View of Vanuatu
They say in Vanuatu you ‘Discover what matters’, they have it right. It is such a laid back experience, nothing runs on time and no one minds. The perfect way to relax…
Air Vanuatu, the national carrier of Vanuatu flies once a week from Melbourne, twice a week from Brisbane or five times a week from Sydney. The aircraft is a Boeing 737-800 a smaller planes with 3-3 configuration. 2 Island Escapes representatives and 4 agents, including myself, flew from around the east coast to Sydney to catch our Monday lunchtime flight. Thankfully for me the flight was delayed, as my connecting flight in was late and the transfer takes a while in Sydney.
The four hour flight was easy, although there’s no real entertainment so make sure you take some with you. The flight wasn’t full so spare seats were shared around. Before we knew it we had reached Vanuatu and disembarked down the stairs onto the tarmac and into the heat.
Everything at the airport seemed to run smoothly, immigration took a little while, but nothing in comparison to other countries. There was a lovely string band entertaining us during the wait and all of a sudden we were in our van being driven through the heart of Port Vila and to our first hotel, Iririki.
Iririki is a great family destination, but also is a rare gem that allows couples to not feel surrounded by children. They have several rom categories, the Fare’s (Villas) are best for couples, and the apartments are great for families with a washing machine, dryer and kitchen. The ocean view from my apartment was amazing, and I was disappointed I didn’t get a chance to enjoy a glass of bubbly in my patio spa. They have multiple pools and eating options spread out around the property, and the swim up bar isn’t bad either…
Iririki is an island accessible by a short (5min) ferry ride from the main road of Vila townshop. Next to the ‘port’ – which consists of a few seats and a bit of shade and a taxi or two – is the Grand Hotel and Casino. This is a great property if you want to be really central for a couple of days, all rooms have a view back over Iririki Island, and they have a nice pool and the food served at the restaurant was a fantastic introduction to the culinary delights that surprised us in Vanuatu.
The next day we visited Poppy’s Lagoon Resort, Mangoes Resort, The Havannah, and then spent the night at the Holiday Inn Resort. Poppy’s, is again great if you have a couple nights between island adventures, or if you are a family, as they have self-contained apartments. One of the best, cost effective properties on the island.
Mangoes is the opposite, not saying it’s over the top expensive, not at all, but it is adults only, very quiet and half the rooms have private plunge pools so you are there to relax for a while and soak in the view. It’s a decent walk into town, and there are few small stores nearby. There’s one restaurant on site, but the properties close proximity to town means there are a multitude of options nearby.
The Havannah I had heard most about before departing, my expectations were high, and it did not disappoint. Beautiful, spacious fares, overlook the pool or the ocean. The main building a large version of the same with a restaurant that was just divine. We sat at our table under a tree, near the small cliff overlooking the ocean. I chose against the steak, which Vanuatu is known for, and I wasn’t disappointed by my pasta, but the results from the group suggested this was the best steak of the trip. The Havannah is about 45 mins drive from town, you can easily find ways into town, but you must be able enjoy the seclusion and peace and quiet as well.
The Holiday Inn Resort was the biggest surprise for me for the trip. I didn’t like the idea of the brand having a resort in a place like Vanuatu, but it is just that, a brand, it isn’t owned by a massive international company the owners just use the name, and it doesn’t feel like the Holiday Inns most of us have stayed in once in our lives. We had a chance to relax, and I even made it to their day spa, which was simple but for the cost I didn’t mind and would have happily spent the entire day there. They offer guaranteed interconnecting (great for families), themed kids rooms, and over-warter villas that have been newly refurbished and are on their own private island.
Our experience of the hotel was made extra special by the two managers showing us around and really making the property make an impression on us with Kava Ceremonies, Competitions in the kids club and Banana Liquor ‘tastings’. Another beautiful dinner and comfortable sleep and it was up for breakfast, and a surprise cultural experience bought to us by the Holiday Inn. Water music, it doesn’t make sense til you see it, and even watching a video doesn’t really capture it.
Our second full day and it’s off to Tamanu, Eratap, Breakas and Le Legon, with a bit of shopping in the afternoon. Eratap and Tamanu are about an hour from town, down not so great roads for a few km’s. Tamanu has a great restaurant and lovely beaches, it’s very private, and worth a visit. The accommodation is only 6 cottages, with no tv, no aircon, but a private white sand beach and a lovely restaurant. If you want to really relax and switch off this is the place to go. Eratap is a step up as far as facilities, it’s still got the white sand beach with a surf beach and a swimming beach. It also has one restaurant, but it has a total of 10 villas consisting of 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms and two honeymoon villas, it’s a relatively new property, and has a spa with a full menu, with water lapping right up to the door. We then headed back into town and to Breakas which is again an all fare property with a small beach, lovely pool area, and swim up bar. It is adults only, and the main difference between it and the other adults only properties is its proximity to town and it is much bigger, but it has a lot of space to spread out as well. We came back later for a traditional Vanuatu dinner and traditional show.
A few hours of shopping helped to break up the day, and it was refreshing not be confronted by hawkers, or people selling us items or wanting things. The Ni-Vans (Vanuatu nationals) got on with their day and for the most part were happy to see us. We experienced a local bar later in the evening and had the same warm greeting. After shopping we headed to Le Lagon, one of the best known properties in Vanuatu, and it is pretty huge, fantastic gardens, beaches, pools and restaurants. This one caters really well for families of all ages. There are 142 rooms, 4 of which are overwater, and a total of 7 different room categories. There is only one pool area but it consists of a few pools interwoven, yet again a swim up bar. They do Barbecue’s around the pool regularly, and offer different cultural experiences throughout the week. They have two restaurants and a snack bar, offering the greatest range at any of the properties we saw.
On our final day it was up early and off on a day cruise out to a deserted island for a barbecue feast , guests snorkelled from outer areas, or just standing in the water you could see different fish swimming around. We were taken to another small island where dive programs ran, and they have a turtle protection program happening. For those that want to be off the beaten track they have a property here also.
Sadly our trip was over, it had been jam packed and such a great experience, meeting Ni-Vans and Ex-pats alike, seeing and experiencing different aspects of their culture and learning a little Bislma. I recommend Vanuatu to families, couples and others alike. There are two other big islands that have a lot to offer that I am yet to experience, so no one will get bored. The Ni-Vans are a Melanesian culture, who I have a special affiliation to, but despite this, I only have the highest of praise for every one of them we met who was more than willing to give us information, help or just smile. If you make it to Vanuatu nothing will happen when you expect it to, but relax, you’re on holiday, and it will happen, and it’ll be great when it does.