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26 T A K E

A BREAK

TAKE A BREAK

Eratap Beach Resort

PiCTURES: Craig Osment

A luxury break even the locals take.

Thankfully, Vanuatu doesn’t do opulence. It wouldn’t suit the climate, the culture or the customers.

However, it does do casual elegance and Eratap Beach Resort does it very well indeed.

The resort occupies a private peninsula between a lagoon and the sea about 20 minutes’ drive from Port Vila. This would be 15 minutes if the last 6km of road weren’t quite so primitive but there’s nothing like a bit of rutted dirt to lend a sense of remote charm and that’s what Eratap delivers.

With only 12 villas, the resort is ‘boutique’ – indeed, it has won several tourism awards for best boutique resort, so it’s official. Every villa fronts the white sand beach, enjoying uninterrupted ocean views, and comes with its own beachfront The beachfront honeymoon suites include a private plunge pool, as well as a faré.

faré for lounging, dining or viewing the spectacular sunsets.

All six one-bedroom villas consist of two pavilions – one for the lounge room and the other for the bedroom, which is air-conditioned and comes with an ensuite bathroom with bath, shower and an additional outdoor coral-walled shower courtyard.

The kitchen is run by Kandy Tamagushiku, recently of Ratua Private Island and possibly the best chef in the South Pacific when it comes to creating superb dishes using fresh local ingredients. Her CV is impressive by any standard and includes recognition by Michelin.

Eratap Beach Resort is so good that locals regularly use it as a ‘getaway’ for dinner and an overnight indulgence. Proprietors Louisa and Tony have made certain that they are never disappointed. Considering the facilities, rates, which start at AU$535, are extremely reasonable.

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