Less than a half an hour away from Nouméa, two very attractive hiking trails offer panoramic views across the primal forest of New Caledonia.
In summer, the path leading to the waterfall offers a refreshing escape from the heat, while the paths to the Malaoui Peak are a good choice for cooler days.
Bathing and Hiking
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![Hiking Mount Koghi Dumbéa]()
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![Primal forest of the Mount Koghi Dumbéa]()
A path in the primal forest
The path starts out along the same route as the hiking trail, which afterwards becomes more challenging, giving access to the Mount Koghi crests rising behind the Inn. In a clearing, several choices of route are signposted. To go to the waterfall, you need to take the left-hand path. It winds through the primal forest among tall trees, and an abundance of ferns. After crossing over a few creeks, the vegetation thins out, and you can enjoy splendid views across the Dumbéa plain, as far as Païta, in the distance. A few more minutes of walking and you are at the waterfall with its refreshing little waterhole!
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![Mount Koghi Dumbéa]()
An exceptional panorama from the Malaoui peak
The Malaoui Peak trail starts from the Koghis Inn and stretches up a larger, 300-meter incline. The full two and a half hour circuit, there and back, is a 6.5 km walk. It is moderately difficult, but you need to be physically fit to tackle it. The Malaoui peak is nicknamed the “Gendarme’s Hat” because it is shaped like the hats the policemen used to wear at the end of the 19th century. The path to the peak offers a lovely primal forest vista (featuring an ancient, giant Houp tree on the Leclerc Houp path, slightly aside from the main footpath) interspersed with broad-leaved paper bark trees, known locally as niaoulis.
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![Mount Koghi Dumbéa]()
A magnificent view
In wet weather, the ground can be very slippery deep in the undergrowth of the rainforest, and caution is advised. Also, it is best not to wander alone. The simplest thing to do is to follow the fluorescent yellow marks indicating the trail to the top… After a few ascents and descents, you emerge from the forest altogether. Then the view starts to open out, and you can see the path traversing a barren ridge before it reaches the bottom of the Malaoui peak. At the summit, a magnificent view awaits you. From Mount Dore to Païta panning through the Nouméa peninsula, the view is stunning. If visibility is good, (it’s worth making an early start…), you can even catch quite a good view of the numerous islands dotting the lagoon.
