Aneityum Island

Aneityum, is a tropical island paradise and is Vanuatu‘s southernmost inhabited island. The interior is mountainous and covered with wet, dark forest. Along the coast, pine plantations contrast with coconut palms, white sand beaches and coral reefs.

The largest village is Anelghowhat (pronounced Anelcauhat), on the south side. The island is 159.2 km² in size. It rises to an elevation of 852 meters (2,811 ft.) in Mount Inrerow Atamein.

It has a population of a little over 1,200 and believed to once had a population numbering 12,000. European explorers introduced disease and blackbirding which were major causes of population decline.

Aneityum’s main source of income is tourism (cruise ships) followed by small scale logging of the pine plantations. If planning a private and quiet retreat to Mystery Island then check the cruise ship itineraries with the Vanuatu Tourism Office in Port Vila before setting out. There are very few other visitors and ample accommodation so you needn’t worry about crowds at other times. Most visitors have Mystery Island to themselves.

Aneityum is far from Port Vila and it’s an expensive flight. To get the most value out of your airfare then, and if you have time, visit Tanna and/or Erromango on the same ticket (it costs only a few thousand Vatu more).

Erromango Island

Erromango is largely unpopulated and undeveloped. Today, the island’s main source of income is Sandalwood (the season runs from June to August each year), supplemented by coconut crabs. Extracting Sandalwood from the native forests is all done by manual labor, much the same as during the 19th Century. It’s a lucrative business and Sandalwood planting is becoming popular. Erromango is close to Efate and airfares are relatively cheap.

There aren’t many flights and a visit to Erromango will take more than a few days. Erromango is not the easiest island to visit but it is quite possibly the most unspoilt.