The South Pacific Islands of Vanuatu (Travel Adventures)
We have never been to Australia before, so we plan to stay here for 3 weeks after which we want to fly to Auckland and visit our friends for 2 weeks. So that leaves another 2 weeks to visit the beautiful pacific islands I'm asking about.
Recommendation asked of must see South pacific Islands - Vanuatu Forum - TripAdvisor
Our friend in NZ is from Tonga, so we heard a lot of stories and wanted to visit Tonga, but also Samoa. However Vanuatu has always been my dream to visit since I was young. I have no idea why though, but that doesn't matter. As it is very expensive to visit all these islands because of logistics I am looking for the best route, budget wise, to get a good glimps of what the islands are all about.
Beyond Fiji: the other Pacific paradises you must visit
Like you said you can probably spend a month in Vanuatu alone and not even scratched the surface, do you think 2 weeks is to short? And to incorporate a little variety in the sort of islands would you recommend traveling via Fiji or New Caledonia to Vanuatu and stay there for a bit as well?
They are all very different destinations.
Fiji is much more developed for tourism and New Caledonia is more French than Vanuatu but doesn't have that much for tourists that can't be found in Vanuatu. Out of Noumea there is a waterfall but is small and the one near Port Vila is much better. NC wealth comes from mining so that might give you some idea of the landscape out of town. You could fly from Auckland to Vanuatu Port Vila and spend your 2 weeks there before flying back to Auckland and on to Amsterdam.
Or spend a week in Vanuatu then on to Fiji for another week not sure if you can fly from there without back tracking to AU or NZ. In Fiji the best snorkelling is better out on the islands more travel time and less sight seeing time. Do some research on what you would like to see and how much time you want to spend getting to these attractions.
And from what I am reading Vanuatu might be a good destination to spend our 2 weeks as it has so much to offer. To take it easy on the little one it might not be the best idea to incorporate more travel time and just enjoy the 2 weeks we have at an easy pace. If you decide to go to Efate, then given that you are interested among other things in culture and the authentic experience and some hiking, may I suggest that you consider Malowia Guest House for at least night. Vanuatau is just beautiful with really friendly people and the local farmed beef is amongst the best plus cheap.
Lots of great places to stay. I see you are spending time in Australia remember its a big place if I want to fly from Melbourne my home to say Darwin at the top of Australia its about 6 to 7 hours, to go to the centre to see Uluru about a 40 minute flight from Alice springs it takes about 4 to 5 hours. And yes Australia is huge, especially compared to the Netherlands where you can drive from North to South in 3 hours: Planning is of the essence as we are travelling with a 3 year old.
Good tip to take into account the distances and travel time some places take to visit. With a rental car, you could easily see most of Samoa's sites in a few days. Vanuatu has many more islands, most of which have their own distinct attractions and variations in culture.
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If you were stuck in one place, I think Vanuatu has more to offer, assuming you have extra money to fly to different islands. The main island, Efate, has plenty to see and also has a few off-shore islands that you can take a quick affordable boat to, definitely worth staying on Pele island for a couple nights.
You can fly out to Tanna island and go see the erupting volcano and the natural beauty of the tropical jungle island, where traditional life is very much in tact. I can also recommend Vanuatu I first travelled there 30 years ago and have about 10 times since. Another idea is a South Pacific Cruise. We are doing one this week called the Bounty Adventure it goes to Noumea Tonga Fiji and Vanuatu this is out of Brisbane but they do similar ones from Auckland. Our next holiday is to take our daughter to the beautiful Espiritu Santo also another Vanuatu Island for her surprise 16th birthday.
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Browse forums All Browse by destination. Tours in Vanuatu Chlia Tours and Transfers. Lelepa Island Day Tour. Destination Expert for Port Vila, Vanuatu. See All Vanuatu Conversations. Vanuatu - where to stay? You can't miss the Pentecost land diving which happens from April to June, every year. Pentecost also offers a variety of excursions to visitors seeking cultural experiences including custom village tours, as well as soft adventures such as hikes, snorkeling, outrigger canoe paddling, visiting historical sites and land marks.
Tourists are attracted by Ambrym's unique features: Accommodations are melanesian traditional bungalows, with very basic amenities, and welcoming hosts ready to make you feel at home. Malekula is the second largest island and the most diverse, culturally and linguistically, with over thirty distinct languages spoken. Some of the best custom dances come from the island. The names given to the primary cultural groups are Small Nambas and Big Nambas. Epi is a peaceful island with beautiful white sandy coves, many white and some black sand beaches, and inshore reefs.
The interior is the rugged terrain of recent volcanic activity covered with lush rainforest. There are several small lakes where you can fish and swim and may get a chance to see wild birds, wild pigs and cows. The island is part of the Vanuatu rain forests ecoregion, within the East Melanesian Islands biogeographic region. Dense evergreen forest covers nearly three-quarters of the island on the windward eastern side, while a combination of grassland and woodland occupies the north-west.
Recommendation asked of must see South pacific Islands - Vanuatu Forum
Cloud forests exist at higher elevations. Much of the vegetation on the island is secondary growth.
There is a lot to see and do in Tanna. If planning a private and quiet retreat to Mystery Island then check the cruise ship itineraries with the Vanuatu Tourism Office in Port Vila before setting out. Trip Planner [ 0 ]. Home Banner 1 Suddenly everything becomes crystal clear. Welcome to the official Vanuatu Tourism website. Accommodation for all Accommodation for all Stay in Vanuatu and you will never want to leave.
We offer all sorts of accommodation for everyone. Tours Tours Get out and about, have fun, go on tours. You'll have a great time, even meet and make new friends during the experience. Download App Download App Download any of these Vanuatu travel app onto your phone and get all the excitement and buzz on the hot spots, dining options, fun tours, places to st Lukim yu at the Markets Lukim yu at the Markets Mingle with the local mamas at our markets where there's always a hive of activity, vibrance, and laughter. Come in, say hi and buy some fresh fruits Blog Blog Blogs and bucket-loads of it, telling stories of what's making bloggers like Hayden and others fall in love with the place, the adrenaline, the people Book a holiday to Tanna!