Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Port Vila
Welcome at Bauerfield Airport. Transfer to your resort. Afternoon: explore Port Vila — the Mama’s Market, waterfront cafes, and the Vanuatu National Museum. Welcome dinner of coconut crab and French wine. Overnight in Port Vila. (D)
Day 2: Port Vila → Espiritu Santo
Morning flight to Luganville on Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu’s largest island. Check into Turtle Bay Lodge. Afternoon: snorkeling right off the beach — the coral gardens around Santo are spectacular. Visit Luganville town — a sleepy WWII-era outpost where Quonset huts still line the streets. Overnight at Turtle Bay Lodge. (B)
Day 3: Million Dollar Point & SS President Coolidge
Full day of WWII history beneath the waves. Million Dollar Point — at the end of WWII, the U.S. military dumped millions of dollars’ worth of equipment into the sea rather than ship it home. Snorkel over bulldozers, trucks, jeeps, and crates of Coca-Cola bottles, all encrusted with coral. Then the legendary SS President Coolidge — a 200m luxury liner converted to a troop ship that struck two mines in 1942. It’s the largest accessible wreck dive in the world, in waters starting at just 17m. Even snorkelers can see the bow section. Overnight at Turtle Bay Lodge. (B, L)
Day 4: Nando Blue Hole & Champagne Beach
Morning: Nando Blue Hole (Jackie’s Blue Hole) — a natural freshwater spring of such intense turquoise it looks Photoshopped. Swim in the crystalline water, rope-swing from overhanging branches, and float in a setting too beautiful to be real. Then Champagne Beach — one of the 10 best beaches on Earth per numerous travel publications. At low tide, volcanic gases bubble through the sand like champagne. The water is bathtub-warm and impossibly clear. Picnic lunch on the beach. Afternoon: visit Port Orly, a coconut plantation and beach. Overnight at Turtle Bay Lodge. (B, L)
Day 5: Millennium Cave — Vanuatu’s Greatest Adventure
The Millennium Cave — the largest cave in Vanuatu and a full-day jungle adventure. Drive an hour inland, then hike through dense rainforest, wade rivers, climb bamboo ladders, and squeeze through narrow passages to reach the cave entrance. Inside: a cavernous cathedral with a river roaring through it, waterfalls cascading from the ceiling, and bats swirling overhead. Swim through the cave’s underground lake, then float down a jungle river through gorges draped in vines. After emerging, climb back up through the rainforest canopy. This is Vanuatu at its wildest and most unforgettable. Return to Turtle Bay Lodge exhausted and exhilarated. Overnight at Turtle Bay Lodge. (B, L)
Day 6: Santo → Port Vila — Rarru Cascades
Morning flight back to Port Vila. Afternoon excursion to Rarru Cascades (Mele Cascades) — a series of terraced waterfalls tumbling through lush rainforest. Wade and climb up the cascades, swim in the natural pools, and stand under the falls for the best shower of your life. Evening: Port Vila’s French restaurants — steak frites with a Pacific view. Overnight in Port Vila. (B)
Day 7: Hideaway Island & Port Vila Free Day
Morning visit to Hideaway Island — a tiny islet in Mele Bay with the world’s only underwater post office. Snorkel out, post a waterproof postcard, and explore the marine sanctuary. Afternoon free: optional zip-lining through the jungle canopy, visiting a turtle sanctuary, or simply enjoying resort life. Farewell dinner at a waterfront restaurant. Overnight in Port Vila. (B)
Day 8: Departure
Final morning in paradise. Transfer to Bauerfield Airport. Vanuatu — where blue holes are bluer than you thought possible, and the Pacific is as warm as the smiles of its people. (B)
