Paradise Cove Resort — Restaurant in Efate

The experience at Paradise Cove far exceeded any expectations I had for staying on Efate Island and I highly recommend it. The service, the ocean, accommodation, F&B and relaxation was fantastic. Everyone from owner Constance and her family as well as the large contingent of restaurant and bar, cleaning , grounds and security staff were helpful and made you feel special. It is a beautiful spot with a very relaxed vibe, lazing in the hammocks or beach recliners beside clear water (no waves), very accessible by the resort’s small private jetty – just a few steps down and jump in. Swimming and snorkelling did not seem affected by tides as in other locations. Fish galore when we snorkelled. We also spotted starfish, sea cucumbers and a sea snake one day. Outside of swimming and snorkelling we used the resort’s free bikes as well as went for a walk around the area, with the local loop road/path taking you past a couple of other resorts should you need any refreshments while out and about. Our 2 bedroom villa had a covered outdoor area with its own hammock and beach recliners then inside to a large lounge and kitchen area with ceiling fans and air conditioned bedrooms and a large bathroom – all set amongst lush, well-manicured grounds. The buildings are very solid and well built after previous cyclones. This means the wifi could be a little limited within parts of the villa (but fine at all communal areas) but I believe the owners are currently working on improving that. We ate at the restaurant – great food and wonderful happy hour cocktails – with part of the restaurant down by the water’s edge which is a lovely location. F&B costs everywhere on Efate are similar to Australian costs. We also cooked once or twice in our villa. If interested in that option, the tip is to shop in the large supermarkets found around Port Vila town as there are only tiny local shops some walk or bike away. Paradise Cove is a little further out of town than other resorts around the Pango area which helps makes it so wonderful but it also means the local minivan buses that traverse the main road may not be as frequent as other resorts but we did use them once or twice. I believe there is a quick resort water taxi arrangement into town which we didn't get the chance to use. Constance was very happy to organise transport and island tours which we took advantage of and all went like clockwork. I would absolutely stay again if I go...

Paradise Cove is a beautiful place and very special. Marc and Constance have been amazing hosts as we weathered a 7.4 earthquake here in Port Vila. They kept us fed and comfortable despite a temporary lack of electricity and water (both of which are restored now). We’d share four basic points.

First, Paradise Cove is fine and beautiful to visit at this point. Second, Paradise Cove was incredibly well-built. Despite the quake, all their buildings were completely fine. Some neighboring properties had problems, but the construction here is clearly first-rate and weathered the quake with no more than broken glassware and shells. Third, the situation in Vanuatu is better than many media reports. Since the quake, we’ve dived and snorkeled all the way around Efate. Honestly, it was hard to tell there had been an earthquake outside of Vila. Some tourist sites and services are still offline, but it looks like they’ll be operating again soon.

Finally, from what we’ve heard from villagers and other locals, Vanuatu would be best served by tourists returning (as opposed to avoiding it because of the earthquake). The best you can do is to come and accept this beautiful place on its own terms, especially given the amazing hospitality of Marc and Constance. Of course, this is not to minimize the loss of life or serious injuries that occurred in a small number of collapsed high-rise buildings and landslides. It was a tragedy, and it may be some time before downtown Port Vila is back to normal. But from what we’ve seen, the best thing to do for the Ni-Vanuatu is to help restore the tourist trade as soon as possible. The local economy depends heavily on tourism.

I’d like to thank Marc, Constance, their visiting sons, and their wonderful staff for the extraordinary lengths they’ve gone to take care of us in a difficult time. We came as guests — we...

Paradise Cove is a beautiful place and very special. Marc and Constance have been amazing hosts as we weathered a 7.4 earthquake here in Port Vila. They kept us fed and comfortable despite a temporary lack of electricity and water (both of which are restored now). We’d share four basic points.||First, Paradise Cove is fine and beautiful to visit at this point. Second, Paradise Cove was incredibly well-built. Despite the quake, all their buildings were completely fine. Some neighboring properties had problems, but the construction here is clearly first-rate and weathered the quake with no more than broken glassware and shells. Third, the situation in Vanuatu is better than many media reports. Since the quake, we’ve dived and snorkeled all the way around Efate. Honestly, it was hard to tell there had been an earthquake outside of Vila. Some tourist sites and services are still offline, but it looks like they’ll be operating again soon.||Finally, from what we’ve heard from villagers and other locals, Vanuatu would be best served by tourists returning (as opposed to avoiding it because of the earthquake). The best you can do is to come and accept this beautiful place on its own terms, especially given the amazing hospitality of Marc and Constance. Of course, this is not to minimize the loss of life or serious injuries that occurred in a small number of collapsed high-rise buildings and landslides. It was a tragedy, and it may be some time before downtown Port Vila is back to normal. But from what we’ve seen, the best thing to do for the Ni-Vanuatu is to help restore the tourist trade as soon as possible. The local economy depends heavily on tourism.||I’d like to thank Marc, Constance, their visiting sons, and their wonderful staff for the extraordinary lengths they’ve gone to take care of us in a difficult time. We came as guests — we...