new caledonia with youngsters

hi
we'd like to take a quick trip with a 2 1/2 year old and 9 month old... perhaps a few days in noumea and a few on isle des pines or loyalty? any suggestions?

Go whereever you feel like - New Caledonia is such a safe and healthy place that there should be no real issues about taking those kids.
Even the climate is milder than in most tropical places.

The combination of Noumea and the Isle of Pines sounds fine for a short trip, though you will probably need to take any special kids' stuff to the latter with you as it has no supermarkets or the like to buy them locally.
But even the main beaches of that island are mostly shallow and protected, making them perfect for families.

A short trip to New Cal from Australia is ideal. The flight is 2 1/2 hours from Sydney, a little less from Brisbane (the only 2 direct departure ports.)

Definitely Isle of Pines rather than the Loyalties as you only have a short time to do the trip. The Island can be reached by plane (ex Magenta Domestic Airport - which is NOT the same airport you arrive in)in about 15 mins, or by hi-speed Cat (the Betico) in 2 hours (its large and comfy and half the price).There IS actually a grocery store on the Isle of Pines at the village of Vao, but it isnt very good. Much better to stock up at the excellent supermarket in Noumea near the ferry port. The beaches of Kuto/Kanumera on the Isle are safe and gorgeous. Both are near the port.I suggest staying at Gite Nataiwatch in a cabin or if you can afford it at the Hotel Kou Bugny, or if REALLY well heeled at Oure Lodge. Look here for pricing. You must also vist "the Piscine" (on the other side of the island) - its a safe "natural pool" teeming with colouful fish.

I second the suggestion of the Koubugny in Kuto, Isle des Pins when you have kids. That place is tailor made for families. They're renovating at the moment though, so whilst rates are cheaper, if being around scaffolding etc bothers you, consider staying elsewhere. A word of warning though, the Koubugny's swimming pool is right in the middle of the courtyard area and from memory there is no fence around it, so if you're travelling with a toddler it is another factor to consider.

Nouméa and Isle of Pines are definitely do-able with youngsters! We have a 10-month old (he was born in Nouméa) and he loves it here. With regard to Nouméa, you have several play areas for young children and the beaches are wonderful for them. (Bring lots of sun protection - and be prepared to have them drink a lot of fluids.)

With regard to Isle of Pines, again you have the nicest beaches and "la piscine naturel" (for this, you will need to rent a car or have the hotel drop you off). Isle of Pines will be a wonderful place to relax and build sand castles.

More information about life in Nouméa and our visits to Isle of Pins (Ile des Pins) can be found at http://southpacificsojourn.blogspot.com, should you find it useful.

Have a great trip!

Hello,
Here I would like to share my experience and give my impressions of KOU BUGNY hotel on the island of pine trees. We stayed 10 days in early January 2008. Being a family with two children (6 years and 16 months), we selected the following bungalow 25000 fp / day. The last of 110 m2 with mezzanine proposed air conditioning, a fan on the floor, TV, DVD, living in the provision of 3-star comfort. We were housed in the bungalow No. 11.
We actually found a bungalow on an octagonal shape (3 meters aside 7.5 meters in diameter therefore 45 m2 + mezzanine floor 30m2 is already an initial deception on the surface - about 80m2 instead of the 110 announced). In our arrival, we had no home, the receptionist simply asked me if I had heard about all that she had given to the customer who preceded me in the queue. The bungalow was not ready and we had to 16:00 instead of noon. Let me just in a mess of my remarks you as much detail on lodging than on the restaurant and services:
1) housing is very bleak, there are only indirect lighting.
2) Apart from a small closet in the bedroom, there is no other storage.
3) The bungalow has four single beds on the mezzanine convenient but no, no cupboard. Everything must remain in bags
4) The room has a faulty air conditioning and the mezzanine has an old fan up (he reported the soul in 3 days and I had to get myself a fan in another room because I expect yet that leads me…)
5) The hotel provided me a cot dismantled Wood no longer had his paintings and all of the hardware being rusty and rocky.
6) There is in the "salon" no air conditioning and no fan. The heat is suffocating. There is no DVD player. The show is composed of 3 wood furniture with cushions defined as armchairs and sofa. They are neither comfortable nor aesthetic. There is no decoration on the wall with the exception of a painting of a seascape (nothing to do with the new Caledonia)
7) The bathroom has a large shower and sink. The sink was clogged throughout our stay, the valve was broken, cracked sink. There is no storage or disposal tablet for its toiletries. You are forced to take a coffee cup to plant your toothbrushes. The cleanliness and maintenance is minimal. Joints are black and grayish white stoneware is the lack of maintenance.
8) The flap toilet was broken, rusted screws in the urine. The soil showed tasks now indelible in filth and urine.
9) The walls showed spots of mold.
10) You have no broom or shovel to pick up after your sand beach. Outside a water faucet does not even have a small tube to rinse their feet after the beach.
11) The household was not necessarily done before noon, and given the lack of light, I shall spare you the details of the quality of maintenance.
12) Throughout the bungalow you will find countless spider webs, which are not new.
13) The reception dish at your disposal towels. Quick Tip, take your images. These towels are just fine and old towels, stained and worn.
14) With regard to the restaurant, it offers a limited and the quality is poor when you see the wealth of products that the sea provides. Do not wait any quality service, there was none. You wait for 1 hour dishes, they forget some. They will serve an appetizer at the same time as a main dish. But the worst is whether prices and indecent as the island has few means of restoration, they take you hostage with their prices falling every night for a family with a budget of Eve. This is a detail if the dishes are tasty! But when you see chefs cook the lobster tails at 17.00 and that you order at 20:00, I do not need caches better eating octopus it is cheaper! (Menu to lobster 5495 frs out wine / 47 euros). A children's menu (small filet of chicken fried in fat slice ) costs you anyway 1980 frs / 17 euros. It is a disgrace! We solved the problem by eating at the lodge OURE, Gite NATAWAITCH (camping decor but good quality / price ratio), or by ordering Bugnas in families on the island. At midday, the hotel has a snack around the pool. Anticipate delays! You attablez on tables often not freed and after an hour, you resign a move to the counter to order a panini and a bad beer. The beer arrives hot at the time dessert and you will have spent the price of a tab at the shallots + dessert wine.
15) The sea water pool is small but correct. I have never seen anyone in 10 days clean and you are swimming among the leaves and plant debris.
16) We had rented a car at the hotel. For the budget of a golf TDI / clim any options we had a LOGAN degeulasse who puait mold.

I expressed my comments to the Director of the Hotel, as well as its Managing Director, Mr Lawrence BRIZARD which is the agency responsible for DESTINATION ILE DES PINS with which we moved. The latter did not even bother to check with me my remarks on the bungalow and said to me arrogant tone that if I was not happy I had to wear my complaints in writing . My comments have changed nothing about the quality of cleaning and repairs that were needed in the bungalow.
Finally, the island is beautiful, the location of the hotel between the beaches of KUTO and KANUMERA, but it is a fabulous destination for routard at prices Hotel in St Tropez. Apparently, in talking with many customers and regulars of the same opinion as me, it seems that the quality of service delivery and was completely different before the extension work. In short I would strongly. It is not a matter of about a score that could qualify for certain breaks…… but a father who takes some time to write these lines so that others avoid having to be as him.
DO NOT GO!