Your 15 Biggest Questions About Visiting Vanuatu, Answered by Someone Who's Been Three Times
confuses people. It's not Fiji (too raw), not Tahiti (too affordable), not (too remote). It's a chain of 83 islands in the South Pacific where you can stand on the rim of an erupting volcano at night, swim in luminous blue freshwater holes, watch men jump off 30-meter towers with vines tied to their ankles, and drink kava with village elders — all in the same week. For a more resort-oriented Pacific experience, the in Fiji offer turquoise lagoons and Fijian hospitality.
I've been three times. Here's everything I wished someone had told me before the first trip.
Q: Do I need a visa?
Most nationalities get 30 days visa-free on arrival. That includes US, UK, EU, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian passport holders. You just need a passport valid for six months, a return ticket, and proof of accommodation (a booking confirmation works).
Q: How do I get there?
International flights land at Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) in Port Vila on Efate island. Air Vanuatu flies from Sydney (3 hours), Auckland (3 hours), Brisbane (2.5 hours), and Nadi, Fiji (2 hours). Qantas and Virgin Australia also operate seasonal routes from Australia.
There are no direct flights from North America, Europe, or Asia. You'll connect through Sydney, Auckland, or Fiji.
Q: What currency do they use?
Vanuatu Vatu (VUV). Roughly 120 VUV = $1 USD at current rates. ATMs exist in Port Vila and Luganville (the two main towns) but are unreliable on outer islands. Bring cash. Australian dollars are sometimes accepted in tourist areas, but vatu is preferred everywhere.
Q: Is it expensive?
Surprisingly not, at least compared to other South Pacific islands. Budget accommodation in Port Vila starts at 4,000-6,000 VUV/night ($33-50 USD). A solid restaurant meal is 1,500-2,500 VUV ($12-21). Local market food — grilled fish, laplap (a starchy root vegetable pudding), fresh fruit — runs 500-800 VUV (~$4-7).
Flights between islands add up — domestic flights on Air Vanuatu are 8,000-20,000 VUV ($67-167) one-way depending on distance. But the activities themselves are often cheap: Mount Yasur volcano costs 5,000 VUV ($42) entry, blue holes are free or 500 VUV (~$4).
Q: What's the deal with Mount Yasur?
Mount Yasur on Tanna Island is one of the world's most accessible active volcanoes. You drive to within 300 meters of the crater rim, walk up a short gravel path, and watch explosive eruptions — literal balls of molten lava — shooting into the air. At night, it's extraordinary. The glow, the rumbling, the heat.
Is it safe? Relatively. The volcano operates at different alert levels (0-4), and access is restricted at Level 3+. At Level 2 (the usual state), you're allowed on the rim with a guide. Deaths have occurred — a tourist was killed by a volcanic bomb in 2014 — but the current safety protocols are significantly improved.
Cost: 5,000 VUV (~$42) entry + guide. Most visitors go at dusk for the light show. Book through your Tanna accommodation.
Q: How do I get between islands?
Fly. Seriously, fly. Boats exist but they're slow, unreliable, and can be rough. Air Vanuatu operates small turboprop flights between the main islands: Efate (Port Vila), Espiritu Santo (Luganville), Tanna (Yasur volcano), Pentecost (land diving), Malakula, and others.
Book domestic flights early — they fill up and there's often only one flight per day to smaller islands. Schedules change without notice. Build buffer days into your itinerary.
Q: What about the blue holes?
Espiritu Santo island has several blue holes — freshwater swimming holes fed by underground springs with insanely clear, luminous blue water. The most famous is Nanda Blue Hole (Jacky's Blue Hole) — a pool of water so blue it looks photoshopped.
Entry is free or 500 VUV (~$4) for the maintained ones. You can swim, float, snorkel (bring a mask — the clarity is unreal), and some have rope swings. Ri Ri Blue Hole and Matevulu Blue Hole are also worth visiting. Rent a car or hire a driver in Luganville — the blue holes are scattered around the island.
Q: Tell me about land diving.
Naghol — land diving — on Pentecost Island is the original bungee jump. Men build wooden towers 20-30 meters high, tie vines to their ankles, and leap. The vines are carefully measured so the diver's head barely touches the ground. It's a centuries-old yam harvest ritual.
The season is April to June only (when the vines have the right elasticity). Spectators watch from below. Cameras are allowed. It costs 20,000-30,000 VUV (~$167-250) including the flight to Pentecost and transfer. It's expensive, but this is a genuine cultural ceremony — not a tourist show — and the money supports the community.
Q: Is kava a big deal?
Kava is THE big deal. Vanuatu has the strongest kava in the Pacific — it's a muddy, slightly numbing root drink that's central to the culture. Nakamals (kava bars) open at dusk in every village and town. A shell costs 100-200 VUV (~$0.80-1.70). The taste is earthy and bitter. Your lips will go numb. You'll feel relaxed.
Kava etiquette: drink the shell in one go (don't sip), spit on the ground after (traditional), don't mix with alcohol (it's one or the other, not both), and keep your voice low in the nakamal. It's a social ritual, not a bar.
Q: What about Champagne Beach?
Champagne Beach on Espiritu Santo is one of the South Pacific's most famous beaches — white sand, clear water, and volcanic gas bubbles fizzing up through the sand at the waterline (hence the name). Entry is 500 VUV (~$4).
Is it overhyped? A little. On cruise ship days, it gets crowded. But on a regular Tuesday with no ships in port, it's beautiful and quiet. Go in the morning.
Q: What about diving?
The SS President Coolidge wreck dive off Espiritu Santo is world-class. A 200-meter former luxury liner sunk in 1942, lying in 20-70 meters of water. It's one of the largest and most accessible wreck dives on Earth. Two-dive packages start at 15,000-20,000 VUV (~$125-167) from Luganville dive shops.
You need Advanced Open Water certification for the deeper sections, but the shallow parts (20-30m) are accessible to Open Water divers.
Q: Is it safe?
Generally very safe. Crime is low, locals are friendly, and the biggest risks are natural — volcanic activity, cyclones (November-April), and strong ocean currents. Don't swim in unfamiliar areas without local advice. Check volcanic alert levels before visiting Yasur.
Q: What should I pack?
Light clothing (it's tropical, 22-30°C year-round), reef shoes (for blue holes and beaches), strong sunscreen, insect repellent (mosquitoes carry dengue — use DEET), a rain jacket (showers happen fast), and cash. Lots of cash.
Q: Do I need to dress modestly?
Yes, when visiting villages. Vanuatu is conservative and Christian. Women should cover shoulders and knees. Men should avoid going shirtless off the beach. Always ask permission before entering village land — land is privately owned by clans, and entering without consent is genuinely offensive.
Q: What's Bislama?
Bislama is Vanuatu's national language — a Melanesian pidgin English that's surprisingly understandable once you tune in. "Halo" means hello. "Tangkyu tumas" means thank you very much. "Mi no save" means I don't know. Locals deeply appreciate any Bislama effort.
Q: How long should I spend?
Minimum 7 days if you want to see more than Port Vila. My recommended split: 2 days in Port Vila (acclimate, explore the market, do a cultural tour), 3 days on Espiritu Santo (blue holes, Champagne Beach, Coolidge wreck dive), 2 days on Tanna (Mount Yasur, kastom villages).
If you have 10-14 days, add Pentecost Island for land diving (in season) or Malakula for kastom culture experiences.
