Yep - boring as bats... as one poster usually says. Why would one go there when one can stay on the mainland, not get ill from the food and stay in a place which is better than Vanuatu i.e. Hinchinbrook. People always think that it is more interesting than discovering the beauty of one's own country.

We were there in 2005 for 6 days as part of a wedding - stayed at Le Lagon Resort with a group of about 30 other wedding guests. Thoroughly enjoyed the time but don't think you would need much longer.
The Resort itself was nice but quite rundown - excellent for families - with a very good Kids Club etc. Our deal included drinks and breakfasts and we also had several dinners which were good but not outstanding by any means.
My pick would be Iriki Resort which looks very nice and has just been refurbished.
The town itself was also rundown but quite fun to visit and there is a large market.
We did a full day tour covering the island which was enjoyable and we stopped at some lovely beaches along the way.
The island itself is poor there is no doubt about that - but there are now several large overseas cattle producers buying up tracts of land which might help a little.
All in all it is a great place for a family wedding and families in general, especially as the rates are so low. For tourists outside that category maybe one of the offshore islands would be a better choice.

Interesting prue, have been there a couple of times but at least 15 years ago.

My butcher in Cairns often has organic beef grown in Vanuatu, its very good.

Pat,
One of the most worrying things we saw while touring the island was the growth of a very invasive type of vine which has taken over huge amounts of the undergrowth. The areas which have been taken over by overseas interests have been cleared successfully, but there is little money to handle the rest - and we saw many locals trying valiantly with hacksaws but making little progress.
They even showed us a valley under which was an abandoned mine - complete with machinery, buildings etc. which had been left at the time of independence and was now completely covered - very eerie.

Gosh here is one place I thought of visiting next year, but it seems its not worth visiting after reading some of the replies.
We thought of staying at a place called Breakas (out of Port Vila)for 5 days, then fly across to Tanna Island to climb Mt.Yasur, and stay 3 nights on this island.
Didn't realise they were having a problem with some form of invasive weed.

Lizzy - This forum is about Australia and THE PACIFIC. True, I have heard wonderful things about Hitchinbrook but it's main claim to fame is as a wilderness destination, isn't it? Like you go there to hike?

I've never been a big one for serious outdoor activity (camping yes, tramping, no) and right now I'm concentrating on getting one my legs working as it used to - so I don't think Hinchinbrook is for me.

And I thought long and hard about places to go in Australia. Thing is I've been to FNQ twice; Whitsundays twice; Kakadu twice; Keppel Is twice; Red Centre twice; I've done the GOR and KI and Coober Pedy; and Tassie; and travelled the Gibb River Rd and all the way down the coast of WA, and visited Perth and the SW corner.

Top of my wish list for travel at home is to go overland from Cairns to Darwin with a good long stop at Lawn Hill National Park. Such trips exist but would set me back c.$3,000 and the budget for this trip is lot less. There is a cheaper tour but it stops running in September.

So you see, my mind is not closed but I suspect yours is.

The budget for this trip is a lot less.

Tropo - my plan is similar to yours. Tanna is a must. My big disappointment is that there are no regular ferry services any more between the islands.

I will post a trip report when I come back.

The problem with the vine is certainly not evident until you head out of the town and into the 'countryside' - then it is very apparent and as I said is proving very difficult to control, and coming from rural Australia we found it very worrying.
I would not think of not visiting because of it - in fact they need every tourist dollar they can get. I also think going to one or other of the islands would be excellent.
The people are friendly and welcoming but as you will see the need for a huge cash injection is very clear.

No Chimani Hinchinbrook does not bring up the idea of hiking to me at least. There is much more there other than hiking and very few people due to the fact that they do not allow a lot of people at any one time.
I was generalizing when I said " people seem to be more interested in other places instead of their own country" and I have been a number one perpertrator of that seeing that I had been to NZ three times before even seeing Tasmania.
Due in part to the cheap fares we have now to various parts of Australia I thought that it was now very,very competitive in $ terms compared to anything remotely French in the South Pacific

PS: darn your leg Chimani - go to Russia in a wheelchair if you have to because you will not regret it. St Petersburg is just so fantastic - I have to go back and also want to go to Moscow and other places too.

My husband and I visited Vanuatu in 2004 and we both loved it. It is not very Westernized, even though it was for many years a British-French condominium, and even though many Australian and New Zealand expats, missionaries, and others now call it home. Nor is it very touristy, which for us was precisely its charm.

We went there to learn a little about Vanuatan culture and to scuba dive and we were not disappointed. The Melanesian people were lovely and their culture is rich. Roughly 114 indigenous languages are spoken in Vanuatu. They also speak a pidgin English, Bislama, which contains phrases like: "Tankyu tumas" (Thank you too much) or "Yu blong wea?" (You belong where?, meaning Where are you from?). Their traditional art is interesting, especially the sculpture and basketry. You can also try some native cuisine, dishes like lap lap (though I found it a bit heavy). Once you leave the main island of Efate, it's not uncommon to see villagers dressed in traditional costume, which is interesting, as well.

The diving off the island of Espiritu Santo is world class--divers from around the world go there to dive the S.S. Coolidge and Million Dollar Point. During WWII, Espiritu Santo was a staging area for US forces in the South Pacific (there were 100,000 U.S. servicemen stationed in Vanuatu). The Coolidge, a luxury liner converted for troop transport, struck a U.S. mine in the waters of Espiritu Santo's main harbor, sinking close to shore. It now rests between 20 and 60m of water and makes for a very accessible dive. The coral and other marine life around Espiritu Santo is also amazing. Certain times of the year, whales can be seen close to shore.

The U.S. Military presence heavily influenced the Vanuatans' pidgin English. The American presence also spawned a proliferation of "cargo cults," most notably the John Frum cargo cult on the Tanna Island. See:
http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/issues/2006/february/john.php

Kava drinking is popular in Vanuatu and you can find kava bars, known as nakamals in the main towns.

We met many tourists and expats who spoke highly of climbing the volcanos on Ambrym and other islands. (We also met someone who got malaria doing so.). Another popular activity for tourists is a Pentecost Island trip to view the Land Diving ritual.

Apart from spending time on Espiritu Santo, we also spent some days on the main island of Efate on Erakor Island, just outside of the capital Port Vila. Erakor was quiet and peaceful. In its shallow waters at low tide you could see loads of sea stars, all kinds of fish, including lionfish, and cephalopods, such as cuttlefish. At high tide you could kayak in the lagoon. We also took a boat out a little ways and did some scuba diving. Additionally, we scuba dived off Hideaway Island, a dive resort also outside of Port Vila. The Erakor Resort has a restaurant that looks out onto the lagoon. It's a terrific place for a beer or a steak--yes, Vanuatu's beef is as great as everyone says (and I normally never eat red meat).

If you just go to two islands (like we did) seven days should be fine.

I speculate one reason you don't see many postings about Vanuatu on this board is that it is a bit hard to get to there from the U.S. or Europe, and many who contribute to this board are from the U.S. or Europe. Also, Vanuatu is simply not as popular a destination as Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia, and Fiji--which are easier to get to, and easier to get around. There are often special deals to to these other places as well. Even so, there are regions of these other countries, which, because they are little out of the way, are not mentioned so often on this board. For instance, I sometimes wonder why so few people on this board go to Lord Howe Island, as it's so beautiful--then I realize that it can be a little costly to get there, also for many travelers to Oz, it is not as potentially interesting as the Great Barrier Reef and tropical North Queensland, or Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Broome, Uluru, the Kakadu, Tasmania, the wine regions, etc.

To get to Vanuatu, we flew to Australia then to Vanuatu. It took more than 15 hours to get there from California (not including the 4-hour wait in Sydney).

We found the Lonely Planet guide to Vanuatu extremely helpful.

I hope you can also make it to Russia. My husband and I were there a few years ago and it was very interesting. We went around Easter and there was still plenty of snow on the ground and it was freezing much of the time--but it was nonetheless nice, I kept think of Doctor Zhivago. It was my husband's second trip to Russia--the first time he toured the country while on crutches, having just had major knee surgery.

Diamantina - thx for the post. You are right, of course, it is a big trek to Vanautu from the US or Europe. But you can fly direct from Sydney for $640 return inc taxes.

That's why I found it odd there was so little interest - not just here, but on the TT too.

Now I have researched further I find that I can have a cheap holiday if I just go to the main island Efate - but the flight to Tanna adds another $300 and that's making me rethink the whole thing. Flights to Vietnam are more expensive, but accommo could be much cheaper.

As for Russia - don't you worry Lizzy!! - I will be off there in 2008. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am. I reckon I'll fly Qantas and Finnair - into London and out of St Petersburg or Helsinki. London to Moscow via two cities I have yet to see - Amsterdam and Berlin - by train/boat, and train, and probably plane. And I'll take in the Royal Ballet and the Kirov too.

Or maybe, as it will be early summer instead of winter, I'll fly to Europe and come back on the Trans Siberian.

I was mental about the leg when I first left hospital - were my travelling days over? I don't suppose it will ever be quite like it was, but it'll be good enough given a few more weeks.

Dia - my hat's off to your husband - but I don't have anyone to push a wheelchair or carry the luggage!! It's totally independent or not at all.

Cheers.

That's the prob, chimani, it does cost a bit to move off Efate.

All the best with your trip to Russia, too - have still got to do that one.

Have never driven overland from Cairns to Darwin, the very thought is a bit overwhelming. But have driven Cairns - Lawn Hill, via Georgetown, Croydon, Normanton; and the other way via Mt Isa. Self driving isn't too awful, just don't try it in wet season. Lawn Hill National Park is one of my favourite spots in Australia; we took take a tent and camped there for about a week, didn't want to leave.

We are off (99% sure waiting on our fellow travellers to confirm) to Vanuatu for Christmas, very excited.

We were there 18 years ago for a family celebration (mum, dad, daughters would've been about 2 & 3!!) and had a fantastic time. We stayed at LeLagon and it was fantastic. While there we met a family from Melbourne (we are in Brisbane) and over the ensuing years have become very close friends, feels like family. So we've decided after some hectic years its time for a Vanuatu 'reunion' holiday.

We manage to see each other at least twice a year but want to 'go back' to where it all started.

The plan is, just the immediate families, as it was then. The KIDS now range in age from 17 - 21, so you can imagine there are a few 'hanger ons", but this will be family only. And even the kids think this is a great idea. Stay at LeLagon again (which I hear has had a 'makeover') and just sit back and enjoy "island time". It will be hot (but we are used to steaming Christmas's) so we will swim a lot, do some day tours and generally relax, catch-up and reminisce.

The KIDS can do as much or as little as they like. And as this is their Christmas gift I've even saved myself the manic shopping in December.

Booking with Le Lagon direct (they were very accommodating when I mentioned that we'd been before) was a great idea. The travel agent couldn't get close to the deal they gave us. We need 4 rooms and the saving direct was $800AUD per family. Which is huge.

The one thing I remember and must remind the others is..... Island Time!! It took us a couple of days to get used to last time; nothing is done in a hurry. which is really what it should be like, for a relaxing tropical holiday.

Hope some of that helps? AD

Hi Chimani,
I had a week in Vanuatu about 10 years ago & enjoyed it.

I stayed on Iririki for 4 days & the remainder on Erakor. I'm a solo traveller too & pretty good at finding something interesting in most places. I preferred Erakor,although there was absolutely nothing wrong with Iririki. It was smaller, my hut was practically on the beach, owned by the niVanuatu and the French couple who'd recently leased had the touch of making the few guests feel as if we were staying on our own little Island.

I snorkelled & swam lots- just walked into the water;did two dives and spent a day with a local family who ran cattle for export to NZ.

Something you might need to consider, depending on how your leg is coming along - it's pretty hilly away from the foreshores and, as you'd expect, a lot of the footpaths are a bit "free form". Getting on & off Iririki & Erakor - they both have long jetties, I think Iririki might have a punt, but you need to negotiate the step onto the little boat to & from Erakor.

Again, my experience is 10 yrs old, and lots might (or might not!) have changed.

I think the invasive vine might be the one the Americans planted across the South Pacific as camouflage in WWII. It was certainly very effective, but the legacy is causing quite some problems. It's all over New Caledonia too.

Don't think Erakor has changed too much, Bokhara. I've also stayed there a couple of times, but even longer ago than you. Just checked it website and apart from some room and restaurant (I did try the roast flying fox) updates and a spa addition it looks much the same as it did back then.

Erakor's website still shows the small "ferry" for transfers to and from Efate - and the pidgin sign "sipos yu wantem ferry yu kilim gong" remains.

Enjoy your Christmas at Le Lagon, aussiedreamer, let's know how it went.