Trip to Vanuatu: Day 1

Vacationing on an island has always been something of a dream of my dear hubby. Booking the tickets and arranging the accommodation were done on a spur-of-the-moment decision. We were to be off to a whole new country, the enchanting pacific island country of Vanuatu.

The flight was at noon but we set off as early as six in the morning by the trains to beat the traffic. We were a little too early (a trait that runs in both of our genes) and we let the vacationing mood sink in. It was fun to be at the airport again-watching people of different ethnicities, kids insisting on handling their suitcases, everyone watching the board or their watch, the arrival of different airline crews, with their colourful uniforms and wondering how lovely it must be to  fly all over the world everyday. Sigh.

We boarded our flight to Port Vila where we had a transit of an hour. I enjoy flying most of the time but hate take-offs and landings. We reached Port Vila in about three hours of starting from Sydney. The airport of Port Vila was rather small and the transit section had about six shops of souvenirs and food. We passed the hour looking at the various souvenirs. The weather was quite humid and was making me wish I had not worn jeans.

Since the flight time to Espiritu Santo was forty-five minutes, we were expecting to be flown in a small plane. But we boarded a plane that was just as big as the one we arrived in. I childishly asked the airhostess if this was indeed the flight to Santo just to make sure we weren't being flown back to Sydney. A new set of passengers boarded the plane in Santo as the same plane was being flown to Brisbane. The airport in Santo was even smaller than that of Port Vila. We completed the immigration checks in no time at all.
                                   

Alighting at Port Vila Airport

First look at Espiritu Santo

Exiting the airport, we were greeted by Calvin, one of the managers at the Barrier Beach House. The resort provides a complimentary pick up and drop to the airport. Calvin was extremely friendly on the drive to the resort and talked about the island passionately. I was very surprised to see that the car had a left side steering wheel and was being driven on the right side of the road. I was expecting the opposite as this was supposed to be a French colony. Calvin explained that during the WW2 the French and the Americans had occupied the island and the cars were mostly imported from the US.

The roads were well kept and single-laned. We saw a lot of dense green forests and very tall coconut trees on both sides of the road. Almost every local we saw had a smile when they saw us and waved at Calvin. They seemed really friendly. Calvin told us jokingly that when he first arrived on the island he was intimidated by the locals at first as everyone, including children had machetes in their hands. Apparently they were used for cutting coconuts and other odd jobs. There was a port on the way to the resort and in a few days, it would have a huge cruise ship coming along, bringing about 200 people with it.

The Barrier Beach House was about a half hour drive from the airport. At the entrance, we were introduced to Julie, the other manager. The resort was located next to the beach with just six cabins and twelve people at maximum capacity. It was very peaceful and quite. The breeze was cool and the water tempting us to jump in immediately. The resort also housed a restaurant and they were very accommodative to our vegetarian needs, they even had a special menu just for vegetarians. This thrilled me to no end as I had been a little worried about finding food. Julie told us that the water on the beach was always warm. They had cycles, kayaks, snorkelling masks and paddle-boats available for guests' use at all times.

Cabin from the beach

View from restaurant

Our cabin was made of wood and faced the beach which could be seen through the windows. The water was the shade of blue I had only seen in movies before. The soft waves of the sea could be heard from every part of the cabin and had a calming effect. The cabin was well equipped with towels, toiletries and modern plumbing. The staff had decorated the room with huge hibiscus flowers which grew with ease on this sub tropical land. Everything was perfect. Absolutely beautiful.

View from room through the windows

Bed decorated with Hibiscus flowers

Our cabin was the last in the row of this resort. It was quiet isolated and private. Steps leading down to the beach from the platform outside our cabin took us to the two beach recliners set in the sand facing the waters. We spent many an hour watching the sea and reading from out here.

Restaurant from the beach

As dinner time approached, we refreshed ourselves and got the dining area. The staff were all locals and extremely friendly. Julie and Calvin went around all the tables talking and making us feel at home. The tables too faced the sea and the gushing air was very relaxing. The food served was so delicious and aromatic, that we gobbled it up in no time. The day had been good. We were already looking forward to the adventures to be had in the next 4 days and with this thought we hit the sack, listening to the soft waves and breeze of the night.