TURTLE BAY LODGE
Turtle Bay, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu

Our Thoughts on Turtle Bay Lodge
This is a great spot to base yourself for a memorable visit to Santo, especially if your visit is to include taking in Santo’s main attractions which include The Blue Holes, Millennium Caves, Port Olry, Lonnock and Champagne Beaches, all of which are within easy 40 minute-or-so commuting distance of Turtle Bay Lodge along the recently sealed main road.  Indeed, it is an easy 60-minute paddle by resort kayak up the waterways to the marvellous Matevulu Blue Hole.  The superb beaches of Espiritu Santo are easier to access from here with a shorter distance to travel compared to basing your stay in Luganville. 

The grounds of Turtle Bay Lodge are lovely with well-maintained lawns and gardens with plenty of private areas to enjoy and decks beside the water.  The central facility is a pleasant building housing the reception, lounge, bar and main restaurant.  There is also an outdoor (covered) dining area closer to the beach and this is fantastic place to enjoy breakfasts and dinners. Continental breakfasts are included in the room tariff and the restaurant receives very good reviews. The onsite Salty Dog Restaurant and Bar are both open daily, serving cocktails and an extensive menu of local seafood, organic beef and vegetables and pizzas.  The lodge sits on a point on the mainland – one side of which faces the ocean and the other, into the lagoon ringed by off-shore islands which include uninhabited Turtle Island.  The lagoon is very tidal and when the tide is out, the coral rocks in the lagoon off Turtle Island Lodge are exposed. The property is fronted by rock walls around a metre high above the water and at high tide guests can snorkel right off the decks and verandas. 

There is a pretty twin level swimming pool (the individual pools are connected by a water slide) and much of the time, you will have the pool to yourself as so many of the activities here are centred around the sea. Turtle Bay Lodge offers kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and snorkelling gear for hire to guests and it’s an easy paddle over to Turtle Island to explore the sandy beach coves.

The managers and staff at Turtle Bay Lodge are special people and really do go out of their way to make a stay here a memorable experience.  Nothing is too much trouble for them to organise from horse-riding to rental car reservations, escorted trips to the local sights or a visit to the local “Sunset Kava Bar”.  You will get excellent advice on the best ways to get around and the best value way to get to places of interest.  The Lodge has rental vehicle/s on site and work with knowledgeable local people who act as driver/guides for individual tours. Dive@TurtleBayLodge  has it's own PADI on site center can take care of all your East Coast diving or sign up for a PADI course. 

You could easily spend a week or more at Turtle Bay Lodge keeping active, simply relaxing enjoying a combination of the two. Enjoy the spectacular sunsets viewed from Turtle Bay Lodge – especially when accompanied with a cool drink in hand, but it’s the sunrises that are really special.  We suggest you do yourself a favour and take a wander along the Turtle Bay Lodge shore at sunrise – the sounds, sights and tropical beach smells enjoyed hereabouts at sunrise are so good for the soul.

Note re Vanuatu Tourism Levy
In order to assist the development of tourism in Vanuatu, there is a Tourism Levy of 0.05% added to all nightly room charges.  This charge may either be added to the tariff and included in the prepaid accommodation cost, or in some cases, collected direct from guests at checkout.  The actual amount payable depends on room tariffs and ranges from around NZ$1.00 per night per room to around $5.00 per night per room for the more expensive properties.


Your Accommodation Options
Turtle Bay Lodge is a stunning 14 room boutique resort ideally situated on the east coast of Santo. There is a wide range of accommodation types at Turtle Bay Lodge.  The predominant type is Ocean View Double Rooms which feature beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean from the veranda and include a kitchenette.  The Seaview Family Rooms are located right on the ocean frontage and provide plenty of space with their separate bedroom and lounge.

All accommodation at Turtle Bay Lodge is fan-cooled, all room tariffs include daily Continental Breakfast and all rooms are serviced daily.

Room Categories (In descending order of tariff)

 Ocean View Double Rooms:
The Ocean View rooms offers beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean from your private verandah. Your room includes a queen size bed, a single bed, en suite bathroom, coffee and tea making facilities, ceiling fans & a bar fridge.
Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults and 1 Child aged up to 14 years
Existing Bedding: 1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bed.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.

Seaview Family Rooms:
Has had a complete renovation with new bathrooms and French doors opening to a huge 32square metre verandah to overlook the ocean. They have two separate rooms, a queen size bed in one and a set of bunk beds in the other. It has ceiling fans to keep you cool along with the ocean breeze, an en suite bathroom, coffee and tea making facilities and a bar fridge.
Maximum Occupancy: 3 Adults or 2 Adults and up to 3 Children aged up to 14 years
Existing Bedding: 1 Queen Bed and a set of bunk beds.
Additional Bedding: An additional Single Bed may be added at an extra charge on request.

Pool Side/Ocean View Family Rooms:
Has been recently renovated and features 2 rooms , one with a queen bed and the other with a bunk bed and day bed. Both rooms are fan cooled with the master bedroom also being air-conditioned. The room is situated next to the pool with it’s own large verandah with chairs and sun loungers with views onto the ocean.
Maximum Occupancy: 3 Adults or 2 Adults and up to 3 Children aged up to 14 years
Existing Bedding: 1 Queen Bed and a set of bunk beds.
Additional Bedding: An additional Single Bed may be added at an extra charge on request.

Private Waterfront Marquees:
Deluxe Private Waterfront Marquees:
In 2020 Turtle Bay Lodge opened 5 stunning new private waterfront marquees. These new rooms boast a 4 poster bed, ensuite bathrooms, air con and a private deck with beautiful views of the ocean. There is coffee and tea making facilities & a bar fridge.
Ensuite bathroom with shower.
Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults
Existing Bedding: 1 Queen Bed
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.

Getting to and from Turtle Bay Lodge
Santo is normally accessed from New Zealand by international flight from Auckland to Port Vila on Efate Island, then a domestic flight between Port Vila and Santo’s airport.  There is a direct flight once a week between Brisbane and Santo, so a combination Queensland/Santo holiday is an interesting option. 

We will include airport transfers in package arrangements for your Turtle Bay Lodge holiday as required/agreed.  Pekoa Airport on Santo is located approximately 27kms away from Turtle Bay Lodge and Santo’s main town - Luganville, just past the airport, is approximately 30kms from the resort.  Getting around Santo can be quite a lot of fun if you are prepared for the “unstructured” transport system which involved hitching a ride on a passing ute and paying a small fee. Access to Santo’s many attractions is normally organised via a local tour with a guide.  However, for those wishing to travel independently rental cars can be arranged from the resort. The main road on Espiritu Santo from the town, passing Turtle Bay Lodge, to the north-eastern beaches has recently been sealed and is in great driving shape.

Note re Vanuatu Domestic Air Travel Tax
Domestic flights between Port Vila, Santo and Tanna, as well as all other islands in Vanuatu attract a domestic tax of VT200 (approximately NZ$3.00) per person per sector.  Unfortunately, this tax cannot be prepaid, so is payable direct by travellers at domestic airports in Vanuatu.

Kids Policy
 Kids Stay Free
Kids aged up to 14 years Stay Free in Oceanview Double Rooms and Oceanview Family Rooms, subject to individual room maximum occupancy policies.
Conditions:
 - Children are guests aged up to 14 years inclusive.

Check-in/Check Out
Check-in and check-out times are fairly relaxed.  However, the official check-in and check-out times are:
Check-in: 2:00pm
Check-out: 11:00am

The information on this page is correct as at 11 October 2023 and is based on our supplier contracts which are valid for stays to 31 March 2025  All information shown is subject to change without notice.