10 Best Souvenirs & Gifts From Vanuatu

Intricately woven baskets, bags, fans and more; it’s amazing the array of crafts made in Vanuatu using the fine fibres of the pandanus tree.

This craft is shared by both women and men in Vanuatu, with designs ranging from practical everyday pieces to colourful keepsakes for travellers. One popular bag style to look out for is the long-strap pandanus bag, which is easy to carry around the markets and just as easy to justify buying in more than one colour.

There are plenty of patterns, shapes and finishes to choose from, making pandanus fibre crafts a lightweight, useful and distinctly island-style souvenir.

Where to buy: Haos Blong Handicraft Market (Feiawa Park, Port Vila), Mahitahi Handicraft Market House (Port Vila Waterfront), Malampa Handicraft Centre (Lakatoro, Malekula), Sanma Creative Hub (Santo Airport, Luganville), Organic Paradise (Teoma Street, Port Vila), Ten (Bauerfield International Airport, Port Vila) and more.

A traditional art form in Vanuatu, wooden carvings are highly prized souvenirs.

You’ll find a wide variety of carvings inspired by kastom (traditional culture), from miniature tamtam slit drums to masks, guardian figures and ancestor-inspired pieces. Some designs represent ancestral spirits, sacred ceremonies and social rank, so there’s often much more behind the carving than simply “that would look good on the bookshelf”.

Tamtam slit drums are among the most recognisable carvings in Vanuatu, traditionally standing in sacred village clearings and used to signal important events. Other carvings are inspired by ceremonial masks, grade sculptures and figures connected with community life across the islands.

When buying carvings, we recommend asking about the meaning of the design and whether the piece has been made for visitors. It’s an easy way to choose a souvenir with a story, while showing respect for the cultural significance behind the craft.

Where to buy: Haos Blong Handicraft Market (Feiawa Park, Port Vila), Mahitahi Handicraft Market House (Port Vila Waterfront), Malampa Handicraft Centre (Lakatoro, Malekula), Sanma Creative Hub (Santo Airport, Luganville), Dolasa Mama's Handicraft (Luganville, Santo) and more.

A classic souvenir from Vanuatu, handmade jewellery is easy to pack, easy to wear and easy to pretend you bought for someone else before keeping it for yourself.

Look out for pieces made with natural island materials, such as natangora pods, coconut shells, seashells and woven pandanus. You’ll find necklaces, bracelets and earrings in all sorts of styles, from simple shell designs to colourful market pieces with a distinctly tropical feel.

What makes handmade jewellery such a great gift is that it’s small but still full of character. Each piece reflects the materials and creativity of the islands, while also supporting local makers at Vanuatu’s markets and handicraft centres.

Where to buy: Haos Blong Handicraft Market (Feiawa Park, Port Vila), Mahitahi Handicraft Market House (Port Vila Waterfront), Malampa Handicraft Centre (Lakatoro, Malekula), Sanma Creative Hub (Santo Airport, Luganville), Siri Island Cafe and Handicraft (Luganville, Espiritu Santo), Pandanus Vanuatu (Corner of Kumul Highway and Winston Churchill, Port Vila), Ten (Bauerfield International Airport, Port Vila) and more.

Colourful, comfortable and unmistakably Vanuatu, the island dress is one of the most meaningful clothing souvenirs you can take home.

Following Vanuatu’s independence in 1980, the island dress became strongly associated with ni-Vanuatu women and is worn as both everyday clothing and a national costume. It is also connected with stret fasin, meaning proper behaviour and appropriate manner, with the dress reflecting respectability, motherhood and domestic life.

For travellers, the best part is that you can have one made to suit your style. At local tailor shops, choose from vibrant calico, or kaleko, fabrics and have the mamas sew a custom island dress, shirt or other garment for you. Many pieces can be made in less than a day, depending on the design and fabric availability.

Where to buy: Mama’s Tailoring (Independence Park, Port Vila), Dolasa Mama’s Handicraft (Luganville, Santo), Unity Park Market (Luganville, Espiritu Santo) and more.

Another tasty gift that is unlikely to gather dust on a shelf, Tanna Coffee is a premium coffee grown and produced on Tanna Island.

The coffee is sourced from more than 500 small farmers on Tanna, where the brand supports an inclusive and sustainable industry by paying farmers double world parity prices for their raw product. In other words, your morning brew helps support island families as well as your caffeine habit.

Visitors can pick up Tanna Island coffee beans or ground coffee, while the Tanna Coffee Café in Port Vila also showcases local flavours through items like Tanna Island Honey on its breakfast menu. For a little something extra, look out for handmade Tehya Skye skincare products, including sugar body scrubs.

The shopping experience is part of the charm, too. The Tanna Coffee Café in Mele Bay is set inside a historic 1903 chapel, with the oldest house in Vanuatu, built in 1901, also on the property. Stop by for a coffee, stay for the island-inspired food and leave with beans to take home (the holy trinity of souvenir shopping, really).

Where to buy: Tanna Coffee Café (Mele Bay, Port Vila), Paris Shopping Duty Free (Port Vila International Airport), Organic Paradise Store (Teoma Street and Port Vila International Airport), Au Bon Marché (Port Vila) and more.

For a lightweight souvenir that will actually make it through your luggage allowance, pick up some Vanuatu-grown spices and pantry treats. Organic Paradise stocks a wide range of 100% made-in-Vanuatu products, making it a handy one-stop shop for edible gifts.

Look out for pepper, ginger, chilli, turmeric, vanilla, chutney, condiments, coconut oil, honey, coffee, chocolate, nangae nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, pawpaw jam, hibiscus jam, cocoa nibs and cocoa powder. In short, it’s a dangerous place to visit when you’re hungry.

Spices are especially easy to pack and make a practical gift for foodies back home. Smaller producers on Malekula also make products such as Malekula Black Pepper, which is sold at the Malampa Handicraft Centre in Lakatoro. Malo Spices is another one to look out for on Santo.

Alongside food products, Organic Paradise also stocks locally made health and beauty items, including tamanu oil, nangae oil, noni products, soaps, lip balms, moisturisers, sandalwood powder, perfumes, aromatherapy oils and mosquito repellent. You’ll also find arts, crafts and custom products such as kava, pandanus bags, purses, carvings, pareos, jewellery, cards, drawings and candles.

Where to buy: Organic Paradise Store (Teoma Street and Port Vila International Airport), Malampa Handicraft Centre (Lakatoro, Malekula), Vanuatu Travel Information Centre (Luganville, Espiritu Santo), 83 Islands Distillery (Stella Mare, Port Vila) and more.

For a souvenir that’s unmistakably Vanuatu, Volcanic Earth turns one of the country’s most dramatic natural features into natural skincare.

The range includes around 70 natural skincare products, with signature items made using real volcanic ash sourced from Mt Yasur on Tanna Island. Look out for volcanic ash cleansing soap, volcanic ash scrubs, foot scrubs, tamanu oil, lemongrass soap, hibiscus hair shampoo bars and natural insect repellent.

The volcanic ash products are the real standouts, especially the scrubs, which use the ash as a natural exfoliant. Other ingredients include coconut oil, tamanu oil and organic botanicals, with products designed for everyday skincare as well as common tropical skin concerns such as acne, eczema and scabies.

It’s a practical gift, a pampering treat and a little piece of Tanna’s volcanic landscape in your bathroom cupboard. Much easier to pack than actual lava, we should add.

Where to buy: Volcanic Earth Spa (Numbatri, Port Vila), Port Vila International Airport duty-free, local pharmacies, resorts and online.

Sweet, packable and proudly local, Vanuatu chocolate makes an easy gift for just about anyone who isn’t allergic to happiness.

Aelan Chocolates makes handcrafted chocolate bars from Vanuatu-grown cocoa beans using a bean-to-bar process. You’ll find plain dark chocolate as well as flavoured bars featuring local ingredients such as coconut, chilli pepper, nangai, ginger, turmeric, kava, cocoa nibs, coffee and sea salt.

The brand has also picked up more than 23 international medals, so this is not your average “grabbed at the airport because I forgot” chocolate. Best-selling flavours include plain dark chocolate varieties and speciality combinations such as sea salt coffee.

For those who want to turn chocolate shopping into an activity, Aelan Chocolates also offers 30-minute chocolate tours, where visitors can learn about the bean-to-bar process and enjoy tastings paired with local products. The on-site café serves crêpes, galettes, tropical smoothies and real fruit ice cream made with local fruits such as mango, coconut and passionfruit.

Gaston Chocolat is another Vanuatu chocolate name to look out for, especially for travellers wanting to compare a few local cocoa creations before deciding what makes it into the suitcase.

Where to buy: Aelan Chocolates (ACTIV Centre, Stella Mare, Port Vila CBD), Gaston Chocolat (Bladinier Estate, Port Vila), Au Bon Marché (Port Vila), Paris Shopping Duty Free (Kumul Highway and Bauerfield International Airport, Port Vila) and more.

For something a little stronger than a postcard, 83 Islands Distillery makes artisanal rum and gin that captures the flavours of Vanuatu in liquid form.

The rum is crafted from pure local sugarcane, with both unaged and aged expressions available, including “Yumi Rum Aged Rum 2 Years”. You’ll also find liqueurs and flavoured rums showcasing local island ingredients, such as citrus from Efate, cacao from Malekula and coffee from Tanna.

What makes these bottles special is the way they bring together ingredients from across the archipelago. Each one offers a taste of Vanuatu’s different islands, from raw sugarcane through to barrel-aged rum and softer local flavour combinations.

Visitors can also make a proper experience of it with a behind-the-scenes distillery tour. The tour shows the production process from crushing sugarcane to barrel ageing, with tasting options including a rum journey of six glasses and a liqueur and flavoured rum tasting. Souvenir shopping with samples? We’re not complaining.

Where to buy: 83 Islands Distillery (Stella Mare, Port Vila), Port Vila International Airport (Port Vila), Paris Shopping (Port Vila), Fung Kuei (Port Vila), Au Bon Marche Nambatu (Nambatu, Port Vila), HXM Nambatu (Nambatu, Port Vila), Libation Trading (Kumul Highway, Port Vila), Bottle-O (Nambatu, Port Vila) and LCM Supermarket (Luganville, Santo).

A souvenir you can use long after your holiday tan has faded, Kavanua makes natural skincare products using local ingredients from Malekula, Santo and Tanna islands. Think natural soaps, essential oil blends with grapefruit, lemon, ginger and lemongrass, custom-made perfumes and scented oils.

What makes these products extra special is the Pacific blend behind them. The skincare range combines monoï from Tahiti, which is coconut oil infused with tiare flowers, with kava from Vanuatu, bringing together two island traditions in one beautifully scented gift.

Better yet, shopping here can be an experience in itself. The Noa Noa shop is currently operating as a pop-up behind the Vanuatu Ferry Office, where visitors can tour the factory, watch soap being made and even create their own custom scented oils in the on-site lab. The hands-on oil-making experience takes around 75 minutes and includes working with their chemist to blend your own personal creation.

A locally made, practical and wonderfully fragrant gift, Kavanua skincare is ideal for travellers wanting something more meaningful than a fridge magnet (no offence to fridge magnets).

Where to buy: Noa Noa (Nambatri, Port Vila) and Ten (Bauerfield International Airport, Port Vila).