fact one of the island’s delicacies ‘Bulimes or Escargots de l’Île des pins’ (snails)?

St Joseph Bay & traditional pirogues– In French pirogues refer to handcrafted banana-shaped boats, In Madagascar, they are called Lakana outrigger canoe, we found this pirogue in the pristine waters of St Joseph’s Bay, the pirogue is available to hire if you’re up for some sailing.

Penal colony ruins – Part of the Island’s history, the ruins of the old prison where nearly 30,000 French convicts were taken in the 19^th century still stand although falling apart, step back in history and the deprivations the convicts will have endured. Just down from the ruins, you will find The convict cemetery, which is still maintained, a place of memory and worth a visit, around 200 Paris deportees’ unidentified graves from the ‘Commune of Paris’ are buried here, a reminder of how many people lost their lives.

The Oumagne Grotto (cave of Queen Hortense) is in the north of Kunié (Isle of Pines), many caves fill the island, but Queen Hortense’s cave is most well-known as the one belonging to the ‘Queen’ in the Touété area.

The Oumagne Grotto became known for its legend, 16-year-old Hortense took refuge within the cave to escape the conflict between the tribes, it is said that Hortense spent a few months in the cave, but there are different stories to this legend, it is a magical place to visit and easy to get to with a tour, and a short walk to the cave from the car park, you will be met with a freshwater stream, beautiful tropical setting with vibrant flowers and lush green ferns and find the flagstone which would have been the young queen’s bed, this cave will leave you feeling pure tranquillity. 

6 sights to see on the Isle of Pines:

1. Kuto Bay and Kanumera Bay
2. Vao Village and Notre-Dame de L’Assomption
3. St Maurice Bay with carved tribal totems
4. St Joseph Bay with traditional pirogues
5. Penal colony ruins
6. The Oumagne Grotto (cave of Queen Hortense)

Noumea, New Caledonia

Stepping off the cruise in port, you will be taken by bus to the main terminal in the city, Noumea is the capital city of New Caledonia, where the official language is French.

There is plenty to keep you busy around the city of Noumea depending on your style of travel, do you want to relax at the beach or explore the sights of the city, or both? On our first and third trip, we explored the city, on our second trip we enjoyed some snorkeling.

Noumea is not really a pretty city, if you are lucky to catch the large market in coconut Palm square, you can enjoy some great shopping, or the hop-on-hop-off bus is the best option to see some sights and viewpoints around the island or go for a swim at Lemon Bay.

It is a great place to use to get to other surrounding islands, we took a 5-minute taxi boat from Anse Vata across to Duck Island and spent the afternoon swimming and snorkeling, we saw so many different colorful fish, Duck Island has many sculptures to view, walk along the spiritual artistic trail, you can have lunch at the restaurant and hire a sunbed on the island, the taxi was free for kids 5 and under and approx. $16aus per adult.

Heading back to the main terminal where you began, you will find some local markets at the terminal where the bus will pick you up to return you to the ship, here is a good place to buy some souvenirs and even use their free WI-FI. 

Lifou, New Caledonia

Be transported on a tender boat to the jetty and step on the white sands and crystal-clear waters, close by you will find the market, with handmade crafts, artwork, and souvenirs, get your hair braided or relax with a massage, try some local specialty, authentic Melanesian  ‘bougna’ chicken or seafood with local vegetables cooked in banana leaves while chatting with the locals you will also find some toilets here.

Easo beach is direct as you step off the jetty, it is not perfect for snorkeling as there is no reef, but you may be lucky to see some colorful fish and if your swimming near the jetty you are likely to get a glimpse of a turtle or two, I recommend using reef shoes here as there is a lot of coral rocks and can really hurt your feet, there is plenty of space along Easo beach for everyone off the ship and the shoreline has many tree’s for shade to relax under, you can easily spend your day here.

Notre Dame de Lourdes, walk through the markets and walk the main road if you are up for a little hike, trek your way up the hill, wear fitted shoes/sandals as the path is quite rocky, and you will walk past some tribal totems and pass some village houses, continue your hike, you will be met with some stairs that will lead you up until you reach the small church and incredible views. The views were worth the walk.

Take a short walk (10-minute) to Jinek Bay, where you will discover breathtaking coral and marine life, with such disappointment we missed out on snorkeling this pristine reef as we didn’t have a ticket, so don’t do what we did.

Tip: Buy a ticket, numbers are limited so buy your ticket on the ship for around $15.00AUD, the passes have a time restriction of 3.5 hours, plenty of time in my opinion to be snorkeling, reef shoes are not to be worn in Jinek Bay this is to ensure the preservation of the reef. Best reef to see some amazing coral and exotic sea life. So, we heard. Next time I will be sure to buy our tickets.

The Forest walk and Secret Grotto, surrounded by tropical rainforest, enjoy a guided nature walk to the secret grotto (caves) learn about the Kanak culture, learn about the medicine that comes from their trees and plants, and see a demonstration of traditional hunting methods, a way the people survive using only the supplies they have on hand and listen to the history, discover the deep and winding grotto by flashlight, you will uncover fossilized coral and impressive stalactites.

Tip:  If taking pictures be sure to use your flash, I forgot to use my flash and have only black pictures. The walk is quite steep and rocky so can be a little complex, take a little swim too in the grotto.

5 things to do in Lifou.

1. Jinek Bay (Best snorkeling)
2. The forest walk & secret grotto
3. Hike up to Notre Dame de Lourdes
4. Relax on Easo Beach
5. Check out the local market and chat with the locals

Port Vila, Vanuatu

Step directly onto land, into the vibrant capital city of Vanuatu, friendly locals will greet you ‘hello’ as you step ashore into ‘island time’, making you feel right at home if you would like a destination stamp on your passport (not official of course) you can get one here for about $1.00AUD.

Try some traditional food and taste the Island’s drink ‘Kava’ (if you dare), Kava is a symbol of Vanuatu’s custom and identity. It uses traditional techniques, like chewing, pounding, grinding, and grating, it is made from the crushed roots of a plant from the pepper family, Kava has a mild intoxicating/ sedative effect. Kava is traditionally used as a drink for ceremonies and cultural practices.

Enjoy a drink or bite to eat in one of the many beachside cafes with amazing views, do some duty-free shopping and explore the markets.

Tip: I found the duty-free shop here in Port vila to be the cheapest.

Stop at the few different scenic lookouts for a photo and see some historical sights and discover the amazing views over the harbor and city.

Visit the Eton Village and Eton Primary School and experience how the Islanders live and have an appreciation for their lifestyle and culture, makes you think the small things in life are often bigger than the great things, with so much happiness on their faces and bare feet on the ground, you fully appreciate the simple pleasures of life.

I have a few things on my ‘to do list’ for my next South Pacific cruise to Port Vila, Port Vila has some amazing unspoiled natural water holes to visit like; the Mele cascading waterfall to see the impressive waterfall flowing into the natural pools and dive in for a swim and to visit the breathtaking Lololima Cascades that is located on private property off the beaten track, another is the Blue Lagoon, to escape the tropical heat and immerse yourself into the freshwater springs surrounded by rainforest.

Mystery Island, Vanuatu

You will arrive at Mystery island by a tender boat and be welcomed with a traditional dance ceremony, an island of wonder, the island is unpopulated, and only cruise ships bring tourists, the locals from neighboring islands journey over to Mystery island to set up markets to sell locally made crafts, you can refresh with a coconut and chat with the locals. 

The kids can get a photo with the ‘cannibal soup pot’ the island is small in size and easy to explore, you can choose to do a tour on a glass-bottom boat to snorkeling hot spots or simply Swim in the crystal clear waters, sun-bath on the white sandy beach and soak up the majestic setting, seeing is believing, a slice of paradise.

Suva, Fiji

Is the heart of Fiji and the largest city in the South Pacific, downtown is quite diverse with buildings and culture, you will find some colonial buildings, modern shopping centers, many small local stores, and an abundance of eateries, along the esplanade there are markets where you can find some local handmade crafts, we bought a beautiful wooden carved bowl and a Fijian war club we have on display at our home.

We opted to do a tour for half the day and then return to Suva city to look around the shops. Along our tour we visited the Navatuvula Village we got the true ‘Bula’ welcome from the locals of the village with cultural dance, followed by a tour of the village and a taste of some locally authentic cooked Fijian food, they have a little market in the village to buy some handmade crafts, here I bought some hand weaved cooking mats that I use all the time. 

After the village we went to the Upper Pool waterfalls at Colo-I-Suva Forest Park, where you can trek through the lush and peaceful rainforest, nice hike to spot some beautiful birdlife then arrive at the natural clear water swimming hole, if you’re feeling adventurous, take a swing on the ‘Tarzan’ rope and dive into the waters below, fun for kids and the adults. You will find the Upper Pool waterfalls at Colo-I-Suva Forest Park about a 10-minutes drive from Suva.

While you are in Suva you can take a scenic tour to view some historical sites, visit the Old Parliament House and the Battery Gun Site at Nasonini, now titled a WWII Heritage site, stop at the Fiji Museum, and see the University of the South Pacific and visit Fiji’s first sugar and rice mill, built-in 1872.

Port Denarau, Fiji

Located on the west coast of Fiji’s mainland, a short 20-minute drive from Nadi. Port Denarau is a place for retail fans, with many shops to spend some time exploring, including Duty-free shops with a large range of international brands and products, as well as traditional handicrafts and souvenirs, all moderately priced, along the marina there are many restaurants and cafes (Hard Rock Café being one of them) to sit and enjoy a meal and soak up the atmosphere, in the afternoon if your lucky you can catch fire and cultural dance for free.

There are many locals offering land and sea tours, you can jump on a shuttle bus to look at all the local resorts, for the golf enthusiast there is quite a large golf course here, we did a tour to one of the many resorts and spent the day on the beach, on the way we stopped at a supermarket to grab some snacks and drinks and spent the day swimming, the kids can enjoy a pony ride for a small fee. Big hit for the kids.

If you’re ever thinking about visiting the Pacific islands a cruise is a great way to explore many of the islands without always re-packing and jumping on planes.

If you’re sitting on the sidelines trying to work out if a cruise can is for you, check out my blog post on reasons why you should book a cruise. 

Let me know in the comments if you have been to any of the islands and what your favorite island is!