My new husband and I were in Vanuatu for our honeymoon, with plans of having a relaxing, laid back holiday - and it seems we were pretty spot on with our choice of destination.
From the airport we headed straight to our hotel - Breakas Beach Resort and Villas. Breakas is located at the far end of Port Vila which meant we had a good chance to see the town on our way. Sharing a pool with a dive-bombing nine year old boy is not my idea of a fun holiday so another big bonus with Breakas is their policy of no children - fantastic for honeymooners or those who just want a holiday away from their kids.
We had a beach front bure at Breakas, with stunning views out over the water and I have to say it's really a life I could get used to. As you might expect, life in Vanuatu is definitely on island-time. And it's not at all hard to slip into the slower pace of life.
After waking to the gentle sound of waves on the beach just metres from our room, we wandered over to have breakfast on the verandah restaurant, choosing from platters of tropical fruit, fresh pastries, or the usual fare of eggs benedict, grilled tomatoes on toast or bacon and eggs. We settled into a daily routine fairly quickly, and following the not so strenuous start to the day, we would usually kick back and laze on one of the deckchairs on the beach or by the pool, and read (or play scrabble - yes we are word geeks and were excited to find a scrabble set in the hotel's games selection).
Getting around Port Vila is relatively straightforward, there are plenty of vans that act as taxi-buses and will take you pretty much anywhere - and as a bonus you might get an unplanned tour of the back streets of Port Vila depending on where other passengers in the van are heading. The taxi vans are a cheap way of getting around - only about $NZ1 per person - and you can either flag them down anywhere on the road or hover near allocated stops and they'll stop for you if there is still space.
There is not a heck of a lot in the way of shopping in Port Vila but there are still plenty of things to see and do. We would usually make a daily excursion - either heading into Port Vila to have a wander around, or something more energetic.
A couple of days after our arrival we walked up the road to Le Lagon hotel to work up a lunch appetite with 12 holes at the hotel's golf course. The course boasts great views over the Erakor Lagoon, although the course itself is fairly hilly, with one hole featuring a 20 metre drop from tee off to the pin. I won't mention my final score - apparently it was so high it was off the charts as far as handicaps go… For something to get the adrenalin pumping, we spent a morning zooming around Port Vila with Buggy Fun Rental. They have quad bikes, and single or twin beach buggies that are easy peasy to drive - all you need is to take your New Zealand driver license and you're off.
It was a great way to see a bit more of Port Vila, as we headed off road through small villages with random kids, chickens and dogs hurtling around us. We arrived in Vanuatu not long after a wet spell which meant there was mud - and lots of it - on the tracks we drove on. A tip: don't wear your best clothes if you go on one of these buggies!
The rain also made the roads pretty rough, with more potholes than a very potholed farm track. Makes for interesting taxi drives on the way home after a few drinks!Another great way to spend a few hours or even the whole day is to go horse riding. There are a couple of places in Port Vila that offer treks and some rides finish with a chance to swim with your horse. For something more relaxing, a sunset ride is a great way to finish off the day.
Surfing is also a popular pastime in Vanuatu, and there seemed to be locals and tourists alike out just about all day on the water in front of Breakas.
Food is not too dissimilar to what you'd find in New Zealand, however most menus include a good selection of seafood, including delicious crayfish, mussels and fresh fish. Vanuatu also produces some fantastic beef, and dinner one night at Le Meridien hotel included perhaps the best aged eye fillet steak I have ever had.
Most of the wine in stores is French, a throwback from France's claim on Vanuatu in the late nineteenth century. You still hear the odd spattering of French, and it's still an official language, along with English and Bislama - a pidgin English dialect. To work off all this food and drink, we'd spend the afternoon in the infinity swimming pool at Breakas, drifting around on a lilo in the sun-warmed pool. The only dilemma with this plan was the pool featured a swim-up bar and a barman who seemed to know just when to check if you want another drink.
For a holiday where you really do get away from it all, enjoy some great food, swimming and surfing, Vanuatu is pretty hard to beat.
Find out more about Vanuatu.
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