Where We Have Been - Vanuatu

We loved the friendly locals and the amazing snorkelling in crystal-clear water. Carolyn encountered a sea snake, got up close (and friendly) with a young sea turtle, while David spent a fair chunk of time shadowing another turtle as it cruised along.

We also took the opportunity to rent a car and do a loop of the island, exploring and stopping off at various spots—taking the time, where we could, to try our luck snorkelling.

We booked a day boat tour around Efate Island. We were picked up from our accommodation in a minibus and taken to meet the tour boat (see image).

After a brief cruise, we were dropped on a pristine beach with no sign of human influence. A short stroll takes you through tropical forest and out onto a breathtakingly beautiful shoreline—apparently one of the locations where Survivor: Vanuatu was filmed.

After some time snorkelling in the shallow, calm, crystal-clear waters of the lagoon, the boat transferred us further around the island. We stopped at a cave the locals use as a hurricane shelter, then continued on to an enclosed inlet where the water is far deeper than it looks—it’s that clear. After another snorkel, we headed to a village, where the children performed for us and the villagers laid out their goods to tempt you.

It was a fantastic day and well worth doing.

We lucked into staying at a property with only a small number of units, plus a pool, a poolside bar, and direct access from our deck onto a stunning, almost deserted beach. It meant we could properly relax and enjoy ourselves without tripping over a multitude of other holidaymakers.

Although we were based just outside Port Vila, getting around was easy. We simply hopped on a mini-bus (in Vanuatu, vans are set up as mini-buses and seem to cruise around picking people up—basically a casual ride-share system) whenever we needed to go somewhere.

Just down the beach was a Beach Bar where we enjoyed pizzas and an evening of entertainment from the fire dancers. We also had easy access to the water taxi over to Hideaway Island (a resort, but also where we went snorkelling and discovered the underwater postbox).