First Timer’s Guide to Vanuatu – essentials
Whether you’re travelling solo, with family, friends or your better half, our ‘first timers series’ has the perfect list of things to point you in the right direction. At the end of the day, we want you to be EXCITED about your trip to our island paradise – not stressed!
Here’s the fourth in our series – Vanuatu essentials!
Vanuatu Essentials
Some of the stuff you should know when planning your Vanuatu Holiday.
Currency
In Vanuatu we have ‘Vatu’ (Vt or VUV). You can exchange your currency here at the resort and we also have two ATM machines in the foyer. If you need cash upon your arrival, there are currency exchange booths at the airport. At the time of writing 1 Australian Dollar is buying 77 VUV, 1 New Zealand Dollar is buying 72 VUV and 1 USD is buying 115 VUV.
Getting around Vanuatu
Taxi – We have reputable taxi drivers at the front of the resort every day. Talk to our team about how much to expect to pay for a trip and they will guide you on a fair price. A taxi is marked with a ‘T’ plate, whereas a bus is marked with a ‘B’ plate.
Walking – It’s fine to wander around Port Vila by foot; but be sure to carry water, (it’s hot out there) and avoid walking around after dark as not all roads have street lights.
Car Hire – If you’d like to drive yourself, then parking at the Resort is free. We recommend getting in touch with our friends at World Car Rentals who have a range of vehicles available to suit you and your passengers.
Private Tour – This can be arranged through our Resort Hub team and is an option we suggest for families or those wanting to really adopt the island ways and just go with the flow.
Airport Transfers
We get asked about airport transfer options all the time, so here is the low down.
There are a few ways to make your way from the airport to the Resort and vice versa. You can arrange a public transfer, private transfer or get a taxi.
The transfer service is provided by our third party provider, Evergreen, and we can arrange this for you.
Return Transfer Price is:
- VT 3,000 per person
- VT 2,000 per child [3-12yrs]
- Free of Charge for Kids under 3yrs (no car seats provided).
Private Transfer Price is:
- VT14,300 Private Transfer
Please note that prices are subject to change.
Taxis are always outside the airport terminal entrance at the fixed price of VT2000 from the airport to the Resort. Regardless of your time of arrival, there will always be a taxi available.
Please email us at reservations.vanuatu@ihg.com to let us know if you would like to proceed with booking a transfer, as well as your arrival and departure flight details. We will book accordingly and reply with confirmation.
Safety in Vanuatu
The people of Vanuatu are some of the friendliest, most obliging and caring people you will ever meet – but, as you will find when traveling anywhere in the world, there is always a small percentage of people who don’t have your best intentions in mind. For that reason, we suggest you talk to our team if you have any questions and never walk alone after dark.
Water
The water at the Resort is fine for consumption from the tap; however, we do have bottled water available for purchase and suggest you purchase your water when heading outside of the resort enjoying activities.
If you have any additional questions that we haven’t covered here, please get in touch and we’ll assist any way we can. Simply email the team at reservations.vanuatu@ihg.com.
