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MELANESIAN IMMERSION (11686) Bourail, resting between dry bush forest and stunning lagoon.
Take the ultimate road trip across unique tribal areas, unspoilt nature and tropical paradise of
New Caledonia. From Noumea, drive towards Bourail, Poum, Hienghene, Poindimie, and La Duration Foa to uncover the time-honored tradition of Melanesia and its extraordinary beauty and 11 nights diversity. Destinations New Caledonia New Caledonia SELF-DRIVE
INDEPENDENT HOLIDAY PACKAGES Experiences Self-Drive
Highlights Travel Style Independent Holiday Packages Discover true Melanesian culture during your Half Day Introductory Noumea Tour including self -drive tour from Noumea to Bourail, an exciting visit to the iconicTjibaou Cultural Poum, Hienghene, Poindimie and La Foa. Centre.
Experience New Caledonia's Amazing Great Tribal visit in Poindimie where you will have a South landscapes during your Private Great guided walk through the village and learn South Tour with a local guide. how to prepare Bougna - a traditional kanak dish.
Eco-discovery boat tour in Bourail to learn about the loggerhead turtles.
Hit the road and spend an amazing holiday enjoying the finest sights and landscapes of New Caledonia! Immerse yourself in true Melanesian culture during this self-drive tour filled with incredible discoveries along the journey from New Caledonia's stunning Far West to the amazing Great South boasting a rich contrast of colours, ranging from the dark blue of the sea, to the sharp red of the iron-rich soils. Top up your tour by visiting a real-life tribe in Poindimie and preparing Bougna - a traditional kanak dish. Enjoy a day out on the UNESCO Bourail Lagoon and learn about the protected loggerhead turtles. Visit the Great South with your private guide and see the vast changes of scenery with the bright red soil, green dense vegetation and the dark blue sea. Make your holiday even more unforgettable by taking the optional (extra cost) ultra-light flight over the famous Heart of Voh - one of the most unmissable and iconic sights in New Caledonia. Included
4 nights in Noumea at Nouvata Hotel
2 nights in Bourail at Nekweta Lodge
1 night in Poum at Malabou Beach Hotel
2 nights in Hienghene at Koulnoue Village
1 night in Poindimie at Hotel Tieti
1 night in La Foa at Banian-tree Guesthouse
Return shared transfer from airport to Noumea
8 day car hire - Subaru XV (or similar)
7 breakfasts
3 lunches included during day tours
Half Day Noumea Tour including Tjibaou Cultural Centre
Eco-discovery boat tour in Bourail to learn about the loggerhead turtles
Traditional Tribal visit in Poindimie with Bougna preparation
Full Day Guided Tour of the Great South
Fully-detailed road-book in English
Excluded
Please contact our team for international flights.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival and Discover Noumea
Shared transfer from Tontouta International Airport to Nouvata Hotel in Noumea.
Overnight stay in Noumea at Nouvata Hotel in a Comfort Room
STROLL ALONG BEAUTIFUL ANSE VATA BAY
Day 2 Half Day Introductory Tour
Enjoy Noumea at your own pace this morning.
TOUR: Introductory Tour of Noumea including Tjibaou Cultural Centre There’s no better way to apprehend the complex Melanesian civilisation than to start by a guided visit of the iconic Tjibaou Cultural Center, led in English by your private guide. Your driver will give you an insight into Noumena’s colonial past by showing you some of the nicest pioneer houses of Faubourg Blanchot, one of Noumea’s oldest neighbourhoods, as well as an access to the best lookouts around town. 5:30/6:00 PM: Back to your hotel.
Overnight stay in Noumea at Nouvata Hotel in a Comfort Room
TJIBAOU CULTURAL CENTRE
Day 3 Noumea to Bourail drive (180 km, about 2 hours)
Your car will be delivered to your hotel this morning.
Start your drive up North to Bourail.
Suggested stops: Ouano Beach, La Foa historic buildings (Margaret Bridge, Banu Hotel), Fort Teremba in Moindou (a former penitentiary turned into a museum about New Caledonia history and the 1878 Kanak uprising led by Chief Ataï), ANZAC WWII Cemetery in Bourail.
Activities in Bourail: Walking the 3-Bays Track or Ouakoue Trail, taking a glass-bottom boat tour on Poe Lagoon and Horse ride on Deva Domain.
Overnight stay in Bourail at Nekweta Lodge in a Tropical Double Bedroom with en-suite bathroom. WALKING THE 3 BAYS TRACK ALONG THE COASTLINE
Day 4 Reconnect with Nature (Bourail)
Continental breakfast served at the lodge.
TOUR: Boat Tour on the lagoon of Bourail and admire the dozens of turtles from a secret spot.
The owner of the lodge, Manu is also a taxi-boat operator and the president of a long -established local association dealing with the conservation of loggerhead turtles. The nearby beach is the second largest nesting site for these turtles, the first one being Mon Repos beach in Northern Queensland.
Eventually, top up that memorable experience by planting a tree on the edge of the local beach, as part of Manu’s association efforts to prevent the erosion of the beach, thus helping the turtles to preserve their nesting spots.
Lunch is included and served at the lodge right after the excursion.
Overnight stay in Bourail at Nekweta Lodge in a Tropical Double Bedroom with en-suite bathroom.
Breakfast, Lunch
SUNSET ON POE BEACH Day 5 Bourail to Poum drive (250 km, about 3 hours)
Continental breakfast served at the lodge.
Whenever you feel like hitting the road, undertake the long drive to Poum. The journey will take you across the Far West style landscapes of the West Coast, home to Cattle farmers descending from the old time pioneers and convicts.
Optional extra:
On your way North, you may wish to book a duo ultra-light flight over the Famous Heart of Voh. This attraction is probable the most unmissable in the North Province, during a full hour you shall enjoy a quiet flight over the lagoon the most famous Heart of Voh. It is 100% natural heart-shaped clearing in the mangroves designed by hundreds of years of low and high tides. Each passenger seats in his/her own aircraft with their pilot and the radio communication between the two aircrafts allows you to share this unforgettable moment.
Suggestion:
If you leave Bourail early enough you may want to spend the afternoon on the property of Relais de Poingam, a very nice an unexpected tribal lodge located at the northernmost tip of the mainland. This place boats great hiking trails of easy access with scenic vistas over the Northern Lagoon. You may see wild horses, wander among the organic saltmarshes that the locals exploit there, and treat yourself with a mouth-watering steam cooked mud crab served at the restaurant of the lodge.
Lunch and dinner at your convenience.
Overnight stay in Poum at Malabour Beach Hotel in a Private Garden Bungalow
Breakfast
ULTRA-LIGHT FLIGHT OVER THE HEART OF VOH (OPTIONAL EXTRA)
Day 6 Explore the Great North and Poum to Hienghene drive (180 km, approx. 3 hours)
Buffet breakfast served at the hotel.
In the morning, if you have not done it the day before, it is advised that you to extend your road trip a few miles further up North, to discover the unique setting of Poingam. Once you have explored the region by and large, take the scenic drive to Hienghène village through the North-Eastern Coast, passing by the spectacular Tao Waterfall (swimming is advised!), crossing the Ouaïème river on the last ferry barge still in service, and admiring the coastal vistas on the way. You may also want to have a devoting stop at Ouaré Mission church, one of the oldest in the country.
Lunch & dinner at your convenience.
Overnight stay in Hienghène at Koulnoue Village in a Private Garden Bungalow
Breakfast OUAÏÈME RIVER
Day 7 Hienghene
Buffet breakfast served at the hotel.
After 2 days of quiet long driving times, now is the time for some more low-pace tourism; you have the whole day to explore the wonders around Hienghene. Whichever way you choose to enjoy them, by car, foot or kayak, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.
Suggestion:
A gentle hike up the Ga Wivaek Pass to see the lookout over the Broody Hen Rock formation and the impressive Lindéralique cliffs. Hire a Kayak from the operator next door to your hotel and take a self guided ride on the calm and shallow waters of the Lindéralique laguna. You could also choose to go out to one of the nearby postcard islands, topped by a lunch on the beach made of fresh grilled fish.
Lunch and dinner at your convenience.
Overnight stay in Hienghène at Koulnoue Village in a Private Garden Bungalow.
Breakfast
BROODY HEN ROCK Day 8 Hienghene to Poindimie drive (73 km, approx. 1 hour)
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
You may want to complete the rest of the activities that you did not have time to enjoy the day before. Drive your rental car down south to Poindimie.
Lunch and dinner at your convenience.
Overnight stay in Poindimieat at Tieti Hotel in a Private Garden Bungalow
Breakfast
DRIVING ALONG THE STUNNING EAST COAST OF NEW CALEDONIA
Day 9 Tribal immersion in Poindimie, drive Poindimie to La Foa (195 km, approx. 3 hours)
Buffet breakfast served at your hotel.
TOUR: Tribal immersion with Bougna preparation and a guided walk through the village.
You shall be welcomed in a Napoémien tribe, by Jehudit, the customary chief of that tiny Melanesian village nested in a lush valley. Jehudit will teach you how to prepare the Bougna, the traditional kanak dish by excellence: cut the yams, taros and sweet potatoes with he and his wife Priscilla, add the wild freshwater shrimps (or chicken if you prefer), grate some coconuts and pour the coconut milk on top of that typical stew. Pack it all up by tying the coconut tree leaves to close the container made of banana tree leaves, and then put that whole big natural steam-cooker inside an underground oven covered with hot stones and paperback tea-tree bark.
While the dish is slowly cooking, you will be guided by Jehudit across his tribe: he shall teach you a lot about the local customs, the sometimes-harsh history of the region and the tribal lifestyle, not to mention the local flora and fauna. End your journey inside the tribe by a stop at some millennial petroglyphs carved by Jehudit’s ancestors on some hidden rocks, and then get back to the open-air kitchen to unearth the Bougna and enjoy it, accompanied by some fresh passion fruit juice and wild lemon syrup.
By 1:30 / 2:00 PM, it will be time to leave your hosts after a final greeting. You shall feel like you’ve known them for years!
Suggestion:
In the afternoon, it is suggested that you take another route to reach Bourail, first along the East Coast down to Houaïlou, and then following a different crossing than the one you have travelled on your way North, through « Col des Roussettes ». Drive across Bourail village, and go on to La Foa village, another 40 minutes further.
Dinner at your convenience (pre-booking is advised if you wish to enjoy the fine local cuisine of Annick, your host for the night in La Foa).
Overnight stay in La Foa at La Table du Banian (Banian-tree Guesthouse) in a private bungalow overlooking the Pocquereux valley.
Breakfast, Lunch
BOUGNA PREPARATION IN A TRADITIONAL VILLAGE
Day 10 La Foa to Noumea Drive (110 km, approx. 1 hour)
Home-made Continental breakfast served at the lodge.
Take your time to explore the region’s hidden gems like the Great Ferns National Park in Farino. Lunch at your convenience.
Drive to Noumea in the afternoon, to spend a free afternoon in the capital city going shopping, wandering in the shade of the flame trees that dot Coconut Tree Square, or enjoying an ice-cream on one of the numerous terraces outside the restaurants of Lemon Bay or Anse Vata.
In the late afternoon, just drop your car at your hotel, the rental car company is going to take care of it.
Overnight stay in Noumea at Nouvata Hotel in a Comfort Room
Breakfast LA FOA
Day 11 Guided Great South Tour
TOUR: Private Great South Tour
At 8 AM, your private English-fluent local guide will take you on a hassle-free tour around the Amazing Great South landscapes. Nowhere else in New Caledonia will you enjoy such a contrast of colours, ranging from the dark blue of the sea, to the sharp red of the iron-rich soils making the South so unique, through the green of the mostly-endemic bushes that make up the dense vegetation of that area. Your driver, whose family is actually linked to the customary chiefs of that southern end of the mainland, will bring you to places you could not have imagined exploring by yourself, such as some subsistence fields in the local tribes, and an open-air workshop where youngsters from Goro tribe carve their traditional outriggers.
A full-course lunch is included for that full-day tour, and will be taken in a very nice seaside tribal restaurant.
In the afternoon, your guide shall drive you back to Nouméa through different roads, stopping at numerous lookouts and at the abandoned village of Prony, that used to shelter not less than a penitentiary, a sawmill and a timber exploitation in turn over the past 150 years!
Dinner at your convenience.
Overnight stay in Noumea at Nouvata Hotel in a Comfort Room
Lunch BRIGHT RED SOIL OF THE GREAT SOUTH
Day 12 Departure
Shared transfer from Nouvata Hotel to Tontouta Airport.
Additional information
Official language Local currency French, English French Pacific Franc (XPF) Hotel options
Nouvata Nekweta Lodge Malabou Beach Hotel Noumea La Roche Percée Poum Located on Anse Vata, the lively beachfront Nekweta Surf Camp’s luxurious tropical garden is Set alongside a private beach and beautiful popular with tourists, Nouvata offers a choice of just 2 minutes walk from the Roche Percée lagoon, Hotel Malabou Beach features an outdoor hotel rooms with the option of ocean view for beach. Walking due north, you will find Turtle bay, pool, a restaurant, a bar and a tennis court. All some of the categories. At the heart of the hotel then Lover’s and Gouaro bays, that all have bungalows offer a patio with outdoor furniture. is a tropical garden with numerous native species beautiful beaches. The lodgehas always been Guests enjoy free WiFi. Koumac Hotel Malabou which surrounds a swimming pool and sun deck, magic, has all the comfort and ideal for groups or Beach is 30 minutes' drive from Koumac a small sheltered pool designed specifically for families of 6 people. No place better for a group Village. Other facilities offered at the property children, sun loungers and sun umbrellas – looking for a good surf trip, a good boat to include meeting rooms, luggage storage and free guaranteed relaxation and well-being. yourself, wicked waves to surf with a classic local on-site parking. guide.
Koulnoue Village Tieti Hotel La Table du Banian Hienghéne Poindimie La Foa Near the Koulnoué and Lindéralique tribal Nestled in the heart of a huge property, on one of Come to discover a haven of peace at La Foa, in villages, the Lindéralique rocks and the famous the most beautiful golden sand beaches on the 5 minutes of the territorial route 1. You will be Broody Hen, the Koulnoué Village is located 10 East Coast, the Tieti hotel offers you an welcomed in one of the available bungalows km from Hienghène, in a beautiful coconut grove exceptional stay as a couple, with family or nestled in an ocean of greenery. The bungalows by the sea. Cultural showplace of the East Coast friends. Inspired by the Barringtonia fruit, the Tieti offer you quality services with air conditioning, and the historic fief of Jean-Marie Tjibaou, the Hotel was designed in the spirit of Oceanic private bathrooms and large deck with stunning Hienghène region offers many possibilities for architecture, elegantly combining natural and views across the plain. Be amazed by the fruit exploring, both through its rich natural noble materials. The attention to detail ensures yurts, equipped in the pure Mongolian tradition environment and the omnipresence of Kanak comfort and relaxation in an authentic with a private terrace overlooking the beautiful culture. atmosphere mixing tradition and modernity. nature.
Optional Extras
On your way North (day 5), you may wish to book a duo ultra-light flight over the famous Heart of Voh. This attraction is probable the most unmissable in the North Province. Each passenger will seat in his/her own aircraft with their pilot and the radio communication between the two aircrafts allows you to share this unforgettable moment.
Package prices are subject to availability at the time of booking. Holiday package prices are per person, include services as detailed in the package and are based on a maximum of 2 people travelling together in accommodation on a twin share basis. Single supplement surcharges apply. Prices are current at time of publication; however, they are subject to currency fluctuations and should be used as a guide only. Please contact us for an exact quote for the dates you wish to travel. Local city tax has been included. Offers may be withdrawn at any time without notice. All package prices are in Australian Dollars.
Blackout dates may apply during festive season.