Tree Home Adventure

Fantastic cultural immersion, living in a small rural community. Dicksen and his family were really friendly and helpful. Location was great with views of Mt Yasur from our balcony. Lovely walks to waterfall and ash plains. A great off the grid experience, bumpy ‘roads’ no power and sporadic water supply, perfect for 2-3 nights to interact and learn local traditions. Food was plentiful, freshest coconut I have ever had, literally straight from the tree. We were able to stop on the way from airport to get fresh fruit, bring bottled drinking water too.

Beautifully and skilfully built tree house. Has its own toilet and shower (only cold water)

The owner was 2 hours late to pick us up - we had walked for 5km by the time he drove past us. There are no amenities - you need to bring your own towels, torches, water, coffee, snacks. It’s an hour walk to the nearest store. There are no lights other than in the dining room, the house is pitch black at night. The food was subpar to say the least - boiled rice, cheap noodles and a peace of chicken. For that the owner charged us 1000 Vatu per meal per person - restaurant prices. We didn’t go there for a 5-star buffet, but we didn’t understand why not serve pork, eggs and fresh fruit - it’s all available! There was no tea or coffee, water is from a communal tap, not sure if potable. Cockroaches everywhere! Check your bags thoroughly upon return, we brought a ‘hitchhiker’ back with us. We wanted to hike up to the volcano, and the owner insisted that his children accompany us (despite our protests and reassurance we don’t need underaged chaperones). Overall it was a strange experience for us, I think the family is new to having western guests and have no idea what to do.