Port Vila Bauerfield Airport: where to stay, areas and recommended…

Bauerfield is just 6-7 km from downtown Port Vila, 10-20 minutes by taxi (cash only at the counter in front of the terminal) or with a shuttle booked through the hotel: because of this, almost the whole of the capital's offer, from the city centre to the Erakor lagoon, stays within a quarter of an hour's drive. The real gap opens up further south, along the beaches of Pango and White Sands, where the resorts become more isolated and the journey from the airport climbs to 30-35 minutes.

Downtown and the Erakor lagoon

City centre · 10-20 minutes by car from Bauerfield; downtown is also reachable on foot from the resorts on the Erakor lagoon, a 15-20 minute walk.

Best for: Those who want downtown Port Vila or a private lagoon a few minutes by car from the port and the shops, with the airport still a quarter of an hour away.

Pros

Port, market and shops of Port Vila reachable in a few minutes on foot or by car
The resorts on the Erakor lagoon offer a private beach while staying a stone's throw from the centre

Cons

Less isolation than the resorts further south, with more traffic and noise in the centre
The Erakor lagoon doesn't have the white-sand beaches of the areas further south on the island

Recommended hotels in this area

Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu by IHG: On the shore of the Erakor lagoon, just 5 minutes from Bauerfield and 4 from Port Vila; National Museum and Parliament about a kilometre away, with a free shuttle to the centre.
Warwick Le Lagon Resort & Spa, Vanuatu: On a peninsula overlooking the Erakor lagoon toward Mele Bay, 10-20 minutes from Bauerfield; three outdoor pools, private beach and direct access to snorkelling and water sports.
Ramada Resort by Wyndham Port Vila: On the beachfront of the Erakor lagoon, 15 minutes on foot from downtown Port Vila and 10-20 minutes by car from Bauerfield; the lagoon view praised by reviews.
Grand Hotel & Casino: The only upscale hotel in downtown Port Vila, on Kumul Highway right on the harbour; Vanuatu's tallest building, 15 minutes from the airport and in the heart of the commercial district.

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Pango and White Sands

Neighbourhood · Breakas Beach Resort, on the Pango peninsula, is 15 minutes from Bauerfield and 5 from the centre; Tamanu on the Beach, on the White Sands coast, is 30-35 minutes from the airport, with a free 20-minute shuttle to the centre.

Best for: Those looking for more isolated white-sand beaches, accepting a 15-35 minute transfer from the airport.

Pros

White-sand beaches among the finest on the island, less crowded than the centre
Smaller, more carefully run resorts, with a boutique atmosphere compared with the big chains in the centre

Cons

Tamanu is more than half an hour from the airport, the longest transfer among the Efate options described here
Breakas Beach Resort is adults-only, to be ruled out for those travelling with children

Recommended hotels in this area

The Beach VANUATU: Known as Breakas Beach Resort, on a private bay on the Pango peninsula with 2 km of white beach; a 22-metre infinity pool, but adults-only and with no air conditioning in the bungalows.
Tamanu on the Beach: A 5-star boutique resort on a private beach on White Sands Road, 30-35 minutes from Bauerfield; an ocean-view infinity pool and a free shuttle to downtown Port Vila.

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