Day 8 - Mystery Island, Vanuatu

Ever wondered what it'd be like to live on an uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific with no running water, no food, no shelter, nothing but native plants and tons of pristine water? Welcome to Mystery Island, Vanuatu. This place is something straight out of the Survivor tv show. No one lives here, there is no food provided, no water, nothing. You go here to enjoy unspoiled paradise.


Welcome to paradise. Here's a hint if you ever have a cruise that stops here, always grab the first tenders out. People won't head to the beach until after 11 so you can have a few hours of the place all to yourself. When you get off the dock, head to the right almost to the very end. Once there find any shade and drop your stuff. There's not a lot of shade and boy will you need it.

I never just hang out on a beach let alone in the ocean water. Today however I sat right here, on that line between the tan line of the sand and the first band of aqua green water... and did so for three hours without leaving the water.



Initially thought by the natives to be haunted the evil spirits that come out at night but the reality is something different. The real origin of the name comes from the 1980s when an Australian yacht captain gave the island its name to attract visitors via his cruises. Sadly the majority of the coral in the area is now dead but there is still some fish to enjoy. I'm sure there would have been more had there not been such a powerful surge in the water today.


Once you leave the beach there's a small path that takes you around the island. You can do the full loop in under 30 minutes. Each turn is just as beautiful as the past ones. Natives on the island across the way come over the morning a ship arrives and sells very basic things. If you're thinking of an excursion, don't book with the ship, do it when you get to the island to enjoy the exact same thing the ship sells at a marked up price.


Tomorrow is the only excursion I booked for this trip. Not only am I extremely excited about it but also a little scared. More on that tomorrow when we reach Isle of Pines, New Caledonia.