Wedding Destination

Welcome to Vanuatu

This string of islands is unlike any other pacific destination, with a French twist. People, places and activities to enjoy really make Vanuatu stand out. The Republic of Vanuatu is an archipelago of volcanic and coral islands formed in the shape of a “Y”, you’ll be asking yourself exactly Y you didn’t come to Vanuatu sooner!

The people

Such as all of the South Pacific, the people are warm and friendly and always make your holiday just that much better. You will be treated like warrior and princess! Christian is the number one religion and you will find most locals attend church on Sundays. With a population of 200,000 Vanuatu’s official language is Bislama, a form of Pidgin English, French is next as the nation was a French dominion, and of course English is common.

The Capital

Port Vila is the nations capital found on the island of Efate, although this island is not the largest it is the main economical, commercial and tourist capital. Efate hosts the international airport as well as domestic terminals.

Currency

The Vatu (VUV) is Vanuatu’s hard currency; you’ll get about 72VUV for every $1AUD.
Westpac and ANZ banks are located in Port Vila although limited ATM machines. An average meal could cost between VUV1200-2000 depending on the restaurant.

The Islands

Espitu Santo Island – hosts a wide range of outdoor activities and water sports. Santo’s real attraction is the world class diving spots. Discover thousands of colorful fish among the reefs or explore the underwater wreckage of the late SS Coolidge. Away from the masses of tourists, Espiritu Santo will whip you away into your own dimension, you can truly be alone here on a secluded beach. Explore the colourful traditions of the vanuatuans with the numerous cultural sites followed by a private dinner on the jetty.

Pentecoste Island is down in the south. Culture and custom here is totally different. World famous it is for the Yam harvest or Nagol as its locally called. Traditionally it started when a woman ran up to the top of a tree, away from her abusive husband. The man tried to catch his wife but he found the woman had jumped out of the tall tree, in despair he jumped after her and fell to his death. The woman had actually tied vines around her ankles to survive the fall. Every April local men as young as seven can be seen land diving off wooden scaffolding, apparently to teach women that men can never be tricked again!

Tanna Island ishome to the famous Yasur Volcano, still active but not, so that its unreachable. The red and orange glow of larva can be seen from the edge of the crater and tours to the top are aplenty. Its quite safe to visit if you stick to the path, but its really nature at its most awesome, although unpredictable. Some tribes in Tanna believe in "John Frum" who appeared to them in 1936 and predicted the arrival of gifts and supplies. They mixed this with their tribal beliefs and it was all reinforced by the arrival of US cargo in WWII, they believe the cargo was from supernatural forces. The Cargo Cult is still present, with two distinct tribes still believing that John Frum lives in the mouth of Yasur with 40 thousand men awaiting the “second coming”. Quite a peculiar experience!

Before you start packing

You’ll need a current Australian passport with at least 6 months validity remaining from your return date to Australia. You can bring with you 250 cigarettes, 2.25 litres of wine or 1.5 litres of spirits. You won’t need a power adaptor or converter as they have the same voltage and sockets as Australia.

Getting there

Air Vanuatu is the countries national carrier and flights from the east coast of Oz take about 3.5 hours give or take. Vanair is the domestic airline and can transport you around the other islands, quite inexpensive also.

The weather

Summer, the wetter hotter months, is from November to March. The drier milder winter months span from April to October. The average temperature is 25 degrees, but ranges from 16 degrees in the south to 33 degrees in the north.

Why we love Vanuatu

When people visit Vanuatu they are quickly immersed into the beauty, fun, laughter, romance and love of the islands and you will be too! The process from your fast paced city life into the peace of Vanuatu wont take you long. The colorful history is drawn from the French and British settlements, Vanuatu will overtake your senses and leave you reeling for more. The tropical warmth will be remembered in your lifetime, along with the clear visions of turquoise waters and powdery beaches, lined with palms and the pink sunset.

Honeymoons

After the most important day of you life is over, along comes the cherry- the Honeymoon. The days spent (and nights!) should be played out in your mind for the rest of your time together. There are plenty of beautiful resorts around each of the islands that just scream “romance!"

Only for the most romantic of romanticists Camp out on is Starfish Beach! You get your own kayaks and guide (who will sleep on the next beach along in case you need something). Accommodation is in a large (6-man) tent with mattress, linen, pillows etc - there’s a BBQ (and wood) as well as a toilet. There's a good chance of you will see dolphins and turtles and the beach faces the sunset. Included in the price is all food and beverage (steak, lobster, champagne, red/white wine, beer, soft drinks etc).

Fiji and New Caledonia are quite close so lap up some more sun, sea, sand and surf and head towards the horizon. Say Bula to Liku Liku Resort in Fiji (see our luxury collection pages) or say Bonjour to French Polynesia in New Caledonia!