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Introducing New Caledonia
There's no better place to experience the Pacific with a taste of France than New Caledonia, where Melanesian tradition blends with French sophistication. This mix of the chic yet casual, très French but ultimately Pacific comes together with peerless élan in Noumea, the cosmopolitan capital. Dining out and shopping run the gamut from gourmet restaurants to humble roulottes, from Chinatown's colourful shops to the expensively elegant, air-conditioned boutiques on rue de Sébastopol. When you leave the capital, the urban scenery gives way to a wealth of changing landscapes - the rolling plains of la brousse (the bush), lush river valleys, steep mountains coursed by tumbling waterfalls, cool rainforests and wild coastlines.
Grande Terre is the main island with rugged mountains, waterfalls and the world's largest coral lagoon. To the Southeast, lies romantic Île des Pins with its slender pines, white-sand beaches and emerald lagoon. To the east, life proceeds at a leisurely pace in the relaxed Loyalty Islands: Maré, steeped in Kanak culture, Lifou and Ouvea.
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Latest headlines for New Caledonia
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Cycle route named Caledonia Way
25 June 2009 10:11AM
The title of a new cycle way linking up Campbeltown in Argyll with Inverness in the Highlands is confirmed.
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Plea for calm in cycle race anger
26 May 2009 2:42PM
A call for calm is made after those who voiced anger at the disruption a cycle event causes received abusive emails.
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New cycle route could ride ferry
26 May 2009 8:21AM
A cycle route being created between Campbeltown and Inverness may use a ferry to get round a Highlands loch.
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