If you haven’t heard of Mystery Island, Vanuatu, you’re in for a treat when your cruise from Sydney, Australia or Auckland, New Zealand docks in this remote port of call. Mystery Island is a bit of an undiscovered paradise, uncommercialized and secluded while still giving South Pacific cruise passengers a taste of the local culture.
Residents travel from Aneityum Island to hock their wares and sell food and drink to tourists and those passing through the island. Legend has it that Mystery Island is haunted by spirits, so most locals live on neighboring islands instead. This means Mystery Island is deliciously uninhabited. On Mystery Island shore excursions, you can take a quick boat ride to Aneityum Island and tour the local villages for a better understanding of the area and its residents.
Local Aneityum residents come to the island on days where cruise ships dock at Mystery Island, and they bring food and drink for passengers including locally-fished spiny lobsters, homemade goods and spices, and coffee. For dessert, don’t miss the island’s specialty banana pie.
Mystery Island cruise excursions can be as simple as booking a Stand Up Paddleboard tour, which run between Mystery Island and Aneityum Island. You’ll enjoy the clear, Pacific waters while catching sight of area sealife and views of the islands from the water. The area’s coral reefs are some of the most famous and undisturbed in the world, where you can snorkel in three areas: The Giant Aquarium, Day Dreamers Reef, and the Turtle Resting Grounds, where the island’s turtles live. For a simple but relaxing afternoon, book a traditional massage and lay out on the beach.
You can walk the entire shoreline in less than an hour, but it’s Mystery Island’s remoteness that makes it so special. Enjoy your Mystery Island shore excursions in a Pacific paradise while soaking up the customs and cuisines of the Vanuatuan people.
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