HONEYMOON PART 1:

CRUISING THE SOUTH PACIFIC

We had both been looking forward to this cruise for so long, hence our expectations were high. To finally see a day with no more wedding planning, no college, no responsibilities or places to be, seemed like a dream. And it really was wonderful. After all the stress and tireless efforts of wedding planning I was burnt out and certainly in need of a restful holiday.

OUR ITINERARY

DAY 1 27/11/2018: Depart Sydney 6:45pm

DAY 2 28/11/2018: Cruising

DAY 3 29/11/2018: Cruising

DAY 4 30/11/2018: Lifou

DAY 5 01/12/2018: Isle of Pines

DAY 6 02/12/2018: Cruising

DAY 7 03/12/2018: Port Vila

DAY 8 04/12/2018: Mystery Island

DAY 9 05/12/2018: Noumea

DAY 10 06/12/2018: Cruising

DAY 11 07/12/2018: Cruising

DAY 12 08/12/2018: Arrive Sydney 6:30am

LIFOU

Lifou is a very remote island and so there were only a few stalls that the locals had set up where some food, drinks and souvenirs were available. From previous experience I have only heard horror stories of where people have consumed cooked meals on the various islands and then been extremely ill for the next few days on the ship. After hearing this I couldn't possibly let Jacob or I touch this food despite how hungry we were!

We walked for about ten minutes to a more secluded spot called 'Jinek Bay'. Jinek Bay is known for it's beautiful snorkeling (some of which I believe is the best I have seen). The coral and the fish are simply stunning. After spending 2 hours or so here we headed back to the beach where the ship was docked. This also is a beautiful beach where turtles can often be spotted and swum with. However, as we had just settled in a lovely spot by some palm trees it started to pour. So we lined up to head back on the ship.

'The one thing I've learnt of these beautiful tropical islands is that the gorgeous crystal blue waters are only gorgeous when the sun is out so you mustn't wait to take your beach photos or you might just miss your chance!'

ISLE OF PINES

My expectations for this island were pretty low. The last time I had visited the Isle of Pines was several years ago with my family. The whole day we spent there was overcast and rainy. We went snorkeling but because of the rain, the water was murky and we couldn't really see anything. We tried to get back on the boat and waited for almost an hour in the pouring rain. This was definitely not an experience I wanted to repeat; yet this time round it was amazing.

Let me share with you one of our highlights...

CRYSTAL BLUE WATERS & WHITE SANDY BEACHES

When we got to the island we booked a hop-on-hop-off bus tour. We spent $30 each for the tour which seemed a little pricey for it was only a short trip but we ended up really enjoying it. I couldn't have been more amazed by the crystal blue waters and white sandy beaches. At every location we visited the water was a different shade of blue. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

One thing we quickly realised on this island was that one bottle of water each was simply not enough to compensate for the extremely hot weather. Although there were some stalls that sold water they had often sold out by the afternoon and were only available in certain locations.

PORT VILA

Port Vila was the only island where we had pre-booked a tour. Although we were advised to book with the cruise ships tour line, we chose to save a few hundred dollars and risk booking with a local company. This turned out to be one of the best decisions we made! Firstly, it was nice to be supporting a local company, and secondly we thoroughly enjoyed the tour.

LEARNING THE VANUATUAN

CULTURE AND CUSTOMS

To become warriors and be able to fight, the men had to pass a challenge. Each tribe had a different challenge, one of which required the men to walk across hot steaming rocks that had been warming up for hours. Rocks hot enough to cook your food on and most certainly rocks hot enough to blister your feet. It was shameful if they weren’t able to do it and they would be left with the women in times of battle if they had not overcome the challenge. It definitely was a matter of getting your head focused in order to endure the physical pain. In another challenge the men would tie vines to their feet and were forced to jump off a ledge 30-40 meters high.

We learnt that newborns were kept in small grass hut for 7 months in order to protect their eyes from the sun for they needed good eyes to be great warriors. Women were also isolated in this hut when they had their period and weren’t allowed to have any interaction with their husbands. Their husbands weren’t even allowed to eat the food their wives cooked during this time!

'How incredible is their culture,

so foreign to ours yet so familiar

and common to them.'

TURTLE SANCTUARY

MYSTERY ISLAND

Jacob (my Husband) had been feeling unwell the night before we docked at Mystery Island and decided to sleep in and not get off the boat. As it was a small and uninhibited island, I felt comfortable enough to get off and enjoy the island myself.

'I have traveled a lot. I’ve been to over twenty countries in the world, many of which have been tropical and I have to say, this time round these beaches were my favourite!'

'Relaxing in paradise, what more could I ask for?'

THE CRUISING SIDE

Okay let's talk about the cruising side. We were a little disappointed with the entertainment on board and the gluten free food available for me. Although we got given a daily program with various activities and events going on, we often found ourselves not really having anything to do (especially the first two days at sea). We tended to have a few activities we wanted to go to but as they were happening at the same time, we had to choose between them. We’d then have nothing to do in the afternoon.

I’m not saying we didn’t enjoy ourselves and the times we had with nothing on, it’s more that we had expected to have a full schedule each day and that was not our reality. We did however attend a few art auctions where we were given free raffle tickets, drinks and artworks (we really just went for the freebies). We also played putt putt golf, table tennis, games at the arcade and enjoyed the almost 24-7 service at the cafe (free food). We tended to eat at the buffet for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast was great for the both of us however, lunch wasn't as great for me. Although they did have a separate ‘Gluten Free’ corner, the food was pretty much the exact same every day. This is what was disappointing, no one wants to eat the same food every day on holidays! Especially on a cruise! Nonetheless it wasn’t all that bad I had just expected more. We enjoyed dining in at the restaurant each night and being served a 3 course meal. When we couldn’t decide between a dish we simply ordered both. That’s the beauty of cruising.

That's all for now, stay tuned for my Honeymoon Part 2 post! x