The islands of Nguna, Pele and Emau are a highly recommended escape from Port Vila. Nguna has those white sand beaches you dream of and the Nguna-Pele Marine Protected Area. There are more beaches on Pele and the surf off the tip of the island looks promising. Emau offers the friendliest stay at Marou village. In recent years there have been many small marine protected areas declared and all islands have good snorkelling and diving. On terra firma, the hilly topography of the islands makes for interesting walks. When you visit these islands it is the real Vanuatu and Port Vila is quickly forgotten.

Transport around the island

There is regular public transport around to north Efate with market trucks and minibuses driving the western route. They charge 500 vatu to Emua or Takara and the ride takes about 1 hour — for visitors to Nguna and Pele island, note that v arious north Efate public transport (PT) operator(s) are offering regular transport services to north Efate — the regular north Efate run is widely known as the “special” trip. Departure point is at china town, next to Hua store or at Au Bon Marche manples supermarket and fuel station at Man Ples on the way out of Port Vila, which is another good place to find transport . Passengers for Nguna/Pele are advice to be there from 12.30pm til 1.30pm . Costs apply for both transportation i.e. public truck and the boat trip to Nguna. The “special” trip does not run on Saturdays & Sundays however weekend arrangement can be arrange if there is a demand with an extra additional charge.

Talk to the locals who look to be waiting for a ride, tell them where you want to go and they can help you find the right vehicle. If you're in a large group, in a-hurry or its Sunday then charter a taxi or bus.

Crossing to the little islands

The boat disembarking/embarking for Nguna and Pele is at Emua wharf, about 1 km east of the village (there's a sign for Nguna-Pele Marine Protected Area beside the road). Undine bay is protected from the trade winds and the crossing is usually smooth and takes half an hour. Don't expect many boats on Sunday. A shared ride costs 500 Vatu and a charter costs 3000 Vatu. Speedboats for Emau leave from Takara. The 30 minute crossing passes over deep water and can be rough, wet and lots of fun when the swell is up. Fares are the same as Nguna. The islands of Nguna, Pele and Emau are close to Port Vila and you have no excuse not to visit.