Halo Vanuatu!

Another Island Adventure

We've spent 6 days in this remote island paradise! We stayed on the biggest island, Efate, and found all the adventures it has to offer… away from other tourists.

We love travelling local, and wouldn't have travelled Vanuatu any other way!

Through local guidance we gained access to untouched beaches, serene snorkel spots and heavenly cascades over our 6 days and here's how we did it:

Day 1- Departures

We had an early departure from Sydney Airport, saying some very sad goodbyes to my parents and my best friend, then a 3 and a half hour flight to Bauerfield Airport, Port Vila. Stepping off of the plane this time was not nearly as bad as my arrival in Fiji. The temperature here in June is typically 28 Degrees Celsius which was a nice change to Sydney's 12 degree weather.

Due to major wind in Sydney's airport we were delayed quite a bit so we didn't arrive until late afternoon and spent the remainder of the day settling into our accommodation.

Day 2 - Exploring

We went to Vanuatu with no itinerary or expectations, meaning, we needed to get our bearings. So a day of exploration was in order!

We wanted to get a lay of the land and a feel of the country so we began by venturing into Port Vila to see what there was to do. We found Nambawan cafe on the waterfront and got some coffees and breakfast before venturing further into central Port Vila. We came across some backpackers and locals who explained a bit about Vanuatu.

Major discoveries:

• Taxis cost WAY to much (8000 Vatu for anything over 10km which is $103 Aud).

• Buses cost 500 Vatu to go half way around the island which is $6.40 aud.

  
  

• Buses are small vans with a B on the number plate and they don't have set routes.

  
  

• The tourist spots are overpriced and overcrowded, follow word of mouth for unadvertised tourist spots.

  
  

• Eat the local cuisine from takeaway shops (we got most meals for 500-750 Vatu as opposed to our hotel restaurant prices, 3850 Vatu per meal.

We spent the afternoon relaxing by our pool and then explored downtown Port Vila to score some dinner.

Day 3 - Local Tourism

We woke up early and hiked to our nearest bus stop outside the central Port Vila, Au Bon Marche Market. We bought less than satisfactory Pains au Chocolat for breakfast and negotiated a deal with a driver. We agreed on 500 Vatu to Siviri, a small village located on the north west coast of the island, recommended to us by a backpacker. The village was home to one of the most beautiful beaches Vanuatu has to offer! We gained access through the nearby Whispering Palms resort, where the lovely owner, Peter, showed us to the beach and allowed us free access despite the usual 500 Vatu fee. The beach was completely private and in the middle of nowhere.

We ran into our new friend Peter on our way back to the road and he mentioned that we must visit the nearby lookout Top Rock. He helped us to flag down a bus and negotiate a low rate for us (200 Vatu).

Top Rock, located in Saama village, really is an unknown and underrated tourist destination. The spot offers lookout points to all the nearest islands, snorkeling, cave diving, bush walks, camping and a restaurant run by the villagers.

The entry fee plus snorkeling gear cost us 3000 Vatu (38.30 Aud) and we were able to snorkel freely unlike the $70 guided tours that have time limits.

We really enjoyed our time at Top Rock, we met a couple from the Netherlands who recommended the fire show later that night and explored the reef and shores.

After enjoying our afternoon at Top Rock we walked through Saama to the main road and hailed down a bus then continued on to the fire show at Mele beach bar that the Dutch couple had mentioned.

The fire show began as a program to assist troubled youth and has turned into a weekly spectacle put on at Mele beach bar.

Entry into the bar is free and the performers make their money via donation buckets handed around at the end of the show.

Funnily enough we ran into our Dutch friends there and spent the night over beer and cards.

We then called a bus driver we had made friends with on the way to Mele, who very kindly drove out to pick us up (tangkiu tumas Yusuf!).

Day 4 - Adventuring

Our Dutch friends had recommended hiring a quad bike as a fun way to explore the island freely. So of course we did! We hired a quad bike from On Wheels for 2 days, costing us $198 Aud (including insurance). The quad bike was a lifesaver! It allowed us more access to remote locations and gave us the freedom to spend as much or as little time in places as we wanted.

We set out to get to the famous Blue Lagoon, located on the South-East coast! Navigating through Port Vila on the back of a quad bike was difficult to say in the least. I was tasked with holding onto my phone as well as Eddie while commandeering pot holes galore.

After pulling over (a few times) to study the map, we made it out of Port Vila and onto the main road that goes around the entire island.

We drove an hour to the Blue Lagoon, maxing out at 78km/ph and were welcomed with an entry fee of 1500 Vatu. Cash Only. Thankfully we had run out of cash and had to head to the nearest shop.

We stumbled upon the Banana Beach Bar where the lovely owner kindly advised us about a second entrance that would grant us entry for a third of the price. So after withdrawing some cash we headed to the second entrance where we paid 500 Vatu each ($6.40 Aud). The lagoon was so blue it was green! Swimming there felt very fresh and special however I was nipped multiple times by the mean inhabitants.

After the Blue Lagoon we dined at the village road-side restaurant where we shared the most delicious chicken and rice meal before resuming our exploring. We drove through Eton and Eton Beach and continued on to a waterfall recommended to us.

We drove a bit further and came across a roadside shop where a lady helped her daughter by selling her fresh homemade bread. We of course bought a loaf of the delicious, warm bread and wrapped it in a towel to transport back.

We stopped in at Banana Beach Bar on our way back for a coffee and to thank the owner for her recommendations. The Beach Bar has the most gorgeous swimming spot and view and is 100% worth the visit! After spending a relaxing afternoon here we drove back to our hotel in downtown Port Vila for another cheap eat and peaceful evening.

Day 5 - More Adventuring!

We were tipped off about some cascades just out of Port Vila and decided to take a look. The cascades held the freshest water on the island; run by the local village there were several swimming spots and you could travel up the cascades via the rainforest. We loved standing underneath each cascade as the freezing water massaged us.

There were some pretty sketchy rope swings that were tried and tested by Eddie... to no avail.

All in all the cascades were my favourite part of our adventure, no crabs to nip you, not many other tourists, cute puppies that follow you around and gorgeous, GORGEOUS cascades.

We then continued exploring the South-West part of the island on our quad bike! We drove around to Mele beach and down a resort riddled road. We stumbled upon a little cafe; remarkably it was actually the warehouse where they manufactured coffee for the whole of Vanuatu: Tanna Coffee. The coffee was harvested on Tanna Island then shipped over to Efate to be processed, we got a tour of the factory (which was one room with 4 machines) and sat down to a hot coffee and lunch. In true island fashion, the local dogs surrounded us while we ate.

We spent the afternoon exploring the rest of Port Vila, checking out some more beaches and enjoying our last day with the quad bike.

Day 6 - Tangkiu Tumas Vanuatu

We had an early start to the day with the Vanuatu sun waking us up! We sadly returned our quad bike who we had named gobby short for green goblin, and walked by the local fruit market for breakfast on our way back to our hotel. We had a few hours to pack our bags and prepare for the 20 hour travel day we had ahead of us.

We then made our way to the airport saying a last goodbye to Vanuatu and boarded our first flight down to Auckland, New Zealand!

Ed's Spread - Ed on Tour

Ahh yes finally, the part you’ve all been waiting for: ‘Ed on tour’. First stop Vanuatu. From Fiji to Vanuatu the Pacific Islands have quickly become one of my favourite parts of the world.

Stepping off the plane you get hit with that smoky pacific island smell which I soon learned comes from land management and volcanic activity. Some may say I’m a simple man and to that I agree, and I think it’s the simplicity of Vanuatu which made me fall in love. A complete step back from the western world where kids were out playing football in the streets, beach or anywhere there was enough space. No iPad kids or teens glued to a PlayStation and funnily enough, by a mile they’re the happiest I’ve seen.

Despite there being more holes in the road than you’d find in certain windows in Amsterdam, hiring a quad bike was possibly our best decision of the trip. Allowing us to tour the island and visit all the best spots, my favourite being the blue lagoon. And yes just like Bryndis before she met me it really was completely blue. And a great way to cool off from the everlasting heat. Having rope swings and diving spots, I was in my element.

Overall I’d give the trip an 8.5/10, the only thing letting it down was what I could only imagine was food poisoning, which left me not in the best mood however, I’m sure I ended up having a better time than whoever the cleaner was that day…

The Important Stuff

Vanuatu is expensive!! If you don't do it right. One bar we went to charged us $9 for 2 cans of Fanta and $49 for a simple meal.

We ate from the hot food counters in Au Bon Marche supermarkets and take away shops we stumbled upon during our walks.

Our 5 night stay at Mangoes Resort cost us $1314 Aud including airport transfer (which we could've done cheaper with a bus because $40 Aud for a 10 minute taxi ride is outrageous!!!).

Our Flights with Jetstar cost us $250 each with our checked luggage.

Our Quadbike hire for 2 days with insurance was $198 Aud.

And activities and meals for 5 days cost us $333.50

6 days in Vanuatu cost us a grand total of $2345.50 or $1172.75 Aud each.

Vanuatu Moments