A reef romance

Advertorial for MyVanuatuFranki HobsonSeptember 6, 2026 — 6:00amThirty minutes from Port Vila, a Garden Villa at The Havannah Vanuatu opens through wide doors onto a lush garden, its stepping stones leading to a dining pavilion set among the foliage. Beyond this private nature retreat, a white sand beach. And beyond the beach, a sheltered harbour busy with coral, fish and resident turtles.Your secret sanctuaryThe Garden Villa is one of four, each screened by dense greenery and set well apart from its neighbours. A king-size bed. Organic amenities. An outdoor daybed built for an afternoon with a book or a person you love.The Day Spa offers treatments drawn from the sea, earth and botanicals, from hot volcanic rock massage and essential-oil soaks to a marine algae exfoliation and mineral-rich wraps. You surface into warmth and birdsong, with the whole afternoon still ahead. Afternoon tea is delivered daily; the daybed is the obvious place for it.Snorkel over vibrant coral terraces. Reef for twoSign up for the Traveller Deals newsletterGet exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.Masks, snorkels and fins are complimentary at the watersports hut. Walk in from the beach and within metres you’re among vibrant coral terraces, clownfish darting between anemone fingers, and if you’re lucky, a passing dugong, unbothered by swimmers. Moso Island, just across the channel, shelters a hawksbill turtle sanctuary.The hut also lends kayaks and paddleboards. Old Coca-Cola bottles and remnants of downed seaplanes rest among the coral, relics of the harbour’s WWII years. Seventeen dive sites lie within 15 minutes by boat.For a full day further out, the My Vanuatu Sail and Snorkel Tour crosses Havannah Harbour under sail: snorkelling on the outer reefs, a barbecue lunch cooked on board between daybeds and hammocks, and a stop at Lelepa Island for the mamas’ beach store of handmade crafts and the climb to historic Fels Cave.Pele Paradise is the barefoot alternative: a village welcome on Pele Island’s turquoise lagoon, snorkelling, kayaking and a bungalow lunch prepared by the local mamas.Dinner with a viewThe Point Restaurant’s 270-degree views stretch across Havannah Harbour, and the menu changes daily, built around local seafood, tropical produce and the four culinary traditions that influence its kitchen: French, Vietnamese, English and Ni-Vanuatu. With all meals included daily, choose your table each evening.Treat yourself to a hot volcanic rock massage, poolside. Under the flame tree near the water. On the Havannah Jetty as the last light leaves. Beside a bonfire on the sand. For a night that’s just the two of you, the resort creates a sand sculpture dining setting on the beach: a table for two, candles, the Pacific dark beyond.Whichever table wins, start the evening on the water: late afternoon turns the harbour amber, the low light catching the jetty and the outer islands. The sunset cruise takes couples out onto that water with a glass of sparkling as the sun drops towards the horizon. Conversation tends to stop. Nobody minds.Beyond the resortA short boat ride from the jetty brings you to Mangas village on Lelepa Island, once home to Chief Roi Mata. Vanuatu’s only UNESCO World Heritage site spans three islands and three early 17th-century sites. The stories are not just in the ground: they are still told by guides whose own families are part of the history. By the final bonfire dinner, you’ll be planning the return.SPECIAL OFFER EXCLUSIVE TO SUNDAY LIFE READERSStay at The Havannah Vanuatu from just $2999 per person (plus up to $2400 in bonus value). Your package includes:Five nights in a Garden VillaReturn flights with checked luggageMy Vanuatu VIP airport priority laneAirport meet and greet, and return airport transfersBonus all meals dailyBonus choice of My Vanuatu Sail and Snorkel Tour or Pele ParadiseBonus daily afternoon teaBonus sunset cruiseBonus one-hour massage per personBook by September 30, 2026 to secure your booking.Call 1300 000 826 or visit MyVanuatu.com.au for more info. Terms and conditions apply.From our partners