All The Best Things To Do in Vanuatu

Barrier beach resort, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu — Barrier Beach Resort

If you’re planning a trip to Vanuatu then this is the perfect guide to tick some things off your Vanuatu bucket-list! This beautiful nation stretches over 1,300km of the South Pacific and can be easily reached on a 3.5 hour flight from Sydney, Australia. Keep scrolling for all the best things to do in Vanuatu!

I have explored 3 of the most visited islands out of the 83 islands in the archipelago of Vanuatu:
– Espiritu Santo
– Efate (where the capital Port Vila is located)
– Tanna Island

Table of Contents

Click on the coloured text above for a more detailed itinerary for that island!

Tips for Travelling Vanuatu

Travel with an eSim: Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving travelers access to eSIMs (digital SIM cards). More than one million people are already using Airalo’s eSIMs.With eSIMs from Airalo, travelers can download and install a digital data pack for over 200 countries/regions and get connected anywhere in the world as soon as they land.

Compensation for delayed or canceled flights: Since 2013, AirHelp has helped more than 10 million passengers understand their rights and receive up to €600 in compensation for delayed or canceled flights.

Book the cheapest Hotels: Hotellook — a service that helps you find and compare prices on hotels around the world, provided by a leading reservation system. Today, Hotellook.com offered to put together information on more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.

Car Rental: Rentalcars.com is the world’s largest online car rental service. They make eight million bookings a year (and counting) in over 60,000 locations across 160 countries. Rentalcars.com offers 24/7 customer service, connect you to the biggest brands in car rental and their website is available in 43 languages.

Trip Advisor: Travelers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site to discover where to stay, what to do, and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than one billion reviews and opinions of nearly eight million businesses, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants, and discover great places nearby.

Find the cheapest flights: WayAway is a flight aggregator that provides travelers with the best rates on airline tickets. Users can also purchase the WayAway Plus membership plan, which gives cashback on flights, accommodation, car rentals, tours, and more.

The best things to do in Espiritu Santo

Espiritu Santo is by far my most favourite island in Vanuatu! The food, the friendly locals and all the beautiful, natural places to explore make this island unforgettable.

Espiritu Santo is the largest island in Vanuatu. It’s known for its stunning postcard-perfect beaches, pristine freshwater blue holes and popular snorkelling and diving sites.

These are some of the places you just cannot miss:

SS Coolidge– a famous shipwreck site from WWII (diving only)
Million Dollar Point– a great place for snorkeling where the U.S. military dumped millions of dollars worth of goods after the end of WWII.
Champagne Beach– imagine crystal clear water against soft, white sand.
Port Orly– this place is a must for lunch! Devour delicious whole lobster and coconut crabs! Also a great place to visit for snorkeling and turtle spotting.
Aore Island– explore the island’s reef by snorkeling, kayaking or SUP (stand up paddle-boarding). There is also a Freshwater Plantation where you can explore the rain-forest, bat caves and take a guided tour of the cocoa bean plantation.
Barrier Beach Resort– Highly recommend staying here when staying in Santo. This resort is set on a beautiful beach great for snorkeling and conveniently located close to Luganville and all the popular hot spots around the island.
Blue Holes– Vanuatu is renowned for their freshwater Blue Holes and Santo is home to some of the best in the country. I visited Matevulu, Riri and Nanda Blue Holes which I found to be the best and most popular to visit on this island.

Riri Blue Hole canoe ride, Vanuatu — Riri Blue Hole Canoe Ride

Not sure what to pack? See my Packing List for more tips!

The best things to do in Efate (Port Vila)

Port Vila is the capital city of Vanuatu located on the island of Efate. This small town is much more energetic than any of the other islands and offers up a supply of souvenirs, markets, and waterfront restaurants and cafés.

These are some amazing things to see and do in Port Vila that definitely can’t be missed:

Mele Cascades– A series of cascades flowing into aquamarine pools with an impressive 35m waterfall pouring over a natural plunge pool. Perfect for cooling off on a hot day.
Hideaway Island– a beautiful island resort home to the famous Underwater Post Office!
Port Vila Market– fresh fruit and veggies and also a great place to try authentic Vanuatu-an dishes (when you’re there at the right time).
The Reef Vanuatu Zoological– Feed and swim with the turtles at this amazing Turtle Sanctuary.
Tanna Coffee Factory– learn about how the locals make coffee, try the local products and buy souvenirs
Blue Lagoon- a large crystal blue swimming hole surrounded by lush natural gardens and trees

Underwater Post Office (Hideaway Island)

Hideaway Island, Port VIla, Vanuatu — Hideaway Island

The best things to do in Tanna

Home to the world’s most accessible live volcano, the tiny island of Tanna in Vanuatu’s south is the ideal place for adventure seekers.

Tick off some of these unique bucket-list items:

Mt Yasur Volcano– experience the awesome power of the mighty Mount Yasur Volcano!
Blue Cave– swim through a small hole into a stunning turquoise grotto which is lit from gorgeous sun rays beaming through a hole in the caves’ roof.
Port Resolution Bay– see geothermal activity including the hot springs along the black sandy beach.

Explosion inside Mt Yasur Volcano — Mt Yasur Volcano

Blue Cave, Tanna Island, Vanuatu — Mt Yasur Volcano

So what are you going to tick off your Vanuatu Bucket-list?

Can’t get enough? Watch us in action on my Instagram Stories in Vanuatu!

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More on Vanuatu:

Top 5 Things To Do in Port Vila, Vanuatu

Espiritu Santo- The Best Island in Vanuatu

I visited Mt Yasur Volcano in Vanuatu and Survived!