Top Things to do in Efate
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6 Nature & Wildlife Areas in Efate That You Shouldn't Miss
It was the site of three international versions of "Survivor," but time spent on Efate is anything but a struggle. Part of the island nation of Vanuatu, Efate is a tropical former territory of Britain and France, whose influences are still present in the island’s culture and cuisine. The capital city of Port Vila is a mosaic of restaurants, shops and museums, as well as the point of origin for many SCUBA, jet ski and parasailing excursions. Don’t miss the spectacular freshwater falls of Mele Cascades.
Restaurants in Efate
1. Eden on the River
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 196 reviews
Reviewed By gosnm - Mallacoota, Australia
We loved Eden on the River as it was our kind of really relaxing afternoon. The gardens are well designed and maintained, and have little signs that tell you about the plants. The owner, Carolyn (Appologies if mis-spelt) also showed us around her veggie / fruit garden which we were really interested in. This was much more informative than the garden tour with the guide was. Many of the home grown fruit and veggies end up on the menu in the cafe - including the white Kumala which they use for hot chips. I’m not a usual kumara / sweet potato fan, but these were AMAZING chips, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and more potato flavoured than the orange varieties. The cafe also serves Tanna coffee in a plunger for 2 - lovely :) The river is stunning and has beautiful big clear pools. We borrowed 2 of the tire tubes and had loads of fun just floating around in the pools and sliding down the little cascades. It’s shady so nice and cool, and very relaxing... I reckon we spent over an hour just swimming. We actually went to Eden on the River with the intention to play mini-golf but ended up doing the ‘bridge walk and garden walk’ instead as it looked interesting on the brochure. I can appreciate that for children, and people who haven’t done much in the way of adventure activities the bridge would be exciting. But for us we took less than 20 minutes to do the walk and cross the bridge - if we’d seen it first we would have stuck with the self-tour and mini-golf idea. The fruit platter after the tour was nice touch. If we went again we’d just pay the 1000vt entrance fee each and enjoy the gardens / river without the tours... and then pay to play the mini-golf. In saying that though, the value for our money was in the owners who, when we told them how much we’d paid to get a bus out (1000vt for 2) they told us it was too much. So at the end of the work day they drove us back to the road with some of the staff and got one of the young staff members to help us get a bus for - costing us only 200vt each back to Vila. Overall a really relaxing day, but would suggest people do the river walk for themselves first (included in the entrance fee) and have a look and decide if the bridges will excite you.
2. Rentapao Riverside
3. The Reef Vanuatu Zoological
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 185 reviews
Vanutu zoological is a wildlife conservation and education centre. Lots photos opportunities, hand feeding bady turtles and seeing some of vanuatu amazing and rare animals. We hope all our guests leave with a new appreciation for the animals that we all share our environment with.
Reviewed By Larvonne - Brisbane, Australia
First stop to this amazing little place. Great interaction with staff. The owner (Australian) even came out to talk about his goals and how he has expanded the shore line for the turtles. The time, effort and money you can see that he has dedicated to taking in hatchlings and giving them a safe environment to thrive before being released. A great way to start out to give these gorgeous creatures a fighting chance. Would definitely go back again. Thank you for the amazing experience ❤️
4. Hideaway Island Marine Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,893 reviews
Reviewed By Ricksdiveschool - Port Macquarie, Australia
My daughter and I spend a terrific day Free-diving the reefs of Hideaway Island and lounging around enjoying the view.
5. Rainbow Parrot Nature Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 8 reviews
TEMPORARILY CLOSED - WELCOME TO THE PARK! Our purpose is to connect people with Vanuatu’s beautiful, exotic plants and animals. Get up close and personal with animals that most visitors never see! Come walk through our 800 square meter aviary among more than 30 species of Vanuatu’s exotic wildlife. Don't rush; be prepared to spend 30-60 minutes in the park. Look big, look small, look up and down, and you will have a wonderful experience with nature.
Reviewed By pigwhat
We came here on our last day in Vanuatu and loved it! its a wonderful showcase of the different native plants and animals. The plant have cards with write ups about what each plant is and its uses ect. we really liked seeing what the plants where used for. The birds are beautiful, I particularly liked the little ground dwelling one that ran very fast, and getting to hold some starfish was pretty fun. its only been open 7 months and its already amazing, so I can imagine its only going to get better and better as they ass more birds and animals. we would highly recommend this experience to everyone!
