Vanuatu; The Authentic South Pacific Adventure
What is so special about Vanuatu?
During your cruising adventure in Vanuatu you’ll see dugongs and eagles, waterfalls and virgin forests, volcanos and blue holes, and set in the midst of this ancient wilderness you’ll find a culture rich with dance, art, and magic.
Vanuatu is one of the few places on Earth where you can enter into a very ancient culture and contact your deepest roots and connections with the natural world and feel safe and comfortable at the same time.
Security, peace, a sense of wonder at the scenic splendor of nature, garnished with a culture that goes back thousands of years are just some of the reasons people come from Europe, Asia, the United States, Australia and New Zealand to visit or live in Vanuatu.
The people of Vanuatu are Melanesians and have a very strong and enduring attachment to their islands and their environment.
In the more remote islands the people still follow their ancestral traditions and their artwork, dances, music, and dress will transport you to an era before the concept of time began.
Their sense of community and culture give the ni-Vanuatu people a kind of peace and friendliness that extends to visitors and residents from other lands. They are, in a word, nice.
Most of the people (there are about 170,000 people living in the Republic of Vanuatu) live in villages with their extended families.
The ni-Vanuatu people are multilingual. Everyone speaks their own village language plus the universal Bislama, an English/French pidgin that you will quickly pick up. Most of the people also speak English and French.
Cruising is easy here, the water is deep and clear, there are good anchorages where you can sleep at night, and you can day-hop from one end of the country to the other.
The Highlight of Your Pacific Cruise
Vanuatu, nearly every cruising yacht agrees, is the highlight of any Pacific cruising adventure. You’ll be back again and again, because there is simply too much to see and do for just one cruise.
Where is Vanuatu?
- Lautoka, Fiji to Port Vila 3.6 days 522 nm
- Bay of Islands, NZ to Port Vila 8 days, 1100 nm
- Bundaberg Port Marina to Port Vila 7 days 1080 nm
- Noumea to Port Vila 2 days 344 nm
Vanuatu is an independent democratic republic. The capital of Vanuatu is Port Vila, on the island of Efate.
Most of the islands are covered with lush green tropical forests. Except for two urban areas, Port Vila and Luganville on Santo, the small population of people lives in rural villages.
No matter where you are coming from, you’ll be happy to arrive in the South Pacific’s favorite cruising destination.
Vanuatu has over 80 islands and the 2026 version of the electronic Rocket Cruising Guide to Vanuatu has razor sharp satellite and aerial photographs of every island in Vanuatu, with photo charts of over 170 anchorages for you to explore.
