Mike Yardley: A Grand time in Port Vila

Sculpted with lagoons and islets and flanked by thickly forested emerald hillsides, cascading down to the water, Port Vila’s alluring good looks is what screensavers were made for. The locals’ smiles are as wide as a coat-hanger and that gentle, authentic Melanesian warmth will constantly keep delighting you in Port Vila. There is a timeless innocence to their cheerful, inquisitive and friendly patter. I was enjoying a twilight stroll along the waterfront sweep when a bunch of young lads warmly greeted me, eager to know where I was from. Within minutes, we’d struck up a passionate conversation about Super Rugby. I was pleased to discover they were hearty followers of the Crusaders. 

Colonial vestiges add texture to Port Vila, with faded French architecture speckling the city centre and adding zest to its café scene. The French Quarter proper, stretches to the north from central Vila, including Sacre Coeur Cathedral and a clutch of gorgeous colonial-style houses with wooden-louvred windows. But Port Vila is irrepressibly a South Pacific city. For a ringside seat on Vila’s watery charms, with unobstructed views across Vila Bay, the landmark Grand Hotel & Casino Vanuatu is perfectly poised.  

Harbour views from the Grand. Photo / Mike Yardley 

14 months after Vanuatu’s devastating 7.3 mag quake in December 2024, which killed 14 and injured hundreds more, the Grand reopened, helping power the tourism rebound to Port Vila. The hotel has undergone a spectacular tip-to-toe refresh, including major restrengthening, even though the structural bones of the property came through the quake in very good shape. It is now future-proofed with considerably added strength. I’ve just enjoyed a decadent stay at this magnificent hotel, which despite its size and stature, bathed in flamingo pink, exudes a very boutiquey heart. The sparkling hospitality of the gorgeous hotel staff shines through from the moment you enter the doors to that very last farewell wave. Within 12 hours, they were all greeting me by name – from the front desk to the restaurant and housekeeping staff.  

Comprising 74 rooms across 6 levels, accommodations span Penthouse, Harbour and Panorama Suites, Deluxe Harbour View and Harbour View rooms. Every room has floor to ceiling windows, its own balcony, marble bathroom with bathtub and shower, free wireless access, yoga mats, 24 hour room service and succulent views of Port Vila Bay. Cable television and Chromecast access will keep you fully entertained. But the Panorama Suites are really something special, seductively curved to deliver a 280 degree view across the bay and town centre. Around the clock, I was constantly drawn to the panoramic view, lost in wonder at the sweeping caress of the soothing scene. Wrapped in such a dramatic arc of glass, these spacious suites are filled with natural light, while framing the harbour beyond.   

Views galore in a Panorama Suite. Photo / Mike Yardley 

Throughout the hotel, refreshed interiors have taken their design cue from the surrounding ocean and landscape, with a relaxing coastal palette, lots of natural textures and supreme comfort. If you want to take your chances with Lady Luck, the lively on-site casino is worth a jaunt, but it was the waterfront pool and Cabana Pool Bar that kept luring me back. The pool deck, bar and lounge is an irresistible spot to soak up the idyllic island vibe with crafted cocktails, light bites and a warm sea breeze. Chatting to the hotel’s charismatic manager, Mark Standford, he is particularly excited about the transformation that’s been carried out to the harbourside restaurant, Grand Dining. It’s a seriously impressive space, a mix of chic and stately, with grand pillars and cosy little nooks, edging the wider space that seats 90 diners.  

I dined here for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the culinary programme has been completely reimagined, anchored by the desire to celebrate Vanuatu’s ocean, land and people. Locally grown produce and pristine South Pacific seafood loom large on the menu.  

Dining in style at the Grand. Photo / Mike Yardley 

Be sure to savour the local ‘Crudo” – fresh tuna with crispy taro chips and zingy ginger. Across the day, I gorged on their house-baked Zaatar focaccia, with whipped feta and sprinkled in sumac. The buttermilk chicken with local lime and cucumber is delicious, as is their legendary apple pie. When in season, plump for coconut crab, a meaty, flavoursome variety of crab which is rightly revered in Vanuatu. A fabulous tasting fish is poulet, like a red snapper - very fleshy, not oily and very few ones. 

If you’re a fan of a buffet breakfast, Grand Dining delivers in spades but elevates the experience by also offering a la carte dishes like the Grand Benedict, mini breakfast burgers and Nasi Goreng. Whether you’re visiting for business or leisure, or a mix of the two, the Grand Hotel & Casino Vanuatu is an unforgettable beacon of hospitality, capturing the essence of Vanuatu in elevated style. Don’t even think of staying anywhere else in Port Vila other than the little Pink Palace of the South Pacific.  

Classic Eggs Benedict at the Grand. Photo / Mike Yardley

Before chilling out at the hotel, as the sun began slump on the horizon, I also checked out the Banyan Beach Bar. It’s a convivial venue for sundowners, set on the sand, lustily garlanded in fairy lights, whipping up impressive mixology. Why not whistle up a kava shell while you’re there? Across the road, Waterfall is another great stop to add to your checklist for sundowners. 

From early morning Monday through to Saturday, Port Vila Market is a colourful, frenetic emporium of fresh produce, handicrafts and trading verve, gracing the waterfront. It’s the go-to destination to bag some rock-bottom priced produce to build your own picnic. Coconuts, mango, passionfruit, pawpaw and gargantuan-sized grapefruit are a steal. You can also sample some local eats with the market dining, whereby ladies whip up enticing bites like herb-coated fish with rice, while you wait.  

Best of all, check out Haos Blong HandiKraft, the Mama’s Market, which has become a waterfront staple since 2017. Dedicated to selling only Vanuatu Made products, this fascinating market is a showcase of locally made handicrafts that ensures the preservation of traditional skills. The production of handicrafts is centred on the sharing of stories and skills from one generation to another and the charming vendors will happily share a few insights about how they honed their particular craft, maybe from an aunty or their grandmother. Baskets, home decor, carvings, jewellery and artwork from all six provinces is available for purchase. It’s authenticity plus.  

Handicraft market in Port Vila. Photo / Mike Yardley 

I’m always up for a craft distillery experience and 83 Islands Distillery is an absolute revelation. Under the command of Pierre-Luc Chabot, the craft rum distillery was established in 2016 and has grown from strength to strength. Also producing gin, vodka and whisky, it is the craft rum, produced from locally-grown sugar cane that is emblematic of the award-winning distillery. They also do a batch of spiced rum with kava. Pierre-Luc took me on a riveting tour through his operation, including sampling some aging rum direct from the oak barrel.  

What I love about this distillery is that Pierre-Luc has contracted 40 Vanuatu farms to supply him with sugar cane. They are paid the same day their delivery is made, securing these farmers with a stable financial livelihood. I was intrigued to learn that rum matures in barrels a lot faster in the tropics, due to the humidity. The barrels lose about 7% of their contents a year, so thankfully 2-3 years is all it takes to fully mature 83 Islands rum.  

Curiously, it’s believed that the strain used for sugar production in the Caribbean was imported many centuries ago from Melanesia. Brand-spanking new, the distillery’s swanky new tasting bar has just opened, a magnificent work of art, incorporating so many local elements and natural materials into its design. Not only can you pull up a stool at the bar and heartily sample a variety of signature cocktails, but the venue will also be used to raise the bar on training budding bartenders in the art of mixology, across Vanuatu.     

Another hugely inspirational enterprise is Gaston Chocolat. It’s another Frenchman who is the brains behind this runaway success story, Olivier Fernandez, who produces tree-to-bar craft chocolate in Vanuatu from cacao beans that are grown there. Established 9 years ago, like 83 Islands Distillery, Olivier has adopted the same business model, contracting over 150 farmers to grow and harvest cacao beans and they are paid within 48 hours of delivery. The farmers now see cacao as a valuable crop and source of income.  

A delicious range of Gaston Chocolat. Photo / Mike Yardley 

Visit Gaston’s chocolate factory and coffee shop. Their chocolate bar range is mouth-watering. Definitely try the bar with nangai nuts, and the dark chocolate with rum-drummed raisins (yes, the rum is from 83 Islands). Olivier also produces a stunning bar of kava and chocolate which contains five shells of kava – rather numbing! Gaston is a cacao supplier to a variety of chocolate makers in Europe, North America and also to the Wellington Chocolate Factory. Gaston (which is Olivier’s grandfather’s name) is another brilliant initiative harnessing a sustainable income for Vanuatu cacao farmers.  

Solomon Airlines flies direct from Auckland and Christchurch to Port Vila. Just 3 hours away, in a comfy A320, enjoy complimentary refreshments, tasty meals, charming service – and you’ll be in Vanuatu in no time. May until November sees Vanuatu at its glorious best: the dry season is sun-soaked and low in humidity. Home to a staggering 83 islands, this glorious archipelago is ripe for exploration and relaxation.  

Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s resident traveller and can be heard each week on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame.