Hideaway resort in Vanuatu

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MELE II (West side story)
This reef comes to within 6m of the surface. On the east side of the reef, coral rubble bottoms out at about 12m, however, on the west side, long fingers stretch out covered in stag horn coral in hues of blue, yellow and green to a depth of 30m. There are numerous anemones, occasional crays, morays and sharks – a very relaxing dive. Max Depth: 25m.

PINK PANTHER (Mele lll)
Named for its extremely unusual fluorescent pink anemone. This anemone has been the subject of much attention during the annual Hideaway Dive Festival, and has featured in many highly acclaimed awards by outstanding overseas photographers. The mooring is in 8m, with a drop off to 90m +. Cruise around the wall at 25m where large schools of fish abound. The pink anemone is at 12m. There is also a very large area of anemones nearby. Yellow and blue anemones are also to be found on this reef. This dive has excellent coral formations. The occasional sailfish have even been spotted here. Max Depth: 25m.

GOTHAM CITY (Ollie's lolly)
Named for its batfish which accompany you on your dive, a very colorful and popular reef area which rises to within 6m of the surface. A large variety of marine life abounds from sharks, barracuda, and dog tooth tuna to the occasional turtle and manta ray. On the southern side of the reef, colorful soft coral grow. Many feather stars and coral formations decorate the top of the reef. Numerous small coral fish add to the enjoyment of this dive. The wall bottoms out at 25m, then drops slowly away to deeper depths. Good visibility at 20m + is normal for this dive. There are some currents during certain tides. Max Depth: 25m.

ACROPORA
This dive has a series of reefs running off at different angles and a sandy bottom with the occasional shark to be seen resting there. Good hard coral areas intermingle with some colorful soft coral. A nice easy dive. Max Depth: 20m.

MALO TUKIi
An interesting shallow dive with lots of coral formation, usually rocks and bommies. Swim around these formations and find anemones, shrimp, nudibranchs and various other small critters. Close to a channel for those who wish to dive deeper. Max Depth: 20m.

BOY'S CORNER
Discovered by their resident Divemasters ("the boys") exploring not far from the coral Cay in the bay. Coral encrusted fingers extend out between white sandy patches. Very colorful at 15m and less with plenty of coral and fish. There’s also a channel nearby for those who wish to dive deeper. This dive has some current at certain tides. Max Depth: 20m.

EMPEROR'S GARDEN
A very colorful coral area like a well cultivated garden fit for royalty. Plate, stag horn and lace coral cascade along the side of this reef amongst others in a plethora of co lour and shapes. A great photography dive. A hot spring bubbling up from the ocean floor provides something different. Max Depth: 18m.

TEURA CAVE
A cave that runs 25m from the edge of the reef to a rock pool on the land. Beautiful shafts of light penetrate through cracks in the roof lighting the way. See the brilliant flashlight fish glowing like stars in the dark. Crayfish (Teura) are sometimes seen here. Surface in the Rock Pool before heading back through the cave. There are many other small canyons and caves to explore on the edge of the reef. A great dive for experienced divers. Max Depth: 15m.

ROCK POOLS REEF
Excellent shallow coral dive. Many swim-throughs with healthy colorful walls and white sandy gutters. Plentiful coral fish abound. A nice swim through from the mooring leads you out to the edge of the reef at 15m were you can cruise either way and zig zag your way back to the mooring where a beautiful giant clam rests. Excellent dive for photographers. Good visibility - up to 40m.Max Depth: 15m.




WRECK DIVES

ALOARA (Rising Sun)
An island trader purchased by the people of Tongariki in 1990 to work for the island. After carrying cargo from Vila to all the islands, Aloara was laid up in 1999. In November 2001, after being prepared for sinking by the Hideaway staff, Aloara was sunk as a diving wreck off Hideaway Island. She now lies on her starboard side in 26m of water. In calm conditions Aloara is an excellent penetration dive for experienced divers. Excellent pre-Coolidge diving. This dive is usually combined with an extra 15 minutes on top of the nearby reef. Max depth: 26m.

BONZER (Clown Colony)
A small tug boat which had been left abandoned at Havana Harbor for 6 years. Towed to Port Vila in 2001, cleaned and sunk 2001 at Hideaway Island near a dive site called Clown Colony, named so for its large bommie covered in anemones and their resident clown fish. Bonzer sits upright in 24m of water and is a good wreck for experienced and novice wreck divers alike, featuring easy swim-throughs. A large number of banded shrimp have made the Bonzer their home. A shallow swim back to the mooring completes this interesting dive. Max depth: 24m.

The best time to visit Vanuatu is May-October, when daytime temperatures are generally in the 70s-80s F/21-32 C, with nights in the 60s-70s F/15-27 C. Southeast trade winds keep the climate nearly ideal.

Rain can occur throughout the year, but it's heaviest January-April, which is also hurricane season. A sweater or light jacket is recommended for evenings year-round, especially if you go to the southern islands.

Current weather on Vanuatu >>




Vanuatu is easily reachable by air. The island group in the Pacific is only 2.5 hours flying time from of Brisbane and 3.5 hours from Sydney, Australia. It's a little over 2 hours from Auckland, New Zealand.