The tropical island where you can have a castaway adventure for £55 a night

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Azure waters twinkle as the sun sinks slowly into the horizon, the sky transforming into a cocktail of colours from vivid violets to Iron Bru orange.

I’ve just landed on the shores of Vanuatu, a pint-sized tropical island in the South Pacific nation, and the serenity of the scene takes my breath away.

But the real jaw-dropper is the price. A night here costs just £20.

I had always assumed that playing castaway came with a hefty price tag, with dreamy overwater villas in places like the Maldives often ringing in at £1,000 a night or more. 

Yet after booking a last-minute 24-hour trip to Vanuatu from Sydney, I stumbled across Hideaway Island Resort and Marine Reserve for £55 a night.

The rooms looked basic – ranging from single bedrooms and dorms to private villas – but the setting was anything but.

A lush, circular outcrop framed by white sand and coral shores, the resort felt plucked from a postcard.

The price even included a motorboat transfer from the mainland, which took no longer than ten minutes, while facilities ranged from a restaurant and bar to a dive centre.

Many friends I told about my spontaneous getaway had never even heard of Vanuatu.

I, however, had been introduced to the jungle-cloaked archipelago years earlier by an Australian travel writer who described it as one of the most picture-perfect places he’d ever visited. And after arriving myself, it was clear he hadn’t exaggerated.

There are no direct flights from the UK to Vanuatu, and the journey can be arduous. 

Travel times to the capital, Port Vila, typically stretch to 30-40 hours via hubs in Asia, Australia, or New Zealand. But if you ever find yourself close enough to make the trip work, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I was already in Sydney visiting a friend when I found a return flight to Vanuatu with Jetstar for just over £200.

The outbound journey – around an hour and 20 minutes – left Australia at 10:50am and landed just after midday. The return flight the following day departed at 4:40pm, getting me back to Sydney by 6pm, just in time for dinner.

It was winter in Australia, but stepping off the plane in Vanuatu, I was met by a wave of warm, tropical air.

After a quick bit of research, I learned it was best to withdraw cash at the airport, as ATMs and card machines can be scarce.

Armed with a wad of vatu, the local currency, I hopped into a taxi and, by happy chance, met Fred, a jolly driver who not only delivered me to my boat transfer but also agreed to collect me the following morning for a day tour of the island for just £35.

Vanuatu is made up of more than 80 islands, though my whirlwind visit allowed time to explore only the main island, Éfaté.

The short boat ride to Hideaway was mesmerising. The water was so clear that tropical fish were visible, darting beneath the surface.

On arrival, I was greeted with a tropical fruit punch by a woman in a vibrant print dress before being shown to my room.

While the larger villas boast en-suite bathrooms, my room came with access to a shared shower block. There was, however, a sink for brushing my teeth and, more importantly, a veranda with glorious views over the water.

After unpacking, I wandered inland and found myself in a tropical wonderland. Palms and towering trees rose overhead, fragrant flowers perfumed the air, and winding paths led me in every direction.

At one point, I stumbled upon a giant banyan tree – larger than a football field and one of the largest in the world – its wild tangle of roots hanging like tentacles from the branches.

As evening fell, I claimed a prime spot on the beach to watch the sunset, feasting on fresh fish from the restaurant and washing it down with a rum and Coke.

The island’s guests ranged from groups of young friends to couples and families, but the overall atmosphere was blissfully calm.

I slept soundly, and the following morning, after bidding the island a fond farewell, I met Fred for a tour of Éfaté.

Highlights included a stop at a deserted, unmarked beach for a swim in the crystalline waters of the Blue Lagoon, cocktails at Banana Bay Beach Club, and a wander through Port Vila’s bustling food market.

For travellers with more time, there is a myriad more to explore, from the rich kastom cultures to blockbuster scuba diving.

The 24 hours I spent in Vanuatu felt almost dreamlike.

A hand-woven bracelet from a local market now serves as proof that it really happened, along with the golden beach tan that sparked envy back in Sydney, where my friend is already plotting his own bargain escape to this South Pacific paradise.

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