Reviewed by Yasmin Noone
If you want to unwind in the beautiful heart of nature, surrounded by some of the world’s most untapped tropical land and sea scapes, then get to Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Spa and Golf Resort in Bourail, New Caledonia.
A holiday at this secluded resort will enable you to truly de-stress as you swap the city lights of Noumea for a rural, beachside experience that’s steeped in French-Melanesian authenticity. Your relaxed future-self will thank you for making the trip.
At a glance
The Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Spa and Golf Resort in Bourail is a luxurious, five-star hotel that’s set upon a private beach overlooking a UNESCO World-Heritage listed barrier reef.
The hotel, located around two-hours from the country’s capital, is nestled within a natural reserve. Due to this, the resort is somewhat isolated but herein rests its attraction.
The Sheraton offers everything you need to relax in one regional location so you can just ‘be’. There’s an outdoor infinity pool cast a few metres from a sandy beach; a fitness centre; spa; manicured 18-hole golf course and gift-shop. Guests can also enjoy a mix of culinary offerings.
The resort hosts 176 accommodation units, featuring Melanesian bungalows and modern king rooms or suites. All accommodation-types include air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, and tea and coffee-making facilities. Guests are given access to free WiFi, ice and bicycle hire during their stay.
Look and feel
As you arrive at the hotel, a sense of space and the natural majesty of the surrounding mountain ranges immediately soothes you. Embedded in nature, the resort is awash with the scent of flowers being carried from one place to another by sea air; the sounds of birds tweeting; and visions of lush tropical trees.
The open-ended lobby is grand. Its Melanesian thatched roof speaks of a long-held design tradition that aims to work in harmony with the island’s tropical surroundings. The Earthy colour palette of brown, beige and green adds to the sense of location, reminding guests to inhale and relax. Time spent at this resort is certainly time spent on a calm holiday.
The resort’s grounds are extensive: accommodation options are spaced out throughout the resort so you’ll need to catch a free buggy or walk for five-to-10 minutes from the main building to your accommodation. This is not a bother though. In fact, it’s a delight. The grand design allows for more time spent outdoors gazing upon the natural beauty that encircles you.
The location
The Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Resort is located in New Caledonia’s south province – a countryside location where stockmen raise cattle, idyllic beaches hug glorious mountain ranges and interesting fauna meets wild flora.
The Sheraton is the only major accommodation provider in the Bourail district. The resort is situated seven minutes drive from one of the country’s longest and most breathtaking beaches: Poé Beach. This sandy stretch with a protected reef is absent of many tourists.
Deva Domain – the 18,500-acre nature reserve enveloping the resort – has activities for nature lovers and adventure-seekers alike. You can practice mountain biking, bird watching, golf, kayaking, boating, paragliding and horse riding. Couples who want to do absolutely nothing can engage in the art of relaxation too. It’s the ideal place to experience life at a slower pace: swim, eat, drink, sleep and repeat.
Dining
There are three dining options within the resort: Reef restaurant, Sand Beach Grill and Creek Bar.
The fine dining destination, Reef, presents a la carte meals from Sunday through to Thursday nights. The menu is mostly created with ingredients sourced from surrounding waterways and lands: think mahi mahi, tuna, blue prawns, yams, bananas and venison. High quality international procurements like beef and lamb are also used to balance tourist demands for foods that are not locally produced on-scale.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, guests can relish in a symphony of fresh seafood, Melanesian meals, luxurious French desserts and international delicacies at Reef’s buffet. The broad selection of gourmet dishes available makes it worth a visit – if only to experience the taste of everything once. A buffet breakfast is also served at Reef each morning.
Enjoy lunch at Sand Beach Grill where you bury your feet in the sand and take in a beach view. Sample traditional tuna tartare, grilled local prawns or burgers made with a superior style of French patty known as ‘steak hache’.
Creek Bar, which overlooks the pool, boasts a small but hearty international tapas selection and does great pizzas: our pick was the paysanne pizza, with sweet caramelised onions, crème fraiche and mozzarella. The bar offers an impressive cocktail menu and extensive premium rum range.
Best room for two
The resort’s one-bedroom suites fuse modern luxury with traditional design to create a space for two that sings of elegance and romance.
All suites are situated within Melanesian-inspired buildings boasting vernacular architecture, designed to blend in with the natural surroundings and remind guests of their majestic location.
Inside the 66 square metre suite you’ll find a king-sized bedroom, walk-in closet, and private bathroom with separate bathtub and double shower. A privacy wall marks where the sleeping quarters end and the living area begins.
The large lounge room, with floor-to-wall windows leads into a dining area and kitchen that comes equipped with a microwave, fridge, coffee and tea maker and stovetop.
At the back of the suite, there’s a huge balcony terrace that borders the golf course and an extensive mountain range. The outdoors view is breathtaking – the perfect spot to clink wine glasses with your partner as the sun goes down.
Couples will love
A romantic, relaxation holiday at a resort like this must not come to a conclusion before you experience the on-site spa. So be sure to allocate pampering time with your partner at Deep Nature Spa.
If you’re up for it, have a couples massage. The minimum duration is for 25 minutes, which sounds short but given that the clock only starts once you’re on the massage bed, it’s certainly long enough to make a difference to your wellbeing.
If you prefer to sample the serenity of a personalised body wrap or facial alone, you can meet your partner at one of the spa’s communal areas for couple time afterwards. There’s a heated plunge pool, sauna, hammam (Turkish-style steam room), gym and relaxation room.
To top it all off, guests also have access to an outdoor lounge area overlooking a tropical garden where you can sip a herbal tea, sample a free healthy snack and zone out together in the midst of nature. Bliss!
