Ratua Island Resort and Spa

Stayed 4 nights with wife and 3yo child during X-mas 2011. Lots of waiting in check-ins, boarding and baggage collection but well worth the wait. Accommodation is surprisingly comfortable and relaxing, it felt good to walk bare foot around 200 year old wooden shack and walk on private beach which is shaded all day by huge trees. We had fantastic time snorkelling off beach in-front of the main deck. Resorts staff did a fantastic job of preparing for excellent X-mas day lunch and dinner. Lunchtime X-mas carols by the Gardening crew (about 10 of them without any music) was worthy of greatest cathedrals or music halls. Evening X-mas carols by Ratua Resort Band (with single string double-base and hand-carved guitar) made excellent meal even more special. Wife and I put on about 2kg of weight as meal-plan of BBQ lunch and 3-course dinner was more then we could eat. Serving size was more then adequate, so most nights we were struggling to eat dessert. Breakfast was rather simple but very tasty and goof quality. I suppose resort is French themed and all I had was Croissant and Tanna coffee. Not much to do on the island other then horse riding, canoeing, snorkling and comprehensive list of paid daily activities (cheaper then Port Vila). Resort's management( Britta and Yorick) were very helpful and friendly. They amde sure everything was organised and taken-care of properly. I will definitely return as soon as possible. It is a fantastic little resort, much better then Maldives, Thailand-Phuket, Indonesia-Bali and Fiji-Denarau Island.

Wonderful location, unique rustic accommodation, very pleasant and friendly staff, lots of good food. Allow nearly your resort booking cost for food/drinks and optional activities. Suggest purchasing the meal package. Not an adults only resort, constantly aware of young children outside your accommodation.