A Week in Vanuatu
When I chose which Pacific Islands to visit while living in New Zealand, Vanuatu was high on my list. I only know one other person who has been, a friend from work, who highly recommended it. I knew very little about the country, but it seemed so unique, interesting and remote (to someone from Scotland anyway!). And unlike Samoa, Fiji and Hawaii, the other Pacific islands I’ve visited so far, Vanuatu has a different culture – Melanesian, not Polynesian. So, I seized the opportunity to book a group trip through work, joining five others and our tour leader for a week in Vanuatu. Our itinerary covered several islands – Efate, Tanna, Pele and Nguna – although this is just a handful of the 83 islands that make up this country!
Day One – Rentapao River
Kayaking
We were based in Port Vila on Efate, where the main international airport is, for the first couple of nights of the trip. I arrived late the day before, so didn’t have time to explore the town itself just yet. But today, we were headed out of the town itself to explore the surrounding countryside. Along with a couple of additional guides, we drove to the shores of the Rentapao River for a kayaking excursion. Paddling upstream, the river narrowed and lush green foliage surrounded us. We drifted past houses and villages, where the locals on the banks would wave as we passed. It was a pretty easy paddle, just taking it easy in the sun and enjoying the beautiful scenery. We continued until we reached a small cascade, which we couldn’t paddle up of course!
We retraced our route back downstream, the river effortlessly pulling us along. Passing our start point, we went downstream a little ways, where the river was much wider. We stopped by a banyan tree, admiring the vast network of branches overhead. Our guides told us a little bit about local fish and plants and their uses. Turning around once more, we headed back to shore and climbed on to dry land again. There was a fruit platter waiting as a mid-morning snack. Then we took a quick walk through the bush to see a nearby pond where the land owner keeps fish!
Rarru Cascades
After driving to another point along the Rentapao, we hopped out the van to walk along its shores. This area is called the Rarru Cascades, a series of small, tumbling cascades scattered along the river, getting slightly larger as we continued upstream. The sun was shining brighter this afternoon, lighting up the river bright turquoise-blue. With the dense, tropical greenery on the shores, it was absolutely beautiful! The walk was a fairly easy pathway and boardwalk, with more staircases as we neared the end of it. It led us to the largest set of cascades, where the river was also deep enough to swim. The boardwalk climbed high up the shores, so you could even jump in from the platform or the rope swing!
I opted for the stairs though, climbing down the wet wood slowly to slide into the cold water. It was deep enough that I couldn’t touch the bottom, but treading water helped stay warm in the cool temperature! We were under the shade of the trees, so not much opportunity for the sun to heat up the water. There were rocks I could stand on for a rest though, and I alternated between those and swimming around this serene, idyllic swimming spot. It was so quiet as well, just a couple of other people there besides us. Once the chill of the water finally got to me, I climbed out again and we all tucked into our late picnic lunch by the riverside. Then it was time to dry off and change, before returning to Port Vila for the rest of the day.
Day Two – Tanna
The Tiny Plane
Today we were off to the airport to catch a domestic flight to Tanna, one of the more southernly islands in the Vanuatu chain. The population of Vanuatu isn’t huge, nor does it have massive numbers of tourists. So, domestic flights are, understandably, not very big. I knew the plane would be on the smaller side, but I didn’t expect it to be quite that small! An 18-seater propeller plane, with our small luggage allowance packed into its nose.
Boarding was a far more casual affair than most airlines – no security screening, no flight attendants or safety demonstration. I’m pretty sure it was a passenger who shut the door after everyone! The flight takes about 35-45 minutes and you feel every movement in a plane that size. Despite how much I travel, my fear of heights means I’m not a fan of flying. I had my eyes shut and fists clenched the entire time! Definitely one of my least favourite experiences, but a necessity to reach Tanna.
Once we made it safely to the other side, we dropped off our luggage and had lunch at our accommodation. The options on Tanna are a lot more basic than Efate, and we were staying in simple beach bungalows. We had electricity only after dark, and there was running water but the tank ran out a few times. The location was beautiful though, with our own white sand beach, even if it was a bit overcast and the waves too rough for swimming.
Giant Banyan Tree & Village Walk
After lunch, we were driven up into Tanna’s mountains to go in search of a very large tree. Thought to be the world’s largest banyan tree, this sprawling mass of branches, roots and vines dominates the valley it sits in. We hiked downhill to it, where our local village guide took us on a mini-tour through and around it. It takes a while to see the whole thing when it’s just so massive! He demonstrated some vine swings too, and a few of our group members tried it themselves.
The final viewpoint was further back from the base of the tree. This was the first time we could almost see the whole thing at once! It was staggering, in its size, age and beauty. I was definitely having a bit of a nature-nerd moment and probably could have stayed and stared at it for a while longer.
Rather than drive back downhill, we chose to walk down the road instead, which took a little over an hour I think, returning us to Lenakel. Walking allowed us to pass by the various villages and homes along the roadside. Vanuatuans seem to be pretty friendly towards tourists overall, most of them smiling and waving as we passed, and us waving back of course. It’s a developing country, so the houses are simple and people live off the land. Our leader pointed out lots of different crops and vegetables being grown along the roadside. He explained uses for different plants throughout the trip too.
Kava Bar
Our leader also explained kava to us, a traditional drink that is especially important in Tanna, but has now spread to other islands. You find it in Samoa and Fiji too, maybe other Pacific islands as well, but it’s a little different in each country. In Vanuatu, traditionally young boys chew up the leaves to make it and then serve it to older men daily in the late afternoon. It’s a particularly male custom, that women are not allowed to be present. The men in our group were able to go see how it’s made, while we women had to continue walking and let them catch up.
However, back in Lenaka, we all went to a kava bar on the roadside. It was made famous when Will Smith visited Vanuatu and tried kava here, hence the mural! Here it’s made using tools to grind the leaves, no chewing, and women are allowed to drink this one. It was definitely different to the kava I remember in Samoa! It even makes your lips and tongue go numb for a few minutes. Not something I’d want to drink daily, but it’s always interesting to try different customs.
We headed back to our bungalows after that, where it was already getting dark. Dinner was included and then we sat at the table for a while listening to more stories from our leader. He is from Tanna, though now lives in Port Vila, so he had plenty of stories about his life and growing up here! We all headed to bed pretty early, as was a theme throughout the trip. There wasn’t much to do in these remote places after dark, and we had some early morning starts on several days as well!
Day Three – Tanna
Port Resolution
This morning we packed up from our bungalows and set off driving south across Tanna. We had a few more stops today, and then would be spending the night at some jungle bungalows near the volcano. Tanna’s roads are very steep and winding! We followed the coast, so we got to see some pretty great scenery, from black sand beaches lined with palm trees, to hills covered in dense jungle. The roads started off paved, but further south they became rough tracks, and we suddenly understood why every car on the island is a pick-up truck! China is actually funding the construction of the paved roads, but the project isn’t complete yet. We were definitely flung around a bit inside the trucks, those roads were intense!
Our first stop was Port Resolution, which is where some of our tour leader’s family lives so we said hello to them. This is also where Captain Cook first landed in Vanuatu, hence the village is named after his ship. It overlooks a large bay, and we made a stop at the beach before heading to the village for a bush walk. Our leader talked to us about more local customs and different plants in the bush. Plus we got to crack some coconuts to drink! We stopped at another small beach then headed up hill to a view point overlooking the bay, which was beautiful!
Sulphur Bay Hot Springs
Next up, we headed to our jungle bungalows to drop off our bags and have lunch. The owner also took us on a short walk through his land. He has several fish farm ponds, and grows lots of plants in the surroundings. Then we changed and hopped back in the trucks to visit Sulphur Bay. The drive actually took us across Mount Yasur’s ash field, a huge expanse of dusty, windy land, where there isn’t even a visible road. It felt pretty epic speeding across it in our trucks!
Our leader also has family ties to Sulphur Bay, as this is where his grandmother raised him! We didn’t spend much time in the village though, instead driving straight down onto the wide black sand beach. At the end of the beach, a small, shallow river flows down to meet the sea. On the far side, natural hot spring water flows from the black, volcanic rocks. The water is super shallow, not even up to my knee, so we all waded across and lay down flat to enjoy as much of the hot water as possible. Mount Yasur is visible behind the beach, while the rough waves crashed out in the ocean. A few villagers were bathing too, but we were the only tourists. It definitely felt like we were on the edge of the world, out in this remote, rugged corner of Tanna.
Mount Yasur Volcano Hike
After a quick stop back at the bungalows to change, we headed out in the trucks once again. Our final activity today was the big one – Mount Yasur’s crater. Most people take a truck up to the top, but our group had special permission to hike instead. The hiking trail starts on a rough track, surrounded by thick forest, before later meeting the paved road. It’s not a long journey, but it is quite steep, especially towards the top! As we neared the crater, the ash field down one side of the mountain came into view, while the other directions revealed neighbouring mountains all covered in dense jungle.
Passing the car parking area, the final ascent is up a narrow flight of stairs. Then we had arrived, on the edge of the crater. The plan was to wait until it got dark, to see the lava glowing below. We’d gotten up there quite early still though, so we had a bit of a wait. While not super cold, it was incredibly windy, so we huddled in a sheltered corner, blinking the grit out of my eyes continuously. The crater spewed a cloud of smoke next to us, occasionally emitting a low grumble.
As darkness fell, we followed the ridge trail to a better viewpoint of the crater. There are actually four lava pools, of which two were visible from my vantage point. It looked like a pair of dragon’s eyes, lying in wait below. And when the dragon rumbles, he releases a burst of sparks flying up out of the lava! It happened every 5-10 minutes that evening, but quickly and without warning so you have to be fast with your camera! I got a few decent shots but there were more impressive showers I missed. They’ll just have to remain stored in my head! Once we’d watched enough, we headed to our waiting trucks to whisk us back down the mountain for the night.
Day Four – Tanna
Kastom Village
On our final morning on Tanna, we cut back across the middle of the island on high mountainous roads. Our destination was just outside Lenakel, at a ‘kastom’ village. This is a village where the people chose not to adopt Western practices and modern amenities. Instead, they still live in the traditional way they have for centuries. They’re not cut off entirely from the modern world, for example, they own Western clothes for going into town. And they allow tourists like us to come see the village (for a fee) with a guide.
The village also has fascinating ties to Prince Philip! When he visited Vanuatu, he wanted to try kava, which was only really drunk on Tanna at the time. A man from this village happened to be in Port Vila and prepared some for him. The villagers saw this as a great sign of respect, so they view Prince Philip as one of their chiefs, just born elsewhere in the world. Prince Philip even invited a few of them to visit the UK, including their current chief! So, it’s a story they’re very proud of now.
In the village, we saw everyone dressed in traditional clothing (which is very revealing so I won’t share too many photos) as we walked amongst their simple houses. We entered a communal kitchen and saw how they start fires. Our guide showed us many plants they cultivate, and there was a short dance performance to finish. Most of the people were quiet in our presence, perhaps due to the language barrier, as there is no school here. The children were curious, some of them bolder in approaching us while others just stared! It was definitely an interesting experience, seeing how differently people live, and raised the question of whether future generations will continue to do the same.
Market Visit
Heading back to town, we had enough time to check out the local market. It was a small square but one overflowing with fresh, ripe produce. I didn’t necessarily know what all of it was, given so many of these fruits and vegetables don’t grow back home. Our leader explained a few, but mostly I just enjoyed looking at so much colour and variety and abundance! And on such a small, simple island, you know it’s all grown locally and nothing goes to waste.
Then it was back off to the airport. We made a coffee stop first, our leader actually leaving us here while he went ahead to do our check-in. As mentioned, it’s a casual affair on these inter-flights so you don’t need to be there all that early. I squeezed my eyes shut for the duration once more, until we landed safely back in Port Vila. By coincidence, the President of Vanuatu had also just landed, returning from overseas, so there was a military band waiting to greet him! We watched until they dispersed, then were dropped off back at our Port Vila hotel again for the night.
Day Five – Pele & Nguna
Tanna Coffee Roastery
Our stay on Efate was a short one as we set off again first thing the next morning. No tiny planes this time though, thank goodness! We drove north, following the island’s west coast. Our destination was the small port where we would catch a boat to one of the smaller islands nearby, Pele. But first, we made a stop along the way at the Tanna Coffee Roastery. The beans are grown on Tanna, hence the name, but brought here to be roasted and packaged for sale. The building is pretty interesting itself, a converted mission church! Inside, the man working showed us around and explained different roast styles, giving us handfuls of beans to smell. They have plenty for sale too, of course. Next door, there’s a small cafe where a few of us bought a cup to try. A perfect mid-morning pick-me-up!
Pele Snorkelling
Reaching the harbour, we loaded our luggage into the tiny boat and strapped on our life jackets for the crossing to Pele. It looks pretty close, but the boats only have little engines so it does take a good half hour or so to cross the water, which wasn’t too rough or splashy thankfully. It was such a clear, sunny day as well, the water sparkling a brilliant blue. Arriving on Pele, our accommodation was simple bungalows once more, right on the beachfront! It was a bit like having our own private beach on this tiny island. After tucking into lunch served on the sand, we were ready to jump into that perfectly clear water.
Stretches of reef surround Pele – some of them have been a bit battered by the boats or by storms and tsunamis, but a good portion of it is still healthy! We descended into this underwater world, carefully navigating the twists and turns of the reef. Countless fish flitted through this maze, darting between their hidey holes and secret corners, or drifting out over the open sand on occasion. I found anemones and sea urchins and even a couple of sea stars. It was lovely just drifting through it all, until the water got a bit chilly and it was time to dry off in the sun.
Nguna Village Walk
Later that afternoon, we hopped back into our boat to cross to the neighbouring island of Nguna. An extinct volcano dominates the island, which we had admired from Pele already. It also has a larger population than Pele, with a small village perched at the hill’s base, on the shore looking towards Pele. This was our destination, with just a short 5-minute boat ride taking us to meet our guide for the afternoon, one of the local villagers.
He escorted us through the narrow streets – there are only a handful of cars in town! – showing us key sights. We saw their large meeting hall and passed the village school, where countless children were playing football outside, the most popular sport in Vanuatu. Up a small hill, we saw their church and the small cemetery where some of the European missionaries are buried. And we saw the kava bar, of course! Then we wandered slowly through the streets, observing the simplicity of the village life quietly unfolding around us.
Back on Pele, we hung out on the beach together, enjoying the serenity and idyllic beauty we found ourselves in, on this tiny, remote Pacific island. The sun was ready to give us a show tonight, lighting up the ocean in shades of gold, before giving way to the dusky purple of twilight. We tucked into dinner under a wooden pavilion, then sat around the campfire together for a while before it was time to turn in for the night.
Day Six – Pele & Port Vila
Pele Island Walk & Snorkelling
The next morning, a few of our group members headed back to Nguna to hike the volcanic crater. I had opted out in favour of more snorkelling instead. Our leader offered to take us on a walk across Pele first, cutting across the island’s centre then looping back around the shore, while a couple of island dogs tagged along. We trekked through the bush while our leader continued to regale us with stories of Vanuatan life – he never seemed to run out of new things to tell us! Emerging on the far side of the island, we could see even more islands out in the distance, these ones little more than rocks jutting out of the water. Following the shore, we walked across raised sea beds of old, dead coral from millennia ago, admiring the views of Nguna again along the way.
After a quick break and change back at the bungalows, we continued our walk around the shore, this time along the sand. We were heading to a second snorkelling location up the beach, where our leader said the reef was as good, if not better. The coral was denser here, packed into a larger mass rather than the sprawling dots of it in the other location. I wove through the reef once more, gazing at the colours and shapes and sizes of the multitudes of fish living here. It also seems so small, but it’s such a complex, intricate ecosystem – and an oh so fragile one at that! We returned to our bungalows again for lunch, then it was time to leave Pele, sailing back to Efate again. The island had one last parting gift for us though, a sea turtle popping up to say hello to our boat!
Blue Lagoon
We drove back towards Port Vila, this time following the eastern side of Efate for a change of scenery. And we were visiting a few more places along the way. First up was the Blue Lagoon, a well-known swimming spot and popular day or half day trip from Port Vila. The ‘lagoon’ is actually connected to the sea, but is a long inlet surrounded by trees so you can’t really see the ocean. As the name suggests, the water is bright blue, although it was cloudy that day so you don’t see it as brightly in my photos. There are rope swings, diving and viewing platforms, seating and a bar around the lagoon, so you can really make a day of it here. I’m not one for jumping from high places, but I did take a swim all the way around the lagoon. I even got close to where it meets the sea, and could feel the tug of the current!
83 Islands Distillery
We had one more stop to make, this time at 83 Islands Distillery, named after the number of islands that make up Vanuatu. The distillery mainly produces rum, but also some gin and vodka. Rum is one of my favourite drinks, so I was eager to try some! It’s a very modern facility, with a shop and a bar, the latter of which was where we did our tasting.
It was a little different to most tastings I’ve done before, where the drinks are pre-selected for you. Instead, our friendly bartender offered us choices of drinks, telling us a little about them first for us to choose between. For instance, we had four rums up first, of which we could choose two to try. Then another handful to select our next couple of picks from, and so one, until we tried six in total. I really enjoyed a lot of them, but there was no way I could buy an entire bottle with all my travel plans coming up in the next few months! Luckily, they had miniatures available too, so I grabbed a pineapple rum and a cacao nib liqueur.
Beach Bar Fire Show
Tonight was our last official night of the tour, and our farewell to our tour leader. The trip didn’t include a final dinner, but he had suggested one earlier in the week, which we all agreed to. We were off to the Beach Bar, a well-known venue in Port Vila. It turned our it was our leader’s birthday the week prior, when he was doing our welcome meeting, so his partner, infant son and a few friends also joined for the evening as a belated celebration. We tucked into our dinner and drinks, which were tasty, but not the real draw of the beach bar.
After the meal, we grabbed seats down on the beach to watch the famous fire show! This group of self-taught fire dancers twirl, throw and catch flaming batons, hoops and more. It was all choreographed to a variety of music, mostly modern, well-known songs. Our leader had already explained that this isn’t a traditional dance or art form to Vanuatu – it’s just really impressive what they can do! Every piece was different, showcasing different performers or pieces of equipment. It was all so fun, and so amazing to see their talent, so it was a wonderful, memorable way to end our tour together.
Day Seven – Port Vila
Handicraft Market
I had a little bit of time before my departure the next morning. Despite coming and going from Port Vila all week, I had barely really seen the town! So, I set off along the waterfront, following the coast towards the main town centre. The weather was perfect, so it was all bright blue water and clear skies. There are a couple of markets along the waterfront, including the handicraft market and the fresh produce. I wandered through the latter, admiring the array of fruits and vegetables on offer. It was busy with people on a Saturday morning too! At the handicraft market, there were loads of beautiful items, but as always, I’m restricted by my luggage size. I got a cute pair of earrings, and my usual magnet.
I continued a bit further down the shore, then looped around through the middle of town just to see a bit more. Back at the waterfront, I stopped for an iced coffee in the heat of the midday sun. Then I had a lunch under the canopies of the beach bar next door to our hotel, before chilling out in the lounge until it was time for my flight! It ended up getting delayed, as did my flight from Fiji back to New Zealand the next day. A bit of a painful end to an otherwise gorgeous trip!
A Week in Vanuatu
I had the best week in Vanuatu! A beautiful collection of islands that I knew little about before. It’s a developing country for sure, so the infrastructure can be lacking and the facilities basic at times. But that was worth it to experience a place that still feels so remote and unique in an increasingly globalised world. I loved the diversity of activities we experienced too. Volcano hiking, kayaking, snorkelling, rum tasting, village walks… Every day was different so it never felt repetitive. Each island was so varied from the others too, so it was fascinating to see such differences across the same country. It was an unforgettable trip that I’m so grateful I got to experience!
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