Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Samoa or Vanuatu for snorkelling off the beach? Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Vanuatu
muscat01 21:15 UTC 21 Feb 2009 | Where is the best place to snorkel off the beach, Samoa or Vanuatu? I have teenage kids and want to find the best place to snorkel off the beach. I don't want to have to catch a boat out to a reef or tag along with a dive trip. I would like to be able to have accomadation where I can simply walk out to the beach and snorkel? We are not fussed about the accomadation style, okay with anything from backpacker/fales/bungalows to super luxury. Also okay with going out to stay on a small island off the mainland. Just want to find the best snorkelling clos to accomadation and can't decide between Samoa or Vanuatu? Thanks in advance to those who reply, Sandy |
Laszlo 07:43 UTC 26 Feb 2009 | Vanuatu is FAR better for snorkelling (and many other things besides)! You could snorkell off the beach right in front of many resorts in or near Port Vila, though for a much nicer experience I would suggest flying to Santo, where staying at Lonnoc Bungalows near Champaigne Beach would let you experience a beach and reefs pretty much as good as any in the South Pacific! | 1
trav 00:35 UTC 01 Mar 2009 | Hideaway Island resort in Vanuatu will probably be the best snorkelling near Port Vila. You stay in bungalows on the island and just walk a few metres across the coral beach and into the water for instant reef. The whole island is about 100m across so even if you're in the most distant bungalow, it's less than a 30 second stroll to the water. It has a couple of pontoons placed strategically so you can swim around for a while then sit on / hold onto a pontoon for a little rest from swimming without needing to swim back in to the shore. | 2
knoxygen 21:27 UTC 29 Mar 2009 | Both places are great and unique but Vanuatu is much better for snorkeling. | 3