It started in 1990. I was nine years old when I first stepped onto the sand of Hideaway Island, a small untouched paradise off Efate. No power after dark. Just candles, the hum of a quiet generator, and the rhythm of the waves. We ate what was available, snorkelled in technicolour coral gardens, and were guided to Mele Cascades not by tour signage but by a local girl who called it home. From Efate we travelled to Tanna, a different island entirely, where I was measured for a grass skirt by a village chief, carried down a waterfall in a woven basket chair by two Ni-Vanuatu men, and welcomed with singing and dancing that felt like something from another world. I drank milkshakes at French cafes in Port Vila, chased glimpses of lava from Mount Yasur, and filed away the memory of Vanuatu in a part of my heart I have never let go of. In 2018 I convinced my new husband to honeymoon there. We arrived after midnight at Hideaway Island, Mele Bay, stepping from a small tin boat into ankle-deep water, luggage in hand, pitch-black silence around us. He questioned everything. At sunrise he opened the door of our fan-cooled hut and saw the ocean waiting. He did not say a word. He did not need to. We have returned again and again since then as a family, with our kids, even when I was pregnant. We have discovered new corners. Espiritu Santo, where time feels slower, the smiles are wider, and we are welcomed like old friends. Little Vanuatu is my love letter to a place that raised my spirit.
My husband started calling me his little Vanuatu somewhere between our third and fourth trip back. He said it because when I am there, he sees it. The nine year old girl who first stood at the edge of Hideaway Island with the clearest water she had ever seen. Somewhere between the islands and the ocean, she never really left.
Little Vanuatu grew from that. Not from a business plan or a content strategy, but from 35 years of going back, of knowing which corners are worth finding, and of watching people fall in love with the islands the same way I did at nine.
I built this because people kept asking. Which island? Which resort? How long? Where should we eat? I had the answers. It felt wrong to keep them to myself.
"My husband calls me his little Vanuatu. This is named for that."
Little Vanuatu was born from this lifelong bond. It's my way of capturing those island moments — the stillness, the flavours, the colours, the conversations — and sharing them with you.
Whether you're dreaming of visiting or already packing your bags, I hope you'll find stories here that make you feel as if you're standing barefoot on the sand with me.
Returning years later, finding the same magic still waiting for me
Travel advisor, storyteller, and someone who has been coming back to Vanuatu since 1990.
I come from a hotel and hospitality background and I have been travelling to Vanuatu for over 35 years. I know which bungalow has the best reef access, which operator actually shows up, and why Tuesday morning at the Santo market is worth waking up early for.
I believe in slow travel, real encounters, and trips that feel like something when you get home. Little Vanuatu is my invitation to you, to discover the islands I have come to know, through honest eyes and an open heart.
Work With Me →
Years of knowledge. One conversation. A trip you will actually remember.
I am a natural born planner, the one friends and family come to when they want a trip organised. I have been giving Vanuatu advice for free in Facebook groups and to friends and family for years. Which island, which resort, how long, which time of year. The questions never stop.
I have decided to formalise that. If you are planning a Vanuatu trip and want to do it properly—not the package tour version, not a generic itinerary from someone who has never been—I can help.
A planning session includes a conversation about what you are looking for and a personalised written itinerary you can take away and book yourself. No pressure, no commissions, no agenda. Just honest advice from someone who genuinely loves this place.
60-minute planning conversation by Zoom or phone
Personalised written itinerary covering islands, accommodation style, activities, and logistics
Honest recommendations only. Places I would actually send my own family.
Follow-up email if you have questions afterwards
Pricing Line
Trip planning sessions from $195 AUD
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