Captured Travel Vanuatu is so much more than just a tropical island destination. The simple truth is that adventure, in its many forms, is what Vanuatu does best. Vanuatu is a raw experience.
It is a land of untouched wilderness, pristine oceans and rugged beauty – here’s five adventures to get you started:
Mount Yasur
It’s the anticipation of the moment that adds to its significance. The journey to Mt Yasur feels like a pilgrimage – an internal flight, followed by a four-wheel drive adventure through the jungle onto the ash plain… where you get that first sense of being in another place entirely. Walking through a barren landscape, where smoke vents through the earth and the volcano rumbles ominously, is just a precursor to what follows once you reach the summit. Dare to look over the rim into the belly of the beast and you’ll see lava smashing into the rocks like a sea in a storm. And then it happens. An assault on the senses. The incredible, deafening boom that makes the earth shake under your feet, followed by the smell of sulphur as ash rains down from the heavens. Welcome to the greatest firework show on Earth.
Culture & Kastom
Sometimes you have to step outside your comfort zone to appreciate it’s where you’d rather be. Because life is a far richer experience when you take the time to live it from a different perspective. The Ni-Vanuatu way of life helps you see the world through fresh eyes. Built on generations of storytelling, mysticism and a deep connection with nature, it’s less focused on material things and more on living in the moment.
Blue Holes
Plunge into one of Vanuatu’s crystal-clear, fresh water, blue holes. The east coast of Espiritu Santo boasts more blue holes than anywhere else in the world, including one of the most spectacular, Nanda, which can be found hidden amongst Santo’s lush rainforest. Fresh mountain water gets filtered through a network of limestone caves and gathers in these deep pools of luminous blue. Where you find a blue hole, you’ll normally find a banyan tree with a rope swing attached.
Giant Banyan Tree
Tucked away on the rugged island of Tanna, lies one of Vanuatu’s most breathtaking natural wonders – the Giant Banyan Tree. Though, it’s the journey getting there that’s half the fun. After a twisting, bumpy drive passing by untouched wilderness and tiny local villages, where travellers are greeted with a warm Ni-Vanuatu smile, take the quick, steep descent on foot, to what is said to be one of the largest banyan trees in the world. Ancient and impossibly vast, Vanuatu’s Giant Banyan Tree has visitors marvelling at its sheer size and lush greenery.
Blue Cave
Take a deep breath and dive below the surface to emerge in Tanna Islands’ incredible Blue Cave. With almost no freshwater run-off, the volcanic island’s Blue Cave boasts crystal clear waters and a breathtaking aquatic landscape. A bucket list experience and only accessible by boat, the cave is lit by a single shaft of light, illuminating the colourful coral and impossibly blue water.
