Santo Seaside Villas

Lovely setting out of town. Our hostess Esline was wonderful - stopped for groceries on the way there; knowledgeable on all things Santo; just like all Vanuatuans - delightful! Such fond memories 💕.

Esline was kindness itself. When I arrived, the hot water wasn’t working so she insisted I’d have a hot shower at her house. She cooked the plantain bananas bought, not realising they needed to be cooked before they could be eaten, and brought me back a proper meal which included them.

I have no complaints

Very clean and well kept with amazing seaside views. Hosts are very welcoming, kind and accommodating

Close to the sea and able to snorkel Bad weather when I was there so did not get to snorkel there Buses do go past the property Quiet and peaceful

Nothing

The property was lovely and clean. Esline and John were lovely, the locals were friendly and helpful. We took a day trip with Esline and would recommend as we could adapt the day to what we wanted. Loved that response was trying to improve the coral outside the property and could tell. Some of the better snorkeling we had done in Vanuatu. Wish more places would invest in the coral. Would like to see hammocks put up to chill in.

The bed was comfortable, stove worked, shower pressure was good (although no shower screen meant it sometimes flooded the unit). John the owner was particularly charming and my husband enjoyed chatting with him each day. They have a BBQ for guest staying a week which was nice. Pick up is offered free of charge with the booking, however sadly we were then charged additional for this service. There is snorkeling outside the property which is not great but interesting if you have not done a lot (Aore has much better options if you want variety of fish and coral), however as it is located next to a ship building area there is sometimes oil in the water so you need to time water activities. Wreck outside the property, not for snorkeling but makes nice photos. Nice sunsets and rises across the water. Fans worked well.

* One of the beds had bedbugs and my daughter received lots of bits over the week, initially we thought it was mozzies but then discovered bedbugs, we had to treat all our belongings as soon as we got home. * Too small for four people, really suitable for just two and a small child, (teens didn't find the beds comfortable) the setup chairs at dining table, cups etc are only three which mean we could not eat together * The host were very friendly and my husband enjoyed John especially, however their tours are way overpriced compared to others on the market so it pays to shop around. We found several that were 50% cheaper. * Asked to pay outside the Booking.com platform then charged extra to do so, had to get Booking.com to refund overcharge * Location although waterfront is along a terrible road which makes access a little uncomfortable, also next to a Kava bar which is loud of a night. * No undercover outdoor seating (other than small balcony again with not enough chairs for us all). There outdoor BBQ area had been blown over (looked like quite some time ago). A bit of an issue with 35 degree days. Lucky we were travelling with our own chairs so could chase the shade a bit but if you didn't have portable chairs the only option is a time setting in full sun. * Kayaks listing in add not functional (broken)

The apartment was super clean and comfortable - just what we needed after 4 nights in Tanna. Very comfortable bed. The owner is amazing, so warm, kind and helpful.

Really just one thing: location wasn’t ideal for us. We shortened our stay because of that , even though we loved the apartment and the owners. Too far from the main attractions, beaches and shops for groceries (but it’s easy to catch a taxi at the road, so if you don’t mind using them a lot, you are fine for shopping/eating out). If you have a rental car (and don’t mind the long drive up north to e.g. champagne beach) or are the booked-tour-type of traveller (the owner offers tours herself and is happy too help you organize anything else) and are looking for a very clean, nice place to stay without paying too much, that’s the place for you! Otherwise we suggest just to book 1-2 nights here, spend a day at Aore and then get a rental car and move to turtle bay region afterwards.