Less than four hour’s from Australia’s east coast by plane, Vanuatu is an unforgettable place of unspoiled ancient landscapes and an absolute paradise for families. While the swimming is sensational and the turquoise water is a snorkeller’s dream, there is so much more to discover in Vanuatu.
Vanuatu is the South Pacific neighbour where your family can experience adventure and soak up real island life: immersing the family in the cultural traditions, getting to know the local pikininis (meaning kids in local Bislama) on the beach, taking the little ones snorkelling for the first time, rope swinging into a crystal clear blue hole or ziplining through the rainforest canopy.
Vanuatu has been recognised as one of the world’s most culturally diverse countries, which isn’t surprising when you consider it is home to 110 distinct cultures and languages. 98.5% of the population is native Melanesian, or Ni-Vanuatu, and with no written language, it is through storytelling, songs and dance that the nation’s rich heritage and culture is preserved and shared.
All forms of art – from body decorations and tattoos to carvings and ceremonial masks – are central to Ni-Vanuatu island life, and all cultural and community tours (a must-do for every visitor!) are 100% owned and operated by local Ni-Vanuatu.
Here are the best ways to experience a family adventure in Vanuatu.
Top islands to visit in Vanuatu with kids
Efate & Port Vila
The main island of Efate has an abundance of beautiful sandy bays and lagoons, lush countryside, rivers and waterfalls. Spend lazy days swimming, snorkelling over coral reefs, kayaking, glass-bottom boat tours and paddle boarding. The island is quite small, and you can drive around it in a day, so it’s easy to get to some beautiful spots.
The capital, Port Vila, is the first port of arrival when you fly in from Australia. Situated around a magnificent natural harbour, the city has stunning views of Iririki and Ifira islands. Popular family resorts in Port Vila include the luxury Iririki Island Resort & Spa and Warwick Le Lagon Resort & Spa.
Hideaway Island
Families with adventurous teens will love Hideaway Island Resort and Marine Sanctuary, with fabulous diving and snorkelling, and the opportunity to send a waterproof postcard from the deep at the world’s only Underwater Post Office!
Espiritu Santo
The largest of Vanuatu’s islands, stunning Espiritu Santo is famous for its ‘hidden treasures’, including the beautiful white sands of the Champagne Coast, amazing blue holes, incredible caves and world-renowned diving and snorkelling. Catch marlin, wahoo and Spanish mackerel on fishing charters, kayak from island to island, explore, relax and enjoy nature’s gifts!
Tanna Island
Tanna is home to one of Vanuatu’s most popular tourist attractions – the Mount Yasur volcano.
13 best things to do in Vanuatu with kids
1. Outdoor adventures around Port Vila
See the Lololima waterfalls and horse ride through tranquil rainforests and on stunning beaches at Club Hippique Adventure Park. Those more adventurous families can take a kayak or submersible tour with Watersports Port Vila or head to Vanuatu Jungle Zipline to whizz through the jungle.
Go swimming at beautiful Eton Beach or take a dip straight into Port Vila Harbour off the seafront precinct. PADI 5-star dive centre Big Blue Vanuatu, located on the seawall, can take you for a bit of underwater exploration and also has kayaks available for hire. Tours on offer also include the chance to paddle up the Epule River in an outrigger canoe.
2. Enjoy a refreshing dip at the Mele Cascades
Swim in clear blue waterfalls and natural pools at the Mele Cascades then enjoy the exotic colourful gardens and a gentle jungle walk. If you’re up for it, take a guided walk through lush tropical jungle to the top of the stunning falls before enjoying a refreshing paddle in the natural waterholes. If you’re feeling less energetic, it’s also worth simply relaxing in the gardens to watch the local children splash noisily about.
3. Dine at Port Vila’s diverse restaurants
The pretty town of Port Vila is also fast becoming known as the gourmet capital of the South Pacific! A fusion of cultures is reflected in the vast variety of delicious cuisines (French, European, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Thai, Melanesian and Mediterranean), and you can find everything from Aussie meat pies to patisserie items, fine cheeses and pâté!
The Nambawan Cafe and Moonlight Cinema is located on the water in the heart of Port Vila. Sunday night is children’s film night and a great spot for a bite of pizza and open air movies. From sunrise to sunset, Nambawan Café serves up freshly brewed coffee and tasty bites – we don’t think you’ll mind the view either.
4. Meet the locals at the Port Vila Market
Be sure to spend some time in town people-watching and doing as the locals do – enjoying life at a leisurely pace. The Port Vila market, where the Ni-Vanuatu women gather daily in their brightly coloured smocks to sell fresh fruit and vegetables plus a fabulous array of jewellery, carvings and costumes is a top spot to meet and mingle with the lovely locals.
Explore the market stalls for delicious, home-made and cheap local meals. Tasting new foods here is another highlight, and when combined with the local supermarkets, organising low-cost and nutritious family meals is easy.
5. Explore Port Vila Secret Garden
Port Vila’s Secret Garden is a quirky place featuring acres of tropical botanical gardens with fruit bats, snakes and lizards and fascinating local customs and stories for kids.
6. Visit the immersive Ekasup Cultural Village
A visit to a cultural village like Ekasup is a great way to learn about the history and culture of the indigenous people of Vanuatu through demonstrations of local customs, traditional medicine, hunting and cooking plus extraordinary tales of the past.
After you recover from the heart-stopping welcome of spear-wielding tribesman leaping noisily from the undergrowth, the village chief and friends offer a fascinating insight into the culture and traditions of the indigenous people of Vanuatu. While grown-ups listen to tales of the island’s often brutal history, children are sure to run off and play with the local kids.
7. Walk over water at Eden on the River
For an entire day of jungle filled adventure, look no further than Eden on the River. Watch your families faces light up with the thrill of scrambling over the suspension bridges and soaring through the trees on the jungle zip lines. To finish, the whole family can take a dip in the calm river or stroll through the tropical gardens, soaking in the lush surrounds.
For the best experience get your hotel to call ahead (+678 7710765) and arrange a transfer. Tours start at 9.30am, 12.30pm, and 2.30pm. Times are flexible & alternative times can be arranged.
8. Take a day trip to Hideaway Island
Fifteen minutes from Port Vila is Hideaway Island – a fantastic spot for snorkelling right off the beach. Here the family can relax, swim with fascinating fish and colourful coral, or watch the underwater world from afar in a glass-bottom boat.
For a unique hideaway experience, visit the Underwater Post Office – you can send a postcard from the world’s first underwater Post Office. Grab your snorkel and swim a short distance from the shore at Hideaway Island to post an underwater postcard to your loved ones.
9. Swim in Vanuatu’s stunning ‘blue holes’
One of the most stunning natural wonders in Vanuatu is the blue holes. Located throughout the islands, these freshwater swimming holes formed out of the limestone landscape are filled with bright, turquoise blue water. Some of the “bluest” of them all is the Nanda Blue hole, on Espiritu Santo and the Blue Lagoon forty minutes outside of Port Vila.
Hot tip: Check with your hotel for the best swimming spots; chances are they can help organise a tour or transfer, and the local knowledge they provide is unbeatable.
10. Yakel village cultural tour on Tanna Island
To really experience the authentic culture, start by mingling with the locals and head to a Kastom village. Yakel on Tanna Island is a great spot to see the village that the Oscar-nominated movie features. Watch your kids befriend the locals and experience their traditional way of life – they’ll soon be dancing together on the beach bar or diving head first into the crystal-clear water. Tours to Yakel can be arranged by Tanna Travel or through your accommodation.
11. Visit Mount Yasur – an active volcano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hlfamb1XyJ8
A day trip to Tanna Island’s Yasur Volcano will amaze. Nowhere else in the world can you stand on the very edge of a live volcano to see nature’s pyrotechnics in action. Mt Yasur is just an hour’s drive from Tanna Island‘s White Grass Airport and a short 10 minute walk to the crater rim – and from there … it’s simply awesome!
Considered one of the world’s most accessible volcanoes, this is the place to come face-to-face with huge black sand dunes, a stark moonscape, and a sensational nightly fireworks display courtesy of Mother Nature.
Hear nature’s tummy rumble and view her impressive fireworks display, then head for the bright blue Volcano Post Box located on the mountain’s slopes to send a unique postcard – hard to beat for novelty value! Older kids might want to ‘ash-board’ the steep slopes on a volcanic surf tour.
12. See the original ‘bungee jumping’ on Pentacost Island
For those with more adventurous and older kids, a trip to Pentecost Island, about an hour from Port Vila, is the birthplace of bungee jumping, where locals jump out of tall wooden towers tethered by the ankles. Definitely a spectator-only sport.
13. Enjoy a Melanesian feast at your resort
A Melanesian feast is something not to be missed. These massive banquets of traditional dishes coupled with spectacular displays of local custom dancing are a feast for both the eyes and the belly.
Where to stay in Vanuatu with kids
With a huge array of family-friendly resorts in Vanuatu, you’re spoiled for choice.
Port Vila has some great family-friendly resorts offering a full range of excursions and plenty of in-house kid-friendly activities to be enjoyed with the attentive and doting local resort staff. And there’s plenty of time for Mum and Dad over meals as staff queue up for their turn entertaining little ones.
Resorts like Warwick Le Lagon, Holiday Inn in Port Vila and Iririki Resort and Spa have free use of Kids’ Club for kids three years to 12 years of age, a range of fun, organised activities, children’s pools and much more.
Hot tip: All the resorts have excellent kids’ clubs and nanny services (Pikinini Carer). The local Ni-Vanuatu ladies will look after them like they are their own.
How to get there
Port Vila is under four hours from Sydney and a little less from Brisbane. The international airport is only a 10-minute drive from town and all major resorts and hotels. So, how great is it that you get on the plane in the morning and are relaxing by the beach that very afternoon?
Qantas, Virgin Australia, Solomon Airlines and Air Vanuatu all offer direct flights from Brisbane to Port Vila (with connecting flights available from other Australian cities). Jetstar also flies direct from Sydney to Port Vila. Air Vanuatu also services domestic flights from Port Vila to Espiritu Santo (45 minutes flight time) and to Tanna Island (35 minutes flight time).
How to get around
Once in Vanuatu, getting around is easy with the local taxis being plentiful, cheap and easy to hail. The main island of Efate is quite small, and you can drive around it in a day, so it’s easy to get to some beautiful spots.
To learn more visit vanuatu.travel
Content contributors: Elisa Elwin, Wayne Stickel, Aleney de Winter
Opening image: Credit – Melissa Findley
