Vanuatu

Vanuatu, the ‘Land Eternal’, is a few hours flight from Australia’s East coast and offers a holiday destination of outstanding natural beauty, cultural diversity and easy adventure.

This friendly country is fast becoming known as the gourmet capital of the South Pacific with international mouth-watering cuisine and fresh ingredients served in a great variety of casual or up-market restaurants.

If you are looking for a relaxing holiday, or some snorkelling or scuba diving adventure, Vanuatu is ideal for you and one of the best value tropical holiday destinations in the Pacific.

Port Vila

Port Vila is located in the south of the island Efate, and is the capital and international gateway of Vanuatu. The airport is a few kilometres from the town with all the major resorts and hotels.

The city is set on a beautiful natural harbour, offering stunning views of the surrounding islands. It is clean and uncluttered – you can look down over the sea wall to see live corals and tropical fish within a stone’s throw of the city streets.

Port Vila has one main street offering a wide range of good European style cafes and restaurants, shopping and entertainment. The markets are open daily and sell an abundance of local produce, flowers and souvenirs.

Tanna

Only a 1 hour flight from Port Vila, Tanna is home to the Mount Yasur volcano, considered to be one of the most easily accessed and safest active volcanoes in the world.

Tanna is also a great place to experience cultural Vanuatu. The Tannese people still live their traditional way of life, practicing ancient customs and ceremonies. The Nekowiar or Toka festival is the largest of these, with 3 days and nights of non-stop celebrations and ritualized gift-giving. Here, the more a village gives, the more highly they are regarded.

Tanna is also home to the quirky John Frum cult, whose believers gather on Fridays to honour the Gods who come from America and are magically responsible for gifts of Jeeps, fridges and other manufactured goods.

Espiritu Santo

Espiritu Santo, referred to as ‘Santo’, is Vanuatu’s largest island and is only a 1 hour flight from Port Vila.

Santo is renowned for its spectacular dive spots, including dives to shipwrecks such as SS President Coolidge. Freshwater diving is also a hit, with recent discoveries of connecting sinkholes making for a spectacular adventure.

The island’s is a classical tropical paradise - its crystal clear water, white sandy beaches, magnificent mountains and tropical rainforests serving as the inspiration for James Michener’s classic ‘Tales of the South Pacific’.

In the north, Big Bay conservation area is Vanuatu’s first National Park, ensuring this beautiful island will remain unspoilt.