Air Vanuatu operates the only scheduled domestic flights connecting Port Vila on Efate to Luganville on Espiritu Santo, Tanna, and smaller airstrips on islands including Malekula, Pentecost, Ambae, and the Banks Islands. The airline flies Twin Otter aircraft to short unpaved strips on outer islands. Flights between Port Vila and Luganville run multiple times daily. Port Vila to Tanna operates daily. Schedules to outer islands operate one to three times weekly depending on season and passenger demand. Domestic flights book weeks in advance during July through September. Air Vanuatu maintains no public online booking for some domestic routes, requiring purchase through Port Vila offices or travel agents.
Inter-island cargo and passenger ships operate irregular schedules from Port Vila. Big Sista, Vanuatu Ferry, and other vessels serve routes to Tanna, Malekula, Pentecost, and Espiritu Santo. Crossings to Tanna take twelve to sixteen hours depending on weather. Espiritu Santo voyages require twenty to thirty hours. Ships carry basic bench seating with no cabins on most vessels. Departures shift by days based on cargo loading and sea conditions. No published timetables exist. Passengers confirm sailing dates by visiting Port Vila's main wharf two to three days before intended travel. Ships cancel during cyclone season swells between November and April.
Port Vila operates minibus routes along the main coastal road from Mele Beach north to Erakor Lagoon. Buses display no route numbers. Passengers flag vehicles from roadside. Fare costs 150 vatu for trips under five kilometers as of 2024. Drivers accept exact change only. Service runs from approximately 0600 to 1800 on weekdays with reduced Saturday service and almost no Sunday service. Minibuses connect Port Vila to villages extending fifteen kilometers from the capital but do not serve interior roads or the eastern coast of Efate.
Rental vehicles in Port Vila include sedans, four-wheel-drives, and scooters from companies including Budget, Europcar, and local operators. Four-wheel-drive rental costs 8,000 to 12,000 vatu per day. Paved roads extend from Port Vila approximately thirty kilometers north and twenty kilometers south along Efate's western coast. The ring road circling Efate measures approximately 120 kilometers with the eastern and northern sections consisting of rough gravel and dirt requiring high clearance. Signage appears only on main routes near Port Vila. Mobile network coverage drops beyond fifteen kilometers from the capital. Fuel stations operate in Port Vila and at scattered locations around Efate's ring road.
Luganville on Espiritu Santo offers limited vehicle rental. The main coastal road running thirty kilometers north to Port Olry and Champagne Beach carries pavement for the first twelve kilometers then transitions to graded gravel. Interior roads accessing Loru Conservation Area and Millennium Cave require four-wheel-drive. Public transportation consists of occasional pickup trucks operating as shared taxis on main routes. No scheduled service exists.
Tanna has one main gravel road connecting Lenakel on the west coast to Isangel and the airport on the east coast, measuring approximately forty kilometers. Rental four-wheel-drives cost 10,000 to 15,000 vatu per day arranged through guesthouses in Lenakel. The road to Mount Yasur volcano extends twelve kilometers south from the main road as rough volcanic track requiring high clearance and experience in ash driving conditions. Most visitors hire guides with vehicles. No public transportation operates on Tanna.
Outer islands including Pentecost, Malekula, Ambae, and the Banks Islands have minimal road infrastructure. Villages connect by footpaths. Inter-village movement relies on walking or hiring motorized canoes along coastal areas. Malekula has approximately sixty kilometers of drivable track connecting the airport at Lakatoro to nearby villages. Vehicle rental does not exist on these islands.
Boats serve as primary transport between some neighboring islands. Motorized canoes travel between small islands in the Banks group and between southern islands including Aneityum and Tanna when weather permits. Hiring private boats requires negotiation with village boat owners. No set fares exist. Crossings depend entirely on sea conditions. Swells above two meters make travel impossible in open canoes.
Vanuatu sits in the South Pacific tropical zone between 13 and 21 degrees south latitude. Port Vila receives approximately 2,300 millimeters of annual rainfall. Luganville on Espiritu Santo receives approximately 3,500 millimeters. Southern islands including Tanna receive less rainfall than northern islands. Temperature variation throughout the year remains minimal with Port Vila averaging 25 to 28 degrees Celsius year-round.