While you're volunteering in Vanuatu, make sure to send your family a postcard from the world's only underwater post office!
Our ILP volunteers have loved using one of their days off to not only experience something completely unique but also to get an awesome souvenir for themselves and their loved ones back home!
Wondering what else there is to do in Vanuatu?
How about rope swinging into Efate's famous Blue Lagoon!
Whether you're visiting Efate for a week or living here for 3 months like our ILP volunteers, Hideaway Island is a must-see! Here's a deep "dive'' into everthing you'll need to know before you visit this bucket list-worthy place.
This post office is located at Hideaway Island which sits just off the coastline in Mele Bay (just northwest of Port Vila) on Efate, Vanuatu.
If you aren't hiring a private driver, there are two forms of public transportation: the bus or a taxi. After getting to the Hideaway Island dock, a boat will come and pick you up and take you to the official Hideaway Island.
Transportation becomes sparse to non-existent as you get later into the day/evening, so plan accordingly!
These are basically public vans (think of it like a mix between a taxi and a bus). It’s going to be your most affordable option by far. These mini buses have a certain route and people just get on and off as they want along that route. You can ask the driver to take you to a certain part of the island and our volunteers get on and off around the "beach bar".
For ILP Volunteers — it takes about 30 minutes to reach the side of the island that faces Hideaway Island from your home.
The price depends on the distance of your ride (and is rather affordable). It’s about 150 Vatu, which is around $1.50 USD for reference, no matter where you are going on the island, though there’s some talk to raise that price to $2 USD.
Taxis will be the most expensive option, by far! We're talking in the $50 – $80+ range just for a short trip. These are really only used by tourists who are just here for the day on a cruise stop. Taxis are much less common around Efate, but it's good to be aware that it's an option if needed.
The taxi will be less crowded, and you do have complete control over where it goes, so it's up to you how you want to spend your money.
Once you arrive at the boat dock that faces Hideaway Island, locals will spot you waiting and send a boat over to pick you up. The boat ride over will go by pretty quickly, but you can plan on it taking around 20 minutes.
The entrance fee for Hideaway Island costs about 1200 Vatu (around $10.00 USD).
Hideaway Island is the perfect place to go if you are looking for a little day trip, with plenty of places to snorkel, beautiful views, and of course, the Underwater Post Office!
The biggest attraction that draws visitors and particularly our ILP volunteers out to Hideaway Island is the world-famous Underwater Post Office!
The Vanuatu Post was established in 2003 and is the world's first and only underwater post office! This tiny little post office is about 10 feet underwater. So, not only do you have to dive down deep to deliver your mail, but every day the local mailman scubas down to the mailbox to grab you mail, which is then sent to be delivered. How fun!
The island offers a variety of water-proof postcards. These cost about 660 Vatu a piece ($5.50ish) and are totally worth the price, in my opinion.
To get to the post office, visitors are led out onto a coral reef path. It is recommended that you bring waterproof athletic shoes such as Chacos or Tevas. Once you get out to the water, you will see two metal platforms with buoys in between. In between those buoys is the famous underwater mailbox! That's your sign that it's about time to take a swim.
Our ILP volunteers mentioned that most of them didn't have a hard time getting down to the mailbox, but it is definitely deeper than you would expect. If you aren't a super strong swimmer, you may need help from a friend to help pull you down low enough. Don't forget to bring goggles!
Hideaway Island is surrounded by coral reefs and underwater wildlife, and it would be a shame not to take some time out of your visit to snorkel in the clear blue waters.
After sunbathing in the provided beach chairs, there is no better way to cool off than snorkeling the coral reefs scattered around the island. Our ILP volunteers mentioned seeing lots of fish, octopuses, and jellyfish!
If you are planning on being in Vanuatu for more than a few days, having your own snorkel gear is a must! But if you are just visiting, or happen to forget your trusty pair, you can rent some on Hideaway island for about 700 Vatu ($6.00 USD).
Since Hideaway Island is more of a day trip, the food options are quite simple. You either bring your own snacks or head to the small restaurant on the island!
Our ILP volunteers tend to bring their own food. It's cheaper, and they usually only spend about two hours on the island, so it's easy to pack accordingly.
The restaurant on Hideaway Island is slightly on the pricier side, but it has great reviews and customer service. You can expect seafood items to be on the menu here, but you will have to check it out for yourself to know what exact items are on the menu that day.
Although cards are accepted on the island, it is still highly recommended to also have cash because you never know if the card machine will be working that day (this goes for all over Vanuatu in general). If you do have cash, you will want to have enough bills to pay in exact change.
You can catch the price breakdowns throughout this post, but here it is all in one place for you, too! Note that these prices are as of Spring 2025.
Want to experience Vanuatu like a local?
Adventures like this can become a weekly occurrence when volunteering with ILP (that's us!). ILP sends college-aged volunteers all around the world to live, travel, and volunteer as English teachers for 3-4 months at a time. Come learn more about our program in the South Pacific!