Looking for a holiday destination that is truly unique? Fancy someplace with a beach and sailing opportunities, plus the cuisine and atmosphere of a metropolitan city. A ideal vacation that has all of this is a trip to the French colony of New Caledonia, situated about halfway between Fiji and Australia.
As New Caledonia is located farther south than many of the other islands of the South Pacific, its climate benefits from southeast trade winds, plenty of sun, and balmy weather. If a sailing holiday is what you are seeking for, New Caledonia is situated in a part of the Pacific that has the biggest coral lagoon in the globe. Sailing charters are easy to find and with the assistance of the trade winds you can sail out of the capital city of Noumea along the coastal line, past the many small islands that dot the ocean around the New Caledonia. Other outdoor activities on the Island are scuba diving, snorkeling, horseback riding, canoeing, and kayaking.
If you were thinking of a gourmet holiday, New Caledonia has lots to offer. New Caledonia’s capital, Noumea, is often referred to as the Paris of the Pacific. Noumea boasts fine gourmet French food and wine along with the other benefits of a active cosmo town. Some of the world-class restaurants in the South Pacific can be found here. Colonised by the French in 1853, New Caledonia has a distinct French influence when it comes to food and wine.
Noumea has well over 100 restaurants, ranging from sidewalk cafes to high-class bistros. French cuisine is easy to come by, but other selections include Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and African food. Seafood is a specialty of the Island, including spiny lobster, prawns, crab, and mangrove oysters. One of the national dishes is Bougna, which is fish or chicken, combined with sweet potatoes and bananas wrapped in banana leaves and then baked covered in sand on hot stones. For the adventurous traveler on a gastronome holiday, you can try a dish favourite with the locals, bat stew.
New Caledonia is the holiday destination you want to be: a sailing holiday, a gourmet holiday, or a time to just relax by the beach.
