Grand Vanuatu: Efate, Tanna, Ambrym & Espiritu Santo

Today you explore beautiful Efate, from its lagoons to its cascades and culture. You visit the stunning Blue Lagoon, a beautiful pool of clear, luminous blue water perfect for swimming, and the beautiful Mele Cascades, where you climb through lush rainforest past turquoise pools to a spectacular waterfall, swimming along the way. You also explore lively Port Vila, visiting the colourful market and the fascinating National Museum and Cultural Centre, an introduction to Vanuatu's astonishing cultural diversity, and perhaps a cultural village to see traditional dance and crafts. The beauty of Efate's lagoons and cascades and the richness of its culture are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel, having explored the natural beauty and warm culture of Efate. Relax this evening in Port Vila, savouring the flavours and warmth of Vanuatu, and rest ahead of flying to extraordinary Tanna tomorrow.

Today you fly to extraordinary Tanna, home to the roaring Mount Yasur volcano and ancient kastom culture. On arrival you transfer across the island, through lush rainforest and past traditional villages, to your accommodation near the volcano. In the late afternoon, you journey to the awesome Mount Yasur, one of the world's most accessible active volcanoes, and climb to its rim as dusk falls. There you stand before the roaring volcano and watch, feel and hear it thunder and erupt, hurling glowing molten rock and ash high into the darkening sky, an overwhelming, primal and utterly unforgettable spectacle, the ground shaking and the fountains of glowing lava lighting up the night. Awed and exhilarated, you descend in the darkness and return to your accommodation. Dine and rest, deeply moved by one of the greatest natural experiences on earth, and the anticipation of Tanna's ancient cultures ahead.

Today you immerse yourself in the extraordinary living culture of Tanna, meeting the custom people who keep ancient kastom alive. You visit a custom village, where communities maintain ancient traditional ways of life largely unchanged, living in traditional villages, wearing traditional dress, and preserving age-old customs, dances and beliefs. You meet the people, learn about their traditional way of life and beliefs, and witness traditional dances and ceremonies, a genuine and profoundly moving encounter with a living, ancient culture. You may also learn about the fascinating John Frum movement, a unique cargo cult. The warmth of the community and the authenticity of the culture are deeply moving. As the day ends, you return to your accommodation, deeply moved by the ancient living culture of Tanna. Relax this evening, reflecting on the profound culture you have experienced.

Today you explore the beautiful natural landscapes of Tanna and deepen your experience of its culture. You might walk beneath giant ancient banyan trees, bathe in natural hot springs warmed by the volcano, take in the dramatic ash plains around Mount Yasur, and relax on a beautiful, uncrowded beach. You may also visit more villages, learning about traditional life and perhaps witnessing a John Frum gathering or the spectacular Toka or Nekowiar dances if timing allows. If you wish, you can visit Mount Yasur again, seeing the volcano in a different light. The combination of stunning natural beauty and profound culture is captivating. As the day ends, you return to your accommodation, having explored the beautiful landscapes and rich culture of Tanna. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to the dark island of Ambrym, land of magic, the Rom dance and twin volcanoes.

Today you fly to Ambrym, the dark island of magic, volcanoes and extraordinary culture, one of the most fascinating and least-visited islands in Vanuatu. On arrival you transfer to your accommodation, taking in the dramatic volcanic beauty of the island. This afternoon you experience Ambrym's extraordinary cultural treasures: you witness the spectacular Rom dance, in which masked dancers, wearing towering, elaborate conical masks and thick costumes of banana leaves, perform an ancient, secret ritual dance to the beat of drums and chanting, a mesmerising, haunting and powerful spectacle, and watch master practitioners create the beautiful, intricate patterns of Vanuatu sand drawing, a UNESCO-recognised art in which designs encode stories and knowledge. The spectacle and artistry are captivating and profound. As the sun sets over the dark island, you settle into your accommodation, immersed in the mysterious, powerful atmosphere of Ambrym, deeply moved by its extraordinary culture.

Today you explore the extraordinary volcanic landscape and powerful culture of Ambrym. You take in the island's extraordinary volcanic scenery, the vast black ash plains and, in the distance, the twin active volcanoes Marum and Benbow, whose glowing lava lakes are among the most dramatic on earth (a full trek to the rim is a strenuous multi-day expedition, arranged separately for the adventurous). You visit traditional villages, meeting warm, proud custom communities, learning about the powerful kastom and magic for which Ambrym is famed, and seeing the island's renowned carving, tam-tam slit drums and crafts. The combination of dramatic volcanic landscape and profound culture is captivating. As the sun sets over the dark island for the last time, you enjoy a final Ambrym evening, reflecting on the extraordinary culture and landscape you have experienced. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to the dazzling beaches and luminous blue holes of Espiritu Santo.

Today you fly to Espiritu Santo, the largest and one of the most beautiful islands in Vanuatu, famous for its dazzling beaches, luminous blue holes and world-famous wrecks. On arrival you transfer to your accommodation and, taking in the lush beauty of the island, journey to the world-famous Champagne Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches on earth, a perfect crescent of dazzling, soft white sand lapped by impossibly clear, warm turquoise water and framed by lush greenery, blissfully uncrowded. There you swim and relax on the perfect sand, soaking up the breathtaking beauty of the beach and the warm, clear water. You might also visit the equally beautiful Port Olry nearby. The beauty of Santo's beaches is extraordinary, a glorious contrast to the volcanoes and culture of the previous days. As the sun sets, you settle into your accommodation, savouring the dazzling beauty of Espiritu Santo. Rest well, ready to explore the blue holes and famous wreck tomorrow.

Today you explore the extraordinary crystal-clear blue holes of Espiritu Santo, among the most beautiful natural wonders in the Pacific. You journey to blue holes such as the Nanda (Jackie's), Riri or Matevulu, pools of impossibly clear, luminous turquoise-blue freshwater welling up amid the lush jungle, so clear you seem to float on air, magical for swimming. You swim in the cool, crystal-clear water, perhaps swinging in on a rope from the trees, and soak up the extraordinary beauty and tranquillity of these unique natural wonders, surrounded by rainforest, some reached by a scenic paddle along a jungle river. The beauty of the blue holes is breathtaking and unlike anywhere else. As the day ends, you return to your accommodation, having swum in the magical blue holes of Santo. Relax this evening, savouring the extraordinary beauty of Espiritu Santo, and rest ahead of exploring the famous Coolidge wreck tomorrow.

Today you explore the world-famous SS President Coolidge and the beautiful beaches of Espiritu Santo. The Coolidge, a huge Second World War troopship, sank here in 1942 and now lies just off the shore, one of the world's greatest and most accessible wreck dives; snorkellers can glimpse parts of the vast wreck near the surface, while nearby Million Dollar Point, where the US military dumped vast quantities of equipment at war's end, offers fascinating snorkelling over jeeps, cranes and machinery encrusted with coral. You also relax on beautiful beaches, snorkel over vibrant reefs teeming with turtles and colourful fish, and soak up the beauty and history of the island. As the sun sets over Santo for the last time, you enjoy a final island evening, reflecting on the extraordinary grand journey you have made across the four islands of Vanuatu. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly back to Efate for departure.

This morning you bid a fond farewell to beautiful Espiritu Santo and fly back to Efate, reflecting on the extraordinary grand journey you have made across four islands. On arrival you transfer to your Port Vila hotel, with the rest of the day free to relax and explore the capital. You might visit the colourful Port Vila market and waterfront, relax on a beautiful beach, snorkel over the reef at Hideaway Island, or do some souvenir shopping for ni-Vanuatu masks, carvings and handicrafts, reflecting on the extraordinary islands you have experienced. As the sun sets over Port Vila, you enjoy a relaxed final dinner, savouring the flavours and warmth of Vanuatu and celebrating the grand journey you have made, across the lagoons of Efate, the volcanoes and cultures of Tanna and Ambrym, and the dazzling beaches and blue holes of Santo. The memories stay vivid. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow, carrying home the definitive experience of extraordinary Vanuatu.

After a final morning in Port Vila, perhaps a last stroll along the waterfront or some final souvenir shopping, you are transferred to Bauerfield Airport for your onward international departure. You leave having truly experienced Vanuatu in full, across four extraordinary islands, the lagoons and culture of Efate, the roaring Mount Yasur and ancient kastom of Tanna, the spectacular Rom dance and twin volcanoes of Ambrym, and the dazzling beaches, luminous blue holes and world-famous wrecks of Espiritu Santo, all wrapped in the famous warmth of ni-Vanuatu culture. The images stay vivid long after you land, the roaring volcanoes against the night sky, the custom villages, the towering masked Rom dancers, the dazzling white beaches, the luminous blue holes, the vast wreck, and the warm ni-Vanuatu smiles. Vanuatu, one of the most extraordinary and adventurous countries in the Pacific, offers wonders in abundance, and having experienced it in full, across four islands, you depart with the definitive experience of this remarkable country, already dreaming of a return.