Despite beng only 8 months since the devastating earthquake,...
Despite beng only 8 months since the devastating earthquake, Port Vila is doing just fine. A number of places haven't rebuilt but the ones that have rebuilt or repaired are great. Awesome restaurants and bars are a plenty so you won't be disappointed. The roads are terrible so be very careful if driving. All in all a great place to visit and will definately go back
G
Guest review by
Glenn
Australia
8.0
An interesting place to visit with very friendly people but...
An interesting place to visit with very friendly people but still recovering from the recent earthquake. Several resorts are still to reopen.
Not a lot to do except relax, swim and snorkel but that was what we wanted. Felt safe and can drink the water. It is expensive with food, drink and transport costs similar to Australia.
Air Vanuatu is still very unreliable with flight cancellations so leave a few days to get back to Port Vila for international connections if you plan to visit other islands. No one seems surprised when this happens, so you need to relax as well!
M
Guest review by
Michael
Australia
8.0
We visited turtle sanctuary, very little and disappointing,...
We visited turtle sanctuary, very little and disappointing, distillery fabulous experience and staff fantastic. Pele island was awesome aswell as hideaway island. Port Vila itself is nice but it will be an island stay next time.
S
Guest review by
Sonia
Australia
10.0
We stayed a total of 10 days and I think 1 week would have...
We stayed a total of 10 days and I think 1 week would have been enough. We hired a car and I would recommend not doing this - use the local buses and hire a car and driver when going further out of town. Some sites we went to weren't worth it. Others were great.
Highlights - Horse ride with The riders Club (don't go with Club Hippique (their horses appeared neglected (were skinny, cracked hooves and misbehaved).
Hideaway island snorkelling, Turtle sanctuary at Avi Bay (fun to walk into the water and hand feed the turtles). Fire show at the Beach Bar on Saturday night (great food reasonably priced) Cultural Village tour (very educational and entertaining). Eden on the river was pretty but the "Bridges" tour wasn't really worth it. I would give Blue Lagoon a miss unless you have kids/young adults who want to swing off the ropes. Major Tom sailing ship trip was nice but given the cost I would only recommend if you have a larger budget - snorkelling at Hideaway island was just as good.
If you want more info check out my daughter's videos - "Wet Days in Vanuatu with Cat & Lil' Sloth" on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VmznL-0pVg
There is one video for each of our 10 days.
Cat and Lil Sloth
L
Guest review by
Loretta
Australia
6.0
There was not a lot to do in Port Vila.
There was not a lot to do in Port Vila. We did love the new french cafe right on the water called Lalala where the food is excellent and you can get a Tanna Coffee as well. Overall it was very expensive and the food was not consistent. At a couple of places we had to send back chicken as it was still raw in the middle. We enjoyed the traditional thai massage opposite Lalala and the food at the thai restaurant was nice. We stayed for 10 days but five would have been sufficient. The only two activities we did was the Major Tom which was fabulous and well worth every penny and The Eden River which was also quite special (4500 VUV per person including the little tour). We had planned on doing the other couple of activities but when we met other tourists we couldn't find anyone that though the Cascades was worth it and the ziplining got mixed messages. I was not inclined to go to Hideaway Island as 2500 VUV per person to enter the island seemed excessive. We only stayed on Efate as we wanted a relaxing holiday. The cost of travelling to other islands seemed to put some other tourists off. Overall, surprisingly expensive. The local buses thought are easy to get on and off and can take you anywhere for a fraction of the cost of a driver. We had a quad bike which was fun but the potholes made it uncomfortable at times. We went to the Banana Beach Club which had really love food and a beautiful little lagoon full of fish that lapped at the bottom step and a lovely vibe. Just a few minutes up the road from there was a beautifl beach that was free to park/enter and was probably the most beautiful beach we saw.
S
Guest review by
Slm1173
Australia
10.0
Absolutely loved Port Vila, I would definitely return and...
Absolutely loved Port Vila, I would definitely return and explore more of the island or venture further out to the other islands.
Highly recommend the Blue Lagoon (we went twice), Eden on the River and the 83 Islands Distillery tour - order a coffee after your tasting, it was the best coffee I had all week. We also went snorkeling at Hideaway Island and posted a card in their underwater post office, just beautiful and so much fun.
For those wanting a bit more of an adventure, do the Jungle Zipline. The guys were fantastic, really looked after the group and OMG the views.
For resturants, definitely book The Stonegrill Restaurant, I know everyone rates it highly but for good reason. The experience, the view, the service = all outstanding.
For getting around town, just use the bus service, cheap and cheerful.
While only having a 24h layover in Vanuatu, this place was great to dive a little into the natural beauty of this country. The snorkeling was amazing with a colourful reef and plenty of fish to discover. The room was comfy, the communal bathroom clean. The airport shuttle seems to work 50/50. My pick up was flawless and uncomplicated and brought me straight to the island (check-in after 6pm was no problem)
We felt we were so welcomed from our arrival. The staff at the hotel to a person could not have been more accommodating personable and just plain nice throughout our stay. And thus from check in to check out. Nothing was any problem for them. The accommodation location etc was spot on. I would recommend anyone to choose this hotel for a visit yo Vanuatu.
The location is between the airport and the center of Port Vila. It lies at the main street, so you can easily catch a bus in both directions, while it is still quite in the night. Beth is awesome. She was super helpful with everything, even got me a taxi for the day for a tour around the island.
Beautiful surroundings. It makes you feel very immersed in Vanuatu, away from any hustle and bustle, yet with lovely facilities. The staff were also very friendly and helpful.
Great location, beautiful view, bathrooms were lovely. Our host organised a local lady to cook traditional food for us which we really enjoyed. 5 stars to her!
On average, 3-star hotels in Port Vila cost $103 per night, and 4-star hotels in Port Vila are $237 per night. If you're looking for something really special, a 5-star hotel in Port Vila can be found for $237 per night, on average (based on Booking.com prices).
The average price per night for a 3-star hotel in Port Vila this weekend is $134 or, for a 4-star hotel, $276. Looking for something even fancier? 5-star hotels in Port Vila for this weekend cost around $168 per night, on average (based on Booking.com prices).
On average, it costs $121 per night to book a 3-star hotel in Port Vila for tonight. You'll pay around $293 if you choose to stay in a 4-star hotel tonight, while a 5-star hotel in Port Vila will cost around $159, on average (based on Booking.com prices).
Research, refine, and make plans for your whole trip
Loading...
