Vanuatu Accommodation

Treat yourself to up-market resorts and relax in luxury or settle for one of the many hostels that are run by locals keen to share their knowledge with you, the choice is yours. And take advantage of the great holiday packages available and come and experience the peaceful lifestyle of a relatively new country where the true island living can be seen while you are still looked after in style. Perhaps you may wish to visit other small local islands and see the happiness and activity in the local Ni-Vanuati people showing you their local craft and why not stay for the local feast of beautiful food.

The long-established Erakor Island Resort & Spa, on unspoilt Erakor Island (just a 4-minute ferry ride from Efate) is surrounded by sandy beaches and crystal clear water. Le Lagon Resort, set in 75 acres of tropical gardens has 140 guest rooms and bungalows, and a 12-hole golf course. Just opened is The Sebel Vanuatu with a stunning waterfront position overlooking Vila Harbour.

On the island of Tanna, Tanna Evergreen Bungalows offers comfortable basic accommodation in traditional handcrafted bungalows and runs 4WD tours to the island's active volcano, traditional villages, hidden caves and waterfalls. On Espiritu Santo, Coral Quays Resort San Michel Bay is also an excellent place to stay as is the more basic Hotel Santo.

Dining and nightlife

Port Vila has a French-influenced cuisine to suit all tastes and budgets, and local specialties include nautou (ground pigeon), rousette (flying fox or fruit bat), mangrove oysters, and nems (spring rolls). The national dish, laplap, is made from mashed taro or yam roots, combined with pork, beef, chicken, wrapped in leaves and cooked in an underground oven. There are over 50 restaurants serving European, Asian and traditional Pacific cuisine. On the other islands there are fewer restaurants independent of the resorts, and dishes are based on chicken and rice or island-style dishes such as laplap, rice and yams.

A "shell" of the local drink, kava, is an evening ritual and Villa has more than 100 kava bars, including Ronnie's Nakamal, in Nambatu, and Crow's Nest Nakamal. Resorts and hotels organise Melanesian nights with custom dancing, kava drinking, string bands and local food. Nightspots include the Port Vila Pub, Mamu Bar, the Imperial, Sunset Bar at the Melanesian, and Benjor Beach Club. The Palms Casino at Le Meridien Resort offers blackjack, roulette and poker machines.