Vanuatu for 9-10 days

Hi All -

Was thinking about a trip to Vanuatu for 9-10 days. Can anyone help suggest a loose itinerary. Pretty much looking to chill and relax, but also looking at taking a scuba class to get my padi certification.

I was told about the hideaway island resort, and they do have space for the dates i need. however, is thinking 10 days might be a bit much for just that one place. any other suggestions, comments, thoughts, would be appreciated.

also, just out of curiousity, how pricey is Vanuatu compared to the other islands. I am familiar with NZ and Fiji. And have also heard that Tahiti is outrageous $$$ for the mid-range traveller. Where does vanuatu fall within the range?

Thanks,

Blasky

Overall, I found Vanuatu about twice as expensive as Fiji.
Almost certainly still cheaper than Tahiti though.
Comparing these islands to New Zealand is hard, as travel in them is so different.

You are right 10 days in one place is too long.
I would spend half your time at Port Vila and maybe fly to Tanna for 4 days or so, see the volcano.

We are also going to Port Vila and Tanna for 10 days and were wanting to confirm whether there is a place called Tanna White Beach Bungalows near the airport and coffee plantation as recommended by Lonely planet page 96. If so how do you go about booking as I have emailed several times but no response.

If you are going to do Scuba Diving then go to Santo Island and book in at Aquamarine dive centre Santo for your Padi Dive Certificate. We did that in 2007 and the guys at the dive centre are fantastic. You also get to dive on the " President Coolidge" and this is a unique experience in itself. There are also reef dives too. You will love it.
Getting around is Luganville on Santo Island is easy as taxis and buses run around Luganville all the time and they are cheap.
You will need at least 5-7 days on this island. If you are scuba diving you will also need at least 24 hours without a dive before you fly, so an Island tour day at the end of the trip is worthwhile.
Coral Quays resort was where we stayed and we found it to be quite nice. You can also snorkel just out the front of this resort. Have a look at the Vanuatu tourism site for some accommodation ideas.
We also stayed at Paradise cove resort outside Port Vila and the snorkeling there was great too.

Just got back from Santo diving with Aquamarine. Do a web search and contact them directly. They are very efficient at answering all your questions and can help you with your certificate. We too stayed at Coral Quays and loved it but there are other cheaper options around. Like Knoxygen said it is very easy to get around and there is plenty to see there when you arnt diving. Santo is beautiful. Happy to answer any other questions if you want to contact me directly

Could not agree more. Aquamarine is the best shop in Santo. I walked into Allan Power dives and walked straight back out. Aquamarine offered me personalized guides and also free pick up from resort. There were 20 people in the bus each of my diving days and not one has anything bad to say about the service.

Coral Quays seemed great. I stayed at Deco Stop Lodge. Loved the view.