Best short-haul holiday destinations: Port Vila, Vanuatu

Port Vila, Vanuatu

Iririki Island Resort and Spa, Port Vila.

The bottom line Three hours and 25 minutes (2470 km) from Sydney; four hours (3183 km) from Melbourne with no time difference between Sydney and Melbourne.

Why go Tiny Port Vila, with a population just over 61,000, has come of age. No longer rundown and full of burger joints frequented mostly by cruise passengers on shore excursions, the capital of Vanuatu is home to chic restaurants, bars and gourmet produce outlets.

Duration of stay Four days.

See + do Drive 10 minutes out of Port Vila to Mele Cascades (vanuatu.travel/au). Pack your swimmers because here you’ll find a series of pristine aquamarine pools terraced along a hillside as well as a 35-metre-high waterfall.

Mele Cascades, a series of pristine aquamarine pools terraced along a hillside.Credit: iStock

There’s no better city beach bar in the South Pacific than Banyan Beach Bar, where you can watch the best sunset in town. Popular with locals and visitors alike, there are also fire shows and live music.

Step inside a working chocolate factory in the heart of the CBD, that processes cocoa beans grown all over Vanuatu. Gaston Chocolat (gastonchocolat.com) offers chocolate tastings at its combined factory and cafe, including local variations such as kava chocolate.

Sample local rum at hip new distillery, 83 Islands (83islands.com). Its rums, made using the sugar cane of local farmers (whose names are written on the bottles), are winning international awards. The 83 Islands tasting room and bar overlooks the water and is worth a visit.

There’s no better city beach bar in the South Pacific than Banyan Beach Bar.Credit: Banyan Beach Bar

Eat + drink Cook the best steaks in Vanuatu on your own hot volcanic rock at Stonegrill Restaurant which overlooks the stunning harbour at Port Vila. Outside Port Vila, the locals flock to K2 Kitchen (k2vanuatu.com) for quality food. Set in a spacious garden area, it offers market-vegetable salads containing produce straight from the farm. Order one of the best breakfasts in Vanuatu among expats and locals at the trendy Coffee Tree located in the old post office building.

Stay Sleep on your own private island that’s just a three-minute ferry ride from the city at Iririki Island Resort (iririki.com), or stay in a more keenly priced four-star hotel with stunning views over the harbour in the heart of the CBD, namely the Grand Hotel and Casino (grandvanuatu.com). Ten minutes along a pristine peninsula, the Nasama Resort (nasamaresort.com) also offers good-value rooms.

Nearby Pele Island … a snorkelling gem.

Detour You don’t have to travel far from Port Vila to discover islands with few tourists, set in unique marine protection areas. Take a tour (vanuatu.travel/au) north of Port Vila to Pele Island to snorkel and learn traditions of the island. Or sail a traditional canoe powered by wind, solar and coconut oil to the Shepherd Islands.

Essentials Virgin Australia (virginaustralia.com.au) flies regularly to Vanuatu. Australian passport holders do not have to apply for a visa before travelling to Vanuatu which is hot all year round and hottest from December to February. See vanuatu.travel