Highlights of Vanuatu: Efate, Tanna & Espiritu Santo

Today you explore beautiful Efate, from its lagoons to its cascades and villages. You might visit the stunning Blue Lagoon, a beautiful pool of clear, luminous blue water perfect for swimming and rope-swinging, and the beautiful Mele Cascades, where you climb through lush rainforest past a series of turquoise pools to a spectacular waterfall, swimming in the cool, clear pools along the way. You also explore the island's lush interior, beautiful beaches and traditional villages, learning about ni-Vanuatu culture and daily life, and perhaps visiting a cultural village to see traditional dance, music and customs. The beauty of Efate's lagoons, cascades and lush landscapes is 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.

Today you explore lively Port Vila and the culture of Efate at a relaxed pace. You visit the colourful Port Vila market, a wonderful window into ni-Vanuatu life, piled high with tropical produce, flowers and handicrafts, and the pretty harbour and waterfront, with its French-influenced cafes and shops. You might visit the National Museum, with its fascinating collection of kastom artefacts, sand drawings and cultural treasures, and the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, learning about the extraordinary living cultures of the islands. You could also relax on a beautiful beach, snorkel over the reef at Hideaway Island, or take a lagoon cruise, soaking up the beauty and warmth of Efate. As the day ends, you return to your hotel. Relax this evening in Port Vila, savouring the beauty and warmth of Vanuatu, and rest ahead of flying to Tanna and its roaring volcano tomorrow.

Today you fly to Tanna, one of the most extraordinary islands in the Pacific, home to the roaring Mount Yasur volcano and ancient living 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 explosions booming as fountains of glowing lava light up the night. Awed and exhilarated, you descend in the darkness and return to your accommodation, the memory of the roaring, glowing volcano vivid in your mind. Dine and rest, deeply moved by one of the greatest natural experiences on earth.

Today you experience 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, beliefs and customs, including the fascinating John Frum cargo cult, and, perhaps, witness a traditional dance or ceremony, a genuine and profoundly moving encounter with a living, ancient culture. You also explore more of beautiful Tanna, perhaps its lush rainforest, giant banyan trees, hot springs, coffee plantations and beautiful beaches. The authenticity and cultural richness are extraordinary. As the day ends, you return to your accommodation, deeply moved by the ancient living culture of Tanna. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to the dazzling beaches and blue holes of Espiritu Santo.

Today you fly to Espiritu Santo, the largest island in Vanuatu, famous for its dazzling beaches, crystal-clear 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, so beautiful it seems almost unreal. 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, blissfully uncrowded. The beauty of Santo's beaches is extraordinary. As the sun sets, you settle into your accommodation, savouring the dazzling beauty of Espiritu Santo. Rest well, ready to explore the crystal-clear blue holes and famous wrecks 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 a blue hole such as the Nanda (Jackie's) or Riri blue hole, a pool 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. You might visit more than one blue hole, each more beautiful than the last, and take in the lush beauty of the island's interior. 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.

Today you explore the world-famous SS President Coolidge wreck and the beautiful beaches and reefs of Espiritu Santo. The Coolidge, a huge Second World War luxury-liner-turned-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 colourful fish and coral, 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 journey you have made across the three spectacular islands. 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 journey you have made across the three most spectacular islands of Vanuatu. On arrival, depending on your flight time, you may have a little time to relax in Port Vila or pick up last souvenirs, ni-Vanuatu handicrafts, carvings and woven crafts, before being transferred to Bauerfield Airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced the very best of Vanuatu, the lagoons and culture of Efate, the roaring, glowing Mount Yasur and ancient kastom of Tanna, and the dazzling beaches, crystal-clear blue holes and famous wrecks of Espiritu Santo. The images stay vivid long after you land, the roaring volcano against the night sky, the custom villages, the dazzling white sands of Champagne Beach, the luminous blue holes and the warm ni-Vanuatu smiles. Vanuatu, one of the most extraordinary and adventurous corners of the Pacific, offers wonders in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to these extraordinary islands.