Gourmet Holiday to New Caledonia
October 23rd, 2009
Are you looking for a holiday destination that is truly extraordinary? You might be thinking of somewhere that provides beaches and sailing opportunities, plus the cuisine and ambiance of a metropolitan city. A perfect vacation that has all of this is a trip to the French colony of New Caledonia, located about halfway between Fiji and Australia.
This island is located further south compared to other South Pacific islands, benefiting from southeast trade winds, plenty of sunlight and balmy weather. If a sailing holiday is what you are looking for, New Caledonia is based in a part of the Pacific that has the largest coral lagoon in the world. Sailing charters are freely available and with the assistance of the trade winds you can sail out of the capital city of Noumea along the coastline, past the many small islands that dot the ocean around the New Caledonia. The island also offers other outdoor activities such as scuba diving, snorkel diving, horseback riding, canoeing, and kayaking.
If you were hoping for a gourmet holiday, New Caledonia has lots to offer. New Caledonia’s capital city, Noumea, is often referred to as the Paris of the Pacific. Noumea boasts delicate gourmet French food and wine along with the other benefits of a active cosmo town. The restaurants here are some of the finest in the South Pacific. Colonised by the French in 1853, New Caledonia has a well-defined French influence when it comes to food and wine.
Noumea has well over hundred palces to eat, ranging from sidewalk cafes to high-class bistros. French cuisine is easy to come by, but other selections include Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and African food. Seafood is a specialty of the Island, including spiny lobster, prawns, crab, and mangrove oysters. One of New Caledonia’s national dishes is Bougna, which is fish or chicken, mixed with sweet potatoes and bananas wrapped in banana leaves and then grilled covered in sand on hot stones. For the adventurous traveler on a gourmet vacation, you can try a dish common with the locals, bat stew.
New Caledonia is the holiday destination you want to be: a sailing holiday, a gourmet holiday, or a time to just relax on the beaches.
Entry Filed under: Eating Stuff, Travel Portal