Betikure Parc Lodge

The trail that loops over the hills behind the property starts at the boardwalk. It's a bit strenuous, but the view is worth the effort. We stayed three nights in a comfortable, quiet room without a jacuzzi. We had dinner once and breakfast twice, and the staff were welcoming and friendly, even though we spoke mostly English and only a little French. It was a nice change of pace from the resorts in Noumea.

The set-menu dinner was very good, and the service was friendly and patient with my very limited French. There's also a covered BBQ area behind this section that could serve the four units on the hillside, so it seems well suited to self-catering. The place feels like a park, with tall palms and Bougainvillea in all sorts of colours. The separate wooden pole houses sit among the trees, and some have spa pools on their decks. We had a private balcony under a pepper tree. Our room and bed were both huge, the bathroom was spacious with twin basins, and these were the only decent towels I had during my stay in new cal. It felt quite luxurious. There aren't many places like this in new cal, and I highly recommend it.

Food is worth planning around here. There isn't much nearby, so we ate at the hotel restaurant, where the 2-3 course dinners were lovely and delicious, around 40sgd/pax. We always left full and satisfied. Getting to the lodge can be difficult, especially during monsoon season when flooding can block the roads. At the end of December, one route was flooded and we almost couldn't reach it, but we got in via another bourail entrance. Once you're there, it's a little paradise in the forest, with rooms that look like they're from a movie and are very clean and beautiful. The TV has Netflix access, which was handy for streaming from our account. It's one of the most beautiful lodges on the East Coast of New Caledonia.

We reached Bourail at 6:30pm during the holiday season and found the river crossings to the hotel flooded, apparently for some time. We called, and were told the hotel was closed, leaving us stuck in this remote area without accommodation. The hotel hadn't contacted us beforehand, even though they had my email. It felt like they just didn't care about their guests. Shameful.