Country guide
Vanuatu in focus
Located in the Pacific Ocean, a three-hour flight from Port Moresby, Vanuatu is a popular tropical holiday destination, renowned for its spectacular snorkelling and diving experiences.
Vanuatu – which means ‘the land that has always existed’ – comprises 83 islands, which form a Y-shaped archipelago stretching about 800 kilometres.
The main islands are Espiritu Santo, Efate (location of the capital Port Vila and the country’s major international airport), Tanna and Pentecost (site of the Pentecost jump ritual, portvilavanuatu.com/pentecost-island-land-diving.php). Inspiration for the Hollywood movie
South Pacific came from Espiritu Santo, which is Vanuatu’s largest and oldest island. It has the highest population of all Vanuatu’s islands. It is blessed with immense natural beauty and as such is the location of Vanuatu’s greatest number of natural sights.
Vanuatu’s subtropical climate means there is no truly bad time to visit. The islands have almost endless sunny days. Summer (November to March) averages 28° C and winter (April to September) about 23° C.
GETTING AROUND
The capital, Port Vila, is a small city and, while there is no public transport, the network of private buses and taxis is plentiful and convenient. The buses, denoted by a ‘B’ on the number plate, can be flagged down anywhere.
Travelling between islands is primarily via domestic airline. Charter flights are also available. Two ferry boats – Vanuatu Ferry (contact the main office in Port Vila on Au Bon Marche 2) and Big Sista (vanuatu.travel/en/big-sista-company) operate regularly between Port Vila and Espiritu Santo.
SIGHTS
The sparkling clear waters of Efate Island’s Blue Lagoon, a one-hour drive from Port Vila, make for one of Vanuatu’s most popular day trips. The bright blue swimming hole is surrounded by lush gardens complete with a rope swing. Mele Cascades on Efate’s eastern side is another must-see, a stunning waterfall destination usually packaged into half-day tours, with a stop at a coffee plantation first.
Snorkelling in Vanuatu is spectacular, the warm shallow waters surrounding the islands teeming with vibrant corals. Take a tour with Sailaway Cruises (sailawayvanuatu.com) to one of the best snorkelling spots, Havannah Bay, located half an hour north of Port Vila.
Swim in Espiritu Santo’s famous Blue Holes (nandabluehole.com/about-the-blue-hole.html), natural freshwater pools bubbling up through limestone. In fact, the east coast of Espiritu Santo features more of these blue holes than anywhere else in the world. For an even more exotic experience, take a short boat ride off Espiritu Santo’s coast to Malo Island to visit its own stunning blue hole
(vanuatu.travel/en/play/see-anddo/blue-holes/malo-blue-hole).
Champagne Beach is covered in such fine white sand it has become Vanuatu’s most famous shoreline strip (santo.travel/champagne-beach).
VANUATU SPECIAL
Scuba diving and volcanoes top the list of special things to see and do. Many of the world’s most accessible, active and visually stunning volcanoes are found within the archipelago. Make a beeline for Ambrym Island (vanuatu.com.au/ambrym-island) to see the twin volcanic peaks, Mount Marum and Mount Benbow. Getting up close and personal, though, is only for the adventurous, as the crater hike is a 10–12 hour round trip.
Tanna Island, a quick flight from Port Vila, is home to the more easily accessed volcano Mount Yasur. It’s fully active, so take the short trek to the edge of the crater to see the view of bubbling lava.
Scuba diving here is second to none thanks to not only the natural corals but also a plethora of World War 2 wrecks, including the virtually intact and easily accessible SS
President Coolidge troop carrier. Other legendary sites are Million Dollar Point where tonnes of US army equipment was dumped at war’s end, and, for sea life, Chails Reef and Tutuba Point (espiritusantotourism.com/activities/scuba-diving).
Jungle-inspired tours are also a big drawcard in Vanuatu. Efatebased company Eden on the River (edenvanuatu.com) can fill your entire day with jungle-driven activity, from zip-lining through the tree-tops and scrambling over suspension bridges to more sedate strolls through tropical gardens.
CULTURE VULTURE
Vanuatu has over 100 cultures and languages and still celebrates its ancient ways of living. The best way to receive an overview of
the country’s vast range of customs and traditions is to visit the Vanuatu Cultural Centre (vanuatu.travel/en/ local-knowledge/vanuatu-cultural-center) in Port Vila, before taking a tour to a village.
Local traditions are showcased for visitors in these tours, some of the best being those to see custom dances. Many dances, like the Banks and Torres Islands snake dance, are unique to the country’s particular islands.
One of the most authentic experiences involves travelling to Rah Island to see the traditional women’s dance. Women of all ages dressed in kastom woven attire, accompanied by a string band, perform a mesmerising show. Find out more by emailing reservations@santo.travel.
RETAIL THERAPY
Port Vila has the country’s the best shopping and local markets. It is also Vanuatu’s only duty-free port and has a well-stocked general supermarket, Au Bon Marche.
Locally made wares and wonderfully fresh food are found at Port Vila’s markets, while finer authentic crafts, handcrafted goods, woven baskets, carved wooden toys, trinkets and beautifully painted artwork can be found at the Haos Blong Handicraft markets along the seafront. Hebrida Market Place specialises in hand-painted clothing. Markets are closed on Sundays, and most businesses close between 11.30am and 1.30pm daily.
PILLOW TALK
Vanuatu has a range of accommodation designed for all budgets, including beach bungalows, boutique adults-only luxury resorts and family friendly resorts such as the Warwick Le Lagon (warwickhotels.com/warwick-le-lagon-vanuatu).
Port Vila’s quality tourist hotels include Holiday Inn Resort (vanuatu.holidayinnresorts.com), which has the added attraction of overwater villas, while the Ramada Resort (ramadaresort. com.vu/en-gb) is perfect for business travellers.
For luxury and romance, The Havannah (thehavannah.com) on the west coast of Efate Island is popular with couples. Or for eco-luxe try Ratua Island Resort & Spa (ratua.com) on Santo Island.
The outer islands offer chances to stay in rustic bungalows, simple accommodation known to be both clean and comfortable, and with a tariff usually including a home-cooked breakfast and dinner.
EATS
Fresh food from the market is fabulous, and be sure to try the local snapper, known as poulet (chicken fish). Most travellers eat at their resorts, which have high quality menus. When variety is called for, among Port Vila’s more popular restaurants are Stonegrill (wotzonvanuatu.com/stonegrill-restaurant), where diners cook their own meat on a hot stone, and the Blue Marlin Club (bluemarlinlodgevanuatu.com/ blue-marlinclub-restaurant).
WATERING HOLES
For local flavour, the first stop must be the Warhorse Saloon (warhorsesaloonvanuatu.com), a restaurant and sports bar on Port Vila’s wharf road with karaoke on Thursday nights.
For a quiet or romantic cocktail by the bay, a lovely spot is the Banyan Bar, right on the sand, located at the hotel and restaurant Chantilly’s On The Bay (chantillysonthebay. com/en-gb).