Noumea for a few weeks?

We are thinking of spending a few weeks in Noumea for a family holiday. (self, wife & 6 yo son).

We are adventurous travellers normally and would not choose a resort style of accomodation, but my wife has recently undergone serious abdominal surgery and we probably cant risk our normal style of travel!

We are drawn to the idea of Noumea because Sal will need a pretty careful diet and I feel we should be able to find suitable food in Noumea's restaurants and cafes, our original plans of another visit to SE Asia was thwarted by the spicy food which she has to avoid for the time being.

We have had a pretty full on couple of months, Sal has had 4 weeks in hospital and a further month of total rest and so I have been doing everything for the last 2 months, by the time she gets the all clear to travel in mid August I will be ready for a whole lot of doing very little!

So the idea of a little bit of France in the South Pacific has a certain appeal, it would be nice to find a resort or similar that was closed to Noumea's attractions, had some options for our son, and was a bit funky/unusual/interesting rather than the big chain type resort!

Do you think Noumea fits the bill in terms of what I have described?

Yes, I think that Noumea might be ideal. It is has the feel of a city but isnt huge. It really is asmall piece of France in the Pacific and has all the comforts of a "Western" city and thus could suit your needs - great food, shops, beaches...medical facilities

Go to the NC government site (http://www.nouvellecaledonietourisme-sud.com/en/accommodation) for accom (and other ideas), and come back with more queries.

It's been some years since I was last in Noumea. It was incredibly expensive and had a small museum.with small lava sand beaches nearby. There is very little to do there.

If you want a little bit of France, how about Mauritius, or even Guadalupe in the Caribbean?

To my opinion, Reunion or Rodrigues Islands are better than Mauritius in the Indian Ocean and Martiniques is also prettier than Gadeloupe in the Caribean.

Is it a good idea to spend at least two/three days in Noumea though?

Edited by: vacancesoui

hi,
I know this is an old post so your travel has probably happened already. hope all went well and you had fun.

but if anyone else is reading this then accommodation wise I'd recommend La Promenade Hotel Best Western
http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=93638

hotel has excellent location on AnseVata beach and walking distance from two other city beaches, city aquarium - great for kids! it's about 15-20min bus ride from the city centre and there are quite a few other restaurants around.

since your partner has a special diet requirements you'll be happy to hear that most rooms are kitted with modern kitchen - to be honest all apartments are more like usual home apartments rather than typical hotel rooms :) therefore you will have an option of cooking yourself, always a safe option if restaurants and cafes turn difficult to accommodate your partners diet requirements.

Le Lagoon hotel, located few mins walk behind La Promenade is slightly smaller but provides similar facilities as Promenade, it may also be cheaper and also The Surf Hotel located between Anse Vata beach and Baie des Citrons beach.

If you are looking for, quote: "a bit funky/unusual/interesting" type of a hotel good for kids and easy with special food requirements... hmmmmm... I'm still thinking ;)

otherwise Noumea itself isn't tremendously exciting, there are things to do and see and have fun with. As for getting that little taste of France in Pacific it may work but it is a very debatable subject as I am learning since over a year now. If I had to sum it up in one sentence, it would be something like: if you want a taste of France, go to France! but hey, nothing and nowhere is perfect :) ;)

hello!

i'm searching for the best deals from jakarta to noumea, and for a bungalow on the beach, local, cheap, and close to noumea...
any hints?

thanks!

pascal