VU
Port Vila
Vanuatu's harbour capital of markets, waterfalls and reefs
Vanuatu's harbour capital of markets, waterfalls and reefs
The bustling Mama’s Market runs almost round the clock, piled with tropical produce, root vegetables, handicrafts and cheap cooked island food served by the women who grow it.
💡 Grab a cheap, tasty lunch of laplap or fresh fish upstairs.
Just outside town, this series of turquoise pools and cascades climbs through the rainforest to a 35-metre waterfall, with swimming spots at every level.
💡 Wear water shoes for the slippery climb between pools.
A short boat hop from Mele, this marine reserve offers superb snorkelling and diving, plus the world’s only underwater post office where you can mail a waterproof postcard.
💡 Buy a waterproof postcard and dive it to the underwater post box.
East of town, the Eton Blue Lagoon is a glowing turquoise swimming hole fringed by jungle, with rope swings over the clear, deep water.
💡 Weekdays are quietest; there is a small entry fee.
A living cultural village where guides in traditional dress share Ni-Vanuatu customs, medicine, weapons and legends, an engaging introduction to kastom life.
💡 Tours run at set times; book ahead through your hotel.
Port Vila punches above its weight for food, thanks to its French heritage: fresh seafood, prawns, coconut crab and steak feature at harbourfront restaurants, alongside patisseries and cafes. The market is the place for cheap, authentic laplap (the national dish of grated root vegetable baked in coconut cream) and island fish. Wash it down with fresh coconut, local Tusker beer or a shell of kava at a nakamal.
Wander the harbour and Mama’s Market, sample laplap, and enjoy a French-influenced dinner on the waterfront.
Climb the Mele Cascades in the morning, then snorkel Hideaway Island and mail a card from its underwater post office.
Swim the Eton Blue Lagoon and visit the Ekasup cultural village to learn Ni-Vanuatu traditions.
Red-plate minivans are the cheap local transport; wave one down and tell the driver your destination.
Cards work in resorts and better restaurants, but you need vatu cash for the market, buses and villages.
Vanuatu’s kava is strong; sip a shell at a nakamal and keep quiet and calm as custom expects.
May to October is cooler and drier; cyclone season runs November to April.
Harbour-town Port Vila, the volcano of Tanna, the blue holes of Espiritu Santo, land-diving Pentecost and the lava lakes of Ambrym — Vanuatu end to end.