New Caledonia on a budget

We have 6 days in which to get as much snorkelling and eating done as possible - unfortunately we are also on a budget. We would love recommendations for Gite's or local accommodation on any island. We are not really interested in the nightlife and would love to get off the beaten track a little.......

I am sure we will be compelled to stay in Noumea for a night or so - can anyone recommend quality eats?

I am afraid that low budget and quality eats don't mix well in Noumea.
You can get some great sandwiches for 4 USD or so, but even the cheapie restaurants, far from being quality ones, tend to cost from 10 USD for a meal.

The best snorkelling I have personally seen was at Kanumera Bay on the Isle of Pines.
Unfortunately that island is quite pricey and far from being off the beaten track.
I am sure the Loyalties would be similarly good for snorkelling though.

I think the best area to get off the beaten track with so little time would actually be on the main island of Grand Terre, especially its scenic Northeast. However that is not a good area for snorkelling, from what I know. Maybe if you can afford to charter boats to get you out to the little islands of the barrier reef at places like Hienghiéne...

More tips and thoughts on New Caledonia

Thanks Laszlo for the quick response. Will definately have a look at the charter boats

Laszlo was right about Noumea not being very friendly for budget types. We chose Marina Beach Hotel about 2 minutes walk from Baie de Citron. It cost 8000CPF a night and had a small kitchenette that allowed us to have some meals in. Groceries were not too bad cost wise and the market in Noumea was even cheaper. The bus system was quite good for getting around. We opted to rent a car our last day so we could do some sight seeing and drive to Tontouta as we had a very early flight - the cost was quite reasonable with no extra drop off charge. There were a couple of places to eat near the Marina Beach - Peter's Place across from Baie de Citron had inexpensive sandwiches and burgers and the food we had at the Fiesta Restrauant in the same area was quite good but a bit pricey. We had lunch in Noumea one day at a local style place that had sandwiches for around 600CPF. We splurged on a 3 day trip to Ile des Pins and were glad we did. We booked online through the Air Caledonie web site. They arranged flights and accommodation at Kuberka Gite(with local transport) for under $700Cdn for the 2 of us. Unfortunately meals were not included and tended to be pricey. Also. communication was difficult as little English was spoken and our French very weak. As to snorkeling, the best for us was at the Natural Piscine on Ile des Pins. We also took a taxi boat to Ilot Maitre but found the snorkeling only fair. We were there in September and also found the water quite cool for us(early 60's).

Travel to the Isle of Pines is cheaper by ferry - the Betico takes about 2 hours from Noumea and costs about half the price of flights.

Snorkelling at the Piscine is lots of fun. Ive also seen snorkellers just over the wall from the Piscine but it was too dangerous(rough) for my liking. Kanumera beach was much more sedate.

In Noumea chep lunches and self catered meals can be had from the supermarkets - hot roast chicken, pasta meals, hot dogs etc, plus wine , cheese , salamis etc. I found the food at Fiesta to be reasonably priced. In fact most cafes/restaurants in Noumea, whilst not "budget" were in line with Australian prices.

Hienghiéne is indeed gorgeous but a rather long drive from Noumea (about 5 hours) .

BTW , we did take a boat offshore from the beach at Club Med village (Highengene) and whilst worthehile and pretty , was not great for snorkellig.

Generally, you may be interersted to know that after Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the worlds biggest reef is....around NC Grand Terre.

To be honest, I found all snorkelling in NC, Isle of Pines included, pretty dull compared to places further north like Indonesia, PNG or the Solomons.
NC's barrier reef is definitely a pretty impressive sight when viewed from high up, like from the slopes of Mount Panié though.

La Chaumiere in Noumea gets my vote for the best food in NC.

La Chaumiere is nice but pricy - look here

My favourite meals werehad OUTSIDE Noumea - at Chez Regis and Gite Manamaky on Isle of Pines and also at 3 places in Highengene

Thankyou to all of your for your very helpful responses. They are exactly what I was after. I should learn to be mindful of my phrasing because not all of my trip will be baguettes and cheese, I have a little in the kitty to spoil myself so the restaurant suggestions will be very useful.....

Has anyone had a particularly good experience in a gite? Some of them seem to be just be cheap hotels in the shape of a hut. I would love to be able to share a meal with locals and personalise my trip. I have heard, but haven't found that some of them are absolute beachfront...

The best meals are often at gites. I loved the food (ave main is $20 incl for example lobster) at Gite Manamaky, which is beachfront. It may be currently closed. Also beachfront and GREAT food is at Chez Regis (mains also around A$20). Both are on Isle of Pines. The waters near Chez Regis are MUCH nicer than Manamaky.The water out front is more like a stream but looks good and is only a 3 minute walk in one direction to a lovey beach (fronted by the 5 star Meridien Hotel) and 3 minutes the other way to the Piscine - a world class attraction.

I'm coming into this somewhat late. I hope it's not too late.

My husband and I are great fans of budget holidays. I have been to New Caledonia 12 times now (my family is from there) so I go where the locals go and know the bargain places.

With Isle des Pins, it depends where on the island you want to stay. I always like to stay around Vao or Kuto beach beacuse in my opion, there is more to do around there. Kuto Beach is a stunning white sand beach with crystal clear water. The Baie de Kanumera which is great for snorkelling, is just across from Kuto Beach. if you want to get to the Baie D'Oro which is where the Piscine Naturelle is, you need to book through your gite. They generally charge 1500 CFP pp for the pirogue (Outrigger canoe) to take you from Baie de St Joseph to the Baie d'Upi where you then walk for about 3/4 hour through dense vegetation and then wade through a stream to get to the piscine naturelle. You then pay 1500 CFP pp to get a bus back to your gite. It really is a superb day out.

Chez Regis is located up near the piscine naturelle. Undoubtedly it's a beautiful spot, but in my honest opinion, if you want to do anything else apart from snorkel at piscine naturelle, you are better off staying in or near Kuto.

In Noumea, budget accommodation is not easy to find. The Marina Beach is actually a very good suggestion. I used to stay at the Beaurivage hotel when it was the Ibis Hotel. We considered staying on our most recent visit earlier this month but the lifts weren't working, etc so we didn't. It is still a budget choice in a great location (opposite Baie des Citrons Beach) but it's falling apart at the seams. The rates are under 10,000 CFP per night though.

We stayed at the Casa Del Sole apartments at Baie Des Citrons which were fantastic in every way but not cheap (we paid 15,600 CFP walk in rate for a 2 BR apartment on the 15th floor).

If you are on a budget avoid staying in Anse Vata at all costs. Across from where the terminus is for "Le Petit Train" in Anse Vata is a snack van which serves toasted sandwiches (croque monsieur), hamburgers etc at reasonable prices.

Across the road from Baie des Citrons are numerous vans where you can get inexpensive meals & snacks. There is also a family that sell right near the Casa Del Sole, mangoes for 200 CFP the kilo!

At Port Plaisance about 15 minutes walk north from the Baie Des Citrons is a Casino supermarket where you can stock up on supplies. Across the road is a great cafe called La Case a Cafe where you get great coffee. They have a good value breakfast where you get tea/coffee/hot chocolate, toasted baguettes with butter and jam and a viennoisserie (croissant/pain au chocolat/raisin snail) for just over 1000 CFP per person.

At Trianon, there is my favourite restaurant in Noumea. You get the number 8 bus (I think) to get there. It is called La Creperie Breton and for around 800 CFP you get some great crepes choices. I go there every time I go to Noumea. When I shout the family a meal, I always choose this restaurant as I know it won't send me broke. You can gorge yourself there for 2 people for 2 courses and alcoholic apple cider for about $40 AUD.

Chez Alban at Baie Des Citrons can also be a reasonably priced night out. It is always packed with locals.

I highly recommend buying an ice cream from La Sorbeterie at either Anse Vata or Baie Des Citrons and walking along the beach at night. It is such a romantic and fun thing to do. The choices are incredible too.

The bus is a cheap and easy way to get around Noumea. It's 200 CFP and the buses run every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 1/2 hour on weekends.

The markets at Le Marche Municipale are worth a visit on Saturdays. You can stock up on fruit and vegetables and seafood. They also have very reasonable priced souvenirs. Some are even cheaper than found in Chinatown.

In Grand Terre down south I have discovered this gorgeous little place called Gite St Gabriel near Goro. The bungalows have a thatched roof. The grounds have coconut trees overlooking the beach. The accommodation was 13000 CFP per night for 2 people for the bungalow, breakfast and dinner. However you can also camp there for a lot less but then you need to buy food/supplies.

In Sarramea which is 130 km north of Noumea in a verdant area with a stream nearby there is a hotel called Evasion. There for 9000 CFP you get a room and breakfast for 2. It was the biggest and best breakfast I have ever had or seen anywhere. I was so impressed, I took a photo of it! It's a lovely area for hiking, horse riding and swimming in a deep rock pool.

The cheapest place on Isle des Pins is Le Kuberka at 6750 CFP per night for a room (about $100). We stayed there less than 2 weeks ago. It was fine. It was about 350 metres walk from Kuto Beach. There is a boulangerie about a km away opposite the prison ruins where you can stock up on bread and pastries at reasonable prices (a croissant was 120 CFP from memory). There is also a rotisserie at the boulangerie where you can buy sandwiches, roast chicken etc.

A great bargain eatery we found at Kuto Beach was Kuto Koin, a yellow hut with a blue roof open weekends and when the Betico comes in on Wednesday & Sunday & when cruises dock. They served a scrumptious plat du jour (we had fish and prawns in a vanilla bean sauce) for 1400 CFP (about $20 AUSD). They also had sandwiches for under $10, paninis, and a plate of snails also at 1400 CFP.

The Gite Manamaky is regrettably still closed and no one seems to know when they will reopen.

For the splurge of your time on Isle Des Pins I HIGHLY recommend the Restaurant Le Kougny near Le Meridien. There you will be served fresh lobster on a table in the sand overlooking a spectacular bay. Make sure you make reservations before you go and inform them what you want to eat. You really can't go past La Langouste (lobster).

Good luck.

Tropicgirl.

Also, I should add that if you intend to visit the Isle of Pines and the Loyalties, you might want to consdier the tchap tchap pass. That is an airpass that allows 4 flight to and from the Isle of Pines and the Loyalties.

A budget choice on Ouvea is Le Bougainvillier. We stayed there last time. The family offered meals with them. If you really want to mix with locals this is the way to do it. You should also try coconut crab whilst you are there. You can order that at Gite Beaupre.

North of Touho on the north east coast (a gorgeous part of Grand Terre) heading towards Hienghene is a place called the Gite Mangalia. It is a super budget option at only 4500 CFP per night per room. It is full of ambience but rather run down. Meals are about 1900 CFP.

The cheapest car hire tends to be at either Mencar or Point Rouge. Both are in Noumea.

Thankyou to all of you for your posts....they are all very helpful indeed. The plan is starting to come together... Tropicgirl - we depart last week in Feb so not too late and appreciated greatly

I am planning on a trip to New Caledonia in October of this year with my wife and 17 year old son. I have done a fair bit of web and Lonely Planet research,however there are a few gaps in my information or non existant web sites for some places.

Firstly if we were to spend 4 to 6 nights in Noumea,we are looking for a self catering apartment or motel,any suggestions under $100 per night?

Which has the better snorkelling,Baie De Citrons or Anse Varta ?

We are planning a day at Amidee,is there only one tour operator out to here?

I cannot find a web site or timetables for the Betico ferry that runs to isle of Pines,it seems as if it doesn't run every day ?

On Isle of Pines we wish to stay at Naitiwatch. Anyone have experience here and they offer two types of accommodaion. Older type Bungalows and newer cabins. Which ones have self contained showers and toilets,cooking and fridge? Which is newer and closer to the beach?

is it feasible to drive around the island and snorkel in the north near Oro all in one day ?
We plan on 4 to 6 days on Isle of Pines,should we stay longer ?

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Firstly<hr></blockquote>
Honestly, you are not going to find a self catering apartment or motel at under $100 a night in Noumea.

The cheapest ones would be the Marina Beach Hotel or the Hotel Beaurivage. I haven't stayed in the Marina Beach so I can't comment on it but I have stayed several times in what is now the Hotel Beaurivage. I would not recommend it at all, last time we were in Noumea (in January this year) lifts were out of order, and it was looking very tired and run down.

Your best bet would be the Casa Del Sol Apartments at Baie Des Citrons which are lovely, spacious, very well situated and a decent kitchen. There are a few snack vans close by for cheap meals and the Casino supermarket at Port Plaisance is less than 15 minutes walk away.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Which has the better snorkelling,<hr></blockquote>

Neither beach is really good for snorkelling. Anse Vata is very windy whilst the Baie Des Citrons is more enclosed and if I had to nominate either I would probably say Baie Des Citrons near where the road curves around before you reach the Casa Del Sole apartments.

.<blockquote>Quote
<hr>We are planning a day at <hr></blockquote>

The Mary D is the only tour operator that goes out to the Phar Amedee however diving schools/groups also go there.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>I cannot find a web site<hr></blockquote>

The Betico Ferry does not run every day to the Isle Des Pins. My understanding is that it runs on Wednesdays and weekends but I will check this and repost on this issue.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>On Isle of Pines we wish<hr></blockquote>

I stayed at the Nataiwatch 12 years ago so my knowledge of it is not recent. From memory the traditional bungalows (which were more ambient) were closer to the beach. I cannot remeber whether they were self contained with showers and toilets or not. Honestly, rather than cooking on Isle Des Pins, you would be better off buying some charcuterie and assorted cheese in the Casino supermarket before you arrive in Isle Des Pins and just live off that. You can buy baguettes as you go. Buy a cold zip up bag from Woolies before you go and you'll be set.

Alternatively,there is a rotisserie and patisserie opposite the Vestige des Bagnes (prison ruins) in Kuto where you can buy a variety of meals including tahitian raw fish salad, roast chicken and assorted sandwiches which are reasonably priced and on the days that the Betico comes in, the little yellow hut on the northern end of Kuto Beach opens and it is actually a cafe called Kuto Koin. The meals there are sublime and very reasonably priced. They open for breakfast and lunch.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Is it feasible<hr></blockquote>

Yes most definitely. The island is only 19 km in circumference so you can easily do both in one day. You will need to park in the parking lot near Chez Regis and then wade through the stream to get to the Baie D'Oro.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>We plan on 4 <hr></blockquote>

That is ample time on Isle Des Pins. When we go we spend one day swimming at Kuto and snorkelling at Kanumera (they're across from each other); one day driving around the island stopping at La Grotte de la Reine Hortense and one day at the Baie D'Oro.

You will have a marvellous time.

Have you considered heading out of Noumea and heading north towards Hienghene?

tropicgirl

I noticed that your quotes didn't come out properly in my reply. I've never used that facility before but hopefully you can understand each question that I was replying to.