Search hotels in Noumea

noumea is situated at the south side of the island. beaches are covered with either pebbles or coral pieces. prices for everything are exorbitant ($84.00 for a small cake) besides ocean swimming and sun baking nothing to do.

Very French! Not much English spoken. We stayed in the Baie des Citrons area which was fabulous. A fair way south of airport (50km). Very close to beaches - love a sunset over the water! Also plenty of choices for eating. A place called Barca was good as was Le Fare. It can be quite expensive to eat out. Supermarkets are a good option if you have cooking facilities- note hours eg they close at 12 on Sunday. Worth a visit to Duck Island and also Master Island - only a short water taxi trip to both from Anse Vata beach. We used Colleen Tours which were reasonably priced and fine. We had a car and did some exploring. One day drove about half way up the west coast to Bourail and Poe beach. A fair distance (the island is bigger than you think). Lovely scenery - quite mountainous. Another day went around the South towards Yaté and Mont Dore. The roads are generally excellent but not so much in the southern parts (personally I would give it a miss and stop and explore the National Park/Blue Lake - but get there before 2pm). Also worth a trip to the Acquarium - small but s great collection. Go to the Markets for a taste of local culture. We didn’t get to the Loyalty Islands nor Isle of Pines - that will be next time :)

Its a great location for a long weekend or 4 days unless you're interested in water sports. We love the beach and the water was lovely and warm however besides going out for very expensive coffee and dinner there was not much else to do. The city centre is very old and dated, hardly any shops except souvenir shops selling products made in other countries. The tourist attractions if done through agencies are very expensive . Some of the locals have a huge drinking problem and there was a large police presence on the weekend especially Sunday afternoon. The restaurants were very expensive and food generally even from supermarkets was pricey.

Noumea coast is beautiful with great beaches. Its just very expensive. Virtually impossible to eat or drink at reasonable prices, and Ironically the cheapest restaurant is the fast food chains, Burger King and McDonalds.

Stunning natural assets. Gorgeous views. Divine beach for a leisurely swim. Family friendly. Good hiking. You have to fly or boat for several hours getting to/from the main islands (Isle of Pines, Lifou, etc) so travel in between islands will monopolize your holiday time if you're planning a shorter stay. I recommend sticking to adventure and/or relaxing on the main island if you're there less than 10 days, and budget a half to a full day of travel back and forth for each island you want to visit or stay overnight on. Locals can be lovely, professional and believable in their appreciation of your small contribution to their business/economy and your appreciation of their culture. But a good proportion are a bit rude - not overly, just enough to make their contempt clear. I had read this was a thing before I went and met some expats over there who spoke of it too without being asked. So yes, this is a thing. Some great restaurants. Had beautiful meals at both the Chateau Royale and Hilton, and a local favourite Le Miretti Gascon. Be warned that good restaurants are often are booked out - so make reservations for any on your to-do list as early as possible or be turned away! It is all just a little more expensive than you anticipate - even thinking you're taking into consideration the currency exchange. But if you can't treat yourself while you're on holiday, when can you? Save & happy travels!

The snorkeling is outrageously good! We went to Amedee Island, where we swam with sea turtles but even just off the beach at Baie de Citrons in downtown Noumea you'll be swimming in an aquarium! We had a hire car - not too expensive, and allowed us to get around easily. Yes, it's expensive to eat out, but you can buy simple supermarket food and sit on the beach till the sun goes down if you want - the choice is yours.