Made up of 83 islands in total Vanuatu is the epitome of Pacific island paradise. Though we barely scratched the surface we managed to sneak away for a week to Efate, the main island of Vanuatu and the metropolitan heart of the islands.
Stay: Fatumara Lodge, for waterside bungalows where you fall asleep to the sound of water lapping at the shore. Close enough to walk into town and nestled in a protected part of the island so you can swim all day every day in the beautiful blue water.
Eat: Blue Marlin, the fanciest joint on the island and rated number one on trip advisor this place didn’t let us down, get the Poulet fish or rib eye steak. Alternatively get into the island vibe and keep things low key at our favourite bar for lunch, dinner, beautiful sunsets and classic tunes, the reefer rum bar. If you stay at the Fatumaru lodge, get adventurous and kayak your way there like we did. The bacon wrapped prawns with aoli are worth it!
See: Be sure to spend a couple of days here as the best beaches and water falls are scattered all over the island. Our favourite spots were the famous Blue Lagoon, for rope swinging into water as blue as a zooper dooper, Raru falls if you want to feel like a fairy straight out of fern gully, hide away island for snorkelling, making friends with all the colourful fishies and living your mermaid dreams, and eton beach for the ultimate exotic island destination snaps, the best part is there’s usually not a soul there so you won’t be stuck with trying to decide if you post the good photo of you with the dude in the background or the bad photo of you with nobody else in sight.
Do: horseback riding at hippique horse ranch is a must for any adventure, nature loving individual! We did the full day experience which included lunch, riding through the rainforest, coconut plantations, little grass hut villages with the locals and children waving and giving you the biggest smiles as you ride through, and riding along white sand beaches that feel like you’re a contestant who’s scored a one on one date on the bachelor. The most amazing part of the experience is getting to swim with the beautiful horses and ride bare back through the lagoon!
Local tips and tricks: Skip the taxis. Buses are basically the exact same thing. All you have to do is hail them down from anywhere and they will drop you door to door for about a 10th of the price!
Be sure to hit the local fruit markets and try all the fresh organic fruits grown on the island where you can score it all minus the mark up.
Tipping isn’t expected but as the economy relies heavily on tourism and the quality of living for many of the locals is still improving, people are so appreciative when you do. Pay it forward and build up some good karma!
Getting there: Efate is the international gateway to Vanuatu, with six international airlines flying to Port Vila. Regular return flights are scheduled via Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Noumea and the Solomon Islands.
When: Like most island countries in the region, Vanuatu is just a few degrees south of the equator, so there are only 2 major seasons: the ‘wet’ and the ‘dry’. While some locals swear the seasons are less defined these days, rain is heaviest from November to April. During these months you can expect frequent, and sometimes, prolonged downpours and increased humidity, which can be tempered by ocean breezes. So, the best time is June to September.
Love Oriwa XX