Can you really find complete and
utter luxury only two and a half
hours from Brisbane? Yes you can,
on a beach in Port Vila. If you’ve
never holidayed solo before, opt
for an out-of-the-way stay with
all the close-to-town amenities
you might need – to save on stress
and scary ‘I’m so lost’ moments.
You’ll get it at Tamanu on the
Beach, the perfect mix of beach-
side luxury and ‘real Vanuatu’.
The five-star resort, recently
reopened following its destruction
by 2015’s Cyclone Pam, is better
and more beautiful than ever.
Make yourself at home in a coral
beachfront villa – yes, the walls
are actually made of coral – where
you can step from the door onto
sun-warmed sand for a morning
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wander and yoga session. The
coconut mojito comes highly
recommended at all times of day
(because 11am is an acceptable
drinking time on holiday), best
drunk while lounging on a bean-
bag on the grass, watching locals
fish the coral reefs just off shore.
There’s a restaurant on site
for all the food you need (trust
us, you need the coconut prawns
to soak up the mojito) and you
can finish with a bottle of wine
in front of a firepit on the beach.
Total relaxation achieved?
Check out the adventure options.
Just a 20-minute drive from the
resort, Port Vila awaits. It’s worth
a walk through town to mingle
with the friendly locals – if you
ask, many of them will regale you
with stories of the beautiful
islands they grew up on. Half-day
and full-day tours are available
to show you around the township
or take you to the spectacular
tourist sites – the Blue Lagoon,
Mele Cascades Waterfall, Iarofa
Cultural Village... Or hop on
a f light to neighbouring island
Tanna to visit an active volcano
(#wanderlust at its best) – it’s
totally doable to get there and
back in a day, and the rumbles
from ash-spouting Mount Yasur
will leave you excited in a totally
nothing-suss way.
You’ll leave a long weekend
in Vanuatu feeling just refreshed
enough. The key is to not draw
it out; leave wanting more. That
way you don’t get travel weary
- you’re always looking forward
to the next long weekend. This
Euro-style thing ain’t half bad.
To hell with everyone else! Book one seat on a flight
to Port Vila for four days of utter relaxation... solo
Tourist hotspot
Port Vila is
located on
Efate, one of
Vanuatu’s
80-plus islands.
Villas at Tamanu on the
Beach start at $345 per night
- but you can get your own
plunge pool for $545. Go to
Tamanuonthebeach.com.
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