Dive the turquoise waters off Espiritu Santo
Snorkelling, kayaking and canyoning await at Espiritu Santo, the largest island of Vanuatu.
1. Fly: Air Vanuatu to Espiritu Santo from Port Vila or directly from Brisbane. It is the largest and most adventurous island of Vanuatu's 80 islands with spectacular wreck diving, canyoning down deep sided gorges, kayaking along rainforest lined rivers and snorkelling off pristine beaches
2. Stay: Barrier Beach House, out of the capital, Luganville, in one of the spacious floor to ceiling louvered fares in the most beautiful, protected sea side. Dine in at this gracious boutique guest house run by welcoming hosts, Julie and Calvin, on local Santo organic beef and fresh seafood. Snorkel on the sheltered reef outside your fare and see clownfish amongst the coral and fluoro schools of tropical fish.
3. Drive: Take a taxi or hire a car and drive past coconut, coffee and sandalwood plantations, to stunning Port Olry (you must pay the chief upon entering) for crab at the cafe on the spectacular beach. Stop off for a swim at the clear waters of the inland Nanda Blue Hole and the astonishing Champagne Beach, with its soft white sand and turquoise waters, a favourite with the cruise liners.
4. Float: Book a tour to bob down the milky blue waters through gorges to the cascades of the Mount Hope Waterfall. It is a gentle ride for all ages and you walk out through the jungle. For more strenuous canyoning visit the Millennium Caves in the centre of the island.
5. Dive: The SS President Coolidge is one of the world's best coral encrusted wrecks resting in 20 to 60 metres of clear tropical water. The 200 metre long luxury passenger liner was converted to a troop carrier during WW II and hit two friendly land mines. More than 100,000 US troops were based on Espiritu Santo from 1942 and their equipment dumped at Million Dollar Bay is another famous snorkelling site.
Related: Get the best deal on travel insurance, travel cards and travel SIMs
Get stories like this in our newsletters.
