CRUISE Vanuatu: The Untouched Paradise

Sailing charters & live aboard dive boats, including airfares from Australia or the US.
Vanuatu sailing and yacht charters, scuba diving in Vanuatu and Santo, Vanuatu live aboard diving, Million Dollar Point, President Coolidge, Tanna Island volcanoes,  South Pacific Islands sailing cruises, Tallship cruises in Vanuatu, Champagne Beach Santo. Island Escape Cruises offers 6 and 13 night cruises from May to September 2013.

Discovering Vanuatu is a rare experience. It is discovering the untouched paradise of the South Pacific. A sprinkling of 83 tropical islands from volcanic beginnings, that lie peacefully in the South Pacific Ocean. Vanuatu is known for it's romantic tropical landscape, the world's most accessible volcanoes, turquoise blue ocean with unparalleled scuba diving opportunities, and crystal clear waterfalls.

The capital, Port Vila, boasts one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the world. The town offers excellent restaurants, duty free shopping, and a colourful local market.

Sometimes called the 'timeless islands', Vanuatu is a land that is never raced, never hurried, - a gentle, peaceful place where the people and visitors alike can simply take the time to enjoy just how blessed it has been by nature.

Vanuatu Cruise Options 'by the cabin'

Book now for 2013 Cruises in Vanuatu and New Zealand We offer 6 night or 13 night cruise options in Vanuatu. Vanuatu is a tropical paradise around 3 hours from both New Zealand and Australia. The Secrets of Vanuatu - 6 Nights Santo to Santo 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 Pentecost land diving. Mystery of Vanuatu -  6 Nights Santo to Santo Engage with the mysteries on the islands of Wala, Ambryn and Malakula. We visit some of the most remote and inaccessible areas in Vanuatu and share the mystery of their culture, customs and their village life. Romance of Vanuatu -  6 Nights Port Vila to Port Vila The beautiful island group where we cruise is decorated with small tropical islands; each surrounded by soft white sand beaches and coral reefs and inhabited by people for whom time is an abundant commodity....   Magical Vanuatu -  13 Nights Santo to Santo See these amazing islands of northern Vanuatu on this comprehensive 13-night Vanuatu Cruise. You will visit villages that rarely see cruise ships or western civilization. These cruises visit the world famous land divers, the enthralling rom dances and allow the opportunity of acquiring wonderful artifacts and carvings along the way Click here for more details on Vanuatu cruises

It's the perfect sailing holiday; drifting through the mysterious and romantic islands of Vanuatu. Each a tropical fringed shore, completely unspoilt. Ready for you to explore and swim the warm crystal waters.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A SAILOR......

On a sailing holiday you will discover the Islands of Vanuatu that are otherwise inaccessible.

Vanuatu holiday and travel specials - resort packages If you are not into sailing, or cruising in Vanuatu. and you are looking for a resort style holiday, be it a Honeymoon, a Couples package, Diving or a Family holiday with kids, then visit our Vanuatu holidays site. Other destinations in the Pacific where we offer resort and hotel holiday packages include: Cook Islands Fiji Hawaii Kiribati Micronesia New Caledonia Niue Island Samoa Solomon Islands Tahiti Tonga

Vanuatu airfare & pre/post cruise hotel specials

Let us package your entire holiday to Vanuatu, saving you time & money! Packages include airfares, the yacht charter or dive cruise, and any pre/post cruise hotel accommodation that you require.

Vanuatu has rich lush tropical rainforests, volcanoes, sparkling blue lagoons, cascading waterfalls and beaches that range from silky white to volcanic black. Surrounding the land is a magic sea of aqua and dark blues with a fascinating underwater world of colourful tropical fish that live amongst magnificent coral reef formations.

A tropical paradise, only three hours from Sydney, Vanuatu means 'the land that has always existed'. It is made up of 83 islands formed in a Y-shaped archipelago which stretches over some 800kms of the Pacific Ocean, half way between Australia and Hawaii.

Formerly called the New Hebrides, Vanuatu is a mecca for those who love diving. The waters surrounding these beautiful islands provide some of the most spectacular and varied underwater exploration in the South Pacific and experienced divers come from all over the world to swim amongst the WW2 wrecks which lie scattered over the seabed.

One island in Vanuatu, more than any other, attracts divers like a magnet. Espiritu Santo. The island that inspired James A. Michener to write his classic 'South Pacific'.

To visit Espiritu Santo is a fascinating experience in history alone. The World War II Dakotas and Quonset huts that are scattered in the thick tropical jungle serve as silent reminders of the American occupation of the island. This jungle is now only home to the local tribes who appear out of nowhere to sell their artefacts to visitors.

But it is the surrounding waters of Espiritu Santo that make this such an attraction. The mecca for all divers, the US President Coolidge lies fully intact just off the island and remains the most accessible wartime wreck in the world. A wreck that offers remarkable dives to all parts of the ship ranging from 60ft to 250ft.

Just a short distance away is Million Dollar Point, where the US Army dumped hundreds of tons of war surplus before they evacuated Espiritu Santo. Now you can dive down to the awesome sight of millions of 7up and Coke bottles lined up along the bottom of the sea and marvel at the myriad of tropical sea life making its home among the planes, jeeps and bulldozers. To learn more about Santo click here.

Every year, during the months of April and May, a very special cultural tradition takes place on the island of Pentecost.

It is a death-defying leap by the Pentecost village men to celebrate and bless the yam crop. Before leaping from a 30 metre tower, vines are tied to their legs which miraculously jerk them up just millimetres from the ground and certain death.

This remarkable festival is an age old ceremony, unchanged over the years, with the rituals strictly adhered to.  You can read about this incredible event and even see it on video or film but nothing can match the experience of actually being there. There is no visitor accommodation in South Pentecost so one must either fly in on a day trip or, rarely, there is an opportunity to stay overnight on a charter boat in a secluded bay. As many as 25 jumps may be performed in a day from one tower and as the height of the jumps increases (up to 35 metres) so does the tempo of the traditionally dressed men and women dancing and chanting alongside. The atmosphere is electric, the experience unforgettable.

It has been only in recent years that visitors have been invited to share the thrill of the Pentecost leap. Travel arrangements can and should be made up to six months before the dive dates.