I scored cheap flights in a Black Friday sale and headed off to New Caledonia in high spirits — here is the full schedule from that trip. Believe it or not, all you need is a three-day weekend plus one morning off work. New Caledonia is a hidden gem for weekend travel.
About New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a French overseas territory in Melanesia, in the South Pacific near Australia. Most people probably know it as “the island closest to heaven,” the nickname made famous in Japan by a bestselling travel memoir. It has also been in the news recently over the independence referendums and the riots by pro-independence supporters. Security, which had deteriorated because of the unrest, has since recovered, and the Japanese Foreign Ministry has lowered its published risk level.
As a side note, I heard President Macron pronounce it “Nouvelle Calédonie” in a speech and thought, “Oh, so Caledonia is a feminine noun.” Only later did I learn that Caledonia is the Latin name for Scotland (haha). Melanesian people make up about 40 percent of the population and Asian communities nearly 30 percent, so if you arrive expecting something like Australia or New Zealand, you will notice far fewer European faces. Incidentally, neighboring Vanuatu was also once partly French territory before gaining independence in 1980. Independence has left it among the least developed countries, yet it is also said to be one of the happiest — it really makes you wonder what the right answer is.
New Caledonia may conjure images of endless summer, but its winter (which is summer in Japan, since it is in the Southern Hemisphere) brings temperatures around 20°C and plenty of rain, so it is best avoided. Also, while Japanese signage is common thanks to the many Japanese tourists, very few locals actually speak Japanese.
So here is my plan for making the most of New Caledonia on just 3.5 days off.
The Plan
Day 1 – Saturday
10:30 Meet at Narita Airport
The only direct flights to New Caledonia are operated by Aircalin, and the schedule options are limited. With no evening departures available, we took the 12:20 flight. Almost all the passengers were Japanese.
23:00 Arrive at Noumea Airport
The time difference is only two hours. The flight takes a little over eight hours, so you arrive late at night. Like most passengers, we had booked an airport-to-hotel transfer in advance.
25:00 Arrive at the hotel
Because the shuttle waited for all its passengers to gather, it was very late by the time we reached the hotel. In hindsight, since we were waiting anyway, we probably should have exchanged money at the airport even if it meant standing in the long line. We managed to exchange money at the hotel without any trouble, though (haha).
Day 2 – Sunday
6:00 Wake up
An early start to visit the marché (morning market).
6:30 Head to the marché
We found out the market is closed on Mondays, so we hastily decided to squeeze in a visit before our boat to Ilot Maitre departed. Pressed for time, we took a taxi, but few were running on a Sunday morning and we got nervous waiting. There are no taxis to hail on the street — you have them called from your hotel or a shop (cafés and the convenience stores attached to gas stations will happily do it for you!).
7:00 Arrive at the marché
The market sells all sorts of fresh food and souvenirs, but it is not that big, so an hour or so is enough to see it all. We had breakfast there and picked up bread for lunch too. Plastic bags cost extra — the one for our bread was about 200 yen! — so bring your own bag.
9:00 To Ilot Maitre
We took a boat about 20 minutes from Noumea to Ilot Maitre. We chose an optional tour that included the island transfer and some light activities.
Ilot Maitre is close to Noumea, but being a tiny island, the water was absolutely gorgeous. There are overwater bungalows too, giving it a lovely atmosphere perfect for honeymooners. There are no lockers on the island, so during activities like stand-up paddleboarding your belongings sit outside — best to bring as few valuables as possible. Also, drinks are limited and very expensive, so I recommend bringing plenty with you.
13:30 Back to Noumea
We returned to Noumea on the same taxi boat we arrived on. Apparently the sea gets rough in the afternoon — the boat pitched up and down dramatically, which was quite the thrill ride.
14:30 Lunch at the hotel
Back at the hotel, we took our time enjoying the bread we had bought at the market.
15:00 Relax and nap
After playing at full throttle under the blazing sun on too little sleep, our stamina finally gave out, so we took a break here. An hour’s nap restored us considerably. We stayed in an ocean-view room, and it really is lovely to glance outside and see the sea! It made me think that when you go to a resort, it might be worth splurging a little on the hotel.
17:00 Back to the seaside
We strolled slowly along the shore taking photos. It was a peaceful scene — people lounging on the sand, others enjoying windsurfing.
18:00 Mesmerized by the sunset
The sun sinking below the horizon of a tropical sea was truly beautiful, and I ended up taking photo after photo. The window between the sun touching the horizon and disappearing completely is surprisingly short, so I recommend getting to the beach before it starts to set.
19:00 Dinner
Restaurants in New Caledonia are very expensive. Most meals are priced at 10,000 yen or more, so do your research before you go. Wanting to avoid the priciest places but still try the famous local “angel prawns” (New Caledonian blue prawns), we went to Le Bilboquet Plage. The vibe is a bit like a family restaurant, but we got to enjoy the prawns at a price we could live with.
20:30 Back at the hotel
We reviewed the next day’s plans and slept soundly. With only a two-hour time difference, there is no jet lag to worry about — wonderful. One note on hotel Wi-Fi: we heard many hotels cap your daily data. It is perfectly fine for basic map-app use, but if you are sharing a room with a big group or planning to stream videos, renting a portable Wi-Fi router is probably the way to go.
Day 3 – Monday
7:00 Wake up
Looking out the window — the sea! The blue light of sky and ocean wakes you right up! (haha)
7:30 To the bakery for breakfast
We went to “L’Atelier Gourmand,” a bakery our taxi driver recommended as popular with locals and tourists alike. Every single pastry looked delicious — choosing was agony.
8:00 Breakfast
Back at the hotel, we enjoyed our bread with a cup of tea ☺︎
8:30 To Ouen Toro Hill
A local guy we asked for directions told us it was “très très beau!” (absolutely beautiful!), so we headed up Ouen Toro Hill. We went on foot, and climbing an uphill road for about 30 minutes in the summer heat turned into some kind of training exercise… There is apparently a tourist ride called the Choo Choo Train that carries you all the way to the top, so if you are of the “why am I burning energy at a resort…” persuasion, definitely give it a try. We could see Baie des Citrons and the Anse Vata coastline.
10:00 Hotel checkout
We checked out and left our luggage with the front desk.
10:30 To Ilot Canard
We took a taxi boat to Ilot Canard (Duck Island), the closest island to Noumea. No reservation needed — we simply bought tickets at the taxi-boat dock and boarded smoothly. It takes just five minutes to reach this tiny island, but the water is, once again, stunningly beautiful. Just look at this water’s edge! I could not stop grinning (haha).
11:30 Return to Noumea
The Ilot Canard–Noumea taxi boats seem to run every 15–20 minutes, but there is no timetable and major delays happen (apparently a classic New Caledonia thing), so build in plenty of buffer time!
12:00 Back to L’Atelier Gourmand
There were other things we wanted to try, it was delicious, other restaurants are expensive, and there is no wait (tasty, cheap, fast — is this Yoshinoya, the Japanese beef-bowl chain? haha) — so we returned to the same bakery from the morning (haha). Having already checked out of the hotel, this time we ate in. They had éclairs and other sweets too, which made choosing fun. L’Atelier Gourmand means “the glutton’s workshop” — a lovely shop that lives up to its charming name. Reasonably priced drinks are another point in its favor!
13:30 Exploring downtown Noumea
We took a bus into central Noumea. First stop: Place des Cocotiers (Coconut Square), a relaxed gathering spot for locals. The chocolate shake we had at a chocolatier near the square was delicious too.
Next we visited the cathedral, the symbol of the city. It was a shame we could not go inside, but the breeze felt wonderful. After that we browsed souvenir shops and a supermarket in town (supermarkets are the best for small souvenirs to hand out back home! haha).
16:30 A loop by bus
We still had time, but no energy left to keep walking under the midsummer sun — then we spotted a public bus running from downtown along the coastline and decided to hop on. Local students got on, we passed the cargo port — beyond the pretty scenery, it felt like a glimpse into everyday life in New Caledonia, which made it great fun. (And in air conditioning, no less! haha) On the way back we changed buses and rode to the beach near our hotel. Hotels and the tourist office stock easy-to-read bus route maps, so make use of them.
17:30 Standing by for sunset
Somehow this had become our last chance on the trip to see that beautiful blue sea.
The truth is, the evening before, I had been so entranced by the sunset that I missed the best shutter chance — so this time we sat on a bench along the coast, gazing at the sea and waiting for the moment.
19:00 Dinner
We went to Le Miretti Gascon, which was recommended in a brochure. Just in case, we had asked the hotel front desk to phone in a reservation. It was a stylish place with a full Japanese menu available, and the food was thoroughly satisfying.
20:30 Ice cream
Wanting to use up our coins, we stopped at AMORINO on the way back for ice cream. I had my heart set on their famous rose-shaped gelato, but we were 10 francs short… so we settled for a cup. A cup you can set down is more convenient for sharing anyway, and it tastes exactly the same! (Sour grapes, I know. haha)
21:30 To the airport
After relaxing in the hotel lobby for a while, we took an airport transfer arranged through the hotel. It was about 1,000 yen cheaper than booking through the optional tour company, and we had the vehicle to ourselves, which was a bonus.
Day 4 – Tuesday
1:00 Depart New Caledonia
Aircalin again for the return. Apart from meal times, the mission was to sleep every possible minute and recover.
8:00 Arrive at Narita Airport
After getting home, I showered, took a nap, and went into the office in the afternoon. I managed to get through the workday, but my productivity had clearly taken a hit — if you can take the time off, take the afternoon off too, not just the morning (haha).
About frequent flyer miles
I read a website saying “You can’t earn Aircalin miles with ANA or JAL, but you can credit them to Air France,” so I dutifully signed up for Air France’s mileage program. Sadly, it turned out tickets bought on sale were not eligible… A waste of my time and personal information… (haha)
Summary
So there you have it — a resort plan that lets you enjoy New Caledonia even if you cannot take a long vacation. If you have a little more time to spare, hopping on a plane out to outlying islands like Ouvéa would be wonderful too.