South Pacific | Red Hunt Travel

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.

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 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.

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:

Beware of Falling Coconuts at Hideaway Island

What would you do if you were on a remote tropical island, without your luggage and without any shops to buy clothes or essentials?

Live the hut life, of course! That is what happened to me when I landed on Tanna Island in Vanuatu and the only things that made it with me were the clothes on my back and the stuff in my carry-on camera bag.

Friendly Bungalows - Tanna Island — My Hut, or Bungalow, on Tanna Island in Vanuatu

In reality I didn’t need anything else. Sure, I could have used my camera tripod to get some better photos. I could have used a change of clothes in the sweltering heat of the day too. But I was living on a beach in Vanuatu for the next few days so I didn’t let it worry me. I had my toothbrush and critical items with me, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Friendly Bungalows, Vanuatu — Living the Hut Life in Vanuatu, on Tanna Island

I had my own hammock. My own Friendly Bungalow (the name of the place I stayed at on Tanna Island) and my own beach too. I could have run around naked if I wanted to, after all that’s what all the locals did at the far end of the beach when they needed to wash up in the Pacific Ocean.

When not walking up and down the scorching black volcanic beach, I was dining on massive plates of fruit and seafood, learning how to hack open coconuts, or hiking up to Yasur Volcano for one of nature’s best fireworks shows.

My South Pacific Beach on Tanna Island. Black Sand = HOT.

The hut life was great. No wi-fi, no TV, no street lights…no stress and only one other guest staying nearby.

It was simplicity at it’s best. My beach side bungalow had been made of all local materials. A bamboo bed frame and furniture, a locally weaved hammock, an open-space coral floor bathroom and shower, a thatched roof.

My Hammock — My Beckoning Hammock with the Ocean in the Background...

This was one place where I was finally able to totally unwind, sit back and read a book – something I seem to never make time for at home…too many digital distractions I suppose?

By the time my hosts Mary and Jessel at Friendly Bungalows had tracked down my luggage at the end of day two I didn’t want or need anything I was missing, I had already adapted to the simple Melanesian island lifestyle. (My luggage was still at the airport in Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu on Efate Island.)

A Fruitful Breakfast on Tanna Island - Yellow Watermelon, Pineapple and Banana

When I left Tanna and was finally reunited with my luggage it felt more like a burden than a relief. At least I smelled a little better though!

travel writer. wildlife photographer. beer geek.

Red Hunt Travel

Tag Archives: South Pacific

Hanging out at Hideaway Island

Living the Hut Life in Vanuatu

travel writer. wildlife photographer. beer geek.