Top Things to do in Efate
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Top 10 Things to do in Efate, Vanuatu
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. Mele Cascades
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,973 reviews
Mele Cascades Waterfalls is one of Efate's most popular natural attractions. Only 20 minutes drive out of town, a visit can be completed in just over two hours. There are bathroom facilities available , sitting area, a small cafe and bar on site for purchase of food and drinks. The area is local owned and run by locals. Revenue generated help pay wages for local employees, maintenance and upkeep of the area,community development for surrounding villages and sponsorship of social activities, most especially soccer development programs for youth. Note: Efate is currently experiencing severe El Nino and the once picturesque attraction has very low water levels. This is also causing drastic water supply shortage to villages and its people. To close the business would mean loss of income for many.
Reviewed By JenBeynon - Melbourne, Australia
We visited the Mele Cascades when we had a hire car for the day. Easy to find, entry fee is reasonable and as it was quiet Jason one of the staff was able to show us around, take photos and also made several things for the kids from the surrounding vegetation which they loved. He also showed us the Hideaway Island look out which branches off from the main path to the left on the way up (not signposted). Beautiful falls and wish we could have stayed longer and made more of a day of it.
2. Ekasup Village
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 393 reviews
Reviewed By shanem45 - Toowoomba, Australia
Had a great time at Ekasup Village. I have been to Port Vila many times but had never been here as I was expecting the usual tacky tourist trap type of place. However, my wife and I were here this time with her parents and we thought that they would enjoy it so we took them never expecting to enjoy it ourselves. However, we were pleasantly surprised. Our tour guide, C4 (not spelt correctly but he did say it was pronounced like the explosive :-) ) was fantastic. A great command of the English language and a very funny speaker. He made the visit very enjoyable. More than that though, while the village itself is an actual 500 strong village with modern facilities like a church and a school etc. the area where they do the tour is set out in the style of before European arrival and some of the villagers dress up and act out the life of a villager in those times. For example, they ambushed us from the jungle with traditional weapons before the chief welcomes us into the village and we then learnt about traditional hunting, cooking and handicraft as well as general village life. It certainly was well worth the price of admission. We learnt a bit and had fun doing it. Would take others there again who hadn’t been to Vanuatu before as a great way to learn about their culture.
3. Blue Lagoon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 846 reviews
Reviewed By donnalop
A short drive from Port Vila a visit to the Blue Lagoon is a must.A swim in the lagoon &relax in the beautiful surrounds makes a visit well worth it.Sun lounges by the lagoon to enjoy the tranquillity after a swim. Lots of tables &chairs for if you want to take your own picnic.Best to arrive early before the crowds,we were lucky enough to be the only ones there for an hour before visitors came.Beautiful & well maintained.
4. Eton Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 52 reviews
Reviewed By iiivs - Sydney, Australia
This beach is beautiful! The water is crystal clear and it was a nice tepid temperature when we visited in Jan 2020. We visited with a tour booked through our hotel, with Yumi Tours and Intimate Tours - our tour guides Oliver and Freddy were phenomenal and shared a lot of information about the beach and its surrounds. It helps to visit with a local guide, as you’ll learn a lot about the neighbouring villages and the beach itself. Wear ocean shoes or strapped sandals if you can - the small rocks on the shoreline are quite rough and sharp. There were small black volcanic rocks floating atop the water when we visited; this bothered some, but really, was not a big deal. There are small roofed “stalls” on the shore - these are perfect for a sit down lunch, whilst looking out onto the water. We visited whilst a cruise ship was NOT in town ... we therefore had the whole beach to ourselves and our little tour group. A beautiful spot in Vanuatu, showcasing the country’s natural splendour and the best of Mother Nature.
5. 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.
6. 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 ❤️
7. Rarru Cascades
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 159 reviews
Reviewed By BekB146 - Brisbane, Australia
We hired a taxi and did a day trip involving the cascades, the turtle bay sanctuary and Blue Lagoon. The Rarru cascades were easily our favourite part of the day. We were lucky with some heavy rain in the days prior resulting in beautiful clear running water which was pristine to swim in. Loads of fun jumping from landings and rope swings. Inflatable tubes to float along in. Looked like something out of a rainforest dream!
8. Underwater Post Office
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 519 reviews
The world’s only underwater post office lets you buy a waterproof postcard on land, fill it out and dive into the ocean to mail it, and you don't even need diving experience.
Reviewed By Deborahgamble
Hubby went snorkeling , beautiful clear waters , he posted a couple of post cards, beautiful place to relax , grab a feed from Island shop... people were friendly. Would recommend this beautiful Island for a day trip or even book accomodation.
9. 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.
