Turtle Bay Lodge

Breakfast over the water each morning and swims in the bay made the location feel extra special. We stayed in Dugong cottage for seven nights. It was clean and just right for us, only a few metres from the water. Alex and Kat were excellent hosts, with valuable local knowledge and an obvious love for this special place in De Santo. We had a wonderful stay and are planning another visit to Turtle Bay Beach House.

We had a lovely, self-sufficient setup with a full kitchen and laundry, and Turtle Bay resort and restaurant were just a short walk away. The outdoor spaces were great too, with a fire pit, covered deck, jetty and a big net over the water where we could stretch out and relax. The house sits at the end of a jetty, with views across the lagoon and ocean, and our host made the stay outstanding. We enjoyed kava and kayaking to Matevulu Blue hole and Port Orly. I’d recommend at least five days to really take in the peaceful setting and natural beauty. It’s good for families or couples. Our wonderful holiday was just a 2.5hr direct flight from Brisbane to Luganville, Santo on Solomon Airlines.

The house was a great base for us, halfway to many excursion spots, and tour operators were happy to collect and drop us back. We loved swimming and snorkelling in the safe water, and taking the free kayaks to Riri and Matevulu. The affordable stay left us more room for local trips and a couple of dinners at Turtle Bay Lodge. It had everything our family needed to switch off and relax. Do get groceries on the way from the airport. We arranged dinner ahead of time, picked it up on the drive to the house, and brought some snacks from NZ. Booking flights from NZ could be easier, so we’d love to return once that improves. We had a wonderful nine days at Turtle Beach House. The caretaker Willie and his wife Marie were lovely, and we also met Kat, the owner's partner. She invited us to her morning yoga session, which was a brilliant start to our first day. We shared a potluck dinner with Kat and others from her yoga retreat, then made friends with fellow travellers and continued to have group dinners. That made the trip especially memorable.

Had a great stay with friends in Vanuatu, all about swimming. Alex and Kat were really welcoming and shared lots of local knowledge. Lovely people, good food and accommodation, plus morning yoga 🧘.