Later we fit in a tour of Leweton Culture
Village, where we are treated to a traditional
cooking demonstration, a mouth-numbing
kava ceremony, and meetings with locals
dressed in traditional garb made from local
plants. Their painted coconut hats are a
funny sight; the shaggy strands of coconut
fibre are splayed around their heads like
Worzel-Gummidge-style wigs. The women of
the village also entertain us with their
‘Magical Water Music’, where women and
girls make music by hitting and splashing
water to the beat of music created by the
men and boys. It’s quite the spectacle and the
happiness emanating from the group as they
perform is contagious.
After returning back to our beautiful Barrier
Beach House, we spend another day and
night in a place that already feels like home,
Calvin and Julie spending time with us on
their sprawling verandah on the beach. After
nightfall, we lay back on the air beds, under
the trees by the ocean, sipping on a glass of
wine while the moon shines through the
jungle and silhouettes the islands before us.
The gentle lapping of the ocean is the only
music we need.
HEAVEN AT HAVANNAH BAY
Within a couple of hours, you can be
whisked from the jungles of Espiritu Santo
to the busy but endearing Port Vila, which is
the capital of Vanuatu. However, if what you
need is relaxation and rejuvenation, then a
half-hour transfer up one of the windiest
roads on Efate will have you entering the
wonderful world of The Havannah Vanuatu
— a 4.5-star resort with seventeen villas on a
magical headland at Havannah Bay. Here,
seclusion, indulgence and barefoot luxury
are the name of the game.
In a deluxe waterfront villa, order some
champagne and chill out on an air bed
perfectly placed in a 7-metre private infinity
pool overlooking Vanuatu’s neighbouring
islands and pure blue sea vistas. Film crews
couldn’t have whipped up a better view. The
suites have an enormous internal living
space, plus a 20 square-metre outdoor
bathroom, and decks with a BBQ pergola
and lounge pergola.With every step further into this open-plan
oasis you’ll fall more under its spell. It’s a
masterpiece of tranquil designer niches
combined with fine food (dine under the
stars on a jetty above the ocean or ask to be
set up on the beach) and wine, that will lull
you into something that is wholeheartedly
embraced in Vanuatu: island time. Which
basically means, forget about your watch —
time isn’t relevant and it’s best to simply live
in the moment.The water sports hut has all guests need for
diving, snorkelling, fishing, kayaking, stand-up
paddle boarding and or sailing — however if
you want to explore another island only a
15-minute boat-ride away, embark on a Lelepa
Island Tour. The tour includes a barbecued
lunch, a bushwalk taking in a cave, some
lessons in local plants used for medicine, and
relaxing on deserted beaches. But save your
GoPro for the return run, as the boat stops at a
UNESCO World Heritage Site and the diving
and snorkelling here is mind-blowingly
awesome. The crew throw some feed out for
the fish and you literally jump into a cave-
riddled area where there are millions of sea
creatures out to impress. It’s one of the best
dives sites in the region, and most people turn
into prunes or end up burnt, as they don’t want
to leave the water for fear of missing out.RELAX & REJUVENATEFast fact
The name of Vanuatu,
from two local words
meaning ‘home’ and
‘stand’ was adopted upon
independence in 1980.Left page, top
to bottom
Flip beach comes with
its own swing; Some
Ni-Vanuatu children
perform a traditional
dance.
This page
Champagne breakfast
on pristine
Champagne Beach.