The 15 best things to do with kids in Port Vila

Massive praise to Edgar the museum guide, he made the visit & 1000vt entry worth it. So friendly, kind and informative about Vanuatu & all of its islands and people. He is also very talented at sand drawing & playing instruments 🤭 The actual museum exhibits & information could do with some renovating, it was difficult to read signs & info.

Interesting facts both Vanuatu and its history with displays showing wildlife, insects, uniforms, guns and historical artefacts. Nevertheless, the museum itself looks a bit outdated and rundown. It will definitely need a little love to make it more appealing. However, if you want to lead more about Vanuatu and its history it’s a good place to go! Entrance is 1500 Vatu and opening hours are according to Google. Enjoy 😉

The Vanuatu national museum in Port Vila has some interesting exhibits, but it's in need of better maintenance. At 2000 Vatu (approx $26 AUD) per person, the entry fee feels a bit steep given the dusty displays and dirty glass shelves. Worth a visit if you're keen on local history, but don't expect a polished experience.

Not sure what happened...maybe the government has forgotten this place? Nothing is maintained here and it seems to become a public toilet instead. The animal specimens...horrible condition. The display shelf...never cleaned and I couldn't even see through the glass clearly. Part of floor tiles are missing, and there is only one staff in the whole museum.

Great venue, easy location to find Guide is worth the extra cost, the story telling and music and sand drawings are spectacular at and listened for over an hour The earthquake meant that some exhibits have been removed or damaged and some are not stored correctly, but for the price and what you see, is is worth the cost I'd say around 2 hours is about right if you get the guide, 1 hour otherwise Weekdays are better, quieter Lots of information and really tells the story of the country

Its small, but a very interesting Museum. Definitely take a guide to explain you everything and for the sand drawing.

Unfortunately, this museum is not worth the 1000 vatu entry fee or your time. The museum is the size of half a basket ball court with very limited items on display.

Amazing!! Well worth the drive. Staff are fantastic, priced very well. Zip lines were so much fun and the swing - awesome! Definitely a must do for all ages. Physicality wasn’t too bad, you don’t need to be overly fit to participate. The drive up is very bumpy, but adds to the experience!

We had an amazing experience on the zipline today! Everything was very professional from the very beginning — the transfer, the briefing, the staff, especially Mark and his partner. They made our day incredible! We highly recommend this amazing experience to everyone visiting!

The BEST time of our lives (40F/18M)! We did the full zipline and then the Jungle Bunji jump. we were running late due to cruise tenders and they were SO accommodating and made sure we were done and back in plenty of time for the ship. I is a HUGE amount of steep stairs post jump to get back to the top. NOT fun and lots of mozzie. But worth every second!!

⭐️AMAZING FAMILY FUN ⭐️ Our family of 5 (kids aged 16-8) experienced the full jungle zipline and the coral reef cruise with snorkelling. The snorkeling was unreal, our guide was really knowledgeable and patient with our 8 year old who hadn’t snorkelled before. He took his time while explaining things and was so friendly and welcoming us. The jungle zipline was a great adventure. After the earthquake damaged the road that lead up the the zipline, the team have done a great job creating a jungle path up the mountain. While the jungle hike lasted around 30 minutes it was achieved by the whole family spanning in ages 42-8. The staff were patient and kind and understanding towards us needing a drink break at times with an 8 year old. The zip lining experience it’s self was awesome and something my kids are going to talk about and remember for the rest of their lives. From a scared mumma who was almost too anxious to try it, I’m so glad I did. A MUST DO IN VANUATU 🇻🇺

I absolutely loved this experience! At first, we were only going to do the zipline, but the guides were so positive and motivating that I ended up literally jumping off the bridge 😅. Highly recommend it if you go to Vanuatu 🇻🇺❤️

Great family adventure! We were picked up on time at our hotel and driven to the base as it's 4WD access only. The drive up and down is an experience in itself, sit in the back if you can and hold on!! We only did the zipline and skybridge, but we all enjoyed ourselves. Kids ages range from 10 to 16. 16 yo of course went upside down and was the daredevil. 14yo was super tough and the 10yo thought she was brave swinging around, loving flying! Overall, fun and great adventure for all! 5 stars.

Absolutely amazing experience extremely well priced and we had a wonderful guide “Mark” so knowledgeable, and friendly

One of Port Vilas biggest local markets with fresh fruit, vegetables, seafood, herbs and more to discover! Happy to see it reopening!

There are a lot of market stalls selling the same thing, and a lot of it is from China. But if you keep looking, you will find Wendy and Tony who make souvenirs from scratch with local materials, which are then treated with varnish, so you don't lose them at customs. The people who run the stalls come from smaller outer islands by boat very early in the morning, so its a very long day for them. Some stalls have locally produced coconut oil with medicinal qualities if you get insect bites, etc. You will also find a few masseuses about the market, and I can confirm they do a great job with wonderful smelling oil at very reasonable prices. If you're staying on the island for a bit and cooking your own food, the fresh fruit and vegetables at the markets are of excellent quality and cheap.

Great fresh produce market by the water. Definitely shell out for the dried banana and sweet potato chips and roam around. At the river end there are also vendors who make lunch for about 800. Had a chicken stir fry one day and a yellow coconut curry with fish another - both really good!

Huge open air building in central Port Vila with vendors offering wvery kind of local produce. Not sure when it opens but it stays open well into the evening.

Port Vila market in Vanuatu typically offers a vibrant array of fresh produce, seafood, crafts, and local goods. It's a bustling hub where locals and tourists mingle, creating a lively atmosphere. Visitors often enjoy exploring the stalls filled with tropical fruits, spices, and handmade souvenirs. The market is also a great place to sample traditional Vanuatu cuisine and immerse oneself in the local culture.

A wonderful variety of traditional and modern hand-crafted goods in the market houses that reflect the unique style of Vanuatu. The items are well priced and the stall owners are really friendly. Well worth the visit.

Loved this market and it’s location. I came here a few times over several days. This is primarily a craft market and is undercover. Set in the middle of town near a hub of restaurants and cafes in Port Vila. No plastic bags here so bring your own. Or buy a handmade woven basket. Good signs that explain what you can and can’t take back into Australia in relation to timber products, feathers, shells etc. very useful. You can buy coffee, woven items, artwork, beadwork, mirrors, carvings and more. There are a number of restaurants right next door and men out the back playing boche which was entertaining. The food market is not far away (300 m) which is a very busy place. Never found toilets here but there are some nearby and you often have to pay 50vt to use. Toilet paper isn’t always available. Wheelchair friendly with wide aisles. Kid friendly. Highly recommend you come here and immerse yourself in the heart of Port Vila craftsmanship.

We were recommended this bar and loved it so much we went there a few time during our stay in Vanuatu. Situated right on the waters edge with its own little beach it is in an absolute stunning location, with breathtaking views and a laid back atmosphere, cold drinks at good prices (cheaper than other bars/restaurants we visited) The staff are very friendly and the amenities were clean. We went there around lunchtime on a monday and mid afternoon on a tues so it wasnt busy on either visit, there was a constant flow of customer the whole time and we were told by the bar staff that whiles it's quite during the week it gets extremely busy friday evening and on the weekends. We ordered a hawian pizza while there and it was delicious! Food service was quick and the price was reasonable. Highly recommend visiting Banyan Beach Bar if you are in Vanuatu.

Great food! I had the pizza and my friend had the risotto. We were both happy with our meals. This place also has a nice beach view.

Went there twice - great spot for lunch the first time. If you are in Vanuatu on a Saturday night - this is a MUST! The entertainment - fire show and acrobatics is out of this world!

I tried different pizzas 🍕 in Port Vila. This is by far the best. Pizza hecha a leña 🪵 wood-fired oven. 燃木烤爐 🛖🌴

This is such a vibe! We loved it great food and drinks. The signs are hilarious as well. I can imagine during peak times it would go off!

One of the few places in Port Vila with great atmosphere and a lively vibe. There is music, a young crowd and very good food (we have only tried the pizzas, so I cannot comment about the other dishes). The place also has a nice design and it’s just by the sea. Highly recommended for a lunch/ dinner and night out in Port Vila.

Had the best fish burger ever at Banyan Beach Bar! My husband had a pizza which was also very nice. The view is also lovely and we felt very relaxed there.

Great experience! Even if you’ve ridden horses before, this track is roughly 45min, it winds through the woods and ends at a stunning beach, where you get to ride your horse right into the water. Super cool, and the beach itself is absolutely amazing!

My husband and I came to Vanuatu for our honeymoon. Horse riding was on our bucket list and it was definitely worth it! All the staff were friendly and our tour guide Leslie was super fun! Leslie taught us how to ride and even how trot, which was amazing to experience considering we both had never ridden horses before. The riding experience was beyond anything we could have imagined and was truely a memory we will both remember. All the horses appeared well cared for and the staff were knowledgeable on the horses needs and personalities.

We had an amazing time here. The trainers were really helpful, and the horses were incredibly gentle. We truly enjoyed our very first horseback riding experience, with the beautiful beach as our backdrop.

We had a great time at club Hippique. Very professional from pick up on time. Organised staff with horses ready to go. The 4 hours and BBQ session was a really good ride out through stunning landscapes and along the shoreline. The BBQ was very nice and then finally to walk into the sea on horseback topped of an outstanding day. Highly recommend this to anyone. Im a relatively inexperienced rider and importantly was not aching afterwards lol.

STUNNING! A very memorable experience in such a beautiful location. We did the 2 hour ride that went deep into the forrest and then out onto the water. The horses were well looked after and healthy. Highly recommend, you won't find a more picturesque place to ride horses.

We were really excited for this part of our tour and it really disappointed. We went out in a large group and my horse didn’t seem right - I then got put the back of the group with the guides saying my horse needed to be at the back because it was aggressive and kicked other horses. I asked if the horse was okay to be ridden and the guides sort of laughed and said yes but he’s aggressive. It didn’t make me feel comfortable at all. The horse felt really unsteady to be on and I then had to be guided with one of the guides to feel a bit more comfortable and so let them take control. Don’t ride the white horse named pepper - apparently meant for experienced riders as it is older. We then tried to go swimming with them and even another horse clearly didn’t want to and tried to throw me off. Ultimately, it wasn’t the experience we had imagined. I think this is the perfect example of an expectation v reality moment. I also feel quite guilty as the horses seem overworked and clearly don’t want to be doing this. It wasn’t my horses fault. The woman at reception was very kind at trying to sort things out but it didn’t go our way. I’m leaving 2 star because I believe with some improvements, this could be a nice experience. But the horses need to rest in between taking tourists out and be more well looked after.

Absolutely stunning, the ride and scenery was amazing. Horses very gentle - memorable experience worth doing!!

This experience gave me a much deeper appreciation for Vanuatu — its culture, people, and way of life. The chief was witty, warm, and generous with his knowledge. He shared their history, cooking methods, how they hunt and fish, and how they use plants as medicine. He welcomed all our questions, and his stories were fascinating. The place is also beautiful, with a giant banyan tree, soft moss, and vibrant tropical plants. After this visit, I felt more connected to Vanuatu. I became more curious, more interested, and found myself truly loving this country and deeply respecting its people.

Loved the cultural village. Vanu was amazing. They played the welcome song for us. The tribe was nice, very welcoming and gave a beautiful insight to their culture. They did the fire dance. My kids enjoyed the time and had a lot more understanding of other cultures and respects. They also showed mara their traditional way of preserving food. Loved the way everything was presented. Kids learnt a lot. Loved the ambience.

Wonderful introduction to local Vanuatu culture. Clear and meaningful explanation of local traditions and practices by a natural-born performer. Memorable moments and beautiful songs. Definitely worth a visit for 30-60 minutes. Only 15-20 minutes drive from Port Vila.

Lovely people and a very interesting experience about the ancient culture of the Vanuatu people, also met some very lovely interesting people on the trip too, highly recommend, but make sure you put mosquito repellent on or wear long trousers as I didn’t, and I got bit too death 😬

This was amazing! The team at Ekasup are fantastic at sharing their culture as well as super talented. With an amazing music performance, demonstrations on hunting, walking on fire and more, Ekasup Cultural village is definetly something I'd recommend to anyone visiting Efate.

Well this was fun! A lovely cultural experience that will leave you smiling and with a greater appreciation of the culture. You'll have great photos to share afterwards.

Unforgettable experience about the rich culture of Vanuatu. Well organised, the guide is very professional, and gives detailed explanation about traditions, food, culture.

Great buggie experience, I would highly recommend. They were very welcoming and gave a great tour. I would recommend to add on the culture village too, definitely worth it!

Rip roaring good time: It's loud, bumpy and such good fun. What a way to experience Vanuatu- the stunning ocean backdrop and zipping through the coconuts, throw in a few gigantic mud puddles - if you want to keep your whites white - don't wear them! Frank and the team at Off Road Adventures looked after us so well, total legends! You don't want to miss out on this..

Brilliant fun from start to finish picked up from resort .. did the hour tour .. losds of fun laps on the track teens also got to have a drive which they loved. Ended with a trip to the most beautiful beach I've ever seen for a swim .. definitely add this one to your must do list when your here you won't regret it

A fun and fantastic experience, we did the 2 hour tour with Beach run and cultural village visit. The buggies are a blast to drive. Would recommend!

Not sure about other people's experiences but we had a blast! The brand-new buggies are awesome and comfortable. The experience especially the off-road through the overgrown jungle and bush was great fun a real adventure just what we hoped for. The chocolate factory tour and tasting was good and well worth the flavoured chocolate like Kava flavour!! We all liked swimming with the turtles the kids really had fun. The staff are lovely, helpful and great fun. The guys are great with the kids and made it a special trip.

This was a great experience to do while my wife and I were on our cruise. Andrea was responsive and happy to help with any questions we had before arriving. The driving was a little less "off road" then expected, but we still had a great time! Once off the road, you follow your guide through a private beach area where local villagers are fishing. We still had a great time on the drive. The beach was absolutely amazing. Completely empty as it was a private beach for the local villagers. Alex, our guide, gave a great overview of the island and the local village as well. The steering on the buggies was a little loose, but as you would expect with most dune buggies. This is definitely an experience we would do again if in Port Villa again.

Off Road Adventures are reliable, have the most amazing staff. The buggy tour was fabulous and the cultural experience they can offer is not one to be missed! Highly highly recommend if you are visiting Port Vila.

Thank you to Barbara and Daniel for an amazing kayaking trip today. You both were generous with your time, information and looked after us very much. Thanks again for making our first kayaking trip in Vanuatu so special - love the big tree the best

Thank you to Robbie and Barbara for the amazing hospitality and experience during our stay in vanuatu, picked us up from the warwick hotel and we had so much fun kayaking the lake. Many laughs and catered to a group of 10 plus people. Enjoyed the local fruit platter and were happy to stop off anywhere we requested. Gave us lots of information about the local areas and all the things to do.. highly recommended. I forgot the other guys name but him and Robbie had an awesome sense of humor while Barbara kept them professional and she was very helpful also. Thank you so much guys .. much love from new zealand

We had a fantastic day out on Pele Island with Allan and Jackie! Allan did a great job leading the group, and Jackie provided lots of interesting information throughout. The snorkelling was absolutely stunning – beautiful coral, colorful fish, and crystal-clear water. The local food was delicious, and the village tour was really insightful. Plus, the transport was super comfortable, making the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. A perfect mix of adventure and culture – would definitely recommend!

We did the Nguna volcano hike and snorkel at Pele. Barbara and team were great and cheerful all day - I can't believe sometimes they do that hike three times a week. It was tough but so worth it! Highly recommend the day trip. Thanks, team!

We took two trips using Ecotours; one was a bush walk and the other was river kayaking. We had the pleasure of having Daniel as our tour guide on both occasions and he was amazing! Friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and highly professional. We would definitely recommend both of these trips which get you out into the stunning nature of Vanuatu- you won't be disappointed. Thanks Daniel! (Club 2, 4, 6.)

Had a great half day kayak tour! Guides were very knowledgeable and entertaining. Beautiful and peaceful experience! Would highly recommend

Went on a few tours with Ecotours and have been very impressed with the guides, Barbara and Roy lead an excellent Kayak tour, Roy has an encyclopaedia of knowledge regarding Vanuatus history, culture and agriculture. Went hiking with Barbara in a small group and learned more about the native plants and wildlife. Ecotours also does a lot for the local community which we were very happy to hear and learn about.

A really great day out with Lelepa Island Tours! A good balance between activities and relaxing time. Snorkelling was amazing, you see lots of great fish and coral reefs. Lunch was also fantastic. Billy, the tour guide, was really friendly and talkative. It was great to see how the locals live off the land at Lelepa island. One thing I would say is a bit more water to be provided on the boat. Or ensure you have lots of water with you as you can’t buy any there.

Me and my partner had the best experience with these guys! We were lucky on this day as it was just me and my partner so it was basically a private tour. Billy our guide was so knowledgeable and accommodating, he made us the most amazing fresh lunch, left us to nap in our hammocks on a private beach and taught us about how the lelepa people live and thrive. We went to 2 snorkel sites which looked like a scene from Finding Nemo! It was the best day of our holiday, we are so grateful to have been welcomed to their island - they are the sweetest and kindest people and I hope everyone gets to experience what we did. Can’t wait to come back!

What a day! Hidden beaches, coral beauty and learning lots of local knowledge. Lunch was tasty and plentiful. Guides were fantastic, super friendly and up for a laugh. Shout out to Bradley and Jeffrey. Thank you for an amazing experience.

An amazing place filled with wonderful locals, and just a stunning snorkeling place. Unfortunately the recent earthquake meant the cave was off limits but that can't be helped (although advertising does need to be updated to address that). My only critique is the use of BREAD to attract the fish for our viewing, this IS REALLY BAD FOR THE FISH. I hope they do their researched and find a natural food source to use to attract them in future (I studied and dissected fish with yeast infections and blockages in their digestive tract from consuming bread). Please address this if you go on this tour; if enough people do then maybe they'll look into it. Lelepa island was just beautiful, a hidden paradise more untouched than other parts of Vanuatu with an amazing community who appreciate the support. The lunch supplied was also so so delicious (almost made myself too full to get back into the water!).

Fantastic day out with Billy and his crew. Picked us up from the resort. Small boat ride to the first snorkelling spot. Provided lunch. Then onto the next spot which was amazing. So many varieties of coral and fish to see and feed. Then a short tour of the local village with afternoon tea and local wares to buy. Thoroughly recommend this tour for value for money and experiences. 10 out of 10

Such an amazing experience on the lelepa island tours. Great value for money, couldn’t have been happier. They managed to fit so many unforgettable experiences into one day. 2 snorkelling spots, a huge lunch, fish feeding, short walk to see the cave, seeing the village and singing from the local children. Not to mention the snorkelling spots were beautiful and the water so clear and blue! Would 100% recommend this tour!

My husband and I went on this tour yesterday and had the most amazing day. The team took great care of us. Including cooking a delicious BBQ lunch for us while we snorkeled. The cave was amazing. We didn't know it existed and feel it was an amazing part of the tour. The second spot for snorkeling was stunning. So much to see. Could spend hours snorkeling. The village has beautiful souvenirs. Definitely recommend!

*Make sure they confirm you'll get the cruise when you book the cruise.* Sounds obvious but... I booked the Coongoola cruise and didn't get it... I called, I had the flyer in front of me and I said I want to do the Coongoola cruise, I was not told on the phone that they were not gonna do it. We crossed to the island on the diving boat. And then they tried to send us on the other side of the island by foot (normally, the cruise gets you there), carrying the snorkeling gear, "it's an hour walk, just follow the dogs". Of course the dogs didn't lead us anywhere and we go lost, wasting half our time there. When addressing all this, they tried to confuse me and kept finding all kinds of excuses, contradicting each other... They knew they were wrong and we negotiated some money back. From what I can gather, if they don't have enough people they won't bother getting the boat out. In summary, the owners are dishonest so be careful if it's low season... The local staff tho, is nice and helpful, thanks to Amanda who was there for us! Side story: the owner was super angry she had to release all her turtles to the wild instead of keeping them confined in small tubs... That tells a lot. Also if you do go there and love dogs you can anticipate to give them some spare water. They are malnourished and constipated, and seemed quite dehydrated.

I did this trip 16 years ago and it was wonderful. Last week we booked this trip online but had to cancel due to budget but they arrived to pick us up anyway. We then booked 3 days later after another tour was cancelled and to be honest it wasn’t fabulous. It was 2 hours before we even got on the boat, the staff barely spoke to us all day apart from the odd instruction delivered abruptly. The boat was run down, and it was overcrowded. The beach we went to was really beautiful, food wasn’t great - couldn’t get our teeth through the steak, and had to pay for drinks. We then we went to the turtle sanctuary, but we arrived so late the tour got cancelled because the guide was annoyed. We basically walked around the tubs that the turtles were in and it was absolutely disgusting. 6 inches of water in each, filthy water, poor tired turtles swimming around in their own waste, they all seemed very hungry, one had a broken shell and was just facing a corner. This was animal cruelty in my opinion and to be honest it looked like they were being bred for consumption rather than being released. We left feeling very upset. I felt the trip was not worth approx $150 AUD.

What a fantastic day! If you want to escape from all responsibilities in the world and just relax I highly recommend this cruise! Great snorkelling and awesome BBQ lunch. My highlight was snorkelling with a group of 6 Giant Mantarays... So Majestic.

Good tour options, especially the sailing

Wonderful cruise, I believe we have been 5 times. Love it and highly recommend.

Very helpful and Marie did her very best to pick up our guests at short notice.