Mystery Island, Vanuatu: Beaches, Snorkelling & a Village Tour
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Time to read 6 min
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Mystery Island, Vanuatu was one of those cruise ports where we didn't need an elaborate plan.
Beautiful water, pristine beaches, some snorkelling and a little exploring sounded pretty good to us.
Mystery Island is a tender port, which means cruise ships anchor offshore and passengers are taken across in smaller tender boats. As with any tender port, getting ashore is weather dependent, and visits can occasionally be cancelled when conditions aren't suitable.
Thankfully, the weather played nicely for us and we were able to make the picturesque trip across from Carnival Splendor.
A Little About Mystery Island, Vanuatu
Mystery Island's traditional name is Inyeug. It's a tiny, uninhabited island just off Aneityum, the southernmost inhabited island of Vanuatu. It's only around a kilometre long, and a large part of the island is occupied by its grass airstrip.
That airstrip has an interesting history. It was built by US forces during World War II and used by Allied aircraft during the Pacific campaign.
As for the Mystery in Mystery Island, there are a couple of stories.
One says the island earned its nickname during WWII because the airstrip was difficult to see from the sea, leaving Japanese forces wondering where the Allied aircraft were coming from. Vanuatu Post records this version of the story. Another account says the Mystery Island name was coined for publicity surrounding Queen Elizabeth II's visit in 1974.
Whichever version you prefer, Mystery Island is certainly a more intriguing name than Small Island, which is essentially what Inyeug means. 😂
Nobody permanently lives on Mystery Island. On cruise days, locals travel across from nearby Aneityum to operate market stalls, tours and other activities for visitors.
Photo by Slobodan Tomic on Unsplash
What Can You Do on Mystery Island?
You can quite happily spend a port day doing very little here, which is part of the appeal.
Some of the options include:
- Swimming from the beautiful beaches
- Snorkelling in the clear tropical water
- Browsing the local market stalls
- Walking around the island
- Taking a local boat trip or tour
- Visiting nearby Aneityum
- Or simply finding a patch of sand and doing absolutely nothing for a while
We decided on a combination of beach time and a visit to Aneityum.
Taking a Local Tour to Aneityum
Rather than booking a ship excursion, we organised a locally sourced tour early in the day.
Normally I'm quite conscious of the risks involved in booking independently during a cruise port visit. If an independent tour runs late, the ship generally isn't obliged to wait for you.
In this case, however, we were only taking a short boat ride across to neighbouring Aneityum and doing the tour early in the day. We were comfortable that we'd left ourselves plenty of time to get back to Mystery Island well before the final tenders.
Visiting Anelcauhat Primary School
One of our stops was Anelcauhat Primary School, and this was particularly interesting for the kids.
The school itself was very basic compared with what they were accustomed to at home in Australia.
But once we went into the classrooms, there was also plenty that looked familiar. Desks, blackboards, children's work and all the usual signs of a busy classroom. Just a considerably more rustic version of what they were used to.
And the students were incredibly excited to see all the visitors.
We'd brought a big bag of school supplies with us to donate to the school, which were very much appreciated.
It was one of those stops that gave the kids a glimpse of everyday life somewhere very different from home, rather than their experience of Vanuatu being limited to beaches and cruise-port markets.
Exploring the Village
From the school, our guide took us for a short walk through the village.
We were shown a little more about everyday life on Aneityum and watched a short local cooking demonstration before making our way back towards the water.
It wasn't an elaborate tour, but that's what we enjoyed about it. We got to see a small part of the community just across the water from the island where thousands of cruise passengers spend their day.
Back to Mystery Island
After the short boat trip back, we still had time for some final exploring around Mystery Island.
And, naturally, the kids managed to find some wildlife.
They had a very close encounter with a banded iguana, which became one of the more memorable moments of the day.
After a final look around, it was time to make our way back to the tender and enjoy one last view of that ridiculously blue water on the trip back to Carnival Splendor.
Tips for Visiting Mystery Island on a Cruise
A few things I'd keep in mind when planning a Mystery Island port day:
- Tendering is weather dependent. Don't be too devastated if plans change because conditions aren't suitable for getting passengers ashore safely.
- You don't necessarily need a ship excursion. There's plenty to do on and around the island independently.
- Leave a generous buffer if booking locally. We were comfortable taking our Aneityum tour because it was short, nearby and early in the day.
- Bring your swimmers and snorkelling gear. The water is a major part of the appeal here.
- Take some Australian dollars. They're commonly used by cruise visitors for local purchases and tours.
- Don't over-plan it. Mystery Island is a very easy place to simply enjoy being somewhere beautiful.
For us, combining some beach time with the village tour worked perfectly. We still got to enjoy those spectacular Mystery Island beaches while also seeing a little of life on neighbouring Aneityum.
And then there was the iguana. Apparently no family outing is complete without the kids finding something unexpected. 😂
Planning a Carnival Splendor Cruise?
Carnival Splendor sails from Sydney on a mix of short getaways and longer South Pacific cruises, with itineraries that can include destinations such as Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji. If Mystery Island is high on your wish list, have a look at the individual ports when comparing itineraries, as South Pacific sailings can vary considerably.
You can compare upcoming Carnival Splendor cruises, sailing dates, itineraries and prices through Expedia to find one that suits your plans.
Hi, I'm Kate!
I'm the creator of Voyage Ready and a BAS Agent and bookkeeper from regional NSW who loves cruising and travelling with my family (and occasionally working from a cruise ship somewhere in the middle of the ocean). I particularly love longer cruises with plenty of sea days, exploring new places at our own pace and finding practical ways to make family travel more affordable and less complicated.
Is Mystery Island a tender port?
Yes. Cruise ships anchor offshore and passengers travel to Mystery Island by tender. This means visits can be affected by wind, swell and other conditions that make tendering unsafe.
Does anyone live on Mystery Island?
Mystery Island itself is uninhabited. Locals travel across from nearby Aneityum on cruise days to operate tours, market stalls and other visitor services.
Can you visit Aneityum from Mystery Island?
Yes. We organised a short local boat trip across to Aneityum, where we visited Anelcauhat Primary School and explored part of the village.
Do you need to book a shore excursion at Mystery Island?
We didn't. There's plenty to enjoy on Mystery Island itself, and we organised our Aneityum visit locally after going ashore. If booking independently during a cruise visit, always allow plenty of time to return for the final tender.
Is Mystery Island good for swimming and snorkelling?
The clear tropical water and surrounding reef make swimming and snorkelling two of the main reasons people visit Mystery Island. Conditions can vary on the day, so always pay attention to local advice.
Why is it called Mystery Island?
There isn't one universally agreed story. One explanation links the name to the island's WWII airstrip and the difficulty of spotting it from the sea. Another says the modern name was created around Queen Elizabeth II's 1974 visit.
What is Mystery Island's real name?
The island's traditional name is Inyeug, which means “small island” in a local language.