Not many tourists visit New Caledonia. It's far and expensive and pretty much limited to people from France and Japanese honeymooners. There are virtually zero backpackers. But there is one Phillipe Renauld, who I met in Bolivia and ended up travelling with in Brazil and parts of Europe. On his invitation, I hitched across the Pacific and got treated to a busy week of island life. If you ever plan to do the same, you might want to brush up on your French or it might be a little challenging. This is a big island with not many people - perfect for a little bit of Gonzo R&R.
What the Locals Eat
If you can catch it, you can eat it. Turtle meat, fruit bats, giant lobsters, parrotfish, deer meat, octopus, prawn sashimi - it's all on the menu and touched up with unmistakable French panache. The indigenous population can treat you to a bougna - starch (sweet potato, manioc, tarot) with meat and coconut milk, cooked in an earth over for a couple hours. The pastries are straight out of the Paris (crousant heaven), and in the stores you can get gourmet mustard and French wine probably cheaper than anywhere else in the southern hemisphere. Hundreds of cheeses to try, and lets not forget fois de gras. Food is a huge part of the local lifestyle, and you can see why. After a fish BBQ and parrotfish salad (the fish cooked in lemon juice), it's going to be hard to get back to breaded fish in the microwave.
Paddock de la Boutana - Situated inland in the north on an enormous piece of property, the Paddock can either be a hunters heaven (there are 2000 deer to set your sights on) or just a beautiful, quiet place to relax in friendly company.
Le Meridian - Ile De Pins - OK, I didn't sleep here, and I didn't even see it, but from what I saw of the island, and what Phillipe told me, this is the place for a romantic getaway on a quiet, island paradise.
Go Nuts, (but bring the credit card)
It's not cheap, but there's no shortage of fun to be had in New Caledonia. Spearfishing or just ocean fishing in the warm, blue waters of the Pacific, watersports are big (windsurfing, kite-boarding, jet-skiiinng, wake-boarding), ruha deer hunting is a popular pastime and rated amongst the best in the world, hiking amongst waterfalls, exploring coastlines. Don't miss the Ile Des Pins (about $100 return on the fast ferry) for the chance to feed the fishies in most spectacular natural aquarium you'll ever see.
