| Epi,
more than it appears to be
Epi
is relatively close to Vila with good transport links, a
variety of accommodation options and much to see and do:
- Swim with Bondas the friendly dugong at Lamen Bay.
- Admire the richly coloured sunsets at Lamen
Bay.
- Surf at northeast Epi (the best surf we've seen in Vanuatu
to date).
- Snorkel at Nikaura's Marine
Protected Area.
- Walk around the island.
Epi's
economy is largely dependent on agriculture. Along the west
and northeast coasts of Epi there are extensive old coconut
plantations, evidence of a big copra
boom in the early 20th century. With the exception of Valesdir
these have long been abandoned and taken over in places
by smallholders. Other crops are peanuts (in the hills of
east Epi) and kava.
Epi
is close to Efate and airfares are relatively inexpensive.
Many people visit just for a few days and then return to
Port Vila. If you want to spend more time and see the best
of Epi you can walk around the island, read our Itinerary
Ideas page for a start. Adventure travellers should
also note that flights through Lamen Bay also land at Ambrym,
Malekula and Santo. This route gets you to Santo and you
can stopover on some interesting islands.
Bungalows
While Lamen Bay, with good accommodation and a friendly
dugong, has long been a tourist destination the rest of
Epi has little tourism development. We feature two bungalows
and Valesdir plantation:
Epi Paradise Sunset Bungalows,
Lamen Bay 
Nikaura Sunrise Bungalow, Nikaura

Valesdir Plantation Guesthouse,
Valesdir 
Epi
Island Guesthouse near Valesdir is an expat-owned, upmarket
place that doesn't fit our definition
of an island bungalow and it's already well promoted so
we don't feature it on our website.
Air
Transport
There are two airports on Epi: Lamen Bay in the north and
Valesdir in the south. Flights (March 2007) and fares (May
2006) are summarised in the table below. Check the Air
Vanuatu domestic website for more up-to-date information.
Tourists holding a return Air Vanuatu international ticket
are entitled to a 20% discount on these fares).
Exchange Rates.
| Airport |
Return
Port Vila fare
(Vatu) |
Return
Santo fare
(Vatu) |
Flights
per
week |
| Lamen
Bay |
18020 |
18020 |
2 |
| Valesdir |
15388 |
No
connection |
3 |
Flights
through Lamen Bay also land at Paama, Ambrym, Malekula and
Santo. Visiting Epi from Santo is feasible. Flights through
Valesdir are on the Shepherd Islands loop (Emae, Valesdir,
Tongoa).When booking flights on the Shepherds loop you may
be told they are fully booked but when you arrive at the
airport there are few passengers (we've been told this is
normal).
Sea
Tranport
Several
small cargo and passenger boats, generally ex-fishing boats,
call in at Epi every week, mostly along the west coast .
In September 2004 some of the boat names were Azur, Santa
Maria and Brooklyn. A more comfortable, passenger-only boat
servicing Epi (Lamen Bay) weekly is the Island
Gateway. The M/V Brisk also does a reliable cargo/passenger
service between Vila and Santo via Epi (Lamen Bay), Ambrym
and Pentecost. In Port Vila these vessels can be found at
the wharf near the market. A one way fare to Epi on the
cheapest boats is around 4000 Vatu. Exchange
Rates.
Land
Transport
There are roads on Epi but only about half a dozen trucks
and no regular public transport so if you want to travel
by truck you either have to wait or book a charter. Away
from the northwest corner trucks are infrequent and you
could be waiting more than a couple of hours to catch a
passing truck. Charters are expensive if you're travelling
solo (see table below). If there's no truck you can walk
or sometimes catch a passing boat which costs about the
same as shared truck transport. Exchange
Rates.
| Epi
truck fares |
Charter
(Vatu) |
Shared
(Vatu) |
| Valesdir
to Lamen Bay |
6000 |
500/600 |
| Lamen
Bay to Nikaura |
2000 |
200/300 |
Services
and Suggestions
Development on Epi is concentrated in the northwest where
there's the island's administrative centre at Rovo Bay and
a hospital at Faimali. Elsewhere there are medical dispensaries
and aid posts here and there. In September 2004 there were
a couple of telephones scattered along the west coast and
at Mate village on the east coast but the station serving
the south and west up to Valesdir was down. Most villages
have a store or two and these are regularly restocked by
boats.
Last
updated: March 2006 by Stephen
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