Vanuatu
When
April to Oct
Price
From 3 000€ excl. flights
(based on 2 people sharing)
How long
5 nights
Ideal length
Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu's largest island, served as a major rear base for American forces during the Pacific War, an episode that inspired the novel and then the musical South Pacific by James Michener. The island today retains the rusting remnants of this military occupation, turquoise freshwater sinkholes nestled in the jungle called blue holes, as well as the wreck of the SS President Coolidge, a luxury liner converted into a troop carrier and sunk in 1942, now one of the largest accessible wreck-diving sites in the world.
The blue holes of Espiritu Santo, the best known being Nanda and Matevulu, are natural freshwater sinkholes formed in limestone rock, fed by underground rivers that give them a striking turquoise colour and near-perfect clarity. Surrounded by dense jungle and the roots of giant trees plunging directly into the water, these natural pools, some over fifteen metres deep, offer a unique swimming setting far from any tourist infrastructure.
The SS President Coolidge, a luxury liner converted into a troop transport during the Second World War, accidentally struck two mines laid by American forces themselves in 1942 and sank within an hour off Luganville, with no casualties thanks to the discipline of the evacuation. The wreck, over two hundred metres long and lying at shallow depth, remains accessible to divers of all levels and still holds jeeps, helmets, and intact military equipment, making it one of the largest accessible wreck-diving sites in the world.
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A Beachfront Lodge in Luganville
A simple beachfront lodge near Luganville, an on-site dive centre for exploring the SS President Coolidge wreck, rooms overlooking Segond Channel.
Bungalows near the Blue Holes
Simple bungalows nestled in the jungle near the Matevulu and Nanda blue holes, run by a local family, cuisine made from produce from the neighbouring farm.
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