Nouméa Shopping

Not sure if this tip would be more appropriate under the WARNINGS AND DANGERS section.

Grocery shopping in Noumea can be very expensive!

As our French expat friends explained to us, some of the delicacies they took for granted and could easily get back home in France for cheap, were either hard to come by in Noumea, or double/triple the price!

Nutella for example. Who knew this delicious chocolate hazelnut spread could be such a rare commodity?

Because of the remoteness of this island, imagine what the local French folks have to do to for a delicate slice of camembert?

Due to the strict import restrictions, it is prohibited to import some items to protect the local industry. Prohibition may apply to all imports, or only to goods of non-EU origin: yogurt, fresh poultry and paper products.......and cheese?

The Artifact Gallery housed one of the widest range of unique traditional artifacts and handcrafts from Papua New Guinea and other areas of Oceania, Indonesia, and China.

Our hostess is an avid collector of Melanesian and Papua New Guinea artwork, and she introduced us to her source.

The owner takes annual trip to these regions and can often put himself in dangerous situations to negotiate with the artisans.

If anything, the gallery itself is worth the visit just to hear his fascinating stories!

As part of a tour we were dropped off to do some shopping for an hour or so. I wish I had've taken more notice of tha address [ I didn't know about VT then ]. It was along an esplanade with a lovely beach across the road. I enjoyed looking around. Plenty of the usual shops........souvineers, crafts, clothing etc. Pleasant eateries and elfresco dining.

What to buy: The market is more of a food market than anything although you can also buy clothes and souvenirs there.

Fresh fruit and veg, baguettes, croissants and awesome seafood can all be had.

Great way to stock up for a day at the beach!

I wouldnt suggest planning a shopping trip to Noumea unless the only thing you want to buy is booze and cigarettes. People in New Caledonia dont pay any income tax, so they oay a higher rate of tax on everything that they buy, this makes it expensive for foreigners wanting to go on a shopping spree. Allthough its not quite as expensive as Tahiti or other non income taxable places, most things are quite expensive!

What to buy: Cultural things are not really too expensive in relation to other things, serongs, wooden boxes etc.

What to pay: Alot if you expect to buy alot.

What to buy: Everything you can imagine is for sale here. Masks, shields, arrows, chastity belts???!!!