House of travel New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island & Tonga Brochu | Page 6

6 TIPS
for your
Pac ific Islands
Holiday
© Destination îles Loyauté
Wine & Dine in
Noumea Outer islands of
New Caledonia Get active in Niue
There’s no need to travel to France
to experience authentic French
cuisine, not when New Caledonia
is on the doorstep. Noumea, the
capital, is replete with French
delicacies - simply step away from
your hotel and find an endless array
of culinary sensations. From the
Escoffier cooking school to roadside
food trucks called ‘roulottes’, this is
a gourmet city. Focusing on all that is perfect, Ile
des Pins is a 20 minute flight from
Noumea and your one way ticket
to an untouched paradise. This is
where crystal clear lagoons meet
platinum white sand and exotic
palm trees stand aside towering
pine trees. Rent a bike and explore
this tiny island at leisure. Niue is a fantastic destination for
getting out and about, whether
that’s on land or under the sea.
With extensive walking tracks that
weave in and around the island, you
can easily explore the terrain on
foot.
A picnic in the park or on the
beach is only half the fun; stopping
en route at Municipal Market in
Port Moselle is a pleasure in itself.
Purchase just baked baguettes and
wedges of cheese, and if you’re
feeling adventurous, la confiture
de banane – vanilla infused banana
jam, it’s an island speciality.
Head out of the city centre and find
restaurants along the beaches of
Anse Vata or Baie des Citrons.
2
For a cultural fix, the Loyalty
Islands boast three unique islands
that cater for visitors: Ouvéa, Lifou
and Maré Island. Offering village
stays, fishing trips, sculptors,
weavers and friendly Kanak locals,
it’s believed the Loyalty Islands
were named after its inhabitants,
for their obvious friendliness.
Make sure you take cash and
enough snacks to keep you
sustained, each island only has one
ATM and a limited amount of food
stores.
Caves, chasms, tunnels and sink
holes also litter the landscape.
Anapala chasm is found at the
bottom of a formidable 155 steps,
while Matapa chasm provides
sheltered swimming and Palaha is
famed for its limestone formations
and small snorkelling pools.
If you want to get under the water,
Niue always impresses divers with
its clarity and up to 80 metres
of visibility. Get in and swim
with dolphins and sea turtles or
for something more sedate, golf
courses and fishing excursions are
readily available across the island.