Halo! Welcome to Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 5 pm at your accommodation tonight. If you arrive with time to spare before the welcome meeting, maybe head to the heart of the city for Port Vila's produce market and the waterfront promenade, just a short walk away. It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Today, you'll discover some of Efate’s best spots. A scenic drive will take you to the exclusive kayak base on the Rentapao River. Immerse yourself in Vanuatu’s rainforest and get a glimpse of village life as you paddle. After a French-style lunch at the river’s edge, transfer upstream to the river cascades, a great place to swim, relax and shake off any jet lag. You'll be back at your hotel by mid-afternoon, giving you some time to discover more of Port Vila and choose a place for your optional dinner tonight. Your kayaking time today will be approximately 3 hours. Life jackets must be worn for today's kayaking activity.

It’s an early morning start today for your Air Vanuatu flight to the island of Tanna. After an included local lunch, set out on the first of your Tanna hikes. Hike to one of the world's largest banyan trees, perched high on a ridge overlooking the coast. Your path there will loop back through scattered villages, gardens and rainforests – a great opportunity to meet some of the local people going about their daily lives. Next is a scenic drive across the spine of the island to your bungalow accommodation, located at the foot of the active volcano. This afternoon, drive along a rutted road to the rim of the volcano (the option to walk to the crater carpark is also available for those who would prefer it). You'll feel the ground shaking and hear the volcano rumbling as you approach. Finally, as you arrive at the crater rim in time for sunset, you'll witness the incredible show of Strombolian eruptions that await as it gets dark. Return from the volcano for a late dinner at your bungalow. Intrepid’s itineraries are designed to utilise scheduled flights between Port Vila and Tanna. On occasion, these inter-island flights may be cancelled at late notice due to weather or aircraft maintenance. Your leader will provide you with information and updates should this occur. In this event, weather permitting, we may need to book a charter flight to continue the itinerary. We use Unity Airlines, a local charter company, for these flights. This additional expense will need to be paid by each traveller locally, with the cost dependent on the number of travellers in the group and seats sold on the charter. Please ensure you have access to funds for this or any other unforeseen circumstances during your time in Vanuatu. The flight to and from Tanna has a 10 kg check-in bag restriction, plus a 5 kg carry-on bag. You can leave your larger luggage at the Port Vila hotel and pack a smaller bag for the two nights on Tanna. An airport tax of 200 VUV per person will be payable in cash at the airport today and will be collected by your leader. Your driving time today will be approximately 1.5 hours. Roads on Tanna are not paved and deteriorate each year after rain and landslides. Our 4WD vehicles are up for the task, but be prepared for a very bumpy ride as your drivers navigate the roads. While you will see other tourists and locals riding in the back tray of vehicles on Tanna, as per our safety regulations, all Tuuur travellers must be seated inside vehicles during our time on the island. Your hiking time to the banyan tree will be approximately 1 hour, and the hike to the volcano rim will take approximately 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on the route taken. The hike is uphill all the way. For those who don't wish to hike to the volcano rim, there is the option of taking transport to the crater. Please note that the volcano visit is subject to the alert level issued by the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazard authority. Face masks and protective glasses will be provided for the volcano activity viewing today to protect you from the ash. Please follow all safety instructions given by your leader, including where to stand when viewing and taking photos of the volcano. You may see other visitors going beyond the first lookout and approaching the crater’s edge – this is extremely dangerous and should not be attempted. As we will make our descent after dark, ensure that you bring a suitable torch or head lamp with you. Your simple bungalow accommodation tonight has shared bathroom and toilet facilities, with cold water only and intermittent electricity. As we are staying in a local community, consumption of alcohol is discouraged. Drinking water is provided, but other drinks will need to be purchased in advance.

This morning, you have the option to visit the volcano a second time, for sunrise. After breakfast, start today with a visit to a John Frum village ('cargo cult village') hidden in the rainforest at the foot of the smouldering volcano. Road conditions permitting, you'll have a short dip in the Sulphur Bay hot springs and visit Port Resolution, named after one of Captain Cook’s ships, to explore this remote village. Enjoy lunch back at the bungalows before returning to the other side of the island to our new accommodation for tonight at Whitegrass. Tonight visit a nakamal (kava bar) for a shell of kava. Watch the sunset with your group, keeping an eye out for the whales that cruise along the coast (from July to September). You have the option to visit the volcano a second time this morning for sunrise. Please speak to your leader for more information and costs.

After breakfast, you'll head into the jungle-clad hills to a kastom village. The community here has long rejected modern life and conserves many aspects of a traditional lifestyle. Learn about traditional rites of passage and the local Prince Phillip movement as your leader guides you around the village. As you explore, you’ll gain insight into a community at the cusp of making decisions about the future and how tourism can help conserve long-held practices. Stop for lunch at a local cafe in town, then it's time to say goodbye to Tanna and head to the airport for an afternoon flight back to Port Vila. An airport tax of 200 VUV per person will be payable in cash at the airport today and will be collected by your leader.

Today, you’ll travel from Port Vila to Pele Island, a tropical island renowned for its marine conservation area. Take a scenic drive along Efate's west coast to Emua Wharf, stopping at a coffee roastery along the way. Then it’s a short boat ride to Pele Island. When you arrive, sit down for a local lunch on the beach. Take another short boat ride to Taloa Village on neighbouring Nguna Island to visit the historic church and community sites on a village walk. Later this afternoon, go snorkelling in the lagoon (weather permitting) or in the marine conservation area. Expect lots of tropical fish, the occasional turtle (if you’re lucky) and plenty of hard corals and small canyons to explore. Your accommodation for the night is at bungalows on Pele hosted by the village women. Your travel time today will be approximately 1 hour by private vehicle, followed by a 30 minute boat ride. Your bungalow accommodation tonight has solar power only and no running water. There are shared bucket toilets and showers. As we are staying in a local community, consumption of alcohol is discouraged. Drinking water is provided, but other drinks will need to be purchased in advance.

This afternoon, you'll have the option to take a boat over to Nguna for a challenging volcano walk. Alternatively, you can go for a few easier walks around Pele's villages for a chance to learn about the community’s conservation efforts through the Nguna-Pele Conservation Network. Then it's time to return to Efate for lunch at a locally owned restaurant. Take in the lovely views across the islands, then drive back to Port Vila, this time along the east coast road, with a stop for a swim at one of the beaches or coves around Eton village. There are lots of roadside markets to explore and plenty of photo opportunities. Make one final stop at a distillery, for a delicious tasting of local liqueurs. Arrive back at your Port Vila accommodation in the evening. Celebrate a trip well-travelled with an optional farewell dinner with your group. Your optional volcano walk on Nguna Island today is a challenging hike and takes approximately 3 hours.

Your Vanuatu adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you are staying longer in Vanuatu, ask your trip leader about the optional Discovery Bushwalk tour to visit more nearby villages and communities.