A brief overview of the place
Champagne Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and is situated on the east coast of Vanuatu’s largest island, Espiritu Santo. Melanesian people are known as ‘Ni- Vanuatu’.  They live on the island and are very traditional people. This is an island made up of jungle and mountains that is far away from everyday life.

What I did there
There is no port here, so to get the island we took 20-minute tenders.

After getting off the tender we walked along the stony, tree-lined path towards the main part of the beautiful beach. Like a lot of these islands, there was a little market selling homemade nick-nacks, food, coconuts and beer.

The sand here is truly whiter than white, it is powdery fine and feels lovely between the toes. The water is crystal blue and cool which is refreshing after being in the baking sun.

I got off with a few friends and we decided as lovely as the beach was, we didn’t want to sunbathe all day as there was so much of this island to explore. 

Hidden beneath the trees there were a few hatchback trucks.  The locals were resting on the bonnets holding signs. We walked up and had a look at what they were offering. A few different things like jungle walks, scuba diving, snorkelling, local food making but, what stood out to us, was a picture of a beautiful looking natural pool in the middle of the jungle.

For $5 each, he offered to take us there and back. We skipped over to his beat-up blue pick-up truck and all climbed in the back, and sat on the benches fixed to the side of the truck. Riding in the back of a truck like this was something I’d only ever seen in films, so I was super excited that I was actually getting to try it. The driver handed us all a beer for the journey which was a nice, unexpected surprise.

The trip was about 15 exhilarating minutes, with the wind rushing through our hair and laughing at each other trying to drink the beer rather than pour it all over our selves. The roads were uneven so the bumpy ride had us flying out of our seats. 

We pulled up in a wooded area surrounded with the most beautiful red flowering trees. All still giggling and in a spectacular mood we clambered out of the back of the truck and made our way down the steep path towards the lagoon. The muddy walkway was quite slippy, so by the time we got there a few of us had muddy bottoms from falling down but we laughed through it as no one was hurt.

As the trees became less and less we finally reached the tranquil pool, and it truly was breathtaking. The clear blue water surrounded by jungle and incredible cliff faces. Also, as we got off the ship quite early it was just us there. It didn’t take long for us to all strip down to our bikinis and make our way into the refreshing water.

We swam and swam and swam. A feeling of pure bliss filled my body. To be somewhere so natural and beautiful is a true rarity.  As I swam through the trees that hung over the water, I came to where the lagoon met the ocean. The cliff face opposite the opening looked like something out of a Jurassic Park

After spending about 3 hours splashing around, we decide to go back to the beach as the lagoon was starting to liven up with tourists

We were given another beer for the ride back to the beach which made me think the $2.50 we paid each way was probably just for the beer and the actual ride was free…

Feeling a little worn out from our swimming, we laid our towels out on the white sand and relaxed on the exquisite beach. The sun was very powerful so I didn’t stay out in it for too long. 

I took a walk up the beach and came across more locals selling trinkets. I sat with one woman for a while helping her to make little charm bracelets.  We ‘talked’, but as neither of us could understand each other, we just communicated through smiles and hand gestures. 

Swimming in the sea was as incredible as the lagoon.  The light blue colour of the water with the beautiful palm trees in the background really was a feast for the eyes. I stayed in the water for as long as I could, but as with all cruises, the ‘back on board’ time quickly approached. We dried ourselves off and slowly wandered along the beach back to the tenders.   With every step I took, I was digging my feet into the sand to make to most of the feeling of it between my toes.

To this day, it is one of my favourite days spent in paradise.

Most popular excursions
Bushwalk
Surrounding the beach is a jungle that had many walking trails that you can wander down.

Lagoon
Have a swim in this mesmerising lagoon that feeds into the ocean. Float on your back in the cool water and look up at the jagged rock face.  Get out in nature.

Lunganville
One of the largest cities in Vanuatu that is made up of Quonset huts

Beach day
The beach you will be taken to is…. and I’m sure will be one of the best, if not the best beach you have ever been to. The lagoon is also free.  The only thing you need to pay for is getting there, which isn’t much and is well worth doing.     

Free things to do
Spend the day on the beach swimming in the crystal clear water

Currency
Vatu

Language
English, Bislama and French

Population
200 local residents 

Things to know
There will be a small market on the beach where you can buy food, drink, locally made sarongs and floral shirts.

Any souvenirs that are made of plant material or animal products must be declared.

Favourite thing about the place
Champagne Bay is a slice of heaven, with its dreamy beach and incredible natural visual treats.