Due to the current riots, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised people to avoid non-essential travel.
Here we will introduce useful information for sightseeing in Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia. We will introduce transportation from the airport, how to get to the remote islands, and how to use Wi-Fi.
A sample one-day sightseeing itinerary for Noumea is introduced on the page below.
Here are the differences with France.
How to get to Noumea from the Airport
If you go to New Caledonia, you will first enter the country through Tontouta International Airport. However, this airport is quite far from the city, so you will need to secure a means of transportation. There are no trains in New Caledonia, so you will have to travel by car. If you take a taxi to Noumea, it will cost about 10,000 to 15,000 xpf (Pacific francs). However, if you arrive late at night, there may be no taxis available.
What I would recommend is the shuttle bus. You can book the shared shuttle bus operated by Arc en Ciel for 2,500 xpf one way on this website.
How to make a reservation
Reservations can be made here↓↓
https://www.arcenciel.nc/en/home
Enter the date, boarding and alighting locations, number of people on the search screen on the homepage and press the red search button. There are hotel options at the boarding and alighting locations, so it’s easy to choose.
A list of flights for that day will be displayed, so select the one that applies.
All you have to do is select if you have additional baggage, enter passenger information and pay by card to complete your reservation. Of course, you can also reserve a shuttle to your home airport, and you can also reserve a shuttle to Magenta Airport, which is only for domestic flights, to Ile des Pins using the same procedure. If you don’t like shared buses, you can arrange a private car by selecting PREMIUM Vehicule (13,500xpf) in the flight list above. The shuttle bus operates for each flight, so you don’t have to worry because it will wait for you even if your flight is delayed.
How to get to the Islands around Noumea
In addition to the main island, New Caledonia also has islands such as the Isle of Pines and the Loyalty Islands (Lifou, Mare, and Ouvéa). There are two ways to get to these islands from Noumea: by plane or by boat.
How to book a flight
If you are traveling to Ile des Pins or the Loyalty Islands by plane, you can purchase your ticket with Air Caledonie.
Reservations can be made here↓↓
https://www.air-caledonie.nc/
*Please note that this is a different airline from Air Calan, which only operates international flights.
Purchase your flight ticket from this website. If you cancel and request a refund, the money will not be refunded to your card, so you will need to go to the office in Noumea to get the refund. Also, please note that the airport is in a different location to Magenta Airport, a domestic airport located about 30 minutes by car from Noumea. If you arrive at the international airport late at night, there are no flights at Magenta Airport at this time, so if you are going to a remote island such as Ile des Pins, you will need to stay overnight in a hotel in Noumea and then go to Magenta Airport the next day.
How to arrange a boat
If you are going by boat, you can make a reservation through the website of a ferry company called Betico.
Reservations can be made here↓↓
https://www.betico.nc/en
Flights operate every day, but the boats only depart on certain days, so please be aware of this. Naturally, it takes longer than flying, so it is not recommended for people who get seasick easily. The pier is located in the city center at the following location.
Points to note
Avoid going to these remote islands on the last day of your trip. Planes and boats may be suspended due to weather or equipment problems. If this happens, you will have to stay an extra night on the remote island, and if there is a return flight on that day, you will not be able to return. There are not always return flights every day, so if you miss one, you will have to stay a few more days. For this reason, make sure to stay in Noumea on your last day.
Click here to see the islands you can visit on a day trip from Noumea.
Use your Smartphone
You need to be careful when using your smartphone when traveling abroad, not just in New Caledonia. If you use it with the same settings as you do in your home country, you may incur high communication charges. To avoid incurring expensive communication charges, you need to turn off the SIM card you normally use. For this reason, the following are some ways to use your smartphone in New Caledonia:
・Use Wi-Fi
・Buy a local SIM card
Use Wi-Fi
There are very few places in New Caledonia where you can use Wi-Fi. You can use it in hotels, but in fact, many hotels in New Caledonia charge for Wi-Fi or have a trial limit. Also, it is inconvenient that you can only use the Internet in hotels.
For these reasons, we recommend that you prepare a pocket Wi-Fi in advance. There are ways to arrange a pocket Wi-Fi when you are there.
How to arrange a pocket Wi-Fi locally
If you want to arrange a pocket Wi-Fi in New Caledonia, you will need to make a reservation in advance through the following website.
NC Pocket Wi-Fi
https://www.ncpocketwifi.com/en/offre-nouvelle-caledonie/
You can have it delivered to your hotel for easy collection.
・Buy a local SIM card
Besides using pocket Wi-Fi, you can also buy a local SIM card. You can buy SIM cards for tourists at the post office.
The SIM card for tourists is called the Tourism Card and can be purchased for 5000 xpf. It allows you to use the internet, phone, and SMS for 2000 xpf, and you can add more when the charge runs out.
The steps from purchasing a SIM card to being able to use it are as follows.
① Go to the post office (locally called OPT)
② Purchase a Tourism Card at the counter
③ Insert the SIM card into your smartphone
④ Enter the PIN code 0000
⑤ Call 1088
⑥ It will then be available for use
For more information on how to add a charge, please click here ↓↓
https://tourismcard.nc/english
Useful Links for Travel
【Hotel Reservations】
ExpediaThere is a lot of great hotel deals listed, and you can read comments from people from all over the world. You can also book these together with your flight.
Hotels.comThere is also a lot of hotel information here. Another great thing is that many of them offer no cancellation fees.
This world-famous hotel booking site has a huge number of listings, so you can find the hotel you like. If you become a member and stay many times, you can get discounts and get even better deals.
【Flight Reservations】
ExpediaIt is a world-famous travel site. It is convenient because you can also purchase domestic air tickets.
【Attractions and Tours】
klookThis is a convenient site where you can book tickets and tours to tourist spots around the world. Be sure to check it out as they sometimes offer discounts.
Information about Your Best Trip
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