When I went to Vanuatu, I had one island that I really wanted to visit: Tanna Island.
Tanna is home to the world’s most accessible volcano and my time living in a little beach side hut there was perfectly relaxing. Only two things disturbed my peace on that island – the burning black volcanic sand and the sonic boom explosions of Yasur Volcano. To get there, you have to fly into the main island of Vanuatu, Efate.
Efate is where the international airport arrivals land. This island, along with Espiritu Santo are the two main island in this archipelago of 83 islands. Most visitors coming to a resort will hang out at either of these islands, and if you want to spend a bit of time around Efate Island and the capital Port Vila, there are plenty of hotels and resorts around. One of the most interesting ones is called Hideaway Island.
The Hideaway Island Welcome Sign
It’s on the outskirts of town, so you need to take a short taxi / truck ride to get there. The islanders are friendly, so finding someone to give you a ride, real taxi or not, is pretty easy. Then it’s a quick 10-minute ferry crossing to Hideaway Island and your own little piece of paradise.
Palm trees and beaches await, as does the beach bar and – most interestingly – the world’s first underwater post office!
View from above the Underwater Post Office at Hideaway Island
How cool is that?
I chose to stay at the Hideaway Island Resort & Sanctuary after my time on Tanna Island, because I was on a budget and they offer cheaper dorm type rooms in addition to their nice private bungalows. It proved to be a great choice as I was the only person in my 4-bed dorm room! I spent my time relaxing on the beach and snorkeling around the island, where you’ll see plenty of tropical fish.
Attempting to dive down to the underwater post office barrel is a heck of a challenge too. You can actually buy waterproof postcards to ‘mail’ yourself when they have a diver working down there to receive your postcards. Considering that back on Tanna Island there was a Volcano Post post office, I thought it was neat visiting these two odd post offices on my visit.
A murky photo of the underwater post office. Nobody home right now…
If you get hungry or thirsty, the food at Hideaway Island will do the job, but I decided to head into town. Between the ferry, walk and taxi it takes around 30 minutes to go back and forth. In town there are some fruit markets or plenty of tourist restaurants to choose from. I spent most of my meal time at the waterfront bar and restaurant at Anchor Inn as it is one of the better beer places in town, serving Vanuatu Tusker and Vanuatu Bitter beers.
The Ferry and Boat Dock at Hideaway Island
After heading back to Hideaway Island at night, there was always some kind of lively activity happening at the island bar. Whether it was live music or drinks specials, the people staying at the island resort were a fun bunch to hang out with. Definitely a fun place to stay if you’re looking for something a little different from your usual hotel stay.
If you do make it to Hideaway Island in Vanautu…just watch out for:
It wasn’t something I planned, but somehow my travels have often included a relaxing stop at some small, obscure or hard to get to island.
Not sure why, perhaps the attraction is that you can’t walk or drive to these destinations. There are no crowds. Sometimes no cars. To me, an island escape has extra appeal as they offer isolation and (sometimes) a bit of mystery.
When you’re on an island, time tends to slow down, sunsets seem brighter, beers are colder and smiles more plentiful. In no real order, here are some of my most memorable islands. Don’t want to read? Then just skip to the image gallery at the end of the article!
Easter Island, Chile (Rapa Nui)
Base yourself in Hanga Roa, the only real town on the island. From there you can venture to dozens of sites where the famous rock statues, called Moai, are found. There are crater lakes, caves and beaches to explore. I took the hiking trail from town up to the sacred site of Orongo and only crossed paths with two other people over the course of five hours.
Madagascar
The world’s fourth largest island stands out on this list as a destination that is much larger and, in some ways, better developed than the others. Yet, once you get off the main highway, you quickly get lost in the natural marvels of this island. Cities like Antanananrivo and Fianarantsoa have their allure, however it is the unique flora and fauna that make this island so special. Hiking to the top of a mountain range in Andringitra, lemur-spotting in Isalo, exploring the wild Tsingy and listening to the Ranomafana rainforest come alive at night were just a few of the highlights I enjoyed here – all without any crowds. Be sure to try the Zebu, tasty animals!
I was here during the events of 9/11 and didn’t hear about it until four days later. How’s that for isolation?
Ilha Grande, Brazil
This is undoubtedly the most backpacker-friendly island on the list. Not far from Rio de Janeiro, Ilha Grande is a destination for both tourists from afar and cariocas from Rio. Essentially the entire island is a protected park. The main town of Abraão offers a beach strip lined with restaurants and cheap drink offers, while the rest of the island has a much quieter vibe.
Hiking trails to remote beaches, waterfalls and lookouts criss cross the island, allowing you to find a spot where you’ll be surrounded by monkeys and parrots instead of other travellers. Looking for dolphins in the distance at Lopes Mendes beach is a great way to spend a day.
‘Picnic Island’, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives
For pure simplicity and beauty, this island takes the cake. With no more than a small shelter in a stand of trees and a few wooden lounges, you are almost forced to slow things down and just chill out for awhile. If you need to stretch your legs, you can walk around the entire island in about 20 minutes. The soft, bleached-white sandy beaches gradually give way to the beautiful turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.
Strap on some fins and a snorkel to walk out into a underwater wonderland. Nothing to do except enjoy the view. Pure bliss.
Deception Island, Antarctica
A volcanic caldera near Antarctica? You bet. This island was one of the first places I ever saw penguins in the wild! Complete with old whaling ruins and volcanic heated water (perfect for a swim in Antarctica). If you ever do venture this far south, chances are you’ll stop at Deception Island. It is one of the most popular stops for Antarctic cruises, and lies in the South Shetland islands, just off the coast of Antarctica.
The best bonus? Fur Seals and Gentoo Penguins out number humans here and they’re all on standby waiting to welcome you to their shore.
Fish Island, Bolivia (Incahuasi)
Exploring the salt flats in Bolivia is one of those travel experiences that makes you wonder if you’ve ventured into another world. Flat, white salt for as far as you can see is only met by the piercing blue sky. Your depth perception plays tricks on you. Underneath the salty crust is a massive lake, and somewhere – out there – is Incahuasi.
Often called Fish Island, it’s near the edge of the Bolivian salt flats and spikes up out of the lake, sprouting cacti and even a museum. The perfect place to stop for a llama steak lunch and regain some perspective. This is also where most people venture out onto the salt flats to take some silly travel pictures.
Ometepe Island, Nicaragua
In the middle of Lake Nicaragua, two volcanoes formed this island. Odd birds, fireflies and rough roads are what you can expect here. The attraction? Isolation of course! Plus the options to go horseback riding, hike to a waterfall, go swimming, kayaking or perhaps climb a volcano.
The islanders here are different than the rest of Nicaragua too. It’s like a country within a country and the rickety ferry ride from the mainland makes the journey even more memorable.
Tanna Island, Vanuatu
Depending on weather and road conditions, the 20+ km ride from the airport to the northern end of the island can take 1-2 hours. The concept of time is different here, mostly revolving around sunrise, sunset and the arrival of flights from other islands on Vanuatu. The main town on the island includes no big shops or grocery stores. People buy their fuel from random shacks around the island – not gas stations. Entertainment on the island is watching cars get stuck in mud or chewing on kava.
There are a couple of fancy resorts here, not far from the airport, but the real attraction of the island is Yasur Volcano – the world’s most accessible volcano. Accessible being a relative term, as it’s not the easiest island to get to. But once you’re here…the volcano is all yours. Small, family-run bungalows are the preferred accommodation closer to the volcano. Think thatched roof, coral floor, steps from the beach type of places.
Isabela Island, Galapagos
The beauty of Isabela is that it is rarely visited on the popular boat and yacht cruises, partly because of how far it is from the islands of Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. While there is an airport, almost everyone takes a fast boat ferry to get here. With chances of spotting whales or dolphins along the way, it is a fun experience just getting here as long as you’re not prone to seasickness.
What makes Isabela stand out from all the other islands I visited in the Galapagos is that you have freedom to wander around on your own. Puerto Villamil seems almost deserted compared to Puerto Ayora. On Isabela you’re free to go swimming or snorkelling with marine iguanas, take a stroll along the beach, mingle and eat with locals, hike to the wall of tears or lovers beach, take a horse ride to Sierra Negro volcano – or just relax in a hammock.
You get a more in depth Galapagos experience when you wander around Isabela and see what day-to-day life is like for the people who live here. A great contrast to the standard cruise options.
Moai at Rano Raraku Crater on Easter Island
Zebu Herding near Isalo on the island of Madagascar
Enjoying the surf at Lopes Mendes Beach, Ilha Grande, Brazil
