Lelepa Island Day Tour

We meant to go to Nguna or Pele or some other island overnight. But our schedule was tight and catching the flu and the sporadic downpours hampered those plans. I still wanted to take Mitch to one of Efate’s smaller outlying islands and going on the Lelepa Island Day Trip came highly recommended and fit snugly with the rest of our holiday plans.

The tour costs Vt7,600 (around $A76) and includes a pick up and drop off at your hotel, 40 minute land trip to Havannah Harbour, a 10 minute ferry ride to the island, snorkelling gear, a very short guided bush walk, a cave tour, lunch and morning and afternoon tea. Best of all they give you lots and lots of time to just relax in the beautiful powder white sandy beach of Lelepa Island.

Here are just some photos (out of the hundreds) we took  on that relaxing, breathtaking, perfect day.

1 of 3 ferries that took us to Lelepa island

lelepa island from the ferry

mitch meeting the shore

waiting for the tour of the scary creepy cave

Eton Beach, Efate: where waters meet. .

I still wasn’t feeling 100% better on Saturday, but I knew Jack only had less than a week in Vanuatu and I really wanted him to see as much of the island as we can fit in. I was determined to bring him to one of my favourite spots in Efate, so with a slight fever, a vague idea of how to get there and my mum’s car we headed to Eton Beach, about a 45 minute drive on unpleasant roads but beautiful scenery.

Eton Beach is spectacular. It’s a small stretch of white sand beach that is protected from the crashing Pacific waves by rock shelters. A clear water spring from in land empties into the cove allowing for a unique experience of swimming in freshwater and salt water. When you stand there, you can feel the warmer freshwater from your feet to about your thighs and the colder ocean water from your waist up. Sit far below underwater and you can drink the sweet spring water.

Not to mention the sight is just spectacular. When you stake your claim on a spot on the sandbar you are caught between the Pacific Ocean

and a the small freshwater river

Come on a weekday and you get the beach all to yourself. On weekends, chances are, there are tourists and locals enjoying the beach with you. But there  is a whole lot of sand and sea for everyone.