Vanuatu travel and visitor guide with hotel, airport, airline and vacation information. Compare Vanuatu vacation packages, hotels and cruise deals. Fishing in Vanuatu is great with lots of fish, first class sport fishing boats, and even a game fishing school with world class sport fishers for teachers. Efate is the major big game fishing centre for Vanuatu. Sailfish, Black, Blue and Striped Marlin, Mahi Mahi, Wahook, Albacore and Big Eye Tuna keep the action going all year round. Diving in Vanuatu has two main epicentres, Efate and Santo. Both have a wide range of dive sites and diving services.
Vanuatu is served by Bauerfield International Airport (Airport Code: VLI) in Port Vila. Airlines serving Vanuatu include American, Quantas, Air Pacific, Air Vanuatu, Aircalin, Pacific Blue, Solomon Airlines, Vanair and others. Vanair is the only domestic airline to offer regular services between islands, though there are a limited number of charter aircraft (see Tours). Inter Island trading vessels also depart for the islands on a semi-regular basis. Visit our Airports & Airline section for more information.
Accommodation in Vanuatu includes high quality modern hotels and resorts in Port Vila, on the capital island of Efate. There are also high quality modern hotels and resorts in Luganville, on the island of Santo.
Accommodation on the other islands, and in rural Efate and Santo, are Village style bungalows and guest houses. Some of these, especially in Tanna, are wonderful resorts with all the comforts.
Sailing in Vanuatu is extra special. Cruising sailboats from around the world love Vanuatu. They are allowed to stay 4 months in any one year and may enter in Port Vila, Efate; Lenakel, Tanna; Luganville, Santo; or Sola, Vanua Lava. Yachting World, located in Port Vila, provides a host of services, inlcuding a sea wall marina, moorings, and fuel for visiting yachts. There is a Nautical Rocket Guide to Vanuatu that provides razor sharp photo charts of all of Vanuatu's islands and anchorages. Visit the Official Vanuatu Tourism Site for more information.
Vanuatu, an archipelago of approximately 83 islands is situated in the South-western Pacific Ocean, about 1,750 kilometers east of Australia and 500 kilometers northeast of New Caledonia. The Republic of Vanuatu lies between latitude 13o south and 23o south and longitude 166o east and 172o east. The total land area is approximately 14,700 square kilometers and the territorial waters cover 450,000 square kilometers. After some 74 years of joint "Condominium" rule between Britain and France, Vanuatu finally received its independence on the 30th July 1980. On December 1994, the 11 Local Government Councils were changed into 6 provinces, giving them more autonomy to decide on what is best for their people, though still under the rule of the national Government.
Passport, Visa & Embassy Information
Visitors may stay 30 days with possible extentions up to 4 months. Visas are not required from most countries: (All commonwealth countries, Belgium, Denmark, Eire, Fiji, France and its dominions, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, U.S.A.) However you must have a valid, ongoing or return airline ticket and your Passport must be valid for four months beyond your intended stay. Visit our Immigration section for more information.
People wishing to reside or invest in Vanuatu should first visit Vanuatu as a visitor and talk to the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority. This is the one-stop official source of information for anyone wishing to reside in Vanuatu - either for investment or retirement. Visit the VIPA website for more information.
Vanuatu is represented by the U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea is P.O. Box 1492, Port Moresby (tel: 675-321-1455; fax: 675-321-3423).
Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page: http://travel.state.gov. Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication series, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are on the Internet and hard copies can be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries.
U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register their travel via the State Department’s travel registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov or at the Consular section of the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country by filling out a short form and sending in a copy of their passports. This may help family members contact you in case of an emergency.
