Pacific Perfection

Combining spectacular natural beauty, ancient Melanesian culture and a soupçon of Gallic je ne sais quoi, the South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia has it all, as Paul Kay discovers

SOME ISLANDS ARE BLESSED with beautiful beaches and crystal-clear waters, others with incredible biodiversity, fascinating indigenous culture or continental charm, but it’s rare indeed to find a place that has them all—which is why the South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia is such an extraordinary find. Located 1,500 kilometres off the northeast coast of Australia and 1,300 kilometres southwest of Fiji, the remote islands have marked the outer reaches of the French empire since 1853, when Napoleon III decreed the foundation of a penal colony there. The ensuing century and a half of Gallic influence, blended with the territory’s ancient Kanak culture, has created a place and a character that is quite unique, a proud and multicultural society where French cuisine and love of wine sit side by side with…

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Tatler Hong Kong (Digital) - 1 Issue, January 2016

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