Vanuatu & Fiji Adventure – 17 days

Halo! Welcome to Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu. Your adventure begins today with a welcome meeting at 5 pm at your accommodation tonight. If you arrive with time to spare before the welcome meeting, maybe head to the heart of the city for Port Vila’s produce market and the waterfront promenade, just a short walk away. There’s also the option of hiring a sea kayak from the hotel and taking to the ocean for a true taste of the Pacific.

Today, you’ll discover some of Efate’s best spots. A 25-minute scenic drive will take you to the exclusive kayak base on the Rentapao River. Experience Vanuatu’s rainforest and village life as you paddle its safe waters for 3 hours. After a French-style lunch at the river’s edge, transfer upstream to the river cascades, a great place to swim, relax and shake off any jet lag. You’ll be back at your hotel by mid-afternoon, allowing ample time to discover more of Port Vila and choose a place for your optional dinner tonight.

It is an early morning start today for your Air Vanuatu flight to the legendary southern island of Tanna. From there, it’s a short transfer to your beachside bungalow, your home for the night. After an included local lunch, begin the first of your amazing Tanna hikes. High on a ridge overlooking the coast is the world’s largest banyan tree. Your path there will loop back through scattered villages, food gardens and rainforest – a great opportunity to meet ‘the happiest people in the world’ going about their daily lives. Hiking time may be from 1.5 to 3 hours total depending on the route taken. Arriving back at your bungalow, enjoy the sunset and maybe a cool drink at a local bar, and keep an eye out for whales that cruise along the coast from July onwards. You’ll have dinner as a group, before spending a peaceful night in your beach bungalow.

Get ready for a big day today! Start with a drive across the spine of the island to your new accommodation and a John Frum village hidden in the rainforest at the foot of a smouldering volcano. Road conditions permitting, you’ll have a short dip in the Sulphur Bay hot springs before travelling to Port Resolution, named after one of Captain Cook’s ships. After lunch, return to the foot of the volcano and hike along a rutted road to the rim of the volcano (a driving option to the crater carpark is also available for those who would prefer). Throughout the hike, you’ll feel the ground shaking and hear the volcano rumbling, and finally, as you arrive at the crater rim in the late afternoon, you’ll be amazed at the firework show that awaits. Return from the volcano in the evening for a late dinner at your beachside bungalow.

This morning you’ll head into the jungle-clad hills to a ‘kastom’ village. The community here has long rejected modern life and conserve many aspects of traditional lifestyle. Learn about traditional rites of passage along with their proud links to Prince Phillip as your leader guides you around the village. While life around them is definitely changing fast, it’s an interesting insight into a community that’s at the cusp of making decisions about their future, and how tourism can help to conserve long held practices. Have lunch at a local cafe in town and a stop at a coffee shop brewing local beans before returning to the airport for an afternoon flight back to Port Vila.

After the spectacular culture, rainforest and volcano on Tanna, today you head to a pristine tropical island, renowned for its marine conservation area. It’s a scenic drive via Efate’s west coast to the boat landing, stopping at coffee roaster along the way, followed by a short boat ride to Pele island. After a local lunch on the beach, you’ll go snorkelling (weather permitting) in the marine conservation area. Expect lots of fish, maybe the occasional turtle and plenty of hard corals and small canyons and crevasses to explore. Around sunset, take a boat over to neighbouring Nguna for a village walk before returning to Pele. There is also the option to take on a more challening 3-hour volcano walk once back on Pele. Your accommodation for the night is at beachside bungalows on Pele hosted by the village women.

This morning there’s the option for a round island walk on Pele or to head back to Nguna for a hike. The round island walk will take you along beaches and exposed reefs as well as through plantations and communities. The Nguna hike will reward you with spectacular views of the surrounding seascape. Return by boat back to Efate for lunch at a restaurant. Savour your memories as you take in the lovely views across to the islands on the drive back to Port Vila, but this time along the east coast road, meaning you also get to do a round-Efate tour. There are lots of roadside markets to explore and plenty of photo opportunities. Stop for a swim at the sublime Blue Lagoon. Arrive back at your Port Vila accommodation for your final night together in the late afternoon or early evening. Finish the trip with an optional farewell dinner, a fantastic way to finish your Vanuatu adventure.

The first half of your adventure comes to an end this morning after breakfast. Say goodbye to the people in your group leaving this morning and enjoy a free day of relaxation at your own pace. Maybe ask your tour leader about the optional Discovery Bushwalk tour to visit more villages and communities nearby, or for other recommendations on what to do tonight in Port Vila.

After breakfast, head to the airport for a flight to Fiji (not included). When you arrive at the airport, you’ll have an included airport transfer to take you to your accommodation in Nadi. After arriving on Fiji’s main island – Viti Levu – why not explore some of Nadi with your free afternoon? You might check out the colours of the Hindu temple Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami, or Nadi Temple as it’s known locally. Try the island’s fresh fruits with the usual tropical suspects (mangoes and pineapples) and some you might not recognise (pomelo, rose apple and soursop) at the Nadi or Namaka Produce Market, open Monday to Sunday.

Today is a free day in Nadi until your second welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight, where you’ll meet your local leader and group members. After, enjoy some arrival drinks and get to know the groups. After your meeting, the evening is yours to enjoy – perhaps at a beachside restaurant or in Nadi Town.

After breakfast, head south of Nadi to Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park. Here, you’ll take a 4 km ranger-guided walk through the incredible dunes, ranging in height from 20 to 60 m – mounds that have formed over millions of years. The views from the sand dunes open out to spectacular scenes along the Coral Coast. Archaeologists have found relics of pottery in the national park dating back 2600 years, and the area is home to an ancient burial site that gives clues to Fiji’s first inhabitants. After the hike, make your way to tonight’s accommodation at Pacific Harbour, where the afternoon is dedicated to chilling out by the pool or along Rovodrau Bay. Settle in ‘cause you’re on island time now!

Gear up for an incredible rafting experience in Fiji’s highlands at Upper Navua Gorge. Ride down rapids naturally carved through the island’s volcanic rock interior, surrounded by towering gorge walls, dense rainforest and dozens of waterfalls. The combination of the dipping parts of the river and biological diversity makes this Fiji’s best spot for rafting. Stop at a lunch spot along the way to get a good feel for the rainforest terrain. After, return to Pacific Harbour for another night in your beachside surroundings.

Leave the resort after breakfast and make your way to Fiji’s capital – Suva. When you arrive, you’ll have time to take an optional walk through Suva’s market and the city centre. Then, enjoy a guided visit to the Fiji Museum, which showcases the early history of the island and is home to artifacts dating back up to 3700 years. This afternoon, head to Colo-i-Suva Forest Park for a short hike to palm-fringed freshwater pools where you can take a refreshing dip. Look to the trees for local birdlife, as the park harbours many of Fiji’s endemic bird species, including barking pigeons, golden doves and musk parrots. Later, continue listening to the sounds of the rainforest at the river at your lodge accommodation, on the outskirts of the park.

This morning, drive to Nabalesere village, passing locals living traditional Fijian life along the way. This community is nestled in the province of Ra, where you’ll hear another form of greeting – instead of saying ‘Bula!’ as in other parts of the island, ‘Yadra!’ is used to say hello. When you arrive, your local guide will help the group present a sevusevu to the local village chief – this ceremonial gift is to gain acceptance into the community, often in the form of a kava root. While farming is the main source of income for many Fiji communities, partnering with the village helps to create an additional source of income. Embark on a 1.5-km hike to the breathtaking Savulelele Waterfall – one of Fiji’s most majestic waterfalls, tumbling down from a height of 50 m. After the swim, return to the village for lunch and a hot lemon leaf tea, then travel to the coast, where you’ll take a short boat transfer to Nananu-i-Ra Island to spend the night in beachside cottages.

Soak up island life on Nananu-i-Ra Island this morning – sunrise is the perfect time to relax on the beach or cool off with a swim in the South Pacific. After breakfast, strap on a snorkel and get exploring underwater with your group, looking for colourful tropical fish. Then, maybe take a walk along the island’s ridgeline for some seriously scenic views. In the afternoon, you’ll head inland to Naga village, presenting another sevusevu to be welcomed and invited in. Enjoy a stroll through the surrounding food gardens and join the locals with a communal dinner in the village. Tonight you’ll stay in the basic but comfortable village community hall.

Get your hiking shoes on and prepare for today’s 11-km trekking adventure across Fiji’s grasslands and into Nubutautau village. The journey will be broken up with lunch and a rewarding swim along the way, following the scenic Sigatoka River. Arriving later in the afternoon, you’ll spend the night in the village that sits in the heart of the island, with a scenic backdrop of small farms, grassy hills and an evergreen rainforest. Enjoy an insight into local life here and rub shoulders with the locals over a glorious sunset.

This morning, take a cultural tour of the village and learn the history of the region in the 19th century, hearing the story of missionary Rev Baker. For those who want to get more active, you can take an optional walk to a lookout point down the river. Then, continue by 4WD along the ridgeline separating two of Fiji’s major rivers – the Sigatoka and the Ba – and back down to Nadi for lunch in a local cafe. With no more activities planned after lunch, your trip will come to an end. If you would like to spend more time in Nadi, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation. Better yet, why not check out another of Fiji’s picturesque islands, like the nearby Mamanuca or Yasawa clusters.