Blue Cave
4.5
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
109 reviews
Excellent
78
Very good
23
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
4
tykes.taiki
Port Vila, Vanuatu18 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
It took just over an hour to travel by truck from Lenakel Town to the Blue Cave.
Low tide is the best time to access the cave if you are not a confident diver, as the water level drops below the limestone cave and allows you see into the cave itself.
There were fishing rods available for hire and comfy bungalows to rest under the shade.
Bring plenty of water, snacks and waterproof camera to capture all the memories.
Low tide is the best time to access the cave if you are not a confident diver, as the water level drops below the limestone cave and allows you see into the cave itself.
There were fishing rods available for hire and comfy bungalows to rest under the shade.
Bring plenty of water, snacks and waterproof camera to capture all the memories.
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CM67Melb
Melbourne, Australia284 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
The trip to Blue Cave was magic. A pod of about 20 dolphins joined the boat on the way up. Blue cave was divine. Had a lovely morning exploring the cave and also seeing the hole from above.
Written November 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DrRachie
Victor, ID275 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
One thing you quickly learn about tours on Vanuatu is that you often don't get complete information about what they involve. This was one of those times, when I was expecting a gentle dip under a rock ledge in a peaceful calm ocean to enter the cave. But, what we were confronted with upon reaching the entrance was choppy seas and a not-so-very-visible entrance making us all slightly nervous.
A guide accompanied us to the entrance from our boat that was anchored about ten metres away. Although the tide was going out, we couldn't see the entrance to the cave, but had to trust him when he pointed to a rock descending into the ocean and said "just swim under here".
The description of the tour that I'd read said you needed to swim under water for about half a metre to enter the cave. Although I consider myself a strong and confident swimmer, the fact that we couldn't see what was beyond, nor were we clear for how long we'd have to hold our breaths, made us all just a bit reticent.
But we all went anyway and our fears were allayed once inside the cave. A huge cavern opened up before us, lit from above by a hole open to the outside to reveal perfectly clear blue water. Once we were inside we could easily see where the entrance was and we immediately felt less uneasy. (I also felt better knowing the tide was on its way out).
Inside, the waves batter the rocks and fish swim under your fins. There is a large rock in the centre of the cave that we all took turns on resting on. Apart from that, there's not a lot to see once inside, so we only stayed for about 20 mins. But by the time we were ready to leave, I waited for the waves to recede and simply pulled myself through the gap with my head above water the entire time.
On the way back, we had a pod of dolphins chase the boat for a while. Then we made a detour to Turtle Reef to search for green turtles (of which we saw three!)
A very worthwhile trip and a lot of fun. If you're not a confident swimmer/snorkeller though, I'd think twice. My partner is not, and although he came, once he saw the entrance to the cave, his response was "I'm not going into that".
A guide accompanied us to the entrance from our boat that was anchored about ten metres away. Although the tide was going out, we couldn't see the entrance to the cave, but had to trust him when he pointed to a rock descending into the ocean and said "just swim under here".
The description of the tour that I'd read said you needed to swim under water for about half a metre to enter the cave. Although I consider myself a strong and confident swimmer, the fact that we couldn't see what was beyond, nor were we clear for how long we'd have to hold our breaths, made us all just a bit reticent.
But we all went anyway and our fears were allayed once inside the cave. A huge cavern opened up before us, lit from above by a hole open to the outside to reveal perfectly clear blue water. Once we were inside we could easily see where the entrance was and we immediately felt less uneasy. (I also felt better knowing the tide was on its way out).
Inside, the waves batter the rocks and fish swim under your fins. There is a large rock in the centre of the cave that we all took turns on resting on. Apart from that, there's not a lot to see once inside, so we only stayed for about 20 mins. But by the time we were ready to leave, I waited for the waves to recede and simply pulled myself through the gap with my head above water the entire time.
On the way back, we had a pod of dolphins chase the boat for a while. Then we made a detour to Turtle Reef to search for green turtles (of which we saw three!)
A very worthwhile trip and a lot of fun. If you're not a confident swimmer/snorkeller though, I'd think twice. My partner is not, and although he came, once he saw the entrance to the cave, his response was "I'm not going into that".
Written October 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael S
Gisborne, Australia17 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
Blue cave could be every bit as good as the people who have given it 5 stars say. BUT please be careful if when you arrive it's high tide and the sea is rough. We followed our brave guides who seemed to be confident it would be OK and gave us no particular warning. The swim from.the boat used the first of our energy treading water while waiting for the waves to settle so as not to be carried into the rocks on the left. We managed with life jackets which my partner had suggested, and took them off when we reached the cliff ladder. Then the guide helped us time the dive under the lip of the cave. Sarah went through with the current but I copped a back wave a second later, hitting and cutting my head and fracturing a finger that hit as I tried to get through. Inside the cave the strong waves continued. It was impossible to stay on the rock in the middle. We way carried towards the rocks at the back and for a moment we were close to panic that staying afloat and off the rocks in the cave would wear us out and make it hard to make the journey back out. Our guide called us towards a corner that was calmer and we able to clamber out and rest. Sitting, hopingbthe tide would fall we might have enjoyed the cave but we affected by looking at the high waves we had to go back through to get out. We didn't get the wonderful blue because light from the entrance was blocked by the water and the water itself was churning. We got out but this time sarah copped the bruises when her dive through the hole was also just mistimed. Please do the cave if its sunny, low tide and calm, or if the conditions are had d and you a very confident surf swimmer. But maybe NOT if its high tide and rough.
Written September 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rhearne R
Sydney, Australia31 contributions
Feb 2017 • Couples
My partner is a very keen snorkeler and from the minute we started researching Tanna he was adamant on doing this tour. I however am not a confident snorkeler and had to do a lot of practice at home. We booked the tour through White Grass Ocean Resort and headed off for about an hour along the coast on a small boat. We arrived at what just looked like a rock face and were told we would be swimming in about 30m where we would go under the rock wall to enter the cave. I probably got about half way there when I was ready to turn back and sit on the boat for the next couple of hours. To my lack of confidence, the water appeared rough and you couldn't see at all where the entrance was. The tour guides were brilliant though. They talked me into giving it a try, let me compose myself and took my hand as they guided me through the entrance. And it was beyond worth it! It so serene and beautiful that I definitely would have regretted not going in. For my partner and most of the others there it was a breeze to get into; however there were two people who couldn't swim on the tour. With help they also made in but I probably wouldn't recommend this tour if you can't swim.
Written February 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SiddharthK
Stanford, CA110 contributions
Dec 2016 • Couples
I am so glad I listened to my wife, braved my fears of swimming in the open ocean and went to the blue cave. It was SO worth it. The tour from White Grass Ocean Resort cost a lot at 9000 Vt per person (as do most things on Tanna), but the cave is spectacular!
For mediocre/poor swimmers like me, I'd advise you to go during low tide. That ensures that you can just swim straight into the cave rather than having to duck dive at the entrance. The duck dive itself is not long - perhaps 2-3 strokes, but I can imagine it may cause panic for swimmers who are not that good (like myself).
For mediocre/poor swimmers like me, I'd advise you to go during low tide. That ensures that you can just swim straight into the cave rather than having to duck dive at the entrance. The duck dive itself is not long - perhaps 2-3 strokes, but I can imagine it may cause panic for swimmers who are not that good (like myself).
Written December 30, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MarinaCanberra
Canberra46 contributions
Dec 2016 • Family
I did this tour from White Grass with my partner and 3 sons. I am writing this review to mention a couple of aspects that aren't clear from reading the description. The material indicated that you needed to be able to swim for half a metre underwater, which I can certainly do. We went on a rough day at high tide and I did not actually go in the cave when we got there, because I did not feel confident with the rough waves and the distance of the boat from the cave (only 30m but quite wild waters and you would have been swimming against the waves returning to the boat), having said that, my 13 yo did not have any problems.
The guide and the driver of the boat were great guys. At one point my hat flew off and they immediately turned to boat round and retrieved it, no mean feat in the conditions! And while we were waiting for the guide to return from the cave with my family, the driver of the boat (not a young man) took the opportunity to swim to shore, scale the cliff,and climb up to chat to his wife. The locals didn't seem to have any concerns about climbing the almost vertical rocks - impressive.
On the way back, we went to the green sea turtle spot and the guys saw some! But again there was a reasonable amount of swimming, and I would say this is only for confident swimmers at least on a rough day. My partner who is a good swimmer and snorkeller was pretty exhausted that night.
I didn't mind paying for the tour since it was so interesting and it was my choice not to go in, but just be aware that on a rough day, this tour is more challenging than on a a calm one.
The guide and the driver of the boat were great guys. At one point my hat flew off and they immediately turned to boat round and retrieved it, no mean feat in the conditions! And while we were waiting for the guide to return from the cave with my family, the driver of the boat (not a young man) took the opportunity to swim to shore, scale the cliff,and climb up to chat to his wife. The locals didn't seem to have any concerns about climbing the almost vertical rocks - impressive.
On the way back, we went to the green sea turtle spot and the guys saw some! But again there was a reasonable amount of swimming, and I would say this is only for confident swimmers at least on a rough day. My partner who is a good swimmer and snorkeller was pretty exhausted that night.
I didn't mind paying for the tour since it was so interesting and it was my choice not to go in, but just be aware that on a rough day, this tour is more challenging than on a a calm one.
Written December 23, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dietrich F
Cleebronn, Germany136 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
The dive through the overhanging rock is short and easy. In the cave magnificent lighting fascinates one. The sun rays are like beams and are reflected by the white sand on the bottom.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MikeGardnerWinters
Winters310 contributions
Jul 2015 • Family
We have dove into the Cenotes of Mexico and the Blue Lagoon in the Yasawa Islands, but the Blue Cave of Tanna is the most magical of them all. Tanna has two resorts on its west coast, the White Grass Ocean and Rocky Ridge. Blue Hole #1 and #2 are located between the two resorts. A 10 minute walk from either resort will take you to Blue Hole #1, were you can meet Daniel and his cousin Phillip, who will take you in their new boat on a 20 minute ride up the rocky cliff coast of Tanna to their village's Blue Cave. All the resorts and tour companies do book this tour with Daniel, but if you deal with him in person it will cost you about half the going rate. Daniel gives you a great introduction to his village and the history of their Blue Cave. Once at the Blue Cave, Phillip will accompany you into the cave. At low tide you can swim in, while at high tide you must dive down about 30 centimeters and cover a distance of about 1 meter to enter the cave. Once in side we couldn't conceal our enthusiasm and the spiritualness of our experience. Phillip's patience with us for the next half an hour as we took in every view possible only added to our pleasure. Daniel even mentioned that many visitors can't resist reentering the cave as soon as they come out, it is truly unbelievable. Our family places the experience up there with our night on the Yasur volcano, if that helps you decide to experience the "Blue Cave".
Written August 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thejabours
Sydney, Australia30 contributions
Sept 2018 • Friends
We loved the blue Cave and loved even more that we were the only 3 in there. No big tourist crowds in Vanuatu, especially on Tanna!
I will say this, I think to get the most contrast it is best seen in sunlight as this allows light to fall in from the opening above and give beautiful highlights inside
I will say this, I think to get the most contrast it is best seen in sunlight as this allows light to fall in from the opening above and give beautiful highlights inside
Written September 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bonjour je voudrai savoir si c est praticable tout le temps et si c est préférable ( plus facile : je suis un peu peureuse ) de venir à marée haute ou marée basse ? Merci
Written January 13, 2019
Which companies do people recommend as the best?
Can you book directly or do you have to book through the hotel.
We are staying at White Grass Resort. They have quoted 9450Vat which we feel is a bit steep.
Also the day is looking very windy and some rain forecasted. Do you still recommend doing the tour?
Written October 15, 2018
Which companies do people recommend as the best?
Can you book directly or do you have to book through the hotel.
We are staying at White Grass Resort. They have quoted 9450Vat which we feel is a bit steep.
Also the day is looking very windy and some rain forecasted. Do you still recommend?
Written October 15, 2018
Hi who took you on the tour and how much??? Ta
Written December 19, 2017
We booked our trip through the Whitegrass Resort. It was about $90 per person. We combined it with the snorkeling on turtle reef, which I believe was a bit extra.
Written December 21, 2017
I think that might depend on the weather, the day we went the water was fairly calm and it was no trouble but you do have to swim from the boat then into a bit of a channel which could be rather dicey in high swells, I imagine you could be pushed onto rock and coral if the sea was rough and you were not a good swimmer!!
Written August 12, 2017
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