All Posts Tagged With: "Vanuatu"

Book Your Island Holiday Package Today

Many people think about booking an island holiday package and never get around to it. When they really need a break away, they’re too busy to take time out to organise their trip. Other people realise the importance of regular holidays to reduce stress and keep energy levels up. They schedule holidays annually and find it easier to get through the busy times knowing that they have a holiday reward waiting around the corner. If you know you deserve a break, now is a great time to book a holiday. There are plenty of options available right now, with something to suit every kind of holiday maker.

One of the most popular getaways is an island holiday package to somewhere in the South Pacific. If you want to choose a place that’s a little different, the gorgeous necklace shaped Vanuatu island paradise is a great option. Vanuatu has a tropical climate, stunning beaches and delicious food. The easiest way to ensure a relaxing and rejuvenating break in this unspoiled slice of paradise is to book into a resort where you can get a great deal on your accommodation, food and activities. Resort package deals give you excellent value for money as well as making the whole holiday experience a lot easier to manage. Once you’ve booked your package, all you have to do is turn up and have the time of your life.

With a package deal, your time is your own and there is plenty to keep you busy on Vanuatu. It’s a very friendly nation, with an intriguing mix of cultural delights, history and awesome scenery. Vanuatu has a large blend of cultures because of the migration over thousands of years from all over the Pacific. Cultural performances featuring body decorations, tattoos, masks, hats and carvings will mesmerise you.

The island of Vanuatu is also very popular with divers of all abilities as well as history lovers because of the opportunity to dive amongst the wreckage of the SS President Coolidge which has very easy access from the shore. The World War 2 troop ship had been converted from a luxury liner and sank just a few metres off the beach at Luganville during the war.

Other things to do while you’re enjoying your island holiday package in Vanuatu include seeing the death defying land divers on Pentecost Island and visiting the Yasur volcano. You can do a diving course, take a fishing trip, join a yacht charter, play golf, go horse riding and indulge in a huge variety of water sports. Your friendly resort hosts will be able to point you in the direction of whatever holiday activity you desire.

An island holiday package at a resort in Vanuatu gives you the option of staying an extra night for free and enjoying free breakfast every morning. Your travel agent will be able to update you on the latest package deals in Vanuatu.

Port Vila – Things to Do on a Visit

Formerly known as the New Hebrides, the Pacific Ocean archipelago of Vanuatu holds 83 glorious tropical islands, perfect for that get-away-from-it-all vacation. An independent republic since 1980, its inhabited islands are a tourist paradise, with the capital, Port Vila, set on Efate Island in Shefa, one of the archipelago nation’s six geographic provinces. Spread out along the shores of a stunning bay, the harbour town is the commercial and cultural heart of the islands and an increasingly important visitor destination via its international airport.

Along with agriculture and fishing the country’s economy is supported by international aid and the fact that it’s well-known as an offshore tax haven. The people are laid-back and friendly and the city offers a wide choice of accommodation in its Port Vila hotels, motels, resorts, guest houses and budget lodgings. Activities here and across the island include water sports, eco-tours, scenic flights and cruises, festivals and cultural events, fishing, golf and exploring the spectacular volcanic landscape on foot, by bicycle or by car.

The port city itself is gaining a reputation for its fast-developing nightlife and visitor facilities, mostly set around its unpolluted harbourside waterfront district. Lazing in a local restaurant of an evening, visitors can gaze into the waters and watch tropical fish swimming amongst live corals. The country’s mix of expat cultures over the years has resulted in a pot-pourri of different cuisines served in Port Vila’s eateries, with traditional Melanesian dishes taking their place alongside Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Mexican, French and European food.

Nightlife here can be anything you want, from wandering the seafront, stopping off at one of the tiny bars and pubs for a beer or Kava, the local peppery non-alcoholic beverage, dancing to a local band in a music venue, seeing and being seen at an upscale resort hotel or even trying your luck at one of the casinos. Port Vila is a safe city, even late at night in the unlit back streets. Shopping is fun here, with fixed but generally low prices, especially in the markets and local stores selling traditional products such as sarongs, textiles, jewellery and woven straw mats and bags.

Port Vila makes a great base for touring Efate Island, either on a daytrip or over several days, taking in the pretty coastal fishing villages and small towns. Rugged coastlines, tumbling waterfalls, lagoons, remote sandy bays and fast-flowing rivers give way to primeval rain forests in the interior, a tropical paradise for birders and ecotourists. The offshore islands of Moso, Nguna, Pele, Hat, Lelepa and Kakula are easily reached, with azure lagoons and supreme unspoiled natural beauty as well as unrivalled peace and quiet.

Vanuatu’s cultural festivals are unique to the islands and often include rituals going back thousands of years to the original Melanesian settlers. Mystical dance plays a large part, as does fire, in these powerful and magical events, many of which continue for days without a break. Two to watch out for are the Tanna Toka Dance festival and the Water Music Festival, with these and many other celebrations taking place all over the archipelago and linking back to the ancient cultures of the Pacific.

Sporting events are made much of here, with Blue Marlin and other fishing competitions, horse races, open golfing tournaments and much more taking place on a regular basis. Cultural tours merging tradition with the islands’ stunning natural beauty are popular activities, with the old ways of village life featuring strongly. A must-see destination, now a UNESCO-listed heritage site, is Chief Roi Mata’s Domain on Hat Island, offshore from Port Vila. For more about the heritage of the islands, a visit to the National Museum and Cultural Centre is another must.

Let A Vanuatu Wedding Co-Ordinator Plan Your Special Day

Planning a wedding can be exciting, but it can also be stressful. One of the biggest choices you will face is booking the right venue for your special occasion. There are plenty of options to choose from with some couples deciding on a South Pacific island location for their wedding celebration. There are plenty of islands to choose from, but one place where you will receive very special treatment is the Melanesian paradise of Vanuatu.

The nation of Vanuatu is made up of 84 tropical holiday islands, with the capital city in Port Vila. It’s a holiday destination full of magnificent scenery, exciting land and sea adventure opportunities and plenty of time for relaxing and being entertained. You will be amazed at the courage and skill of the death defying land divers on the island of Pentecost and you can even visit the active Yasur volcano on Tanna Island. History and culture lovers will have plenty to keep them busy too. The Vanuatu Museum holds a collection of ancient artefacts, ceremonial head dresses and traditional pottery. And for those who love underwater adventures, you can dive amongst the wreckage of the SS President Coolidge. It is the world’s largest shipwreck dive and has very easy access from the beach at Luganville.

Vanuatu has so much to offer a couple who want to enjoy a wedding and honeymoon in paradise. One of the main benefits for those who make Vanuatu their wedding destination is the ability to hand it all over to an experienced wedding co-ordinator.

Using a wedding co-ordinator means your special day is planned in detail and all you have to do is fly into the airport at Port Vila with your family and friends and turn up to enjoy the occasion. Weddings in Vanuatu mean breathtaking views of the ocean, incredible sunsets and all the privacy you could wish for. Your day will be designed exactly for you and your loved ones to celebrate the occasion of a lifetime – without any of the stress that is normally associated with planning a wedding.

An experienced Vanuatu wedding co-ordinator will know all the tips and tricks for making your tropical beach wedding run smoothly – from the location of the ceremony to the food, entertainment, photography and decorations. All you will need to do is relax into some pre-wedding pampering and the rest of the day will be yours to enjoy. Sharing your wedding day in Vanuatu with your loved ones is a great way to make the occasion a fabulous memory that everyone will look back on with a smile. Everyone will be in relaxed, holiday mode and it’s the perfect way to join together two families, giving everyone time to get to know each other in an idyllic setting.

Better still, holding a wedding in Vanuatu means you have already arrived at your honeymoon destination, so the day holds even less stress. Waking up on the first day of your honeymoon in a tropical beach location in Vanuatu has to be one of the best ways available to begin a long and happy life together as a couple.

The Interesting and Fun World of Deep Sea Fishing

The grounds for a deep sea fishing trip are endless; a person may want to simply get away from it all, or are maybe planning on filling up their freezer, or it could be they are interested in the sporting aspect of it. If you’ve never tried it, you’ve probably seen it on television or in movies, but there’s nothing like being out in the ocean and never knowing what type of fish or other creature you might catch. So how about breaking the norm and instead of going to the Vanuatu hotels, you go for deep sea fishing next time? Read on, you will only be able to decide after you have known what it entails.


An incredibly well known deep sea fishing place in the world is Hawaii. Assuming you are arranging a trip to Hawaii, you could see what can be caught in those incredible waters, though obviously people enjoy going to there for a lot of reasons. The summer months are the perfect time to go after the esteemed Blue Marlin species in Hawaii, and many individuals do so. Grouper and Big eye Tuna have more probability of being caught in the fall. Five mountain ranges insulate the waters of Hawaii, this maintains their peaceful current. Habitats that are pleasing to individuals are also awesome for fish.When deep sea fishing, there are two primary ways to do so, one is trolling and the other is bottom fishing. The way to go trolling is to cast a baited line into the water and kill some time until a fish nibbles on the line; this is the kind of fishing that most people know how to do, except with deep sea trolling, you will be utilizing bigger and heftier equipment. The way to go bottom fishing is to drop hooks with lures to the bottom of the ocean and catch the fish that live in this place. Often times when you go out on a deep sea fishing trip, you will apply both maneuvers, as they will be in accordance with how the fish are reacting on that particular day. Typically, bottom fishing is more successful at obtaining results, if you are not reeling in many fish in a certain area, by trolling.

One kind of fish that can be found in different places around the world is the albacore tuna. When you go to a restaurant or diner, you will sometimes see it called White Meat Tuna. Other times, they are labeled as long fin tuna since their fins are so long. If you go trolling in the right area, you can catch quite a few of these and the best place to go for this species is Mexico or the Southern part of California. Because albacore primarily feed off of smaller sized fish, you can use a feather jig or even bait, like sardines or anchovies.Deep sea fishing is something you should try if you’ve ever had a desire to try your hand at it. There are many ways to learn the basics of deep sea fishing, whether you do it on your own or start by going on a trip with a charter boat. No matter how you approach it, make sure you take your safety into consideration and have someone experienced on board.

I hope reading this has been enough to lure you from the usual calm vacations at the Melbourne CBD hotels to the sea.

Island Holiday Attractions and Activities in Vanuatu

There’s a reason that island holidays are the most popular in the world. Relaxing on golden beaches, enjoying the warm sun and forgetting all about the stresses back home for a week away in a tropical paradise. For some, relaxing on the beach sounds like the perfect vacation, but others want something different from their time away. This is why Santo Vanuatu offers the perfect island vacation; beautiful beaches to enjoy and plenty of attractions and activities to give variety to the days and nights spent on the islands.

Like most island holidays, Vanuatu offers diving experiences for those looking to explore the depths of the surrounding oceans. With 83 different islands making up the archipelago, there are plenty of different diving experiences to be a part of. In Port Vila, Vanuatu’s largest city, Nautilus is the best-known dive operator. They have facilities to cater for everybody of all different skill levels, from new divers to the most experienced, with indoor training pools, equipment hire and diving instructors who can teach you to dive from the very beginning.

Diving isn’t all that Nautilus offers; many of the marine operators run chartered fishing trips and tours around the islands. Vanuatu has an impressive reputation for big game and sport fishing. Operators can usually take out up to five guests for a half or full day fishing. Armed with local knowledge of the tides and fishing spots, you have a great chance of landing that big catch including Magrove Jack, Coral Trout or Green Jobfish and for the game fisher Mahimahi, Marlin and Wahoo. They even do night fishing for Broadbill and Dogtooth.

It isn’t all about the water; visitors to Vanuatu can take part in a different kind of scenic experience on an off-roading 4WD tour of the islands. Prepare to get a little bit muddy, and prepare to get a little bit wet. Traversing the beaches and forest of Port Vila on a 4WD tour is an exciting and unique way to see Vanuatu. Another exciting attraction is Yasur, an active volcano on Tanna Island, Vanuatu’s most visited volcano. It is reported that the glow from this volcano caught the attention of Captain James Cook and lead him to the first European journey to the island. Consider doing a day tour to discover this volcano up close and personal!

Perhaps the best way to enjoy the islands is by finding short-term accommodation through Vanuatu real estate agents. Renting your own property for a vacation will give you far more independence during your stay. Short-term renting works well for groups of friends looking to travel to the islands for a few weeks away, letting you share a house, cook meals and enjoy Vanuatu together. Who knows, you might enjoy the islands so much that you invest in your very own island holiday home!

Why Travel to Vanuatu?

Vanuatu is a true Melanesian paradise in the heart of the huge Pacific Ocean. It’s a picturesque Y shaped necklace made up of dozens of gorgeous little islands providing the perfect holiday for individuals, groups, couples and families. Well known for its geographical diversity – from active volcanoes and imposing cliff faces to pristine beaches, tropical gardens and colourful coral reefs – Vanuatu is a travel destination with something to offer every visitor. As well as having tourist adventures, being amazed by the stunning scenery, sampling gourmet delights and indulging in some retail therapy, Vanuatu is a place where you can explore history and culture at your leisure.

The two main cities of Port Vila and Luganville contain about 20 per cent of the population of around 200,000 people, consisting of indigenous Ni-Vanuatu as well as Australians, New Zealanders, Europeans, Asians and other Pacific Islanders. Ninety five per cent of the population is indigenous but, amongst them, there are 113 distinct languages and many dialects. This makes Vanuatu a true melting pot of cultural diversity, caused by 3,000 years of immigration from all over the Pacific.

This rich cultural diversity attracts visitors to Vanuatu’s National Museum and Cultural Centre which is a must see for anyone interested in history and culture. It’s a great place to see cultural performances and events as well as the permanent displays of traditional artefacts, prehistoric shells, fossils, animals and birds. After gaining an overview at the museum you can see plenty of history, culture and scenery up close, from the active Yasur Volcano on Tanna Island where you can walk to the edge of the crater, to experiencing the death defying land divers of Pentecost Island.

Cultural festivals abound. During your Vanuatu travel experience you can enjoy the colourful Tanna Toka Dance, the spiritual Rom dance and Back to My Roots Festival on Ambrym Island, and a water music festival performed by the women of Gaua Island. The National Arts Festival at the end of each year also pulls a wide array of cultural performances together for visitors.

However, Vanuatu’s most famous cultural event would have to be the land diving or Nagol festival which is a once in a lifetime experience for any visitor. This awe inspiring ceremony is a male fertility ritual which also celebrates the yam harvest. Definitely add this impressive event to your Vanuatu travel itinerary – and be prepared to be amazed by this unforgettable experience.

Vanuatu Vacations Include Shopping And More At Port Vila

A holiday in Vanuatu gives you the chance to take a true break away from the daily grind. This peaceful and relaxed South Pacific holiday destination is off the beaten track and is full of history, culture, stunning scenery, adventure and delicious food. Vanuatu is a made up of 83 beautiful islands set like a Y shaped necklace in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The outlook includes striking cliff faces, volcanoes, unspoilt beaches, colourful coral reefs, tropical gardens and swaying palm trees.

The friendly, warm and welcoming people of Vanuatu are a melting pot of different cultures. Many live in the main cities of Luganville and Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu which is situated on the south coast of the island of Efate. A Vanuatu vacation should always include time in Port Vila which is a shopper’s paradise, with stores selling everything from locally crafted jewellery to gorgeous bags and sarongs as well as a huge variety of Asian and Pacific replica items. Shopping hours are Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 11.30am. After lunch, you can shop from 2pm until 5pm. Shops are also open on Saturday mornings until midday.

Another great shopping option is the Vanuatu Marketplace which is a bustling market next to the Port Vila Post Office. It’s open every day except Sunday and sells a wide range of fresh local produce including succulent fruits and vegetables. You can also buy plenty of locally made handicrafts at the market, from shell and bead necklaces to island dresses. It’s a great place to experience real life in Vanuatu at the same time as picking up some excellent bargains. If you are looking for other food supplies, the main supermarket of Au BonMarchehas several outlets around Port Vila selecting a range of western and French items.

Dining out in Vanuatu is easy, with more than 50 restaurants in Port Vila. There are also many regular Melanesian village feasts where you can sample a wide selection of tasty local and international delights from snails, coconut crab and fruit bat to flying fox and ground pigeon! Fabulous dining can be had at many restaurants including Mangoes, Vila Chaumieres, La Tentation, Wild Ginger and Chill. After that, you’ll probably want to sample the nightlife in Port Vila which includes a compulsory visit to a Kava Bar to try the national drink.

For something completely different, Port Vila is the perfect place to get the history of Vanuatu into perspective. The Vanuatu Cultural Centre on Rue D’Artois offers a close up look at a range of ancient artefacts, ceremonial head dresses and traditional pottery. Make sure your Vanuatu vacation includes plenty of time to browse around Port Vila and discover the delights of this fabulous destination.