Where to Stay
Find your perfect accommodation in Vanuatu
The bungalow sits three meters from the water. A ceiling fan moves the warm air. Outside, the lagoon is the color of a swimming pool. You put on a mask and fall backward off a small dock — below, a field of coral and a sea turtle moving slowly toward the reef. Back on the porch, a Vanuatu Bitter arrives without you asking. This is what accommodation in Vanuatu actually looks like.
Vanuatu’s accommodation divides by island and budget. Port Vila on Efate has the widest range — international brand hotels, boutique resorts, guesthouses, and serviced apartments within easy reach of restaurants and the market. Santo has a handful of excellent dive-focused resorts in Luganville. Tanna is simpler — small lodges close to the volcano and village homestays for those who want to go deeper. The outer islands are basic: bungalows with cold showers, generators that cut at ten, and skies full of stars.
Budget travelers are well served in Port Vila — guesthouses and small hotels around 5,000 VUV to 10,000 VUV per night give you a clean base and easy access to everything. The mid-range sweet spot is the lagoon resorts on Efate, where beachfront bungalows with private terraces start around 20,000 VUV. Santo’s dive resorts are excellent value for certified divers — dive packages bring the per-dive cost down significantly.
📍 Best Places to Stay in Vanuatu
Vanuatu’s three main islands offer very different stays. Port Vila concentrates the most options and best logistics. Santo is for divers and beach-lovers who want to escape the capital. Tanna is a one-reason destination: the volcano. Choose your base based on what you came to see.
Choose Your Stay Style
Private island resort or a village bungalow near the volcano. Dive lodge on Santo or a guesthouse in Port Vila. Every style of traveler finds a home in Vanuatu.
Hotels & Resorts
Luxury to budget, all in one place
→Apartments & Homes
More space, local experience
→Hostels & Budget
Social stays, wallet-friendly
→Alternative Stays
Search platforms for free or cheap stays
↓🔄 Alternative Stays — Travel Differently
Save money, stay longer, and experience local culture. These are links to platforms where you can search if these options are available in Vanuatu. Availability varies by country — use the links below to check what’s offered here.
🏠 House Sitting
Stay for free in exchange for caring for someone’s home and pets. Perfect for slow travelers and longer stays.
🏡 Home Swaps
Exchange your home with someone else’s. No money changes hands — just swap locations.
🌾 Work Exchange
Work 20–25 hours per week in exchange for free accommodation and often meals. Farms, resorts, eco-projects.
💰 Money-Saving Tips
- Dive packages are cheaper per dive: Santo dive resorts offer multi-day packages that reduce the per-dive cost of the SS President Coolidge significantly versus paying per dive
- Tanna lodges include meals and volcano transport: Factoring this in, a Tanna lodge can be better value than it first appears — most include the return transfer to Mt Yasur
- Book Port Vila guesthouses directly: Smaller guesthouses often offer 10–15% discounts for direct bookings versus third-party platforms
- Shoulder season (April–May, October): Rates drop and crowds thin — weather remains good, especially May before the trade winds pick up
- Efate ring road guesthouses: Staying outside central Port Vila on the ring road gives you quieter, cheaper options with free car access to the whole island