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"hibiscustour", three separate sites -
Islands and lagoons New Caledonia, Polynesia (part). -
Curiosity. Things, amazing, science, society.. -
Ideas perso. Household, Practical life, D.I.Y, Computering..
PLANE
"La Tontouta" airport (Nouméa) is located at about 50 km north of Nouméa. Bus shuttles and are availableat the airport. It takes about 50 minutes to reach the dowtown. Faa'a airport (Papeete) is in vicinity of Papeete. ALLOCATION WEIGHT 23 kgs/passager for the international flights + cabin bag. Air France-KLM invoices 50 € the second luggage recorded out of compartment on the transatlantic flights (since November 1, 2009). A reduction of 20% is granted by recording on Internet. Only economic class passengers are concerned. Cabin luggage allowed ; suitcases dimensions in Europe (other country to check). large planes : 55*20*40 cm, 23/30 kg (Air France, Luftansa, Sabena, Swissair). Or 115 cm on the whole (Alitalia). Be
careful with local flights if you travel on a small
plane. Between Tahiti and Bora-Bora, 20 kgs of
luggage are allocated because the plane is a ATR42 or 72,
propeller twin-engine. Fortunately, we did not pay a
supplement and our card of loading gave a report on 4
passengers (instead of 2), and 60 kgs: sympathetic
!!
Passport.
Passage through the USA. Travelers arriving in the United States
must present a biometric passport.
It must
have still a 6 months validity
(required or recommended depending
to the journey, stopovers, delays).
The
regulation of air transport is tough because of the constant risk of
attacks (biometric passport with multiple controls, hand luggage, small
utensils, liquids, creams and gels etc.).
I have been bothered
for a fingernail clip, but in such a way, a toothpick could be
dangerous, in the eye for instance, as a crust of bread (my doctor had
opened its finger with - yes !).On board, we will eventually eat with
our fingers because of the dangerous cutlery.. It's really not that
funny.
The
international airport of Tontouta (Nouméa) is located
at approximately 50 km in the north of the town of
Nouméa. Shuttles and taxis are available to the
airport to go downtown in 50 minutes (enquire for prices at
Information (see Other sites). |
Here the risk is
rather at sea and in the sea. One can walk bare feet everywhere : there are no snakes nor scorpions ! well, there is a centipede, but it lives where you will be in shoes (forest, bush). On the lawn at the edge of water, be quiet, but as everywhere (including in metropolis) avoid stagnant water in the shade.  SUN :
If the sun is not guaranteed be always wary of its heat,
even if the sky is not blue, because you could find
yourselves quickly handicapped for the remainder of the stay
: the sun goes up high and quickly under the tropics and it
is less attenuated by the atmosphere. then, COAT THICK,
RENEW and you will be happy.
Boat, islet or
diving, much better thinking to those
advices described through Tides :
are of small fluctuation : example
15 02 2003 : low tide from 0,4 to 0,7 metre et high tide
from 1,3 to 1,5 metre. However, they represent
a true danger not to be neglected.
- Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2002 19:00:23 +0100 "
I was there a fortnight ago and the temperature was about 30
° C but it is going to climb up a bit now more and more
; enquire yourself because the rains could well have been
started" ; "I were back a week ago and the temperature was
36° C and still any rains !! "A Tahiti,
the travel agency had rented a bungalow on the beach to us.
We spent there the three more horrible nights ever. In
question, multitude of cockroaches (enormous) which were
crawling with here-and-there". "me, I
prefer Huahine, more authentic, without these huts in the
sea, but Tahiti is interesting for the excursions in
mountain". "Moorea is very well".
Money : 1 FF = 18.18 Cfp. 100 Cfp = 0.838 Euro |
|
Water, Electricity : Tap water in Noumea, Papeete and Bora Bora is safe to drink; enquire locally in the other islands. If in doubt, use mineral water in sealed bottles. Electricity most often 220 volts (60Hz) or 110 depending on the island and type of accommodation. Telephone 00 (international) + 687 (New Caledonia) or
689 (Tahiti).
FRANCE,
metropolis :
DELICATE: you are not
in France, but with French like you (or almost)
! it
is nearly a TOM (French
Territory Overseas), enjoying a relative autonomy. Customs are
sometimes meddle, especially in New Caledonia
(theoretical taxes of input on all goods).
For exemple,
a car is
taxed 27 % if you got
it for your own for less than 18 months).Caution for the plants,
animals (sanitary certificate).
Get
information (Polynesia and New.
Caledonia). Language, general way of
life, administration and laws (1), Food is
French, Chinese, Tahitian, Javanese..
(1)
In New
Caledonia, especially in the islands
Loyauté, there is in fact a double legal
system, of rather delicate practice, because
calling upon the French jurisdiction and the Kanak
habit. Very often, a compromise by the palaver
(palabres in French), that regulates the
litigation. |
When to go there? travel books read all you need on pluviometry and temperatures. Here are some personal information, but no country escapes the irregularities of the climate, particularly unstable these last decades. ; a fresh season (winter) and a summer. During the winter, approximately from May to August, one needs sometimes a woolly on morning and at night. It can freeze a little on morning in altitude. On summer, wet heat is sometimes difficult when working but a tourist point can be different ! The best time? in general, from September until the beginning or semi December (I remember a Christmas very very hot...). It's the period we prefer too. Relative freshness morning and at night ; one can be cold there with 19/20°( trade wind, wet), warmth to heat on after noonday (Tee-shirt and shorts all the time, even if it is raining). Thirty degrees peaks at are not so rare towards the end of this period and the sun goes up as it goes down, i.e. almost in an hour. After mid-December it is wet heat and perhaps also cloudy or rainy weather. But it is also the estival period and the beaches are attended; the proof, when we came back, on the beginning of December, they were mooring the rafts at the Anse Vata ! (there was already one of them at the Citrons beach. With peaks of more than 35 degrees (wet) , it is already very hot. Risk cyclonic disturbance at the end of the period (February, March). But it is not the Bangladesh there, with 50/60 degrees ! example
of weather
Making a drive around New Caledonia : it is recommended to hold at least 4 days. Tahiti ; I don't know well this country because I only visit it as an occasional tourist. A little more close to the equator, the climate is known to be a little tiring with its relative stability of temperatures ; it is said that the rainy and also hottest season, starts in September. At the end of September, it was warmth, sometimes hot, but not too much (as in New Caledonia, T-shirt, bermuda). The weather has sometimes been overcast or misty and there were some momentary rains. The best month would be July, but with the festivals, that must be a little testing (because of the world, I imagine). About Tahiti/Polynésia, here is the point of a "local person" (Internet, September 10, 2001) : "Me I recommend spring, that is to say June and May". PRICES : Envisage enough for your expenditure if you are not with "an organised tour " : food, excursions, small or big souvenirs, the mail, hiring of a car, restaurant even simple and the note will climb very quickly because the prices are high, except some fruits, about of which curious oranges and excellent small bananas. See "prices" Dead broke ! buy some "detached " bananas at the market of Nouméa. Price was 230 cfp the kilo (year 2.000). With some good oranges and coconuts, you are saved !! if being able to break the coconuts: for that two solutions, to buy a sabre of clearing (machete) or a coconut crab ! see the market But there still remains a solution : to forget your misfortunes, drink KAVA !!  |
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TIP : it is not practised in New Caledonia, which is very pleasant. In Polynesia, it is similar, but I saw a small poster specifying " the tip is not forbidden " in a well known "brasserie" of PAPEETE: you are not obliged to hold account of it, except for a particular service. |
SPEED ; New Caledonia : on road 110 km/h even on the connection Nouméa - La Tontouta, " a pay tool free way ". |
- Information
- Hints, experienced
- Risks and dangers
- Other sites
(health, press, customs, sites information..)
(health, press, customs, sites information..)
Islands and lagoons
HEALTH (see 
these pages. sun, streams, passes, tides,
animals.
On
the beach, Ladies, don't take off the upper part of your bathing suit
anywhere.
Kanaks remember
English obliged them dressing and they won't be happy if you don't make
like that; mainly in the islands, but even on Nouméa beaches, it was
not very useful. Kanaks wears now bathing suits and I saw once a young
female topless at the Anse Vata beach. Exceptional ?
time will decide.
-
The time in
Tahiti : late
of
-10 hours GMT. Ex.
(French winter, +1 h GMT) : evening 20 h at Paris (winter) =
9 h morning overthere. Morning 8 h at Paris = 21 h the veil
overthere.
DRIVE :
remember, it's the opposite than in GB : if you go right,
you go right. More simple, no ? (instead you prefer : if you
go left, you go wrong)