NEW CALEDONIA OR COOK ISLANDS ?

Hello to all members from Athens,Greece

I would be greatful to anyone who could help me on the following dilemma:

New Caledonia or Cook Islands for honeymoon ?

The time of my visit will be between end of July till end of August. The max. nights that I can spend are 6-7 aproximatelly ( taking into account that the travel time from Greece to Australia or New Zeland is vevy long ! I think that is necessary to stay 1-2 nights in Sydney or Brisbane or Aukcland , a new dilemma now :-) )

Basically, I´m looking for an authentic , pure place with as soon as posssible less impacts of mass tourism occur .
Of course , there are and some other important critiria - parameters such as:
- Quality and Cost of accomodation ( Hotels + Food )
- Health and safety
- Weather conditions

Thank you in advance .

Rgds from sunny Athens!

Hi there,
Don't know too much about the cook islands. New Caledonia is my place. Here is very french, not too much hotels, no tourists. The best place to be is Island of pines, which you can reach by boat (BETICO) or flying from the Noumea Airport (more expensive option). There is that wonderfull hotel Le Meridien (but very expensive). Don't worry about health and safety cause here is like in Europe. You are going to come in the winter here, so the temperature will be around 20 25 C and water not too worm. Most of the hotels are around Noumea. The hotel standard as far as I know is high. Don't know if it helped, if you have some more questions let me know on my mail yendrec@gmail.com

regrads
andrzej

Both New Caledonia and Cook Islands are beautiful. I agree with #1 re Isles of Pins. There are cheaper hotels eg Oure Lodge, though the Meidien is gorgeous

I second New Caledonia, and specifically the Isle of Pines - it's a place of outstanding beauty, even by South Pacific standards.
Actually New Caledonia is pretty close to Australia, so you may just go right through without stopping in Oz.

If you opt for the Cooks (which I haven't been to and thus can't compare with NC), note that the shortest way to get there from Europe would be via Los Angeles, rather than AU or NZ.

I would be willing to bet any time though that at least food in a French territory is bound to be incomparably superior to that in any English-speaking area. ;-)
But French territories are also more expensive...

I agree with the other above posters. The Isle Des Pins (Isle of Pines) is breathtakingly beautiful. I agree with Mandja that the Oure Lodge is a great alternative to Le Meridien, and I think perfect for honeymoons. It has gorgeous little bungalows dotted all over this expansive lawn with coconut trees and flowers.

Having been to both places I would suggest Aitutaki in the Cook Islands for a 6-7 night honeymoon. It is not as developed as the main island of Rarotonga and it has a nice mix of great places to stay, activities to do, friendly locals and a beautiful lagoon. It has a very laid back feel to it and is quite safe. It is a nice size for exploring by bicycle or car. The food will be more local but quite good. The weather will be warmer as well. But I do agree that Ile de Pins is a beautiful place and would be a close second for me.