Description

Espiritu Santo and it’s nearby islands have Vanuatu’s tallest mountains, the South Pacific’s most delicious beef, the world’s most beautiful beach and arguably some of the world’s most primitive villages. Plus you visit the world famous Pentecost land diving. We will show you these amazing islands of northern Vanuatu on this comprehensive 6-night Vanuatu Adventure Cruise onboard the “Island Passage”. You will visit villages that rarely see cruise ships or western civilization and take home memorable and fun experiences of your cruise and of the wonderful Ni-Vanuatu people. These cruises visit the world famous land diving each Friday morning. A live show not to be missed.

Inclusions

​Included in Your Cruise Price 

• En-suite accommodations – all outside staterooms 
• All included shore excursions as described Onboard professional cruise leader 
• Use of all tenders, kayaks, snorkel and fishing gear 
• All onboard chef-prepared cuisine Complimentary coffee, tea, juices, water or soft drinks 
• All port charges, taxes, fees and onboard services Fishing is available on a casual basis

We operate one tender (4-6 guests) with a guide for approximately 2 hours on fishing days.

Other Information

Duration

• Secrets of Vanuatu – 6 Nights Espiritu Santo to Espiritu Santo – May – June

Departure

• ​Please click on Prices and Dates tab.

 
Vanuatu – Area Information
A living island paradise “lost in time”

Vanuatu – shrouded in lush, tropical jungle…adorned with breath-taking waterfalls… overshadowed by awe-inspiring volcanoes…and surrounded by some of the most pristine tropical seas on earth – a tiny, but beautiful, corner of the world that has been so thankfully ‘lost in time’ forever. Boasting exotic cultures and a colourful history that has enriched the lives of its people for centuries; Vanuatu is surely one of nature’s greatest gifts. 
Tales of the South Pacific

While Pulitzer-winning novelist James Michener was stationed in Vanuatu during WWII, he travelled from island to island learning about local culture and hearing stories from the people. Michener developed an idea for a book of short stories and spent his nights tapping it out on an old typewriter, using the backs of letters, old envelopes and official Navy stationery. Tales of the South Pacific, which later became the musical South Pacific, was published in 1947.

Weather
Vanuatu is located between 13 and 17 degrees south of the equator. There are two main seasons being the wet and the dry. We operate in the dry season, which runs from April to November, which is well outside the seasonal cyclone season. Daily temperature average is around 28oC (82oF) however this can drop to 24oC (75oF) in July and August.
What to wear

The onboard dress code for the islands is very casual indeed. Usually shorts and tee shirts are perfect for most occasions. A light sweater may be required in the evenings when the trade winds are blowing and smart casual for evening meals.
Land diving on Pentecost

Pentecost Island is famous for an ages-old ritual called the naghol or land- diving, which inspired the extreme sport of bungy jumping. Between May and June every year, men in the southern part of the island jump from tall towers (around 20 to 30 metres high) with vines tied to their feet. The stretchy vines bring their leap to a sudden stop, just inches from the ground. The ritual has two purposes – to ensure a good yam harvest and to mark the passage of boys to manhood. Land diving was first given international exposure when David Attenborough and a BBC crew filmed the ritual during the 1950s. Island Passage visits Pentecost on selected trips during the short land-diving season, so that guests can view this extraordinary spectacle.
Food from heaven

Provisioning Island Passage involves visiting local markets and growers to get the very best of Vanuatu’s local produce. As you can imagine, our menu features lots of tropical fruit and fresh seafood. You can also look forward to local Santo beef – so good, it’s exported to Japan.
Hooked on fishing

Think big when you’re fishing in Vanuatu. Towing a lure from our fishing tender, you can hope for a catch of dogtooth tuna, yellow fin tuna, wahoo, mahi mahi or GT (giant trevally). From a purely scenic perspective, you might also encounter flying fish, sailfish, dolphins and pilot whales.
Climate

The warm southeast trade winds prevail over the islands of Vanuatu. Island Passage calls Vanuatu her home from May to September each year. Average daily temperature is 27°C. The sea temperature is usually in the mid 20s, making swimming enjoyable all year round.
Budgeting For Those “Little extras”

The activities outlined in our itinerary are included in the pricing. For the various options available we suggest you budget approximately 6,000 VT for the week (approximately A$80 / NZ$100) for handicrafts offered by the local villages (payable in Vatu directly to the villagers).