Lifou - An Authentic Island

We sailed from the Island of Dravuni after a fun day at shore with expectations for an arrival in Port Villa, Vanuatu the next morning. Vanuatu was the site for the TV series Survivor for many episodes and the filming and accomodations for the TV Staff took place on the island close to our port. Upon arrival to Port Villa, the captain politely woke everyone up at 6 am with a general announcement into the entire ship and each of the rooms, advising the passengers that we would “Not be able to get to the island today, because of high rolling seas". After that news, Jan and I rolled over, went back to closed our eyes and caught a few more hours of sleep.

At that point our Captain pointed the ship in the direction of our next stop which was Lifou Island, a part of New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands. It is a Pacific Archipelago located 1,500 km’s east of Australia and the region is surrounded by the second largest coral reef in the world. It is a sui generis (unique) special collectivity of the French Republic with some self-governance while still remaining a part of France and the European Union.

On December 17th, 2024 an earthquake with magnitude of 7.3 struck near Port Villa. It was centered about 30 km west of the city and caused widespread damage including a major rock slide that destroyed the city dock and access for ships to the port. It has taken the country over one year to even start to rebuild after all the damage.

Access to the port by cruise ships is not possible so tenders are used to get ashore

The island of Lifou, is the largest of the Loyalty Islands, by land size and in population which is 9,200 inhabitants. Wé, the main village is located on the edge of Chateaubriand Bay and is home to the provincial headquarters, the district’s administration, the central municipal offices, and most of the shops. However, it is very tiny and not much to see when you arrive.

Even more than in the other islands, the variety of natural sites in Lifou encourages visitor to explore. The coast, with long deep bays, white-sand beaches and cliffs cut out of the old reef, is surrounded by banks of coral. The interior of the island, a vast plain built on the old lagoon, is covered with dense tropical forest suitable for hiking and dotted with numerous limestone caves, some of which can be visited and others which are still partly unexplored.

At 9 am Jan and I decided to go to the island and discover what we could find. It had been raining all morning and at times it was heavy and we thought if we wait a bit longer we might miss the downpour. So at 10 am the weather broke and the rains stopped. We caught one of the four tenders and motored to the dock. Then it started to rain again, but only a small shower that lasted about 15 minutes and then it stopped.

When we arrived on shore we visited the Wé Market and were introduced to some of the local cuisine. We walked the stalls where the local vendors were selling their home made items. There was a small outdoor bar offering beer and burgers but we did not partake. There was no local beer - mostly imports like Heineken.

Walking from the tenders to shore was a long metal dock however, we were not fortunate enough to see a turtle graciously swim under the dock and then look back and say hello to the new tourists. Friends that we met on board gave me these photos and I wanted to share the moment with you. This guy was cute and when he looked up, the colour of his head was brilliant.

There was so many flowers in the port area and the driftwood creations were interesting. They even used logs that were carved for posts in their structures. Apparently the locals often play wild bingo games when the market finishes in these structures along the water!

I took this photo of the male getting ready to dive from the small boat, however I pushed the shutter button 1 second too soon. The dive was a 10.0 based on an Olympic Scale.

We wandered through the small shops and markets but there really was nothing more to see. There was no possible way to hire a taxi as there were none available, and walking distance to anything of interest on this tiny island was at least an hour. With the heat and humidity plus the threat of more rain, we decided to soak in the area and save the memories we could gather in the short time we were at shore. There was lots of flower gardens and decorative items worthy of a photo so enjoy the beauty.

Gardens surrounded a very old bar with carved driftwood and other items made by the locals.  The bar had a shelf held up with what looked like tusks from some large animal or possibly the ribs from a whale. It was a rustic place but the beer was cold. It was also a unique location for the passengers as they had new washroom facilities that were nearby and clean.

At the Wé Market, there were two outdoor BBQ cook centers set up with local foods being prepared. The most interesting foods were the lobsters and the fish. They had several different items on the grill including two Spiny Lobsters, two Mud Crabs (red dots), some Sea Lobsters, and a couple Coconut Crabs which looks like an overgrown sea lobster. The coconut crab lives in coconut trees and eats coconuts as well as other items on the land and before it is cooked it is a blue colour. It does not go into the water at all. The locals also had both Mackerel and Parrot Fish on the grill, but there wasn't anyone risking the local cuisine.

After our walkaround the port area and with nothing more to see, we decided to head back to our ship and relax for the rest of the day.

What else can you see and do on Lifou, if you are a visitor.

1. A visit to the Cliffs:

The cliffs are located on the western side of the island, and they overlook the sparkling waters below. From this perspective you can witness the island’s formation with layers of fossilized coral. These cliffs offer fantastic ocean views, and if you visit between July and September, you can spot humpback whales passing by. You can even dive into the clear waters and enjoy cooling off.

2. A Visit to the Caves:

There are amazing caves with magnificent water holes hidden in vegetation. One location is called the Luengoni Jewels and can be visited with the help of a guide. You can even dive in to admire its cavities and intense blue water. At Luengöni, you enter an underwater gallery that can be visited by swimming or even scuba diving for the more experienced. The entrance is a little acrobatic and you'd better not be claustrophobic, but then you enter a natural pool amid stalagmites and stalactites that reveal themselves under the beam of the lamp. Fossilized shells, natural organs and the roots of the banyan trees that draw from this water reserve are all part of the spectacle. The Jila cave and the Grotte du Diable are two other sites located on customary land to explore.

3. Explore the Sea

There are several white sand beaches around the island and if you grab your mask, snorkel and fins and dive enjoy the waters of Jinek Bay which is a true natural aquarium where you can observe an incredible diversity of tropical fish and coral. Renowned for offering some of the diving without a tank in the South Pacific, only 200 lucky visitors (100 in the morning and 100 in the afternoon) are allowed into the marine reserve each day, ensuring that the ecosystem remains relatively untouched by human activity.

4. Visit a Vanilla Plantation

Vanilla production is widespread on Lifou, and it’s of great economic and cultural importance. There was an excursion to one plantation today but we did not sign up for this however The Maison de la Vanille ( Vanilla House) offered some vanilla beans, syrups or sugars for sale.

We had to return to the ship by 3 pm in order to depart Lifou. Our journey continues now with two more sea days before our arrival in Auckland, New Zealand, where we will have an opportunity to experience the Kiwi lifestyle. And believe it or not we go through two more time changes in two days only to set our clocks back to where they are today. I am still confused what day and time it is and drinking in the evenings doesn't help.

A day to remember

Today, was a special day for both Jan and myself. It was on this date 26 years ago that we first met in person and it was a day we won’t forget. It was snowing like crazy but we didn’t care – it was the beginning of our Jan & Paul Adventures.

This was our first visit to the dining room on Coral Princess

Feb. 18, 2000 – A Memorable "Hallman Experience"