- DESTINATIONS / Pacific Ocean
- 28 November 2019
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Vanuatu is truly the gem of the South Pacific. This South Sea archipelago offers treasures aplenty for the visiting yacht, including active volcanoes and giant waterfalls tumbling into the sea, diving on WWII wrecks and blue holes, and being shown hidden gems by the friendly locals.
Vanuatu is a land of smiles. With the most diverse landscape, incredible culture and welcoming locals you will ever meet, cruising here is a real step back in time. It makes you wonder how we got to where we are now when the locals here seem to have it so right.
Vanuatu gained full independence in 1980 and is largely considered a safe and stable country. Voted the world’s happiest country in 2006 and now sitting at number four on the world’s Happy Planet Index, Vanuatu just goes to show that GDP and happiness are rarely aligned. Happiness has actually become a part of the Vanuatu national brand!
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Weather
The best time to visit Vanuatu is April/May through until November, when the South Pacific cyclone season begins. Having said that, we did make a visit in December and the weather was unreal: glassy calm, warm and dry.
Generally, the winter months of April to October see the drier weather, with temperatures in the high 20s and relatively reliable SE trade winds, which generally blow at about 15–25 knots. The forecast data for this region has continued to improve and in our experience is very reliable.
Logistics
Located just over 1,000 nautical miles off Australia’s east coast, Vanuatu is perfectly positioned as the entry or exit point to the South Pacific cruising grounds, and after spending eight months here over the past six years, I can assure you that Vanuatu is a must-visit.
The number of vessels visiting the area remains strangely low considering what it has to offer and the high standard of support services available. Seal Superyachts agents Justin and Clare have looked after M/Y Dragonfly for the past few years, and as ex-yacht crew themselves, are completely aligned with the expectations of even the most discerning owner or captain.
The archipelago is made up of 83 islands organised in a chain that runs roughly NW/SE and stretches 470 nautical miles from end to end. The island of Efate, Vanuatu’s capital, is where most first-time visitors will clear in, and is well-appointed, offering quick and relatively hassle-free clearance, provisions and bunkering for any size vessel.
It can take a few days to get access to the commercial dock for bunkers as commercial traffic supplying the island takes precedence over yachts, although there is a very safe and accessible natural harbour at Port Vila. There are other clearance options as well, but they do not have the same resources.
Port Vila
Port Vila has undergone some significant development in recent years, particularly after Cyclone Pam swept through in 2015. The islands have bounced back incredibly well from this storm and yachts should certainly not be put off from visiting. Vila, as it is known locally, is where the main airport is located, around 20 minutes’ drive from the main anchorage.
Vila has all of the provisions and supply services that you will need to operate the yacht with crew on board. When preparing for guest trips, you may need to import high-end goods from Australia or New Zealand, and these supply links are well-established.
Cruising highlights
The fun really starts when you depart Efate and head out to explore the islands. The geographical orientation of the islands really supports the cruising opportunities, particularly in the northern half where the long islands of Pentecost and Maewo offer excellent protection from the swell that develops with the SE winds. Cruising opportunities and anchorages can really be tailored to the client’s interests, however there are some absolute must-visit spots.
Malekula
Malekula is a great first stop as you make a lap of the northern half of the country. There are many well-protected anchorages, but one of our favourites is Cook’s Bay in the south, a relatively snug anchorage that is well-charted and allows complete protection with good holding ground.
Malekula has a number of attractions, and you may even catch a glimpse of the incredibly shy dugong; to my knowledge, this is the furthest east that they have ever been seen. We took one of our young guests on their first-ever dive, only for a dugong to swim right past!
The dives, the swim-through caves, the village visits and the potential for surfing all make Malekula an attractive option.
Ambrym
Ambrym has a highly accessible and active volcano. You can stand on the rim and stare down into the crater. The anchorage is on the north side of the island near the village of Ranvetlam and although a little deep, it is rarely affected by wind or swell so you can get in nice and close to the beach, remaining out of the lee of the ash while enjoying the awe-inspiring views of the island. At night, the glow of the lava bouncing light off the clouds is a spectacular sight.
There are two options for visiting the volcano: either a bumpy off-road drive and hike (not for the unfit or faint of heart), or one of the excellent helicopter charters from Vila that will fly you up from either the yacht or from Ranvetlam. Just to the west of the anchorage is a lovely waterfall that runs straight into the ocean. This is a good spot to climb up for a photo opportunity, and depending on your vessel and level of bravery, this would make a spectacular stern-to anchorage.
Pentecost
Pentecost is home to spectacular land-diving, where locals jump off a wooden tower from 20–30 metres up with nothing more than two vines tied to their ankles. There are many variations on why they do this, but the general consensus is that in April–June, when the vines still have some elasticity and the wet summer months have passed, the villagers jump to celebrate a historic tale and to bring good luck for the coming yam harvest.
The jump is only performed by male villagers and no woman may touch the tower or vines as it may bring bad luck. The ceremony has become an attraction and they will arrange a show for guests; this is a truly iconic experience and not to be missed if you are in the country at the right time of year. Get your agent to arrange the show in advance of your arrival to avoid disappointment.
The anchorage in south-west Pentecost is well protected from the prevailing wind and swell, but it is deep and you need to get very close to the beach to find reasonable depths.
Naone
From Pentecost, make the run north to Maewo, hugging the coast and enjoying the views of the islands with their many towering waterfalls. On Maewo, you’ll find the village of Naone.
What makes Naone so special is the welcoming reception and community spirit, coupled with their willingness to show you their spectacular waterfall. It is about a 20-minute hike from where the tender drops you off (as the river spills into the sea on the starboard side of the little channel) and is relatively solid underfoot.
The walk up is interesting as the villagers have channelled water from the river to create fully irrigated gardens for their vegetables. When you arrive at the foot of the waterfall you are able to swim in the deep water, or take the exhilarating option to hike up a little further and jump in. An absolutely magical place.
Espiritu Santo
Another top spot is Espiritu Santo, which is steeped in recent and ancient history. This island is the second-most inhabited beyond Efate and therefore has some of the same services and supplies; you can even take fuel here on the commercial dock at Luganville.
A popular activity for highly advanced divers is exploring the wreck of SS President Coolidge, an American luxury ocean liner sunk by mines in 1931. The more accessible Million Dollar Point dive site is accessible to all levels of diver and is very interesting. Best on an incoming tide.
Our top pick for this island was hard to choose. The magical blue holes,
dive sites, pristine beaches, historical sites and cultural gems only just miss out to the spectacular natural beauty of the inland cave tour and hike. This guided tour starts in Luganville and will take you on a canyoning-style adventure that offers swim-throughs, stunning scenery and moderately challenging hiking conditions with ladder climbs and descents – again, not for the faint hearted, but well worth the effort.
Alternatively, the beauty of the anchorages, snorkelling, and paddling opportunities are perfect for an adrenaline-free day.
Tanna
The attractions of the north extend up to the reef islands and all the way out to the Torres Islands, and although you can put on an incredible show cruising only the northern half of the chain, it wouldn’t be fair to discount the opportunities in the south.
The most famous of all of these islands is Tanna, where the volcano is often touted as the world’s most accessible active volcano. It really is an absolute spectacle. The volcano visit can be organised by the agent and involves a 40-minute ride in a 4WD and then a short, relatively easy hike to the rim of the crater where you can watch nature’s most intense light and fireworks show. If you can stay until sunset, the experience is just mind-blowing.
The anchorage in the far east of the island is a small bay, and the adjacent Port Resolution Yacht Club is the landing spot for tenders (try to aim for high-water). The anchorage can be rough in a large swell or strong easterly winds.
Also plan to avoid westerly winds, for although the anchorage is perfectly situated, there is a volcanic blowhole that can cover you in volcanic dust. Luckily this is rare, but we had a big day trying to get that dust off the boat a few years ago.
Cultural awareness
All visitors to Vanuatu should understand and respect that the people of Vanuatu have a sophisticated relationship with the land and water that is not the same as many other cruising areas. What this means is that someone, somewhere has traditional rights over everything, including the sea and therefore the anchorages.
In saying that, we have never been met with anything other than a welcoming smile when asking for permission to anchor, go ashore, fish or dive, but we have always worked hard to meet the locals and be respectful of their traditions and cultures.
It’s common for the village chiefs to expect a gift in exchange for permission and we have found that asking what they need rather than how much money they would like has garnered great results and also supported our missions and altruistic intentions. We regularly stock up on the essentials that these remote villages often need – such as large bags of rice, clothes, footwear (flip-flops), school supplies, petrol and two-stroke oil for the chainsaws and outboards – to offer as payment for use of the anchorages.
On our first visit to Cook’s Bay, a local asked for used engine oil to lubricate the chainsaws. I’ve never seen someone so happy to receive old oil and am pretty sure they nearly sank their longboat trying to bring us a ton of fruit to thank us. They absolutely refused payment for that fruit – it was the tastiest we have ever eaten.
There are obviously many other gems in this wonderful country and we would recommend the use of the agents to assist you with finding them. I can assure you that you will not be disappointed with your visit to Vanuatu and wish you safe and calm seas.
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