An intoxicating mix of Melanesian and French charms, New Caledonia offers a tropical island holiday with a twist. It’s an enviable blend of warm Pacific hospitality and European sophistication playing out on a stage of jaw-droppingly beautiful natural scenery. The French arrived in this island group in the 1840s and never left. And we can guarantee you won’t want to leave either. Gin-clear waters teeming with marine life and hypercoloured coral bathe this small cluster of islands. Sublime lagoons and coral reefs, some of the largest in the world and given World Heritage protection, beg to be dived and snorkelled. Just three hours from home, prepare to treat yourself to French pastries on a postcard-perfect Pacific beach.