Vanuatu Hideaway Island

November 2018

If you want a fantastic snorkeling experience then Hideaway Island is a must do attraction when you are visiting Port Vila. Located around 15 minutes from town it is a great place to spend a day swimming, snorkelling, diving or just relaxing.

Located just off the beautiful Mele beach its just a short boat ride out to the island. When you arrive on the island you need to pay an entry fee of 2000vt (A$24) per adult and 1000vt (A$12)per child 3-12.

The island is located on a marine sanctuary surrounded by a coral reef with hundreds of colorful fish. The beach is coral - you need reef shoes or thongs - and it can be hard to get the flippers on sitting on the hard coral. Once you are in the water it's a great place to snorkel - especially for beginners and kids - with a couple of platforms just off the shore and shallow water out to where the reef drops off. There are fish everywhere and some fish food or bread will ensure you are swimming with wall to wall fish.

Flippers and snorkels are available for hire - but it's always a better option to take your own if you have them. An underwater camera is a must if you want some shots of the colorful fish and coral.

There's a bar and beachfront restaurant with a good choice of food and drinks, plenty of tables with shade areas and plenty of sun lounges.

There's a gift shop thats seen better days and an underwater post office that one day used to look like the shot in the brochure but not any more. You can buy a waterproof postcard and dive down to the underwater post box to mail it.

You're looking at around 1000Vt ($12) in a van or taxi from town. Don't go on a ship day if you can help it but if you are visiting for the day off a ship it's a good place to spend the day although expect plenty of others with the same plan.

There is also accommodation available on the island with one bedroom villas and bungalows, a luxurious villa and shared accommodation.