FINALE AT FRANCESCA’S
Francesca is a local Italian woman with many
passions, including real estate, fine food and
wine, and Vanuatu. So ten years ago, she bought
land in Havannah Bay —when it was completely
under-developed—and set about creating her
island home. That now includes Francesca’s,
which is a busy high-end Italian restaurant and
bar jutting out above the ocean, a five-minute
drive from The Havannah. Francesca runs
cooking lessons in the restaurant’s open-plan
kitchen, and it’s rightfully become an institution
for the locals and a hotspot for tourists. Thebuilding, lovingly designed by Francesca to
mirror the shape of an outrigger canoe if looking
down from above, is as inspiring as the view. We
found ourselves gazing out at it over a long
lunch, falling ever-more in love with Vanuatu
over Pinot Gris and pizza. And then we couldn’t
leave without coming back on our last night to
drink in the sunset from the romantic vine-
covered balcony. Curled up on bright pink and
lime green beanbags on a bougainvillea-covered
deck by the water’s edge, with the sun slowly
leaning down to kiss this beautiful island nation,
we promised to take some of the island spirit
back home with us.RELAX & REJUVENATE
What to do
Vanuatu’s longest established Ni-Vanuatu tour operators: heritagetours.com.vu
Leweton Culture Village: facebook.com/LewetonCultureVillage
Lelepa Island Tours: lelepaislandtours.com
Dual Blue Eco Attraction: santobluehole.com
Francesca’s Italian Bar & Restaurant: francescas.com.vuWhere to stay
The Havannah, Vanuatu: thehavannah.com
The Barrier Beach House, Santo: barrierbeachhouse.com.auGet there
Air Vanuatu operates to and from Australia, New Zealand and points in the South Pacific.
airvanuatu.comMore information: discovervanuatu.com.au, vanuatutravel.infoFACT FILEClockwise from
top left All aboard
an outrigger canoe
at Riri Blue Hole;
Jetty dreaming at
The Havannah resort;
Snorkelling off Lelepa
Island in a UNESCO
heritage- listed reef;
Ni-Vanuatu women
during a Magical Water
Music performance.