Vanuatu holidays

Vanuatu is the South Pacific's most-adventurous archipelago — 80 islands stretching 1,200km north-south, with one of the world's most-accessible active volcanoes (Mount Yasur on Tanna Island, which you can hike to the rim of and watch lava bombs ejecting from the crater overnight), the Pentecost Island land-diving ritual (each April-June, the origin of bungee jumping, where men dive headfirst from 30m wooden towers with only forest vines to break their fall — one of the world's most-anthropologically-distinctive traditions), the WWII-era US-military wreck-dive coast at Espiritu Santo (the SS President Coolidge is the world's most-accessible large-ship wreck for divers), and kastom (custom) villages on Tanna and Malekula where pre-colonial traditions remain largely intact.

A 8-12 day Vanuatu trip: Port Vila on Efate Island (3 nights — the capital's harbour, Mele Cascades waterfall, Hideaway Island snorkelling, the cultural village at Ekasup) → fly to Tanna Island (2-3 nights — Mount Yasur active volcano hike and overnight at the rim viewpoint, Yakel kastom village, Port Resolution beach) → fly to Espiritu Santo (3-4 nights — Luganville town, the SS President Coolidge wreck-dive for certified divers, Million Dollar Point WWII military dumping ground, Champagne Beach with its perfect white sand, the Blue Hole inland freshwater cenotes, the Vanuatu Cattle Project) → optional Pentecost Island for the land-diving April-June only. Inter-island travel is by Air Vanuatu small aircraft (essential — boats take many hours or days between islands).