Luganville

Getting there

By plane The vast majority of people will come into Santo through the airport

1 Santo-Pekoa International Airport (SON IATA). Air Vanuatu is the only airline serving the airport from Brisbane in Australia and domestically from Port-Vila and some smaller destinations Your options from here are to catch a bus or taxi. For the most part the taxi drivers will be able to understand enough English to get you into town, this trip should cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 Vatu (approximately $7 US dollars). Alternately you can catch a mini-bus into town as well, they are less frequent and you'll have to wait till they get around to your destination (buses can take a while to figure out). Several of the hotels offer a pickup service from Santo-Pekoa International Airport.

Getting around

By foot The town of Luganville is tiny, and with the exception of the big hill, it doesn't present much of a challenge to those who want to walk it. Getting around town can be tricky because often the roads are unnamed but if you know the name of your destination the town is small enough that almost anyone on the street will know what you're talking about if you ask for directions.

By taxi or bus Taxis are your friend in Santo, especially if you need to get anywhere in a hurry (or avoid walking in the summer heat, or through a tropical downpour). There are many buses in town as well, and these cost a flat rate of 100 vatu. Don't expect too many tar sealed roads in Luganville (or Santo in general for that matter) and aside from the main road, the road up to the hospital and the road leading up the hill toward the Road to Port Olry, all other roads on the island are dirt or leftover cement roads from the American troops in WWII.

See

Luganville for the most part is a very utilitarian town, and consists mainly of Chinese stores which carry cheap imported goods and serves the local population's needs for western goods. There aren't many sites to see in town and most of your trips will take a large amount of planning on your part. However there are several places nearby worth visiting, listed in #Go next. In Luganville itself there are a few things you'll want to make a point of getting to before you leave.

1 Open air market. The open air market is one of them, its open 24 hours a day except for Sunday nights and it includes fresh fruit, vegetables and various other wares that the people of Santo bring to the markets from their village gardens. You can't beat the quality of their produce as it's all organic and incredibly cheap. (updated Mar 2016) 2 Outdoor produce market. Go to the outdoor produce market in the western end of town and buy some of the organic fruit and vegetables. (updated Mar 2016) 3 View from the Big Hill. Take a walk up to the top of the big hill and enjoy the view of Sagond Channel and Aore Island. (updated Mar 2016)

Do

1 SS President Coolidge. The biggest draw to the island is the wreck of the SS President Coolidge, a World War II troop carrier sunk by friendly mines in 1942. The majority of people travelling to Santo are divers who come for the expressed purpose of exploring this famous wreck. As such, there aren't many things to do in town other than to visit the local dive shops and organize some diving. Aquamarine is on the road opposite of the Unity Shell station and features a friendly and very experienced staff. They can take care of all your equipment needs and boast wide variety of Padi certified scuba courses at very competitive rates. (updated Mar 2016) 2 Santo Golf Club. There is a golf course on Santo and if you meet up with some of the local expatriates they can give you a rundown of when the best times to go and play are (and if you make a good impression they may even let you know where you can borrow some clubs)! (updated Jul 2018) 3 Aore Island. Aore Island, offshore from Luganville, has diving and fishing. There are numerous resorts on the island catering for tourists, weddings and baptisms. Aore Island is a haven for divers with wreck and reef diving. Several of the wreck dives include the SS Tucker, and the MV Henry Bonneaud. Whether at anchor or trolling along the pristine coastline, anglers from novice to the most experienced enjoy outstanding year-round fishing in Aore.

Buy

There are many stores that dot the main road in town, however Vanuatu is a tax free island, so you will pay a premium for imported goods . The majority of these stores carry cheap imported goods from China and contain many of the same items. There are lots of good local craft stores which carry everything from Coke bottles dating back to WWII to carvings made by local wood workers.

1 LCM. If you want groceries there is LCM in the center of town and it is the best store to get any Western goods you might want. It's better to bring as many of your own toiletries as possible and stick to the fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks while in Luganville. (updated Mar 2016) Liquor and beer store. There is a liquor and beer store in town, but expect to shell out a few thousand extra Vatu for the bottles that you might recognize. (updated Mar 2016)

Eat

For those on a limited budget the outdoor produce market has several vendors who serve up meals with rice these include beef stew, eggs (sort of an omelette), steak (not the best) and fish. With your meal expect a light lemon-aide, and fresh fruit for dessert. These meals are 400 Vatu at most and are quite filling.

1 Hotel Santo, Main Street. Hotel Santo has a fantastic restaurant and serves the best and only pizza on the island (though you'll have to arrange a day or so ahead of time). Hotel Santo has a great bar and friendly staff (it's also one of the few places you can get pizza in Luganville for those of you missing a western meal) (updated Mar 2016) 2 Coral Quays, Rue San Michel (off on the western part of the town's main road). Serves fantastic locally ranched Santo beef - the eye fillet with green peppercorn sauce is good, and a souffle prepared from scratch for dessert tops off the experience. The beef is raised on a completely organic diet in Santo, and is some of the best beef you'll ever eat. (updated Mar 2016) 3 Natangora Cafe. The Natangora Cafe (centrally located) has a good breakfast and lunch menu, and serves up coffee, cappuccinos and fresh juices. The milkshakes and burgers are excellent and made with fresh, local ingredients. (updated Mar 2016) 4 Nemo Restaurant. The French-run Nemo restaurant is probably the best in town. (updated Mar 2016) Chinese restaurants. There are several Chinese restaurants in town as well, one of which serves a westernized style of dish and the other a more authentic style. The latter will prepare Coconut crab depending on the season (this might vary as laws are being put into place to limit the poaching of this endangered species), as well as bush pidgeons and various other dishes. This restaurant can be found next to Aquamarine. (updated Mar 2016) 5 Deco stop. The Deco stop deserves mentioning as it serves up