Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Never been overseas, going to Vanuatu - any advice???

Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea

Hi Ive decided to bite the bullet and finally head overseas, Ive never been and have chosen Vanuatu as a destination. Heading over towards end of May 08.

Ive read a bit about the Irikiki Island Resort and it sounds like just what I need, Im going for 7 nights, is there much difference in the rooms? Any recommendations?

What would you recommend to see while Im there, I see there is a ferry to Port Villa 24/7 so seems like pretty easy place to get around.?

I wasnt going to book any tours - just wait until I get there to decide - do you think I would miss out on anything?

Like I mentioned, never been out of OZ and grown up in a smmal country town - so any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers
Emmybear

I don't know anything about Irikki Island Resort although have read that having to take the ferry can be a bit of a drag. We were there in September and didn't have any problems with booking tours when we got there. The market in Port Villa is a must see - make sure to have a camera. We really liked the town and enjoyed walking around and eating at the little cafes. I would recommend a trip to Tanna if at all possible - it was the highlight of our visit. We worked with Melanesian Tours and can highly recommend them. Any other questions?- feel free to PM me.

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I don't think having to take a ferry to the island is an problem - just a very short hop, runs frequently. The main difference between rooms would be whether or not they are right on the water.
You can easily book tours once in Vila, and this will give you more flexiblity.
I also recommend Tanna, and definitely overnight!

And let me add that Vanuatu should be a wonderful, gentle first trip abroad! ;-)

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Irriki is lovely but getting crowded. The ferry is a short hop to the town - no worries there at all. Its really a punt rather than a ferry.

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