Senior travel: Port Vila
An easier pace for an older traveller: how many stops fit in a day, which places are step-free, and what the guide says about getting around, medicines and stairs.
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Pace for a day
About 2 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 59 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.
Places, easiest access first
- Bougainville Park and the harbour frontStep-free: yes · about 35 minLevel paths and lawns; kerbs at the road edge.
- Government quarter walkStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 30 minLevel roads with broken pavements; best viewed from a car.
- Market HouseStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 60 minLevel floors under the roof; crowded aisles and wet patches; kerbs at the edges.
- Vanuatu National Museum and Cultural CentreStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 75 minMostly level galleries; a few steps at the entrance and between rooms.
- Mele village lookoutStep-free: no (check before you go) · about 25 minA short slope or steps; not suitable for wheelchairs.
- Mele CascadesStep-free: no (check before you go) · about 130 minSteps, wet rock and a steady climb; not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers.
Getting around in Port Vila
Port Vila is hard going on wheels. Pavements are narrow and broken, streets are steep, and step-free access is best in hotels and larger restaurants. Plan door-to-door taxi rides.
- Pavements:
- Narrow, broken and sloped; the harbour-front road is the smoothest stretch.
- Getting around:
- Taxis and minibuses have steps; ask your hotel to book a van.
- Hotels:
- Bigger hotels have lifts and accessible rooms; guesthouses often have steps.
- Toilets:
- Accessible toilets in bigger hotels; rare elsewhere.
- Beaches and waterfalls:
- Sand, steps and slippery rock; Mele Cascades is not suitable for wheelchairs.
Medicines and health on the ground
- Travel insurance · before flying: Must cover medical evacuation to Australia or NZ, cyclone delays and volcano trips.
- Heat:
- Sun is strong all year: hat, sunscreen, shade and water; heat exhaustion is common in the wet season.
- Mosquitoes:
- Dengue outbreaks occur and malaria risk exists in Vanuatu: repellent day and dusk, long sleeves in the evening; take medical advice on prophylaxis.
- Food and water:
- Busy market stalls with fast turnover are usually fine; drink bottled or filtered water, especially after heavy rain.
- Reef cuts:
- Clean and cover coral cuts promptly; they infect easily.
- Evacuation:
- Serious illness or injury may need evacuation to Australia or New Zealand: buy insurance with evacuation cover.
More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.
Ask your insurer
Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.
- What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
- Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
- Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
- Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?
Not medical advice. This page does not know anyone’s health. Ask a doctor before the trip, and carry a list of medicines and conditions.