Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Where to in Santo?

Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Vanuatu

Having been to Vanuatu before ( Vila and Tanna) we booked flights to Santo last night leaving on the 12th October for 12 days.
We are 60yo and snorkel( not dive), enjoy walking, swimming, culture,good food, nice ,clean accommodation close to the water.
A couple of questions...
Is there a good up to date website for info? to include activities and accommodation.
Do people generally spend a night at each end in Luganville if staying on an island? If so where's a good place to stay?
Is it easy to move from one place to another? How and how much?
We would like to spend time at Oyster Is. as it has very good reviews.
Anyone stayed at Lannoc Beach Bungalows? Aore?
Thanks for any info you can provide.

I stayed at Lonnoc and they would be my recommendation even if you had not asked. Stunning beach, good reefs, nice people.
I stayed at Unity Motel in Luganville - both the motel and the town are pleasant enough for a day or two.

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Thank you.
As we arrive at night I think we might stay put for 2 nights, head out to Lonnoc for a few days, then maybe Turtle Bay and finish at Oyster Island.
Any comment/suggestions?
What's the best way to get from one place to the other?

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Check my response to the previous post dated 23 September - sorry, I don't know how to link you to it.

We stayed the first and final nights at deco stop in Luganville. I thoroughly recommend Oyster Island - it is a delightful spot.

Lonnoc is a beautiful spot, plenty of walking, swimming and snorkelling to be done with great views. I am 40 and found the accommodation to be basic, the mattress and pillows in our room were uncomfortable (foam) and I dreaded going to bed at night (maybe it was just our bungalow as other guests said they slept very well), the location and views made up for it. Also there is no hot water at Lonnoc and electricity for only a limited time in the evening.

If your accommodation organises transport, it will be expensive. You can catch cheaper public transport to Lonnoc by catching the public bus from Unity Shell garage. There are two buses leaving in the afternoon on week-days and usually one bus on a Saturday afternoon, there is no service on Sundays. Go into town, ask around for departure times.

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I suffer with a sore back so the thought of a bad matress really bothers me. Not sure what to do......

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My partner also has a sore back and really suffered at Lonnoc, I have a good back and can generally sleep anywhere and I suffered on that mattress. But having said that, we both had a great time and are glad that we stayed there. The view, the activities and experiences were really special.

We booked accommodation as we went. You could try your luck and stay at Lonnoc for a night and then make a decision as to whether you want to stay longer.

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Someone recommended doing a day trip there instead and staying at Turtle Bay.....
Thanks for your advice.

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