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Place in Sanma Province, Vanuatu
Photo: msdstefan, CC BY-SA 3.0 de via Wikimedia Commons
Luganville, also known by the names Santo and Kanal is the largest town on Espiritu Santo, and with about 16,000 inhabitants second largest in Vanuatu. The main centre of Vanuatu's biggest island, it has many Chinese stores as well as a few restaurants. Luganville is also one of the country's most important freight ports and was the site of a US military base during the Second World War.
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The open air market is one of them, its open 24 hours a day except for Sunday nights and it includes fresh fruit, vegetables and various other wares that the people of Santo bring to the markets from their village gardens. You can't beat the quality of their produce as it's all organic and incredibly cheap.
Go to the outdoor produce market in the western end of town and buy some of the organic fruit and vegetables.
Take a walk up to the top of the big hill and enjoy the view of Sagond Channel and Aore Island.
The biggest draw to the island is the wreck of the SS President Coolidge, a World War II troop carrier sunk by friendly mines in 1942. The majority of people travelling to Santo are divers who come for the expressed purpose of exploring this famous wreck. As such, there aren't many things to do in town other than to visit the local dive shops and organize some diving. Aquamarine is on the road opposite of the Unity Shell station and features a friendly and very experienced staff. They can take care of all your equipment needs and boast wide variety of Padi certified scuba courses at very competitive rates.
There is a golf course on Santo and if you meet up with some of the local expatriates they can give you a rundown of when the best times to go and play are (and if you make a good impression they may even let you know where you can borrow some clubs)!
Aore Island, offshore from Luganville, has diving and fishing. There are numerous resorts on the island catering for tourists, weddings and baptisms. Aore Island is a haven for divers with wreck and reef diving. Several of the wreck dives include the SS Tucker, and the MV Henry Bonneaud. Whether at anchor or trolling along the pristine coastline, anglers from novice to the most experienced enjoy outstanding year-round fishing in Aore.
Hotel Santo has a fantastic restaurant and serves the best and only pizza on the island (though you'll have to arrange a day or so ahead of time). Hotel Santo has a great bar and friendly staff (it's also one of the few places you can get pizza in Luganville for those of you missing a western meal)
Serves fantastic locally ranched Santo beef - the eye fillet with green peppercorn sauce is good, and a souffle prepared from scratch for dessert tops off the experience. The beef is raised on a completely organic diet in Santo, and is some of the best beef you'll ever eat.
The Natangora Cafe (centrally located) has a good breakfast and lunch menu, and serves up coffee, cappuccinos and fresh juices. The milkshakes and burgers are excellent and made with fresh, local ingredients.
The French-run Nemo restaurant is probably the best in town.
There are several Chinese restaurants in town as well, one of which serves a westernized style of dish and the other a more authentic style. The latter will prepare Coconut crab depending on the season (this might vary as laws are being put into place to limit the poaching of this endangered species), as well as bush pidgeons and various other dishes. This restaurant can be found next to Aquamarine.
The Deco stop deserves mentioning as it serves up fantastic meals with an unbeatable view.
There is a liquor and beer store in town, but expect to shell out a few thousand extra Vatu for the bottles that you might recognize.
The Hotel Santo is the most centrally located.
Deco stop is halfway up the big hill but is quite a good option.
Coral Quays is on the western edge of town and puts things just outside of convenient walking distance.
formerly named Moyyan House by the Sea
Modern boutique resort with wonderful white sand beach. Looks out to Aese island. Great snorkelling as surrounded by reefs
If you want groceries there is LCM in the center of town and it is the best store to get any Western goods you might want. It's better to bring as many of your own toiletries as possible and stick to the fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks while in Luganville.
By taxi or bus
Taxis are your friend in Santo, especially if you need to get anywhere in a hurry (or avoid walking in the summer heat, or through a tropical downpour).
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Luganville · Regional · SON
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