27 Tips for Your Family Vacation to Vanuatu with Kids

Our first batch of travel tips for families in Vanuatu covers accommodation! First up, have a look for places to stay where kids stay for free.

Some of Vanuatu’s largest resorts, such as Iririki Island Resort & Spa, Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu and The Warwick Le Lagoon Vanuatu, have regular deals like this, while even some of the smaller guys from our list of the 20 Best Family Resorts & Accommodations in Vanuatu have kids-play-free deals, especially in the low season.

Just know that these deals do exist and are well worth looking out for.

On the other hand, some accommodations across Port Vila and Santo are exclusively for older guests, even if it’s not made obvious at first glance.

A popular age restriction is “no 12 years and under”, so if it’s not completely obvious that your accommodation allows younger children, just be sure to double-check.

The New Zealand and Australian school holidays are when Vanuatu is at its busiest.

If you’re aiming for a school holiday escape, be sure to book accommodations and tours as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. FYI, the school holidays are the second half of April, essentially the whole month of July, the first half of October and the end of December through January.

Note that the July (winter) holidays are the busiest and when flights and accommodation are at their most expensive. Check out The Best Time to Visit Vanuatu: Best Months to Visit for our advice on when to visit!

A little bit of a safety tip: note that there are no fences around most swimming pools in Vanuatu, apart from a few holiday homes. You’ll want to keep an extra eye on little ones around the pool.

For more safety tips, head to Vanuatu Safety Tips: Is it Safe to Travel to Vanuatu?

One of our 20 Tips to Save Money in Vanuatu, travelling as a group allows you to split costs to save money.

Renting a people-mover or minivan with another family is only a fraction of the cost of hiring two family cars LINK#T004, while more costs can be saved on group tours, supermarket shopping, holiday home hire and more.

With not much discount on child fares for flying between the islands of Vanuatu, flying the tribe to any one of the outer islands is a major expense.

Considering you can arrive in Vanuatu in Port Vila, and a little less so on Santo, it's best to stick to one of these two main islands if you’re on a tight budget and/or on limited time (5-7 days). Don't worry, they both have offshore islets and islands that you can travel to by boat for that "outer island" experience.

There’s plenty to keep you occupied; just check out our Vanuatu Itinerary: 5 Days LINK#TI048 and Vanuatu Itinerary: 7 Days LINK#TI047.

It’s important to assign roles between parents or between the whole family before jetting off to Vanuatu.

Who is going to be in charge of the food? Who is going to choose the activities? Who is going to book the activities? Who is going to handle the airport check-in while the other watches the kids?

Communicate these roles early so you avoid hick-ups in Vanuatu, giving more time for everyone to enjoy themselves. Plus, assigning small roles to the children is a great way to teach responsibility.

While your kids are bound to learn a lot about Vanuatu from cultural tours LINK#TTD002 and kastom villages, get them excited for their trip away by educating them on Vanuatu before you go!

Use a map and show them where you're all visiting, and pull out some trivia from our 10 Fun Facts About Vanuatu LINK#TT065.

There’s always a bit of downtime when travelling, especially at the airport if you’ve been savvy enough to check in on time (or during any stopover if you’re coming from far).

Games are an essential boredom-buster while getting the whole family bonding, so pack some travel-size games, like Uno and Connect 4 Grab & Go. They’ll also come in handy when you’re enjoying some downtime at your accommodation after a day full of adventures.

You may also want to pack a few snacks, but just note that once they are opened, you probably won’t be able to pass them through Quarantine LINK#TT003 once you land, so don’t go too overboard.

Moving on to some activity tips for Vanuatu, of course, you’ll want to plan some family fun together. A holiday to Vanuatu is the perfect opportunity to bond and reconnect.

Head to a swimming hole together, like Eden on the River or Matevulu Blue Hole, enjoy some snorkelling off the beach, be captivated by a kastom village experience and much more. Plan your adventures using our whopping 40 Best Things to Do in Vanuatu with Kids LINK#TTD068!

Bonus Tip: Always ask if there’s a family discount on tours; they usually work out a bit cheaper than paying for adult and child tickets separately.

If parents have scuba diving on their bucket list, a spa treatment or anything else that you typically can’t bring kids along to, then consider using one of the babysitting or kids’ club services in Port Vila.

Kids’ clubs feature fun and interactive Vanuatu-related activities, especially relating to marine life and Ni-Vanuatu arts and crafts. Therefore, there’s a lot for children to get out of the experience while in safe and capable hands.

Although there are some resorts with kids’ clubs exclusively for their guests, others are open to any child, no matter where they are staying.

Compare them all in the 40 Best Family Resorts & Accommodations in Vanuatu.

Ok, so there may be some experiences that half the family aren’t too keen on, and that’s fine. Instead of booking spots (and paying the extra bucks) for tours for the whole family, make the decision to split, for example, mum and the kids or dad and one kid, etc.

In the meantime, the rest of the family can do something else they’d rather do and, likely, make sure their travel budget LINK#TT017 is better spent!

On the flip side, packing your itinerary to the brim with sights and activities is probably just going to exhaust everyone.

Allow a free day or two in your holiday to relax and enjoy more of the simple pleasures; a day by the pool or at the beach is plenty (and kids love hermit crab hunting)!

With a tropical climate and rain being a possibility no matter what time of the year you visit, it's a good idea to have one or two rainy-day backups. There are some fantastic museums, cafés and much more. Head to 20 Things to Do in Vanuatu on a Rainy Day LINK#TTD064 for ideas!

Also on the subject, you'll notice that Sundays are a little quieter in Vanuatu, so have a look at what attractions are open in 10 Things to Do in Vanuatu on a Sunday LINK#TTD028.

Renting a car for the whole duration of your trip might seem like the easiest way to go, but with most vehicle rental companies in Port Vila offering free delivery of vehicles to any accommodation, it might make more financial sense to just get a vehicle delivered when you’re ready to use it!

There are plenty of airport transfer options for your arrival in Port Vila. Then, spend your first couple of days experiencing the restaurants and attractions closest to your accommodation. Once you’re ready to explore the rest of the island, get your vehicle delivered and you’ve just saved a couple of days (and an airport delivery fee) on car rental.

For more advice on car rentals, check out What You Need to Hire a Car in Vanuatu LINK#T010.

Efate and Espiritu Santo are the perfect islands for a family road trip; you’re never stuck in the car for too long until you come across an amazing blue hole or beach to explore.

On the downside, not all vehicle rental companies provide baby or booster seats, or at least they have a very limited supply. If you need one, make sure to request one upon booking!

Get more vehicle rental tips, including the best type of car to rent, in our guide, What You Need to Hire a Car in Vanuatu LINK#T010.

The self-catering holiday is extremely popular for families in Vanuatu! Not only is there a wealth of stays with kitchen facilities – see The Food Guide to Vanuatu LINK#TTD040 – but there are plenty of supermarkets scattered around Rarotonga for an easy grocery shop!

If you’re coming from Australia or New Zealand, there will be a lot of brands you’re familiar with. Plan a self-catering holiday using A Guide to Supermarkets & Food Shopping in Vanuatu LINK#TT020.

If you'd rather jump into holiday mode than buy baby food or snacks for the family from the supermarket upon arrival, then bring a few snacks for the first couple of days in Vanuatu.

You can bring food to Vanuatu as long as it's commercially prepared and packaged, and you avoid fresh fruit and vegetables – see Arriving in Vanuatu: Airport Customs, Quarantine & Arrival Process LINK#TT003.

On the subject, if there's a particular brand of baby food that you want to stick to in order to avoid any stomach upsets, it's best to bring it with you. Otherwise, American brands are available in local supermarkets. Learn more about self-catering in A Guide to Supermarkets & Food Shopping in Vanuatu LINK#TT020.

That’s right, kids’ menus are not available at every café and restaurant in Vanuatu, even in Port Vila, so you sometimes have to get quite creative with what younger kids can eat. Look out for “snack menus” or “smaller plates” instead, which are usually good portions for kids. If push comes to shove, you can always just order them a side or an entree.

For more tips about children’s menus and the cost, head to The Complete Family Travel Guide to Vanuatu LINK#TT062.

Making sure that everyone in the family is drinking water regularly is absolutely essential to their health while in Vanuatu’s tropical climate. However, tap water is generally not safe to drink, even if locals are drinking it.

Bottled water is readily available to buy in the main tourist centres and towns of Vanuatu. Otherwise, boiling water is another way to go.

So that there’s no stress over the issue, we recommend getting the family a few Lifestraw water bottles that remove 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria as you suck through its filtration straw. Plus, a reusable option is much kinder on the planet you’re leaving your kids.

Find out more about water safety in Is the Water Safe to Drink in Vanuatu?

Although we have a full packing list in What to Pack for Vanuatu, those with infants will need to consider a couple of holiday extras.

As mentioned, a core part of your Vanuatu family holiday is spending some time in the water, so waterproof nappies/diapers are a must for the packing list! Normal nappies/diapers are normally readily available in supermarkets, if you’re not bringing your own.

Additionally, a baby carrier is the way to go, as most attractions are not stroller-friendly in Vanuatu.

You probably already know that Vanuatu is a fantastic destination for snorkelling. However, snorkelling masks and fins, especially for kids, are not often available.

In short, bring snorkelling gear for the whole family to truly make the most of the amazing underwater landscapes and the wildlife LINK#TTD075 that resides in them!

See The Best Snorkelling in Vanuatu: Top 10 Places to Snorkel for all the best snorkelling hotspots and quick tips for safe snorkelling.

For an extra piece of protection while spending so much time in the water, we highly recommend that you get rashies (rash vest/swimming T-shirt) for younger ones that are more prone to sunburn, especially as sunscreen otherwise needs to be applied much more often when swimming (and no kid likes being pulled out of the water every couple of hours for a sunscreen slap-on).

We like Sharkskin for their rapid-dry rashies which have SPF 50+ protection, come in fully recyclable packaging and are saltwater, chlorine and UV-resistant so can be used for many more holidays to come.

We also recommend packing some reef shoes to protect little feet when standing on rocks or bits of coral. Speedo Kids and Toddlers Water Shoes are a great choice for little ones.

Perhaps the biggest health concern in Vanuatu is the sun. While it makes for an awesome holiday by the beach, the UV levels are high and are especially harmful to unprotected sensitive skin.

Make sure you are quite strict on sun protection with child-friendly (and reef-safe) sunscreen, cover exposed skin where you can, use sunhats, stay in the shade when UV levels are at their highest (around midday) and drink plenty of water.

See The Best Sunscreens for Vanuatu + Sun Protection Tips for more advice.

When buying your travel insurance, look for insurance that covers children too. Most travel insurance companies have policies to cover kids for free if travelling with an adult so always inquire.

Better yet, check out our Exclusive Deal with Global Rescue to gain one of the world's most comprehensive travel protection memberships that covers the whole family. Not only do they offer insurance policy add-ons, but they actually do the repatriation and medical consultation work themselves.

Note that not all medications are easy to find in Vanuatu.

Pack all the essential medication and toiletries you might need, including the original box of the prescribed medication (with notes and the name on the prescription).

We have a whole list of things to pack in your travel first aid kit, just in case there are some accidents or illnesses, in What Medication to Pack in Your First Aid Kit for Vanuatu.

Finally, while this is a little piece of shameless self-promotion, make sure you do your research!

A good place to start is right here on Vanuatu Pocket Guide where we not only have The Complete Family Travel Guide to Vanuatu LINK#TT062 but even complete lists of experiences in the 20 Best Things to Do in Vanuatu with Kids LINK#TTD068.