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Oyster Island Resort: Traveler Reviews

PO Box 183, Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu
Hotel amenities
4.5 of 5 stars 112 Reviews
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Reviews from our community

What travelers say about this B&B/inn
  • Blue Hole(21)
  • Champagne Beach(7)
  • High tide(4)
  • Few hours(3)
  • HOT WATER(3)
  • Staff were friendly(3)
  • Not much(3)
  • World War(3)
  • Very nice(3)
Traveler rating
    71
    29
    9
    3
    0
Only show reviews for Family (26) | Couples (66) | Business (0)
Date Rating
TaurangaKiwi
Tauranga
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews
7 helpful votes
“Perfect family holiday”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed October 10, 2008
1
person found this review helpful

Our 6 nights at Oyster Island were fantastic. We had our adult children with us & booked this resort after reading previous good reviews. I did have a few reservations about it tho because of the distance from Luganville & isolation. However there was absolutely no need to worry about that. Grant the manager sat down with us every night to see what we wanted to do the next day & either took us or organised transport for us. Who wants to stay in Luganville anyway! The 2 blue holes were very close by & a must to see. We got a ride with a local (paid him quite generously) to the amazing Champagne Beach & Grant took us to a village one day. Grant also organised the diving trips for the divers in the group which were such an amazing experience.
The food was fantastic & well priced. I would have liked some lighter items on the menu for lunch. The rooms were great - right on the water with good balconies - not 5 star but very comfortable. Our fare had recently been upgraded & had excellent brand new bathroom.
Thanks Grant for an excellent week.

  • Stayed September 2008, traveled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
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DoctorFlo
Wellington, New Zealand
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews
2 helpful votes
“Cute bungalow, friendly staff, good food”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed September 8, 2008
1
person found this review helpful

Our accommodation was excellent - I don't think its fair to complain about the noise of the high tide waking me up at night because we were so close to the sea! A very cute bungalow, nothing posh but very private, a good bathroom and bed, and a balcony to relax on.

Staff in the restaurant were very friendly and helpful. We had a problem with our return flight and they helped us make the phone call (which required a lot of persistence to re-dial!).

Food was very good indeed, although I would have liked more really light options for lunch. (I probably should have just asked, actually - I was spontaneously offered an off-menu alternative for dinner the first night when it was obvious I wasn't well. and couldn't cope with a full meal.)

The common facilities are great - beautiful restaurant/bar, hammocks by the beach etc.

The little boat trip to the mainland was good - never a problem to get ferried over when we wanted to.

The road from Luganville/airport to Oyster Island is rough, although it may be sealed soon (maybe!).

We enjoyed exploring Oyster Island itself, wandering along the inland paths and going around the coast when the tide was right.

We took the offered trip to the blue pool (ie up the Riri river, back on Santo) by dugout canoe, which was well worth doing. The trip to Matevulu blue pool is also good but directions for this from staff were far too vague - you can easily do it on foot, if you get good directions from the hotel about where to find the guide.

I was disappointed with the day tour of (part of) Santo that we arranged via Oyster with a local driver - it was pretty expensive for what wasn't much more than a taxi trip to Fanafo and Champagne Beach, because the driver wasn't particularly informative about what we saw, and just (for example) drove slowly through the village of Fanafo rather than allow us to really experience it. I suggest that if you want to learn about what you're seeing, a "proper" tour company is probably better.

  • Liked — Picturesque
  • Disliked — Access road from Luganville
  • Stayed August 2008, traveled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
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JFTM
Tauranga
1 review
2 helpful votes
“Oyster Island is a magical place to stay!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed August 12, 2008
2
people found this review helpful

My partner and I stayed at Oyster Island and it was a highlight of our time in Vanuatu. The bungalows (recently rennovated) are comfortable, really well maintained and provide everything you need - great value for money. The setting is so beautiful and very romantic, perfect for couples who want some time to themselves just to share and enjoy the experience. Grant is great, so accomodating and friendly. We stayed 2 nights but would have stayed longer if we could. Such a beautiful spot. Don't expect all of the trimmings of a fancy resort (who needs them anyway!) but expect comfort, friendliness and a genuine experience.

Stayed July 2008
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adventurer052
Bay of Isands
1 review
4 helpful votes
“loved our stay on this truly tropical island”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 19, 2008
4
people found this review helpful

We stayed for 6 nights at the island, the service from the new management was exceptional, the resort is being upgraded at the moment so there was some small inconvienience to us at times. There are many attractions on and around the island snorkaling wreck diving bush walks the blue holes and tours arranged if required The staff are friendly and helpful. this is not 5 star but it is a great value for money . the food was great, tasty and seafood based. Again not silver service but great value. The Fare we stayed in was right on the water the only thing that woke us in the mornings were the fish jumping outside our room.

  • Liked — a genuine island destination that you can explore uninhibited
  • Disliked — nothing
  • Stayed May 2008, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
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HansSydney
Sydney
2 reviews
4 helpful votes
“Heaven on Earth”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2008
3
people found this review helpful

With a new owner and a new management the Oyster Island Resort has changed a lot. We had the chance to be one of the first guests to stay in their new/refurbished bungalows. Everything was clean, the service excellent and also the food better as on any other place on Santo. But the best is the island itself with the colourful reefs, the rainforest and the beautiful beaches. Thank you for the wonderful time.
K&H

  • Stayed April 2008, traveled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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