The Five Reasons you need to try New Caledonia

Want a little piece of paradise without the price tag? How about a French holiday without the long haul flight? Always dreaming of trying out an over water bungalow? New Caledonia offers all of these and more. And even better, you don’t need to use all of your days off. Expedia’s Kiwi travellers spend 4-5 days in New Caledonia and that’s plenty of time to loosen your shoulders, work on your tan and tantaslise your taste buds. Here’s our guide to the five best reasons to head to this particular paradise.

1. Food and wine

The French could hardly be expected to holiday without good wine and cheese. If you’re staying on the Grand Terre main island, make sure you stop at a supermarket at the start of your trip. Head straight to the deli section, where you’ll find a cheese and cured meat selection straight out of a Parisian supermache.

These supermarkets stock big rinds of aged cheddar, logs of ash-covered goats cheese, wedges of blue cheese and huge chunks of gouda. The prosciutto and salumi selections are just as extensive. Make sure you buy enough for a few afternoon antipasto platters.

And then there’s the wine. A few bottles of Bordeaux wine for $10 each? Yes please. The supermarkets sell imported wine and compared to Kiwi prices, it’s cheap.

Luckily much of the accommodation in Noumea is apartment-style – check into the Chateau Royal Beach Resort and Spa and stock your full size fridge and pantry to the brim.

If you’re going to fly and flop, don’t worry. Most hotels have very well stocked larders. You’ll find good selections of meats and cheeses at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The buffet cheese station at the brand new Sheraton Deva is to die for.