Sustainable in VANUATU | An Honest Review of My Travel

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Travel Sustainably is a Teja on the Horizon article series reviewing my efforts to travel more responsibly. This edition reviews new things I tried in my attempt to be sustainable while travelling in VANUATU – whether by pre-planning, or from the opportunities I found while there. It covers what I did well, what I would keep doing/using, what I would do differently next time, and what I failed to do.

Planning sustainable travel to Vanuatu

My trip to Vanuatu was not exactly planned well ahead of time. So I didn’t really put much planning effort to consider sustainable options in Vanuatu, aside from what were already my habits anyway.

However, I did come by a lot of information that would have helped me, if I were visiting Vanuatu with a more adventurous intention. Much of the transport information, especially, was courtesy of Gilbert, my host at the Million Dollar View. It was a compilation that he hands out to his guests, and I’m re-producing the more general advice here to serve as (hopefully) evergreen tips. The rest are my personal observations and views as a sustainable traveller in Vanuatu.

1. Air travel within Vanuatu

As with French Polynesia, most people come to Vanuatu by air. You could also visit the islands by sailing. In addition, Port Vila also receives a lot of tourists on cruise ship days.

Assuming you arrived the typical way, there are a few options to get around Vanuatu depending on your travel style.

Domestic flights in Vanuatu

Air Vanuatu is the national flag carrier for Vanuatu, and is the main option for domestic flights. While air travel comes with a high carbon intensity, it’s often still the most practical for archipelagoes. Certainly tourism would not be practical for all but the largest islands, were it not for these flights. There are no tourist ferries that go around the islands. While you can board one of the freighters, they usually don’t have passenger comforts and the journey takes much longer.

Pacific air travel can be less predictable than in more populous regions. Vanuatu is no exception to this rule. So while air travel is still the most practical option for tourists, it’s a good idea to have some flexibility in the itinerary in case of flight delays. A flex of +/- one day is good. The good news is that Air Vanuatu will not leave you hanging in such cases. The flex is just so that you don’t miss any important activities or connections, due to an overly rigid schedule.

Alternatively, you could also take an “air taxi”. Air Taxi Vanuatu and Unity Airlines offer charter flights within Vanuatu, plus a few tour packages. Clearly, this option would be more convenient than scheduled commercial flights. And it might not even be more expensive or higher carbon either, depending on how big the group is. This is because Air Vanuatu flights typically pass through transit hubs like Port Vila rather than fly direct.

2. Travelling by sea in Vanuatu

Now, if you had no time constraints, and specifically want the adventurous option (or just absolutely skint), you can travel to Vanuatu islands by sea. This ranges from the local ferry to hitching a ride on container ships or copra freighters. You will have to call them to arrange coming on board; this is old school travel.

Bear in mind that no one describes it as comfortable. Not Gilbert, nor the uncle working at the restaurant at the Moorings, nor my friend who once did it years ago. Schedules can vary depending on sea conditions. However, it is cheaper, and also more sustainable given the ships were going around Vanuatu with the cargo anyway.

With some exceptions, there are no passenger cabins; you’ll sleep on the benches or on the floor. If you travel with a mat of some kind, that’s good. If you’re not the sort who gets seasick, even better. Therefore, this option is for travellers with an entirely different travel style than the one who will take the plane.

The following information was true for 2022, though I’ve checked and added website or Facebook links where I could. I think you still have to call to make arrangements, but at least the websites have pictures.

Ferry options

There are two weekly ferries from Port Vila to Luganville: Vanuatu Ferry cargo ship, and Big Sista. These ferries are on the more comfortable end of Vanuatu sea travel. The former arrives at Samansin Wharf, 3km east of Luganville, while the latter arrives at Melcoffee Wharf, 3.5km west. The price is around 9,000 vt one-way, and the journey takes about a day.

Another option is Vanuatu Ferry’s other ship which has passenger cabins, though reportedly it doesn’t run on a strict schedule. This ferry has routes that go to other islands aside from Espiritu Santo. From the Facebook page, it seems like Vanuatu Ferry have even obtained a third ferry that looks considerably more comfortable for passengers.

Non-ferry options

Aside from the Port Vila ferries above, you can also take freighters and cargo ships to the islands around Espiritu Santo. This method is the one where you’re gonna be sleeping on the floor.

One option are the COPSL copra freighters which depart from Maritime Wharf, west of Luganville. The copra freighters typically go to the northern Torba province (Banks, Gaua and Torres) on an irregular schedule (every 1-2 weeks). Prices range from 2,000 to 8,000 vt depending on distance.

Another option is to get on board cargo ships. The LC Tina I and LC Brisk serve the Port Vila-Luganville route, but also stops at the eastern islands such as Ambae, Pentecost, Ambrym, and Epi. Prices range from 4,500 to 9,000 vt.

Call ahead to make enquiries. Alternatively, you can also go to any wharf on any island and find the captains. I’m told all small freighters take passengers.

3. Zero waste travel

For the first time, I’m adding a zero waste section not because of anything specific I prepared as a sustainable traveller to Vanuatu. Nor is it because I want to highlight something about Vanuatu that a zero waste traveller might want to know for planning purposes. Instead, this section is to highlight that I found Vanuatu a surprisingly easy place for zero waste travellers.

Of course, I only stayed in one hotel in Port Vila, and a local B&B in Luganville. However, Moorings is a conventional hotel. My room did have shampoo and conditioner in little plastic bottles, but since I travel with my own refilled ones, I could ignore them. The soap, on the other hand, is clearly handmade with coconut oil, and cut to size for the room. It’s basically like the soaps I buy for myself at home! There was no plastic bottled water in the room, and the tap water is potable.

There really was very little disposable plastic. The restaurants in Vanuatu didn’t use plastic straws. The shops don’t typically use plastic bags. You can also easily pop by the handicraft market for a woven bag to use for shopping during your stay. I didn’t find myself having to constantly think about trying to avoid single-use plastic. In fact, of all the places I’ve been to in the world, I think Vanuatu was the easiest destination for a zero waste traveller.

4. Things you can bring for local communities

It’s been a while since I’d been to a place that has requests on Pack for a Purpose. Unfortunately, all my planning was last minute. So I thought my itinerary wouldn’t have enough give in it to go to Port Havannah just to deliver items.

However, if you’re staying in The Havannah Resort anyway, or plan to hire a car or driver to go around the island, you can easily add this in. The Havannah is on the western side of Efate island, in the general area of Vanuatu’s UNESCO Heritage Site, Chief Roi Mata’s Domain. The requested items are mainly school supplies, but also first aid and office supplies. You can find a current list of items on The Havannah Resort’s page on the website. If I had spent my main time on Efate at the back end of my trip rather than the front, I probably would have popped over to leave behind my travel med kit.

Vanuatu was the second destination where I left some clothing behind (the first was Kashmir). Gilbert suggested it, so I assume clothing would be appreciated in Vanuatu. Bras are particularly appreciated. I also gifted one of my older power banks, although this is not expected since it’s a ‘too high value’ item to request from a tourist.

If you’re travelling less like a tourist, and more like a vagabond (which my host highly recommends), you would be living amongst Vanuatu villagers and relying on their hospitality. It’s a good idea to bring small gifts to reciprocate. Some suggestions include sweets, small solar flashlights, headphones, an external drive or thumb drive with movies or music. I’ve heard that yacht travellers might trade these for provisions.

5. Supporting local businesses in Vanuatu

As with many countries in the Pacific, tourism is important to Vanuatu. This was one reason why I wouldn’t have chosen to backpack in Vanuatu instead of coming as a tourist even if I had time to plan. At least not for the first visit.

At the time, I still had a well-paying job, and as someone from a fellow developing country (albeit one that is much further along), it seemed more decent to contribute economically as a tourist. We also understand the struggle to grow a post-colonial economy, while restoring native ownership.

Fortunately, it is not difficult to avoid tourism leakage as an ethical traveller here. (For more on tourism leakage and why it’s an important sustainable travel issue, I recommend Curiosity Saves Travel’s excellent article.)

The tourism economy in Vanuatu is largely locally sourced, or even locally owned. Most of them are staffed by native people, including in more skilled capacities, like dive masters. Many tours are labelled as indigenous, i.e. Ni-Vanuatu owned or operated. It is also easy to get locally made souvenirs in the craft market. In addition, Organic Paradise has a lot of great edible souvenirs.

Travel vs tourism: navigating inequality

However, the above is not to say that solo backpacking travel isn’t also “right” in Vanuatu. It depends on the travel experience you’re going for in Vanuatu, what your budget is, and what kind of benefit you intend to leave as a sustainable traveller.

What I think is important, is to be aware of the distance between the cost structure of native life vs most tourists. Between participating in traditional hospitality, which is about diplomacy and human connection; vs participating in tourism, which is about contributing to the local economy.

While many travellers do both, and indeed this is increasingly blurring into a spectrum, my rule of thumb is, don’t come expecting tourist services, while also expecting prices received by travellers who assimilate. In Vanuatu, this can be a large difference; i.e. between typically Australia-benchmarked prices (for tourism) down to close to nothing (for assimilating travellers). Of course, you don’t have to pick one end or the other. But calibrate accordingly for where you are along that scale.

Understanding “local price” and “foreigner price”

I’ve found that people who instinctively understand this calibration also have no problem with “foreigner price”, for example in entrance fees to attractions. Of course, nobody likes being ripped off. But unfairly inflated prices tend to resolve itself by market dynamics. Such scams aside, there is a logic to tiered pricing. After all, you wouldn’t be as calculating with your neighbour in a close community, vs a customer you don’t know.

Locals provide non-monetary benefits to one another, which is implicitly considered in financial transactions between them. Whereas foreigners are paying only with money. Of course, some particularly hospitable cultures waive the reciprocal value expectation entirely. But it’s proper to remember that this is not a traveller’s entitlement, or you might find the generosity withdrawn.

In developing countries especially, many societal benefits remain unmonetised since the economy is not very financialised. This is why tiered pricing appears less, or have a smaller gap, the more social services are delivered through the state, or monetised as industries, vs delivered directly by the community. If everyone is paying only with money, then there’s less difference between foreigner and local.

Other information for sustainable travellers to Vanuatu

My Vanuatu trip was limited to Efate and Espiritu Santo. Noteworthy things I learned that could be useful to a sustainable traveller to Vanuatu are described below.

1. Fuel & energy

I travelled solo to Vanuatu, and did not feel like I could justify car hire as a sustainable choice. Instead, I either took tours, the bus, walked, or hired a driver with the car (because at least I’d also be taking a de facto tour guide). In fact, my driver in Efate specifically appreciated that I hired a car with a driver, unlike ‘the Chinese tourists’ who tend to hire just the car and self-drive. (I may have accidentally set expectations for future Malaysian tourists.)

However, if you choose to hire a car, bear in mind that fuel is expensive in Vanuatu, for obvious reasons. In 2022, it was 227 vt per litre on Efate, which is about RM8, or nearly $2! Fuel retailers are Pacific, and Au Bon Marche (supermarket retailer).

In general, Vanuatu has electricity, at least in the city and tourist areas. In Port Vila, there is a solar field near Au Bon Marche. Lelepa village, which hosts one of the sites in Chief Roi Mata’s Domain, only has it via solar power. However, Vanuatu’s electricity is still primarily generated through fossil combustion.

In the outer islands, it is a good idea to bring a portable solar charger, or a power bank with enough juice to charge your electronics. Even on the main islands, electricity supply may not be 24/7 outside the main city.

2. Water supply

Vanuatu’s water supply is mainly from groundwater aquifers, as well as rainwater harvesting and rivers. The two main islands didn’t have noticeable water supply or quality issues. In fact, water was potable from the tap. However, that does not mean that Vanuatu has no water concerns overall. My first clue was a sculpture in Feiawa Park contributed by South Korea, referencing water management collaboration. Australia and New Zealand are often government partners for water supply projects.

Depending on where you go in Vanuatu, there may be water constraints. Even in places with groundwater extraction projects, water should be used in moderation as aquifers can become permanently saline if over-extracted.

3. Telecommunications & data

Surprisingly, given the above limitations, mobile telecommunications in Vanuatu is pretty up-to-date and affordable. There were two options: Digicel and Vodafone. I don’t know that there are meaningful service differences between them. However, I chose Digicel simply because it is the local company.

The phone and data signal was also surprisingly strong. I was able to post updates from almost anywhere for most of my stay. However, data service is not available everywhere in Vanuatu, so expect to be off the internet if you’re going off the beaten path. Mobile telecommunications, on the other hand, should be possible.

Sustainability discoveries in Vanuatu

While there are things you can prepare from the outset to travel sustainably, some things you learn only on arrival. Sometimes, you come across opportunities to be more sustainable in Vanuatu that you didn’t know about, and could not have planned for. And sometimes, you come across things that make you think more deeply about sustainability issues, and give you more nuance.

1. Vanuatu and climate change

I visited Vanuatu soon after COP27 took place in Sharm el Sheikh. Vanuatu was in the news a lot, in environmental circles. That year, it took the lead in pushing for a loss and damage fund to help developing countries cope with the effects of the climate crisis. Vanuatu also led a coalition of 85 countries to table a UN General Assembly resolution, to request an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal obligations and consequences of UN member states with respect to greenhouse gas emissions. The resolution passed unanimously in 2023. The ICJ proceedings are still ongoing.

So I was curious to see whether climate change was top of mind for the regular folk in Vanuatu. But people did not seem worried, whether those I encountered in tourism businesses, or just around the islands. I finally asked my driver, on one of my sightseeing days.

Now, he knew that his government had gone to Egypt. But he did not seem to attach much importance to it. Nor did he think that people were particularly worried about climate change. Surprised, I asked him why. After a moment, he explained that their main islands are relatively high. Unlike lower-lying countries like Kiribati, Vanuatu would not be destroyed by sea level rise.

And it’s true. Both Efate and Espiritu Santo are hilly. The hills were even tall enough to be shrouded in mist. Its state buildings were on higher ground.

Of course, sea level rise isn’t the only way that Pacific countries like Vanuatu experience climate change. It would also face more tropical cyclones that cause damage and displacement of people. Changes in rainfall would affect water security. But these effects weren’t top of mind.

2. The difference food security makes

After thinking a moment longer, he gave another perspective. “It’s because people aren’t hungry,” he said. In Vanuatu, food is everywhere. “So the people don’t feel worried. If there is no food, then they will worry about climate change.”

And indeed, wherever you looked, there were yams and bananas, papaya and breadfruit. They say you could throw any seed to the ground and it would germinate. Vanuatu may not be rich in money terms, but it had food in abundance. Efforts to promote high intensity agriculture did not get much traction from a people for whom food grows easily. But organic agriculture made more sense, and IMO, the more valuable agricultural knowledge for Vanuatu should be about water economy, not yield.

He told me a story from his ship crewing days, when he saw hungry people for the first time. It was just after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, which hit Sri Lanka particularly badly. There were more people than food, and the sight of the outstretched hands stuck with him.

Carbon offset information to Vanuatu

My actual flights for this trip were slightly more convoluted. However, the best way to do this trip from Kuala Lumpur in the present day with the benefit of hindsight, is via Singapore and Sydney. This is because a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney or Brisbane is more likely to result in layover time in Australia that might exceed the 8 hour visa-free period, requiring an eTA submission which has arbitrary results nowadays. This itinerary produces carbon emissions of approximately 4,605 lbs CO2e. It costs about $37 to offset this.

An alternative itinerary is to fly to Port Vila via Auckland, which is less risky since New Zealand allows visa free transit times that are more commensurate to Pacific flight connection schedules. This route produces slightly more emissions, approximately 5,462 lbs CO2e. It costs about $44 to offset this.

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