Vanuatu, and very excited about it

Hi guys,

I will be in Vanuatu for 17 days this coming January. It appears that reliable information for those parts is quite volatile so I thought I'd check to see if anyone has recently returned from there.

Here is what my itinerary is looking like so far: I am going through Efate because I have to but don't plan on spending much time there. Definitely going to Santo. Beyond that I am not sure. Two options stand out:

1. Visiting other islands near Santo (Ambae, Maewo, Gaua).
2. Heading down to Tanna.

I was wondering if anyone has been to Ambae, Gaua and/or Maewo and how they thought those compared to Tanna from a natural beauty standpoint. My understanding is that the big thing for most people about Tanna is the volcano, but there seems to be other active volcanos in the north. I guess I am just not sure whether Tanna is different enough from Santo/Ambae/Maewo/Gaua to warrant the backtracking and flight expense to get there. How developed has Tanna become over the years? How much of the appeal of Mt Yasur comes from its relatively easy access, and how much comes from the fact there really is no other place like it in the country?

My other question relates to transportation. There appears to be a ton of expired info out there and I was wondering what are the current ferry options for getting around within Vanuatu. Is there anything remotely reliable or is flying the only option at the moment?

Thanks for sharing the knowledge!

For me the big thing about Tanna was the traditional culture - I did not even bother climbing the volcano, having seen so many volcanoes elsewhere before.
But Yasur is indeed more active than most - while I did see Ambae erupting, most active volcanoes are only letting out a little smoke at any time, if that, so you will not necessarily get the red lava pics people get at Yasur up north.
The northern islands are more lush and green though.
Most ships going around Vanuatu's outer islands are cargo vessels that run (or rather crawl) when they feel like, so are not really "reliable". They could only suit people who are flexible. This is why you will never find much in the way of "reliable information" about them, too.
Flying is definitely more reliable, especially for somewhere really out of the way like Gaua. But even with the flights, you will hardly be able to pack all those islands into 17 days!

Hey Laszlo, thanks a lot for your input. I have seen a few active volcanoes before too so I am glad to know there is more to see down there.

I was asking about the boats because LP mentions a couple of ferry passengers, which I guess no longer operate. I am trying to get a hold of someone on site to confirm that.

It appears you have also been to the Solomons. Is the transportation situation the same there? I.e. I assume it's worth spending a little more to get on a plane to get anywhere if one has a limited amount of time. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks!

If anything, getting around the Solomons is even more difficult.
There are fairly regular boats from Honiara to Malaita and Gizo (and a few stops along the way there), but to other islands they seemed to be more scarce and much more crowded than in Vanuatu. Note that the Solomons consist of more islands, spread over a larger area, than Vanuatu!
And even the domestic flights seemed far less reliable (heavily booked and often cancelled) to most islands, though the situation to Gizo (the main tourist hub) is a bit better. I found I had to book 2 weeks in advance to get to most islands, and a single confirmed flight could be cancelled up to twice - particularly frustrating when trying to get back from somewhere remote!

Things may or may not have improved since (I strongly assume the latter!) which Ozziegirafe will probably tell you.

In Melanesia, New Caledonia and Fiji have better shipping connections (and flights too), while Papua New Guinea has fairly reliable flights, but again, few reliable shipping connections (between a few major towns on 4 islands).

PS: I hope you are not trying to cram a couple of islands in Vanuatu AND the Solomons into your 17 days...

I went to both Gaua and Tanna, but a few years ago. They are very different. I preferred Gaua - it is very quiet and there was only one place to stay when we went. We were treated like guests in the homestay rather than tourists. We spent an extra day on the trip to the volcano, since I wanted to see more of the forest surrounding it (and try and see a megapode). It was a really interesting trip. The volcano has several craters of various ages. The most active area is steaming, but nothing like the activity on Tanna. What made the trip special, was our guides and the various other events that happened on the 3 or so days we spent inland.

The volcanic activity on Tanna is impressive, and the John Frum villages interesting (we were there for the annual celebrations), but our best memories are from Gaua. If you can, do both. If not, I would go for Gaua. We managed to get to Santo, Gaua and Tanna in 3 weeks (no time on Efate). If we had organized flights beforehand, we would probably have spent less time on Santo and could have gone somewhere else briefly. But, I wasn't into seeing the reefs etc Santo has since I had recently had a friend attacked by a shark (I had a temporary fear of the sea). If you are into snorkelling / diving I believe Santo has alot to offer.

Thanks for taking the time guys, much appreciated.

I actually have about 6 weeks in the area, so I have allotted some time to the Solomons outside of those 17 days.

I am a photographer and have a particular interest in geology, so it sounds like Tanna is a must for me. Then I hear that Gaua is becoming increasingly active so the volcanic activity there may determine where I will be heading next.

I will do my "reef time" in New Caledonia so I am fine with focusing on the inland features while I am in Vanuatu and the Solomons.

Laszlo, do you happen to know if there is any schedule for the boats in the Solomons (I am looking into getting to the W Province from Honiara) or is it a matter of "the boat will leave when the captain feels like it"?

Thanks again. Will keep you posted.

I would not do reef time in NC - the marine life there is the poorest in the three countries. The Solomons are the best in this respect, followed by northern Vanuatu.. The further South you go, the colder the sea and the poorer the reefs in terms of diversity.

Most boats to Western still leave on an ad hoc basis, but this was one area where a regular(ish) passenger service was/is operating: Pelikan Express.
If it is still running, it should have something of a schedule.
Still, I took an unscheduled Malaitan cargo boat from Gizo to Honiara and actually enjoyed the 3 day ride, making several stops long enough to go exploring on different islands along the way. Due to the general mistrust Solomon Islanders display towards Malaitans, this boat was very uncrowded - a rare scenario!

Thanks Laszlo. Will see if I can get my hand on some sort of schedule for the Pelikan. I am also planning on snorkeling on Tanna and either Marovo or Vonavona - are those good places for it in your opinion?

Tanna - no.
I mean it's OK with clear water and unspoilt reefs, just lower diversity like NC.

Marovo should be very good if you find the right spots - I did not snorkel there, but in general, the Solomons are better than the other 2 countries. This is still part of the Coral Triangle , after all!

Solomon Express and Express Pelican both do weekly return runs to the Western Province, there is at least one slow boat as well. Both Express boats can be stopped by mechanical problems and high seas though. They take a day (daylight only) to get there. One of them (I'm not sure which) leaves Honiara 7am Sunday morning.

Just reread some earlier posts - while some other Solomon islanders may not trust Malaitans, I certainly do. They often get a bad wrap due to prejudice, as they are amonght he hardest workers in the country.
Maybe you would enjoy canoeing in a dugout along a Malaitan lagoon, rather than the more touristy and less authentic fibreglass kayaks.

Thanks for your input Ozziegiraffe.

I managed to find out that both boats currently head west on Sundays.