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i went to the blue river national park and had a mountain bike ride, it was really beautiful, i arrived a bit late so missed out on the kayak. i went also to the black cliffs and they were beautiful also I would recommend checking if places are open before u go tourist places are closed sat/sun. it also rained my entire 4 days, sadly the trips i wanted to do were all canceled, so no snorkeling, kayaking no visiting the offshore islands so it was a bit disappointing in this aspect, but you cant help the rain. New Caledonia is also very set up to accommodate cruise ships and most things will be closed if there isn't a ship in the harbor. i would recommend getting a car though and driving around i saw such beautiful scenery

We did not realy visited Noumea town, just one morning we walked along the beach from "Le Meridien Noumea" to the shopping area around the Hilton Noumea. Just your standard souvenier shops and a few restaurants. That was all besides the road to and from the International Airport what we saw of Noumea. We did not have anything to eat in town but had a drink and I do have to mention, it's not cheap. NZ$ 10.45 for a 250 ml glas of local NC Number One beer. We stayed in DoubleTree by Hilton and at the Le Meridien. Both places offer enough relaxation, food and drinks. See individual info about these locations.

We stayed for 7 nights - 4 at the Le Meridien, 1 at Double Tree (overwater bungalow) and 2 at the Hilton La Promenade. There's not much to do other than day trips to Duck Island (snorkelling), Amadee Island and Il Matre Island. Accommodation was nice however everything is expensive approx. 30% AUD more. A small Burger King meal will set you back $30, large pizza $50. We stayed in an overwater bungalow at Il Matre Double Tree Hilton. Definitely would recommend this. The snorkelling was amazing, so many fish and turtles and the water is crystal clear. It was $900 for 1 night which included boat transfers and full buffet breakfast. The bungalow was perfect for 2 adults, 2 kids. You can take your own food and drinks and I would recommend this as the food and drink there is island prices $$$ Le Meridien is about 10min easy walk to town. The family ocean suite was spacious and has a kitchenette. Buffet breakfast was good but you wait a while for the food to be restocked. I think everyone was having a late breakfast to stretch them over lunch (we did!) until dinner. The pool was good for kids, lots of deck chairs and umbrellas. Right on the beach too. The Hilton is on the Promenade, central to restaurants. We stayed in a 2 bedroom ocean view room. Very spacious, balcony off each room. Each room was air-conditioned. Washing machine was a bonus. Did not include breakfast but there's a little Gourmet patisserie 5mins walk up the road with cheese and bacon baguettes, gourmet rolls and sweets. A small supermarket next to the patisserie where you can stock up on drinks. I would rate Noumea 2/10 - too expensive, not much to do, most locals dont speak english, more for honeymooners who want to relax than for families who are looking for activities. The overwater bungalow experience gets 10/10 so if I had an option of fly in and out just for this, then I would.

Disappointed by city beaches but there are superb islands in the lagoon, more of what you expect for S.Pacific though very expensive to get to by ferry. Amedee island is a great day out (not far off NZ$500 for 2 adults) New Caledonia is heinously expensive, especially eating out/bars although if you hunt there are some affordable options. Everything you read about prices in French Polynesia/Melanesia is very true e.g. 1 pizza + green salad between 2 people + 2 pastis + bottle of mid-range wine = NZ$225! NZ is itself expensive, so we're used to it, but some of the prices are eye-watering in NC - when we went for a fine dining night out it broke all our previous records (Le Roof at Anse Vata - but is a great experience nevertheless). Surprisingly, car hire is comparable to elsewhere and very doable. Busses are highly recommended to get out and about @ CFP300 per trip or 1200 for unlimited day travel, and easy to use even if not familiar with Noumea geography. Noumea is more of a tropical city break than beaches. If you want archetypal white sand/palm tree beaches then go elsewhere. Actually, we were pleasantly surprised by how good the city is - superb roads/infrastructure, great eateries/bars, and what you read about French atmosphere in the S.Pacific is true. Unlike Vanuatu - the blurb there is misleading because it's pretty 3rd world, but Noumea really does deliver. Great for a short break or a week for adults, but maybe not so much for a prolonged beach holiday with kids? Would we go back? Maybe. Noumea has pros and cons - surprises in some areas and disappoints in others. Superb coral/fishes, actually we thought better than a lot of Barrier Reef in Aus.

The two bays - Anse Vata and Baie des Citrons - are both beautiful, with many places to eat and walk. (But swimming in the sea is restricted to one small area of Baie des Citrons behind a small shark net ... a larger shark net is being installed.) Local buses are easy and frequent and take you to the city centre (which is unattractive but has several excellent museums) and to the magnificent Renzo Piano cultural centre. You need to rent a car to make longer trips.

Noumea is a beautiful city situated around a series of bays and marinas. There is always a water view and a sea breeze. There are many great museums to visit and shops to explore. The surrounding countryside is stunning too, particularly the southern province. The roads are excellent and exciting to drive, especially the road to Yate. Food can be expensive but if you prepare a simple breakfast yourself and grab a sandwich or roll from the bakery for lunch to eat by the water then you can afford to treat yourself to a nice dinner.