Vanuatu (previously known as the New Hebrides Islands) is an archipelago nation consisting of 83 islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, north of New Zealand and east of Australia.

The British and French who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980. European settlers released several saltwater crocodiles on the island, although today’s population on the island officially stands at 2 or 3 medium-sized individuals on the Banks Islands and no breeding has been observed. Despite its proximity to Papua New Guinea, crocodiles do not naturally occur on Vanuatu.

The climate is tropical, and almost always warm, with temperatures in the 20s and 30s celsius. The wet season runs from November to April, and can be very rainy and humid. Cyclones may occur from December to April.

HOW TO REACH

By boat – Vanuatu’s main ports are Port-Vila on the island of Efate and Luganville on the island of Espiritu Santo.

The Pacific and Orient (P&O) Cruise lines operate regular cruises through Vanuatu waters.

Tallship Soren Larsen, sails from Fiji to Port Vila and Santo and explores the northern Banks Islands once a year. 2008: Sails from Lautoka to Yasawa island then Vanuatu – 18 nights from 31 Aug-18 Sept.

Subsequent 11 night cruises explore the Banks Islands, then the isolated islands of central Vanuatu, depart from Port Vila via Tanna island to New Caledonia on 19 Oct

By plane – The main international airport is located in Port-Vila with flights to and from:

Australia – Brisbane – Air Vanuatu (Qantas code share and Pacific Blue

Sydney – Air Vanuatu (Qantas code share)

Melbourne – Air Vanuatu

New Zealand – Auckland – Air Vanuatu and Air New Zealand

Fiji – Nadi – Air Vanuatu and Air Pacific

New Caledonia – Nouméa – Air Vanuatu and Aircalin

Singapore – Singapore Airlines

Solomon Islands – Solomon Airlines

Direct flights from both Sydney and Brisbane to Luganville with Air Vanuatu

STAY SAFE

Port Vila is, on the whole, a very safe and friendly environment. You are unlikely to encounter any trouble unless you do something extremely provocative.

There are no seriously poisonous snakes, spiders, or insects on Vanuatu, however there are various poisonous aquatic animals that you should beware of if you are swimming, snorkeling, or diving in the area. The most dangerous of these is the stonefish. Saltwater crocodiles are present, so the likelihood of an attack is minimal.

The South Pacific has the popular holiday destinations of Fiji, Tahiti, Vanuato, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga and Easter Island. These islands have palm-fringed beaches, tropical forests, cascading waterfalls and rugged volcanic peaks. There is some great self catering holiday home accommodation available to rent on these islands.
The islands of Fiji and Tahiti in the South Pacific are very popular with couples looking for a relaxing romantic holiday. They can rent some fabulous holiday villas with swimming pools right next to a beautiful white sandy beach on Fiji and Tahiti. Holiday home accommodation in Fiji and Tahiti enable holiday makers to explore the islands and have complete independence. When visiting these beautiful places they may try their hand at snorkelling around the coral reefs.
Vanuata and Samoa are also popular with holiday makers looking for a beach holiday. They are home to some fabulous white sandy beaches and offer water sports lovers the opportunity to swim and scuba dive in the warm clear water. It is possible to rent self catering holiday apartments and holiday villas in Vanuata and Samoa. Many of the villas are right next to the beach and you can wake up in the morning and walk straight out of your holiday home accommodation onto the beach.
Tonga and the Easter Islands are also in the South Pacific and are regarded by many holiday makers as their idea of a tropical island paradise. Many tourists come here on their vacations and spend their time relaxing on the clean white sandy beaches and top up their sun tans.
The islands in the South Pacific are a great holiday destination for holiday makers to go and have a totally relaxing holiday. You are assured of a warm and friendly welcome from the locals and many tourists like to sample the local food. By staying in a holiday villa or self catering apartment in Tahiti, Fiji or any other of the islands in the South Pacific enables you to sample the local culture. You can eat out at many of the small local restaurants or you can choose to take food back to your holiday home and cook it yourself.
The coral reefs off these islands in the South Pacific are home to a great number of species of tropical fish. You can either snorkel amongst these reefs or scuba dive and experience the true splendour of the marine life. Many holiday makers come back year after year to these beautiful islands as they are captivated by all that they have to offer.
The islands offer some great night life and many tourists join in with the local songs and dances. There is also the opportunity to sample the local food with fish being the main staple diet of the area. As well as a good choice of small family run restaurants there are usually barbecues held on the beaches most evenings.
These islands in the South Pacific are a real tropical holiday island paradise. They have great weather, clean sandy beaches and a warm inviting sea to swim in. They are an ideal destination for a relaxing beach holiday and there is a great choice of holiday villas and self catering holiday apartments to rent during your stay in paradise.

New Zealand is a beautiful country with a diverse geography. There are glaciers, mountains and even volcanoes which make up the landscape of the islands of New Zealand. The beautiful mountains are almost always topped with snow caps accentuating the beauty of the rivers and lakes of this region of the world.

New Zealand also boasts a diverse culture with both indigenous and immigrant population. There are cities which thrive in the New Zealand Northern Island and small communities which lay off of the beaten paths on the smaller New Zealand islands.

There are plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy in New Zealand. You can take advantage of the wonderful natural scenery and go on a guided tour of the mountains or glaciers or you can kayak the beautiful rivers of the area watching for the wildlife.

New Zealand is the home for many varieties of whales, dolphins and a vast selection of interesting birds. Typically, you will want someone to show you where to see these wonderful animals although you can venture out on your own if you so wish. Cave diving is an especially popular sport for those who are looking for a new means of adventure. You can have a guide teach you the basics and then experience the adventure for yourself in a short period of time.

Once you have explored the natural beauty of New Zealand you may want to venture into the cities of Auckland and Wellington for shopping, dining and partake of their various cultural events.

New Zealand is home to several large cities including Auckland. Here you will find museums and shopping malls along with all of the great traditional food of New Zealand. Maori culture is also shown in exhibits located in the local museums of Auckland and featuring an abundance of ancient artifacts and modern information on the lifestyle of the Maori.

Auckland offers traditional entertainment as well and includes casinos and sightseeing tours of the area. If you wish to see all of Auckland in one trip then you will definitely want to visit Sky City. Sky City is an enormous glass tower which overlooks the entire city.

If you want to experience the natural beauty of New Zealand without all of the hassle then you may choose to visit one of the smaller islands. Stewart Island is a pristine picture of New Zealand forests at their prime. The island is mostly undeveloped and is the home of the famous New Zealand bird the kiwi.

You can sit back and enjoy the aurora australis on this small island making it the perfect spot for a camping adventure in New Zealand.