Some ports of call don't quite exist yet. Lelepa, a small island at the entrance to Havannah Harbour, on the northwest coast of Efate in Vanuatu, belongs to this rare category: a place that cruise passengers the world over will soon come to know, but which still lives today to the rhythm of its villages and dugout canoes. This guide sets out what awaits travellers, now and in the years ahead.

A Highly Anticipated Project in the South Pacific

Royal Caribbean has chosen this shore to develop its first private destination in the South Pacific, the Royal Beach Club Lelepa. According to the cruise line's announcements, the first visitors are expected from October 2027, with ships departing from Sydney and Brisbane. The concept differs from the private islands of the Caribbean: passengers will first come ashore on Efate, then travel about twenty minutes by road to Havannah Harbour, from where boats will handle the short crossing to the developed beaches. Until the opening, dates and arrangements may change; the information provided by your travel advisor at the time of booking will prevail.

Chief Roi Mata's Domain

What truly sets the place apart, no development could ever create: the island is part of Chief Roi Mata's Domain, the first site in Vanuatu inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Three places make up this ensemble dedicated to the last great chief who unified the region in the seventeenth century: his residence at Mangaas on Efate, Fels Cave, where tradition places his death, and the islet of Artok, where the chief and dozens of members of his entourage rest in a collective burial. The cave walls bear ancient drawings — dots, lines, fish and animals — testifying to centuries of human presence. Following damage caused by an earthquake, access to the inside of the cave is restricted and the site is viewed from the shore, which the guides make up for with remarkably rich storytelling.

Discovering It Today from Port Vila

While waiting for the big ships, the island can be reached from Port Vila, where many South Pacific cruises call. Day excursions cross Efate to Havannah Harbour, then take visitors by boat to the two listed islets: a village welcome, deserted beaches, clear water perfect for swimming and explanations from the guides, often direct descendants of the communities that are custodians of the site. It's a day of culture and sea, in a setting that is still intact, giving a sense of what the word "kastom" means in Vanuatu: a living bond between people, land and ancestors. Bring good shoes for the trails, a hat and respect for the instructions given by your hosts, especially at burial sites.

What This Destination Will Change

For Vanuatu, the arrival of a visitor site of this scale represents considerable jobs and income; for the island's families, a balance to be struck between welcoming thousands of passengers and protecting a listed heritage site. Mindful travellers will have a role to play: respecting customary sites, following local guides and understanding that here, every beach and every cave belongs first to a story, and only then to a brochure.

Lelepa stands at a turning point: still a fishing island, soon an international port of call. Those who get to know it before 2027 will have the privilege of seeing the place in its original simplicity; others will arrive through the front door, on beaches prepared for them. Between the two, one certainty remains: Roi Mata's domain will watch over these shores, as it has for four centuries.