One of the most well-known islands in Vanuatu is Efate Island. Port Vila is the capital city of Vanuatu and one of the most popular tourist destinations of the country. You could easily spend a few days exploring all the beautiful places around the island, so these are the top 5 things to do on your visit to Port Vila.
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.
1. Hideaway Island
Right at the top of the list of things to do in Port Vila is this beautiful small island off the main island of Efate. Home to the world’s only Underwater Post Office. Yep! You can actually send yourself a postcard from under the sea! The island itself is gorgeous, surrounded by crystal-blue water perfect for snorkelling in search of fish and other marine life.
You can easily get to the island either by walking along the sand bank at low tide or you can catch the small island boat which is what we did!
Island fee- 1,250 Vt (Transfer boat is free)
Postcard- 400 Vt
2. Mele Cascades
Mele Cascades are a beautiful collection of aquamarine pools filled with the cascading waters flowing over natural rock formations. At the top of your very short and easy trek is a rewarding 35m waterfall pouring into a natural plunge pool, perfect for a refreshing dip! The Male Cascades is a must see for things to do in Vanuatu.
The cascades are only a 10 minute drive from Hideaway Island, so combining the 2 in 1 trip is recommended. It’s a short and very easy 20 minute walk to the cascades with a few steep stairs, streams and rocks to cross-over. I did this easily wearing flip-flops.
Entry fee- 2,000 Vt
3. The Reef Vanuatu Zoological
This unique Turtle Sanctuary was suggested by our taxi driver. Upon entry you will be taken on a guided tour through the grounds with a local guide. You will learn and interact with wildlife such as turtles, reptiles and other marine life! There’s even an opportunity to hand-feed and swim with the turtles!
Make sure to visit in the morning and on a non cruise-ship day so you don’t miss out on hand feeding the adorable baby turtles like we did. If you visit during high tide you will also miss out on swimming with the turtles.
Entry fee- 1,700 Vt
Not sure what to pack? See my Packing List for more tips!
4. Port Vila Market
Grab your bargain priced fresh fruit and veggies at the massive Port Vila Markets! Open till late, Monday to Saturday, you will have the opportunity to try all the native food, meet the locals and be surrounded in the culture. There is also many stalls for souvenir handicrafts and clothing surrounding the produce section of the market. You will easily find the markets on the main strip of town close to the Au Bon Marche supermarket.
Pro Tip: Avoid visiting on cruise ships days. Not only is it extremely crowded but most vendors will mark up their prices.
5. The Blue Lagoon
This massive swimming hole is a crowd favourite, especially among the passengers from cruise ships. Ideally, you want to visit this place on a non-cruise ship day for a less crowded experience. Located about 1.5 hours from Port Vila, you can enjoy a refreshing dip in the clear blue water among the mangroves.
Entry fee- 500 Vt
So now that you’re convinced on the top 5 things to do in Port Vila, which one are you going to explore first?
Want to see some more live action? Check out what we got up to in Vanuatu on my Instagram Stories!
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