How to Visit Vanuatu with Kids (or Without) & What to Know
Last Updated on Sep 6, 2024
Vanuatu isn’t a top choice when it comes to family holidays in the Pacific. People more frequently visit Fiji or French Polynesia. It’s not surprising that the vast majority of travelers make a stop in Vanuatu on a cruise from Australia. But, Vanuatu is a wonderful place that has much more to offer than just a quick stop for a day.
With only 3.5 hours from Australia by plane, it’s an easy add-on when you’re already in Australia. This is exactly what we did – we visited Samoa, and Vanuatu from Australia with a quick stopover in Fiji.
Vanuatu with Kids?
I kept reading on various forums that due to basic facilities, as Vanuatu is frequently hit with hurricanes, and being less developed it might not be a great place for small children, let alone a toddler. Our kids were 2.5 and 4.5 years old, so undeniably I was concerned if we were trying to bite off more than we could chew.
It’s safe to say that the kids had a blast and so did we. The islands of Vanuatu were unique in a way and part of it remains very unspoiled. We always felt safe and welcome anywhere we went in Vanuatu.
While you won’t find modern hotels with water slides in Vanuatu, it doesn’t mean that it’s not great with kids. On the contrary, everyone was very understanding and welcoming. We also met a few other families with kids of similar ages, so we weren’t the only ones.
We spent 3 days on Tanna Island and 3 days on Efate in Port Villa. We could have definitely stayed longer, as there’s a lot more to do.
Practical Tips for Vanuatu – with or without kids
Vanuatu is a remote place that unfortunately frequently gets destroyed by hurricanes, so you won’t find the same standard there as you will in Fiji or French Polynesia. Don’t expect to be picked up by fancy air-conditioned vans or your wifi to work perfectly everywhere. I’m not saying this as a negative, but just something to be aware of because it’s not possible to restore everything after every hurricane instantly.
That said, as expected, Vanuatu isn’t the cheapest place, similar to other remote places in the Pacific. Food is very expensive as it has to be imported or grown locally, both of which options aren’t easy. For a family of 4 expect a minimum of $120 dinners if you don’t order drinks or starters.
Most places outside Port Villa won’t have AC, so fans and open windows at night are a must. Beds will have nets, but undeniably mosquitos are everywhere so while you’ll be safe at night, it’s recommended to put some repellent for dinner time and beyond. While the mosquitos in Vanuatu weren’t as bad as in Nuku Hiva for example, we still got bit despite the bug spray so bring the strongest possible one.
Picking Places to Travel to in Vanuatu
Vanuatu is a destination that requires some flexibility. What worked a few months ago might not work today, due to hurricanes, issues with airplanes, or fuel shortages.
No matter what, your first stop will be Bauerfield International Airport in Port Vila on the main island Efate. It’s an international airport, but small with most flights coming out of Brisbane or Nadi. There are also flights from Auckland and the Solomon Islands.
When we visited there were many options of the flights, but as Air Vanuatu operations were already shakey we actually had to switch to Virgin Australia a month before the trip. As it’s an Australian carrier, it’s reliable and will get you in and out of Vanuatu.
2024: After a year of constant cancellations and issues Air Vanuatu finally went bankrupt entirely and had to cease its operations. It took months for their liquidators to resume domestic flights but the good news is that as of August 2024 – domestic flights of Air Vanuatu are back so you can fly to other islands again!
The other options to reach other islands of Vanuatu are private planes offering day tours to other islands, such as Air Taxi and Unity Airlines.
However, recently Air Taxi crashed one of its planes, and its license is temporarily suspended until the investigation is finished with the only option of chartering the entire plane of Unity Airlines.
Efate Island
As Efate is a main island this is where you’ll find the nicer resorts and more restaurants. There are public buses on Efate, but with little kids waiting for them, we opted for taxis.
We just had to ask anyone to call us a taxi, as most people on the island know how things work and who to call. You can pre-book an airport transport, but ironically every time we did so we had a horrendous experience and ended up just grabbing someone else anyway.
We pre-booked a taxi from the airport from our accommodation via Adventures in Paradise (the most common transportation agency in Vanuatu), but they forgot about us. A friendly driver from another company had to call them to make them come.
Then, when we headed back to the airport for Tanna Island domestic flight they brought us there hours too early, which with kids was just a nightmare. And again, on the way back from Tanna they forgot to pick us up from Port Villa airport again, so I recommend anyone BUT Adventures in Paradise.
Another day trip is a boat trip to Hideway Island (the one known for its underwater mailbox!). It has beautiful snorkeling with plenty of fish and coral. As it’s a resort you can eat there, or buy some food at the local market and make a picnic.
Most of the time we ate meals at our hotel, as it was an ordeal to drive anywhere else. Plus, we could eat on the beach at our hotel watching the sunset, so we were perfectly content with this decision. We did stop by Waterfront Bar and Grill one night and it was great – highly recommend the seafood platter!
What to Do on Efate Island?
No matter what you do, keep in mind that this island gets a lot of cruises and Efate is a small island. If there’s a cruise ship or two at the port every single place gets packed with day visitors and you will encounter issues with shuttles and taxis, as it’s all booked up.
The Blue Lagoon is the most famous spot on the island. It’s a decent swimming area with rope swings, amazing blue water, and high diving, and jumping areas into the lagoon. The colors are beautiful and despite the crowds (there were cruise ships daily during the week we visited) we got to enjoy the place.
Make sure that your kids know how to swim or put a lifejacket on them because there aren’t any shallow parts in the lagoon.
There’s a waterfall called Mele Waterfalls nearby which is a fun spot to do some jumping and relaxing. You have to walk around 20 minutes along the river which has a series of terraces and cascades with stunning crystal clear pools, and once you reach the top, you are rewarded with the gorgeous 35-metre waterfall you can jump from.
Eden on the River is an alternative place to visit in Vanuatu with kids. It’s a chain of suspended bridges and rope swings above the beautiful river. It’s usually less crowded than the Blue Lagoon.
If your kids are over 6 you can take them to a ziplining place, but we skipped it since ours were too young.
Most of the snorkeling gets done by Erakor, right where we stayed, so we didn’t have to drive anywhere for that. It was all accessible and visibility was amazing. There’s also a place on the north called Top Rock that’s known for snorkeling with lobsters.
Where to Stay on Efate Island?
There are many options depending on what do you want to do. If you’re looking for a resort stay the most famous one is Warwick Le Lagoon. They have a basic kids club and meals on-site, which is convenient for families.
Another popular option among Australian crowds especially is Iririki Island with semi-overwater bungalows. It’s located on its island with a 5-minute shuttle to the main island.
As we were traveling during New Year’s Eve I ended up changing my reservation and switching to Paradise Cove Resort and we couldn’t be happier. It was a bit further from the central part of Port Villa and on a bumpy road, but the reef was literally right there. We could just walk off and snorkel the reef without leaving the place. Multiple families were staying there as well, so my kids easily found friends.
We also stayed one night at Fatumaru Lodge, as it was closest to the airport so worked perfectly for transiting to Tanna Island.
Espiritu Santo Island
Espiritu Santo is the most beautiful island of Vanuatu with white sand beaches and amazing swimming holes. You can spend a whole day exploring them with Nanda Blue Hole and Matevulu Blue Hole being the most famous ones. Very few tourists reach this island, so there’s a big chance you can have it all to yourself.
You can rent a horse and stroll through Champagne Beach, even with the kids as they can start riding at 5 years old.
There’s also a wreck of the SS President Coolidge which you can see when diving on the island, but as it’s so close to the shore you can actually see it from above as well.
Tanna Island
Tanna Island is known for being the world’s not accessible active volcano, Mt. Yasur. It’s volcanic eruptions, which occurs several times in an hour.
Tanna is also home to local tribes and various interesting nature spots as well.
I was very determined that I wanted to visit it with the kids, even though everyone told us it would be too difficult and the kids were too small. It was the most memorable experience for all of us and absolutely worth the effort. We ended up meeting another family there with kids of similar ages, so it’s durable.
I have a whole blog post on our experience here.
