Tanna's West Coast

I am traveling to Vanuatu on the 21st of January with my girlfriend. We are staying at room with a view in Port Villa for 4 nights then flying to Tanna and staying at Port Resolution Yaucht Club for 4 days. We don't have any plans as yet for the next 4 days we are there. We were thinking about coming back to Efate and traveling up north to Pele or possibly Bethel Village.

Would we be better off staying on Tanna for a couple of more days and exploring the west coast? I don't know much about what is available on the west coast however we would like to go to Yakel Village.

What is the best way to get a tour of the village and are they only available on certain days and certain times? Is Lenakel worth a visit? What is a good cheap place to stay on the west coast?

Lenakel has little in the way of obvious tourist attractions, and using private transport (or a tour) Yakel could be visited (pretty much any time) on a day-trip from elsewhere on the island.

So in theory you could just stay on the east coast, but I must say that I'd find the option of spending some extra days around western Tanna far more interesting than spending more time on Efate.

Transportation in Tanna is a big problem. When you'll get there you'll know why. Four days in Port Resolution: you can visit the Yasur of course (half price the second day, it's so impressive you might want to go back there) and go to the John Frum movement march in a village not far from Port R. In Port R itself, there's two beaches at your disposal (one is pristine), and a great path where you can walk among villages and huge banyans trees for a few kilometres. Just ask the trail that goes to the Sunrise Lodge. You know, Port R. is VERY small, it's just a few huts with a telephone in the central place. But that sense of being at the end of the world is unforgettable.

For your 4 other days, you can go to the west coast and from there find a way to go to Yakel or another kustom village. There's also very good snorkeling close to the airport. Maybe with more than a week in Tanna you can organize an island tour but be prepared to pay for it.