Namarou Paradise Bungalows, opened in 2006, is a welcome addition to the variety of accommodation around north Efate.

The bungalows are at the end of the village on the sand spit between the beach and the lagoon. It's a quiet place with sunny days and a cooling breeze through the night.

Emao is a small island and easy to explore. There are protected reefs with good snorkelling. You can walk around the island or climb it. Then you can go back to the bungalow and laze by the beach.

Tankyu tumas Todd for updating the telephone numbers.

Costs and Booking
Accommodation costs 2500 Vatu per person with all meals, payable in Vatu cash. Exchange Rates.

To visit Marou village you can telephone 5604302 (mobile) and speak to Chief George Noubati. He looks after the bungalows and can help you find transport if required. Another person you can call is Alice 5954589 (mobile).

Guests can also sleep in the PWMU house for 2500 Vatu per person.

Accommodation and Food
Namarou Paradise has two bungalows built of local materials and simply furnished. Each can sleep two people in single beds. There are no mosquitos. Security is not a concern although the bungalows do have locking doors.

The bungalows share a toilet (western style with water seal) and there is a bathing place (bucket showers). Most people bathe in the ocean.

Food at Marou Paradise Bungalows is aelan kaekae. Main meals can be fish with local vegetables, lap lap, manioc, yam, rice and cooked bananas. Breakfasts are gato and instant coffee or tea.

Transport and Services
There is a basic store at Marou village and a medical clinic across the lake. See our Efate page for transport information.

First surveyed: December 2006 by Stephen.
Last updated: April 2011 by Stephen.

Visitor Ratings for Namarou Paradise Bungalows Rate it

Date	Ratings	Comments
23/01/2012	Standard Location Value	As noted in the previous review we too felt it was an absolute privilege to be hosted on Emao Island. Just a 40 minute boat ride (500VUT per person on shared local boat) from the mainland (Takara, Efate – 500VUT public transport ride from Port Vila) Emao is home to six communities. Although only one village (Marou) has tourist bungalow facilities the others can easily be visited on foot (approx. 3.5hrs to circumference the island – well worth it!). From the moment we arrived at Marou Village we were welcomed like one of the family. My husband and I were attentively looked after by Naomi and the Marou community for 6 blissful nights. The families took turns to prepare us three substantial meals a day. Daily snorkeling and walks along the bush path to one of the neighboring villages, or to the top of one of the peaks, was much needed!
23/01/2012	Standard Location Value	Part 2 The bungalows are positioned at one end of the village; an adequate distance so you have your own space yet still feel part of the community. And with the sunset views are incredible! We’ll certainly visit Marou again. We hope that when we do, we find that nothing has changed – the sense of community, their values and traditions should be treasured.
15/10/2011	Standard Location Value	We stayed here as a family of 4 for 3 nights in Sep. 2011. It was a privilege to stay on this rarely visited island where we were looked after by Naomi with great hospitality and good food. The location of the bungalows is awesome as it has a lagoon as back-drop, with sunset views looking out to sea to Pele and Nguna. The walk around the island takes half a day and is well worth doing. We found traditional beliefs and customs to be alive and well in the community, and hope this remains. The island is very easily reached from Port Vila as it takes under 2 hours to travel by road, and then the boat transfer is about 45 minutes. You must arrange the boat transfer in advance. People in Port Vila may tell you (as they told us) that you're taking a risk to go to Emau Island because the sea crossing there can be rough, which means that boats won't run every day. They might suggest you go to Pele or Nguna instead. Don't let that put you off. If going during the wet season, then it may be wise to allow a night or two of contingency into your schedule just in case.
23/07/2011	Standard Location Value	We spent two nights on Emao. One of the ladies of the foodstalls of the market in Port Vila from Emao helped us organising the trip. What a pity, almost all the people from the village went to Efate for preparing and celebrating a big wedding ceremony. But no problem, two young women and some kids took care of us and provided us with loads of very tasty food. There was a toilet hut with a bucket of water in front. There is a sweet water tank with a tap (I used some water for brushing teeth) nearby. We were told that the toilet and shower for the tourists was destroyed again because the village people also used it. So we took our bath in the sea. The dugon in the lagoon hasn't been seen for a year now.
20/01/2011	Standard Location Value	You will not find a better a better place to spend a weekend or a week. The villagers here are extremely welcoming to the guests. The two bungalows sit at the edge of the village directly in front of the reef access area. This is the best spot to either watch the most amazing sunsets or to access the water for a swim along one of the most amazing reefs in Vanuatu. This is a marine protected area and has an abundance of life. I have seen more turtles then I could count, groups of rays, and the highlight was swimming with a very friendly Dugong which are becoming very rare in the world. Make sure to drink a shell of kava with the guys and see if the local boys will play some stringband for you. Emau island is as they say is "ples blo stringband" meaning this is where the national music began. Enjoy your visit there and tell them Chris said Malbong!
03/01/2011	Standard Location Value	We contacted Jacob after reading our friend's review below. We met him in the market place in Port Villa and caught the truck back to Emau with him (500vatu/person). You need to meet Jacob in Vila as the boats to Emao leave from a different place to the ones to Nguna/Pele, so you need to be on the right truck. We spent 2 nights on the island and had a fantastic time. It really feels like you're entering an untouched paradise when Jacob drives his boat into the lagoon where their village is situated. Jacob's father took us on a walk to the crater on the island and in the afternoon we snorkeled with Jacob - we saw turtles, reef sharks and sea snakes! We didn't actually stay in the bungalow, but with Jacob's family and his wife Lei cooked us 3 filling meals each day - we were never hungry. Everyone was very welcoming and we can only recommend it. If you go try and take some presents (t-shirts/pens/souvenirs) for the kids as we were lucky enough to be given traditional clothes as a farewel
21/12/2010	Standard Location Value	Jacob's phone number is 5625507
13/12/2010	Standard Location Value	Three of us stayed at Namarou, Emao for two nights in December 2010. It was an amazing experience and the highlight of our trip! The entire village were extremely welcoming and friendly. Jacob took us on a walk around the island, picking different fruits for us to taste and we saw the extinct volcano. The snorkelling right off the beach was spectacular - we even saw a turtle! On our last night they cooked a huge feast and gave us lei's to say thankyou. They rarely have tourists so they were really excited to see us. We arranged our stay by calling Jacob (I'll post his number soon). Thankyou Tumas, Tom, Jess and Julia.
04/07/2008	Standard Location Value	I stayed there in August 2007 for 3 days and had a very pleasant time. It is better to make sure they know that you are coming beforehand, so that they can prepare food. We were made feel welcomed all along.
18/02/2008	Standard Location Value	Wonderful location and, thankfully, no tourists no about. Boat trip can be a thrill.