A charming beach town, head to Mele Bay for water and adventure sports, gardens, local coffee and beer.
Located just a short drive from Port Vila, Mele Bay is a lively beach town famous for its community atmosphere. Wander through hilltop gardens, sample organic coffee and locally brewed beer and swim with the colourful marine life in the bright blue water of the bay. With its many scuba-diving spots, Mele Bay is a great spot for water-sports fans, with shipwrecks, caverns and an abundance of marine life. If you don’t want to dive you can snorkel or kayak in the calm waters, or take a dolphin-spotting tour in a glass-bottom boat. If you’re looking for a bit of adventure, then look no further than the zip-line canopy tour. Suspended 80 metres above the tree tops and covering a distance of 200 metres, you can whizz your way through the jungle. Try your hand at zorbing, where you roll down a hill encased in a giant inflatable ball. Head to Mele Cascades to cool down in its natural pools. Nature-lovers shouldn’t miss The Summit. The South Pacific’s biggest tropical garden, The Summit covers 10 hectares and is a lush collection of local plants and flowers. Take a guided tour to learn more about how the flora is used by Vanuatu’s residents, including for health and beauty products. The Summit sits 200 metres above sea level and offers wonderful views of Mele Bay and the surrounding villages. The Tanna Coffee Factory should be on every coffee-lover’s list. Visit the factory for a tour to learn about the coffee production from beans grown in the soil of Yasur Volcano on Tanna Island, and finish your visit with a tasting session. If beer is more your thing, then make your way to the Seven Seas Brewery, which was opened in 2002 and is Vanuatu’s first microbrewery. Sample the Boot’s lager, a delicious German-style pilsner. Visit the websites of the microbrewery and coffee factory for more information. You can reach Mele Bay by car in just twenty minutes from Port Vila. Alternatively, you can hop on the bus service that runs from the Anchor Inn in Port Villa all the way to The Summit – take a look at Mele Bay’s official website for departure times.
