Vanuatu

Culture Carved Into Every Coral Shore

Vanuatu has more languages per capita than any nation on earth, and that extraordinary diversity runs far deeper than words. Village life remains the heartbeat of the country, built around kastom, the living system of ancestral custom that governs ceremony, exchange and land. On Tanna you can watch the ritual dances of the Naghol land divers; on Malekula, master carvers still produce work of extraordinary intricacy. Port Vila and Luganville offer a lively mix of Melanesian, French and Pacific rhythms, with night markets, kava bars and a dining scene that punches well above its weight.

A Diver's Paradise Above and Below the Waterline

Beneath Vanuatu's waters lies one of the world's great dive destinations. The SS President Coolidge off Espiritu Santo is among the most celebrated wreck dives on the planet, a vast luxury liner resting in shallow, clear water teeming with marine life. Blue holes, sea caves and coral gardens reward snorkellers and divers at every island. Above the surface, Yasur volcano on Tanna offers what many visitors describe as the most visceral encounter with the earth's power they have ever experienced: a short walk from the rim, lava fountains visible day and night.

Close Enough to Escape To

From Auckland it is a little over two hours in the air, and from Brisbane or Sydney not much more than three. That proximity makes Vanuatu a genuinely easy escape without sacrificing remoteness once you arrive. Outer island guesthouses offer simple, immersive stays in communities where time moves differently, while Port Vila has a solid range of resorts, restaurants and boutique hotels for those who want comfort as a base for their explorations.