A couple toast the romance of Mele Cascades on Efate.

Photo: David Kirkland

The third-largest island in the country, Efate is home to Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, a small town built on the shores of an emerald lagoon.

Most days there's a lively market on the main wharf where locals sell fresh produce, jewellery and the infamous 'Mother Hubbard' ankle-length floral dress worn by the ni-Vanuatu women.

On the water, large commercial fishing boats dodge young men fishing from traditional dugout canoes.

The town's architecture has a rambling French feel, the last vestiges of colonial rule. Most buildings appear in a state of disrepair, stacked with souvenir shops selling handmade coconut oil and soap, and bags of powdered kava.

Only the resorts gleam and glitter like bastions of relaxation and romance. It's easy to settle into the luxury of these resorts and not shift from the beach, but Efate has many attractions worth exploring.

Several tour operators offer bus trips that circumnavigate this small island. They stop at a cultural village where travellers are welcomed by conch shell and initiated into 'kastom' - the ni-Vanuatu's traditional way of life.

And then there's the numerous secluded white sandy beaches, including Eton Beach which is a turquoise tropical dream come true.

There's also a selection of dive sites, although the ones closest to Port Vila were damaged by a recent cyclone.

For superb diving, travel by boat to North Efate's offshore islands - Tukutuku and Hat Island - where the ocean floor drops away to some of the deepest offshore canyons in the world.