Vanuatu
Vanuatu in January
🌧️ Rainy seasonWarm, humid and very wet. Watch for tropical cyclone risk.
🎒 Pack: compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics
Why January scores 7.6What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort6.4
- ✓Warm (28.3°C highs / 27.3°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 23.9°C)
- !Wet: ~229 mm rain, ~8 heavy-rain days
- Air quality9.8
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~6 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards8.0
- !Tropical cyclone: Peak of the Australian/South Pacific cyclone season
- !Flood: ~8 heavy-rain days in an average January
- Safety baseline8.0
- ·Normal precautions
| Jan | Aug | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.6 Very good | 9.2 Excellent |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 28° / 27° | 25° / 24° |
| Rain | 229 mm | 62 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 24° | dew pt 21° |
| PM2.5 | 6 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast).
Holidays & crowdsJanuary 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- New Year 1–3 Jan · 3 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore VanuatuEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA South Pacific nation of about 80 islands, known for an accessible active volcano on Tanna, blue holes, WWII wreck diving and Melanesian kastom culture.
Cyclone seasonDate variesUsually November to April
The wet season, with risk of tropical cyclones.
Why go: Consider travel insurance and flexible plans.
Where: Nationwide
Coming up later
Naghol (land diving)Date variesUsually April to June
Men jump from wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles, a ritual linked to the yam harvest.
Why go: Visits are arranged via local operators and cultural rules apply.
Where: South Pentecost island
Independence DayEvery year30 July every year
Vanuatu's national day with parades and celebrations.
Why go: Public holiday with festivities in the capital.
Where: Port Vila and across the islands
Mount Yasur
An active volcano on Tanna where visitors watch eruptions from the crater rim.
💡 Access depends on the official alert level, which can close the rim.
SS President Coolidge
A large WWII troopship wreck off Espiritu Santo, accessible to divers from the shore.
Champagne Beach
A white-sand beach on Espiritu Santo.
Blue holes of Espiritu Santo
Freshwater springs of deep blue water, such as Matevulu and Nanda.
Port Vila
The capital on Efate, with a waterfront market and nearby Mele Cascades.
Millennium Cave
A guided trek through jungle and a river cave on Espiritu Santo.
Lap lap
Grated root vegetables baked with coconut cream in leaves, the national dish.
💡 Port Vila market and local eateries
Kava
A traditional drink from kava root with a numbing, relaxing effect.
💡 Nakamals (kava bars)
Santo beef
Grass-fed beef raised on Espiritu Santo.
💡 Restaurants in Port Vila and Luganville
Wood carvings
Carved figures and slit-drum replicas.
💡 Handicraft markets in Port Vila
Woven baskets and mats
Pandanus weaving from the islands.
💡 Port Vila markets
Tanna coffee
Coffee grown on volcanic soil on Tanna.
💡 Shops in Port Vila