Northbridge Baths

Do you remember my friend, Mr Competitive?  Well he surfaces again because a couple of days ago he frantically phoned and asked if the little guy and I were available for a spot of swimming. And I was highly suspicious.  Because Mr Competitive runs a swimming club and I just knew he didn’t have anything […]

Champagne Bay, Santo, Vanuatu

When tourists come to Santo, the one place they want to go is Champagne Bay. Just a 40-minute drive from Luganville it is arguably one of the prettiest beaches in the world.  It has all those ingredients everyone is looking for; warm turquoise waters, white sand, tropical fish, a coral reef, together with that feeling […]

Diving the SS President Coolidge

Espiritu Santo played an enormously significant role during WWII yet somehow it seems its role was very much swept under the rug and only now is the island becoming known for its contribution to the Allied Forces. As mentioned in my post on Million Dollar Point, Santo was the USA’s largest army base during WWII. […]

Santo Horse Adventures, Vanuatu

There’s something about seeing a brochure or an ad on TV where there are people riding horses through waist-deep water on the beach that makes you feel that would be one of the best experiences in the world. When we went to Espiritu Santo we weren’t sure if you could ride horses but we quickly […]

Port Olry, Santo, Vanuatu

There’s a road that takes you up the coast of Espiritu Santo.  It’s the main road and it was a dirt road until 2011 when it was finally tar-sealed.  At a certainly point you get to the end of the road and that ‘end’ is Port Olry. Port Olry is a French-speaking village situated on […]

Velit Bay, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu

Just a half-hour drive from Luganville is Velit Bay, a property set on 1600 acres in a horseshoe-shaped bay. From the town of Luganville you drive along the coast road for around half an hour and when you see the sign, turn off and in front of you will be one of the best views […]

Million Dollar Point, Santo, Vanuatu

It was suggested to us that while in Santo we should visit Million Dollar Point.  I thought it was just another beach and had no idea of the historical significance of the beach that at the end of WWII became known as Million Dollar Point. During World War II, Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu was the […]

Matevulu Blue Hole, Santo, Vanuatu

I just love swimming in the blue holes of Vanuatu and Matevulu is one of the best. Matevulu Blue Hole is about a 20-minute drive from Luganville.  There is a turn-off to the left off the coast road and you travel for another 5-10 minutes along part of what was in WWII, a USA airstrip, […]

Oyster Island, Santo, Vanuatu

I do love holidays where you get out and about and do some exploring.  Shane, the manager at the Beach House, told us that just 6kms up the road from Barrier Beach House is a turn-off to the right where you head down a dirt road until you come to the water’s edge.  Lying off-shore […]

Millennium Cave Tour, Santo, Vanuatu

The Millennium Cave Tour is an absolute-must for anyone visiting Espiritu Santo.  It’s an all-day tour with a pick-up from your accommodation at around 8am and you will arrive back at around 4pm.  While the cave tour does require a level of fitness, being sure-footed is invaluable. Our guide was the grandson of the chief […]