MEMBERS' ACTIVITIES

Scuba Diving

Renowned for the most accessible shipwreck, available as a shore dive, in the world, the 200 metre long SS President Coolidge is an amazing aquatic adventure and museum.

There are many dives available on the wreck from easy beginner’s adventures to the very serious deep, penetration dives using both tri-mix and nitrox.

The waters surrounding our islands also have spectacular reef diving and more wrecks, the USS Tucker, an American destroyer, Million Dollar Point, location of American war surplus dumped into the ocean, MV Dedele plus many stunning coral reefs and exotic fish life.

Trekking

Visit the Vatthe and Loru Conservation areas for great walking and easy trekking. Orchids, butterflies, huge banyan trees and astonishing rainforest ecology. Vatthe has camping facilities and a fabulous black sand beach.

A memorial to Pedro Quirres, the first European to discover Vanuatu in 1606, is located on the beach near Vatthe Conservation area.

A new venture now has 3 to 5 night treks into the mountainous rainforest of the west coast. Stay in villages that few non-indigenous people have visited, live the simple, unsophisticated existence of the bush people.

Kayaking

Many Resorts have sit on kayaks for fun travel around the shores of Segond Channel and exploring our pristine rivers.

The staff of our hotels and resorts can give you information and contacts for these remarkable adventures.

Custom Life

Espiritu Santo’s ni-Vanautu (of Vanuatu) tour operators can take you too many remote villages where life is still very fundamental.

See custom colourful dress, primitive lifestyle, abundant gardens.

Get caught up with the rhythm of the dancers and the sound of ancient drums beating.

Watch the ladies preparing, dying and weaving their incredible clothes, mats and baskets.

Join the men in the preparation and drinking our traditional drink – kava. Watch and listen as they recount their ancient folklore and draw their legends in the sand.

Your Hotel or Resort staff can give you information and contacts for these remarkable adventures.

Caves

Visit the majestic Millennium Cave.

A medium to hard trek to the village then an incredible journey to the cave where the fun begins.

Bamboo ladders and walkways, dark caves, stunning stalactites and deep canyons make this a 'must do' for the adventuresome visitor to Espiritu Santo. Finish the trek by floating down a river to a beautiful waterfall.

Snorkelling

Snorkel at Million Dollar Point where the Americans dumped massive amounts of war surplus in 1945.

Bulldozers, forklifts, shipwrecks – it has the lot including great corals and fish life.

Go snorkelling with the divers if you don’t scuba dive, if there’s room on the boats you’re always welcome to visit the pristine reefs.

Fishing

Espiritu Santo has fantastic game and reef fishing available with fast, safe boats to get you to where the action is.

Tuna, Marlin, Wahoo, giant Travelly are a few of the species caught in our amazing waters.

Most of our fishing is tag and release.

Some ni-Vanautu fishermen are happy to take you out to catch the illusive Poulet (chicken) fish. Living at depths of 200-300 metres they are amazing served lightly grilled with a good garlic sauce.

Horse Riding

Enjoy the spectacular scenery of Belmol Horse Paradise from pony rides to full day trekking; experience the peace and tranquility of the South Santo seashore, rainforest and Vanuatu's largest coconut and cattle plantation?

WW2

James Michener wrote Tales of the South Pacific while stationed on Espiritu Santo and Pappy Boyington joined up with the Black Sheep Squadron operating from the island.

Bomber missions operated from one of the three bomber fields through much of the war but the major fronts moved north, away from Vanuatu and the focus switched to maintenance and repair as well as a base for strategic command.

Espiritu Santo was a supply base and this meant that there was always plenty of good food and warm beer. Bloody Mary was a real person and a hero of the enlisted men. She supplied local women and cheap booze for Yankee dollars. She was Tonkinese and lived in Luganville until the 1990's.

The importance of the base during the war can still be seen in the infrastructure that is left behind. Many buildings and facilities built during the war are still used today. The aircraft pictured were parked at Bomber 2 airfield, used today as Espiritu Santo's Pekoa international airport.

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