Please note that each departure requires a minimum of four participants in order to confirm. Do not make travel arrangements until you receive confirmation from Aspiring Adventures.
Private departures are available with two or more participants. Additional costs may apply for private departures. Please contact our Adventures Team to explore pricing and availability.
There are many international airlines with scheduled departures to Bauerfield International Airport in Port Vila, Vanuatu (the capital city). This trip starts on the island of Espiritu Santo and finishes in Port Vila, so you need to fly from Port Vila to Santo-Pekoa International Airport on Espiritu Santo to start the trip (flight is approximately one hour). From here it’s a 15 minute drive to the Beachfront Resort where the trip starts. Airport transfers are not included in the trip, however you can request them (for an additional fee). Please contact our Adventures Team for more information.
Pricing is based on a shared room (double occupancy) accommodations. Throughout the trip you'll be staying in comfortable, breezy beach-resort bungalows of upper three-star level.
As a solo traveler, you can choose between paying a single supplement for your own room, or requesting to share with someone of the same gender. If there is no one to share a room with, you’ll need to pay just half the single supplement fee and will be given your own room. Please contact our Adventures Team to explore pricing and availability.
All meals are included from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 7.
Food is one of the highlights of any trip to Vanuatu – and you'll eat in a range of places, from local holes-in-the-wall to fancy 5-star restaurants, to give you a taste of it all. The cuisine of Vanuatu (aelan kakae) incorporates fish, root vegetables such as taro and yams, fruits, and vegetables. Papayas, pineapples, mangoes, plantains, and sweet potatoes are abundant through much of the year. Coconut milk and cream are used to flavor many dishes. Most food is cooked using hot stones or through boiling and steaming - very little food is fried.
Group size ranges from 2-12 travelers.
Everything is included in the trip (except two meals if you choose to book the diving option), so it all depends on how many souvenirs you want to buy. About $250 should be enough to cover souvenirs, tips, and perhaps a few drinks.
Upon booking, you'll be provided with a detailed clothing and equipment list to guide you in your packing.
Vanuatu is awesome all-year-round. There are two seasons: from April to November it is drier and temperate and from December to March it hot, wet, and humid.
This is an outdoorsy but very relaxed trip. There is some hiking and paddling, and unlimited swimming and snorkeling opportunities, all of which can be taken at your own pace. This trip is suitable for all fitness levels and no special training is required.
Yes! The itinerary on Days 3-5 can be swapped out for a scuba diving expedition or a multi-day hike. These options could also be added to the beginning of your trip. There is also an option to complete an open water dive certification before the trip. Additional fees may apply. Please contact our Adventures Team to explore pricing and check availability. See below for details on each option:
Three Day Scuba Diving the SS President Coolidge
Diving in Vanuatu is some of the best in the world, and Luganville is the best of all. The coral is gorgeous, and the water temperature is an incredibly warm 80-85°F. Add in calm water year-round and visibility of 65-100 feet, and these are likely the best diving conditions you’ve ever experienced! Considered by many to be the best wreck dive in the world, the SS President Coolidge was a luxury passenger liner converted to a troop carrier during WWII. While entering the Santo harbor in October 1942 she struck friendly mines and sank in less than 90 minutes. The ship now sits on the sea floor almost completely intact. It’s eerie and fascinating to swim through her numerous holds and decks, gazing at guns, cannons, jeeps, helmets, trucks, and personal supplies left by some of the soldiers, as well as the beautiful porcelain statue of “The Lady,” chandeliers, and a mosaic tile fountain. The wreck is covered in coral and is home to plenty of sea life, including turtles, barracuda, lionfish, and a host of reef fish. Resting in 65-230 feet of water, the Coolidge is 656 feet long and you could easily do 20-plus dives and still not see everything!
On the first day, you'll meet with your diving guides after breakfast to go through your gear and briefings for your five dives over the next three days. Aspiring Adventures has teamed up with local dive operators who have an impeccable safety record and excellent gear (you are also welcome to bring as much of your own dive gear as you wish). There is a wide variety of dives available, and the first dive will always be an easy one in case you’re out of practice. Today, for instance, you may take an initial dive over the SS President Coolidge, and also dive Million Dollar Point, a unique dive site where hundreds of tons of U.S. equipment was dumped after World War II ended. It’s a veritable metal graveyard from bulldozers and aero engines to trucks and jeeps.
A number of specific dives have been created to fully appreciate the grandeur of this wreck – Promenade Deck, Engine Room, Medical Supplies, Swimming Pool, and of course “The Lady”. And on day 2 you'll experience two of these dives today.
On the third and final day of diving, you’ll likely have the chance to explore “the Lady” when you’re more comfortable with the depths. At a depth of 130 feet "the Lady" is one of the most famous wreck dives in the world. After swimming through the first class dining saloon you'll visit the ceramic figure of the lady and her unicorn. On this dive you'll also swim through the first class lobby, library, and continental lounge to see the beautiful Italian mosaic fountain, porthole skylights, and brass mushroom-shaped ceiling lights. You'll do just one dive in the morning today, to give you the required 12-18-hour gap between diving and flying tomorrow. Chill at the resort in the afternoon, or wander around Luganville. Later you'll meet up with the rest of the group.
Three Day Hiking Traditional Villages
Day 1: Hike to Tabunbotari Village - After breakfast at the resort, you'll take a 4WD to Namoru, the small village on the south coast where your hike begins. You'll follow the Wylapa River deep into the jungle, passing coconut plantations and small villages where locals will be keen to say hello! At a huge banyan tree high on a slope, with awesome views of the jungle and islands beyond, you'll stop for some fresh coconut before descending to the village of Tabunbotari, where you'll arrive around mid-afternoon. Here you'll stay in a traditional nakamal (community bungalow). There’s plenty of time to relax and look around while your guide makes kae kae (dinner) by candlelight!
Day 2: Marakai Kastom Village - This morning you'll hike to the isolated village of Marakai, deep in the Espiritu Santo jungle. Marakai doesn’t often receive visitors, and when you arrive, there’ll be a big song and dance – literally! This afternoon you have time to explore the village and surrounding jungle, and spend time with these amazing, friendly people. You'll go for a swim in the nearby river, and for those interested, partake in a kava ceremony – you can even help the men prepare a fresh batch if you wish! The people of Marakai choose to live an age-old traditional life following ancestral rules and customs. For example, boys from the age of about 12 go through a series of initiations including the famous naghol (land-dive) that was the inspiration for bungee jumping. If there’s room, one of the chiefs will offer to sleep in the nakamal (guest hut) with us, to help protect us from any unfriendly spirits. This is a day in another world, and one you will always remember.
Day 3: Hike to Fimele Village and return to Luganville - The entire village will gather together this morning after breakfast to sing our farewell, a deeply moving experience. You'll then hike back down through the jungle to Fimele Village, where you'll take a 4WD back to Luganville to meet up with the rest of the group. It’s a long, muddy day with a perfect ending back at your beachside resort!
We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance for all trips. Travel insurance allows you to seek reimbursement if you are forced to cancel your trip for unforeseeable reasons, or if you need to cover medical help, emergency transport, and/or theft or accidental damage while traveling. For travel insurance, we recommend VisitorsCoverage.
We recommend you visit the local government websites where you plan to travel and review the required documentation for entry, current restrictions, and general recommendations for travel within the area. We encourage you to also visit your home country's embassy website if you are traveling to a foreign country. Requirements can change rapidly. Please be sure you stay abreast of the requirements and restrictions for anywhere you plan to visit. You can also enroll in the U.S. government’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and you will be sent updates if the situation in your destination changes. You can find the program link at https://step.state.gov/.
Yes! Book confidently with Free Cancellations within 72 hours of booking. After 72 hours, cancellation fees will apply.
New For 2021 Departures: We’re providing more flexible booking options on this trip.
If there are travel restrictions precluding you from entering the country or the operator is forced to cancel due to local restrictions the following policies will apply:
Up to 30 days prior to departure*
You may postpone or modify your trip up to 30 days prior to departure with no fees or penalties.
You will have the option to:
1) Select a new travel date within two years of your original departure date, or
2) Select a new adventure or destination, or
3) Receive 100% lifetime store credit toward a future trip.
*Please note, when choosing a new date, you must choose a date within the same travel season in 2022 or 2023 to avoid any additional trip costs. If you select a new adventure, you will be responsible for the difference of any additional trip costs above the value of your current trip.
If there are no travel restrictions in place, the following policies will apply:
Up to 60 days prior to departure*
You may postpone or modify your trip up to 60 days prior to departure with no fees or penalties.
You will have the option to:
1) Select a new travel date within two years of your original departure date, or
2) Select a new adventure or destination, or
3) Receive 100% lifetime store credit toward a future trip.
*Please note, when choosing a new date, you must choose a date within the same travel season in 2022 or 2023 to avoid any additional trip costs. If you select a new adventure, you will be responsible for the difference of any additional trip costs above the value of your current trip.
For more information on our Travel Cancellation Policy please Click Here.
