"Port Vila. Efate, Vanuatu" Top 5 Page for this destination Vanuatu by trixee

Vanuatu Travel Guide: 590 reviews and 1,011 photos

Food, cocktail and menu from Bali Hai cafe

The Resort

Iririki Island Resort was the place we chose to stay. We wanted a nice, relaxing holiday at a quality adults-only resort.

We got a Harbourview fare near the top of the island, where every night we had a steep climb up the steps to get to our bed. It was probably a good way to work off some of those excess calories we consumed.

The adults-only part of the resort had a wonderful infinity pool near the Bali Hai cafe, where we often spent an hour or so in the afternoon and/or at sunset sipping on cocktails and admiring the view.

The Food

Watermark Restaurant

One of the reasons we chose Vanuatu as a destination was the quality of the food. With most of the cuisine being heavily influenced by the French part of the condominium rule, we thought that it had to have been pretty good.

In reality, it's a bit hit and miss. There are some absolutely fantastic places to eat, and then there are some very disappointing places. Overall, though, the food is very good.

The most disappointing thing is the overhyping of certain products - the Santo beef, which was generally dry and stringy unless you lucked out with a good chef, and the Tanna coffee, which normally has a bitter aftertaste.

I did take some of the Tanna coffee home to compare in a controlled environment, and it turned out a bit better when I brewed it the way I normally brew coffee, but it still didn't really compare to say, the Blue Mountain coffee.

The Scenery

Mele-Maat Cascades

Although we spent most of out time in Port Vila, we did find time to take a tour of the island. The vegetation was lush for the most part, with some of the northern and western parts of the island exhibiting vegetation bizarrely like that found along the south western coast of Western Australia. There was a lot of ivy weed introduced by the British (damn them!) and although it was green a pretty, it was also a shame to see such a virulent weed take over the jungle.

With Vanuatu being so hilly, there were fantastic views from many vantage points. The Skydeck lookout at Undine Bay and the WW2 memorial in Vila spring to mind.

They typical day trips to the Mele-Maat Cascades and Hideaway Island were worth doing, even though they were heavily touristed. (But from a country that relies on tourism for much of its income, you can't really expect much else).

Pros and Cons

Pros:Gorgeous weather, friendly locals, great food.
Cons:Shopping wasn't very good, not a lot to buy.
In a nutshell:A great place to be an ex-pat!

Last visit to Vanuatu: Nov 2007
Intro Updated Dec 16, 2007
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Reviews (32)

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Catching a bus around the island is a great way to see the countryside and the difference in vegetation on different... more travel advice

Travelogues (1)

Written Dec 17, 2007

8 photos

The Travel Diary That Never Quite Got Finished

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Comments (3)

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Jim_Eliason Feb 4, 2013 at 6:37 PM

Nice page!
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Jim_Eliason Jul 1, 2012 at 5:16 PM

great tips!
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RickinDutch May 31, 2011 at 4:40 PM

Excellent Vanuatu tips and photos. Birthday greeting from Alaska!