We spent a week lounging on Vanuatu’s 3rd largest island of Efate. The national capital city of Port Vila can be found on the south coast, and we flew into its petite international airport at Bauerfield. Our original plan only had us in Port Vila for a few days but with Air Vanuatu’s ever fluctuating schedule, we ended up with an extended stay. Our home was the budget Pacific Paradise Motel, and we were happily upgraded to an en-suite triple. With free WiFi, hot water, fridge, free coffee/tea, and communal kitchen, this was one of the best bargains found in the Pacific at under $25 a day. Since we had been on the go for the past 6 weeks in Fiji, we used our time in Efate for a bit of R&R. During our down time, we did manage to: squeeze in a couple walks around Port Vila (quaint capital city with a vibrant produce market), swing into the Blue Lagoon, get entertained by villagers dancing in traditional tribal gear, learn about Vanuatu’s WWII history, snorkel at Survivor’s beach, listen to school kids perform a repertoire of songs, and soak in countless pools at the Mele Cascades. Efate certainly has its charms and we were glad we didn’t write it off. Next up we will be flying to the outer islands of Pentecost, Espiritu Santo, and Tanna before returning briefly to Efate for our outbound international flight.
