Aore Island Resort

9.0

Wonderful

69 Guest reviews

9.0

Wonderful

69 Verified Reviews

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Cleanliness9.2/10

Service9.2/10

Comfort8.6/10

Condition8.8/10

location9.2/10

Neighborhood8.8/10

Value8.0/10

Amenities9.2/10

Absolutely amazing

Its a real 5 star resort! Accomodation, restaurant, beach, service, staff etc - the best!

Beautiful resort overlooking the bay, great food, friendly staff, snorkelling off the beach, regular boat to Luganville.

Beautiful resort in a very private location on a small island off the coast of Espiritu Santo. Fantastic chef and lovely people.

Will be back!

We had a great time at Aore Island Resort. The room was spacious and comfortable. The staff friendly and food was fantastic. There's lots to do around the property or the shuttle boat runs several times a day to drop you off in Luganville to catch a tour or explore on your own.

Our absolute favourite spot in Vanuatu, property is amazing, all the staff and rooms were amazing, plenty of activities and tours available. Special mention to the owners Lisa, Brad and Daughter Montana. Above and beyond always keen for a chat. We will be back. Hope you had a good week off for the wedding!

OMG what a fantastic resort! We had the best 5 days at Aore Island Resort. The resort is beautifully maintained with lush tropical gardens and the bungalows have been designed and fitted out beautifully with so much attention to detail. Beds and pillows are very comfy and you can fall asleep and wake up to the sound of the ocean. You can snorkel from your doorstep and admire beautifully coral fish. There a a couple of lion fish right under the jetty and heaps of Nemos. Kajaks and subs are free to use. The food is outstanding - 5 star restaurant quality! And always prepared with love and served with a smile. They have a small menu that changes every day for lunch and dinner and offers a great variety of fish, seafood, meat and vegan options plus a outdoor pizza oven at the beach bar. The passionfruit cheesecake is a must! 😋 All staff are wonderful and make your stay that extra special. We had a beautiful jetty dinner to celebrate a special birthday. Big thank you to everyone at Aore Island Resort - we loved our stay and will definitely be back!!

Great place to relax and unwind in an amazing location.

Facilities well kept and rooms pleasant. Although free kayaks are advertised there was only 2 singles and three doubles all without back supports for all the guests but also used by visiting 'yachties'

Beautiful setting , gardens were immaculate , could do with more lighting along the stepped path at night ! Food was a little disappointing, the continental breakfast was often ran out of choices at any time at breakfast , and the main meals tended to be very sauce heavy when more lighter dressings would have been a nicer alternative, otherwise a great location and nice accommodation, pool and beach.

Great experience!

It was a very nice stay, the bungalow in frobt of the beach is amazing, very private. Excellent for couple but also for family. You can use 4×4 bike, in good condition. The staff is extremly friendly. The restaurant is amazing, good cook, excellent meat! Overall very happy ! They have transport for the main island and can pick you up at tve airport for 1200vuv.

Good experience.Restaurant is the low point

Great location. The bungalows are really nice and you have your own private beach, with lounge chairs. You can snorkel from there. Take a kayak. The room itself is also nicely decorated. Main low point was the food in the restaurant. Only a dozen of options and mostly western food (burgers, pizza) without healthy choices or local food either which was a bit disappointing. We were also greeted by the managers who are really nice. Staff was not that friendly, compared to cheaper places we went to in Santo.

Fantastic location and super friendly staff. Lots of great snorkeling at your doorstep and only a quick 10 min ferry ride into Lugenville. We also used the babysitting service and the lady looking after our daughter was fabulous with her. The hotel also has mountain bikes you can use to explore the island which was great. Overall would highly recommend.

We loved Vanuatu and we loved Aore Island Resort -- it's beautiful, quiet and peaceful, with amazing hosts and fabulous food. You can do lots (especially with regular ferry rides to/from the island) or you can do nothing -- perfect!

We were upgraded to the honeymoon bungalow with a private pool! Thank you! - very secluded location... Free ferry a few times a day to the mainland is a bonus. We are snorkeling fanatics and we enjoyed the abundance of fish right in front of the resort. There is not much coral but variety of fish makes it. A short trip to the coffee plantation is worth it. Overall wonderful stay.

Awesome experience

We had a lovely experience at this Resort, the staff is super friendly and all the conditions and facilities are always clean, organised. The food was just perfect and they provide bicycles to have a look around! The beaches are always clean and there is a boat at different times of the day to go to the town. We stayed in one of the beachfront cabins and it was just glorious! There was only a little spot that was a bit uncomfortable: By accident, I broke a tap of a water dispenser in the restaurant, obviously, I told immediately to the staff what happened and that it was an accident, etc. After a few days, one of the managers told me that the water jar fixing was going to be charged to me as that item only could be found in Australia. At first, I thought, well, it seems fair but then I realised that it was a silly accident! I did not break that tap in purpose and I wasn't being irresponsible or malicious. I was feeling terrible and ashamed but also, I thought that this kind of resorts must have a backup for this kind of situations. I spoke with one of the owners and he told me that they were going to let it go, I felt he did not very agree but I thanked him for the gesture. I saw the jar fixed a few days after as well. But, the day we did the checkout, I saw that they charged me around $50 dollar for the jar! At this point, I did not say anything to not ruin a perfect holiday and I paid for it but, I don't know what to think. Anyway, the rest of our stay was perfect!

Island resort

Aore island is a short 10 min motor boat ride across from the main island of Santo - the free water taxi for guests goes over and back to the main island a few times a day at fixed times. The situation is beautiful and our waterfront bungalow had a lovely private feel. There's a main open sided meeting house/ restaurant & bar area which has indoor and outdoor options and comfy chairs to hang out in too. We had a lovely 6 day stay and took advantage of the resort bikes to explore the beautiful island of Aore, kayaks and paddleboards to use, plus lovely snorkeling from the resort beach. The local staff were super lovely and always had a smile for us.

We stayed for 3 nights and loved every moment. There were SUP boards, kayaks, bikes, snorkling, a beach and pool. The food and service was excellent. We stayed in a beach front villa which was amazing. Great for a family or romantic getaway! Highly recommend.

Peace and rest

Great place to unwind and relax . No cars no TV, swim, snorkel, read, sleep. Bliss

Wonderful hotel

Wonderful hotel and lovely staff. We were meet at the ferry and every handled for us. The room was lovely and very comfortable. Any problem was dealt with quickly and the food at the restaurant was lovely.

Good for a short stay

We loved the location and snorkeling at the resort beach was beautiful. Sunsets are great and the staff lovely. Access to activities departing from the main island was easy thanks to the multiple boat transfers happening everyday. The overall stay was good but needs improvement in several areas specially if you want to stay more than two days; Bungalow: - The bed wasn't very comfortable, we were in pain after a few days. - No sofa or seating inside to chill. - Too many bugs inside despite the mosquito nets, these seem to get inside through somewhere in the ceiling. We had to buy insecticide and spray everyday. Restaurant: - Food variety is too limited. - The price for some drinks is ridiculous, like $US15 for a mediocre Piña Colada. Airport transfer: - Nobody tells you the resort transfer is not complimentary, you get charged by surprise when checking out. Despite all these things we liked the friendliness of the staff and how they helped us make the most of our stay.

Fantastic place to stay!

We spent 7 nights at Aore Island Resort and loved the experience. Very pretty island setting, lovely sea breezes, gorgeous beach and great restaurant. Very convenient to lots of fun activities on Santo whilst having a really comfortable base to return to in the afternoon. The huts had everything we needed and nothing we didn't - lovely accomodation in an unspoilt paradise. It was a great relief to be away from air conditioning and tv of Port Vila, but the fans, mossie screening and ensuites made the huts very pleasant to stay in. Everyone in the family really relaxed with books, swimming, playing cards and socializing with the other guests when we weren't out exploring Santo. We spent the first few days of our trip at a big international resort near Port Vila and we can say we all much preferred this - it had the friendly feel of a family-run resort but with everything done to a really high standard. Of the five resorts we visited on our trip this was by far our favourite. We can't wait to get back there and have told all our friends about it.

Perfect hosts in a great location

The resort was wonderful, snorkelling was good and there were plenty of other activities (day spa, world war two bunkers, diving, day trips to Santo, etc., etc., etc.) to keep you entertained. However, what really impressed us was the staff. I arrived having just put my back out. Everyone was extremely kind and helpful. Uncooked rice put into a plastic bag in a pillow case was microwaved for me as a heat pack. When shops were open, they bought us more conventional medical supplies. The owners went above and beyond. And all the staff were incredibly friendly and kept politely enquiring as to my recovery - as well as being considerate about my having to eat standing at the bar, rather than sitting at a table. Our only wish is that there had been a few more local options on the menu. Everything is good, but very western. Even when we tried to arrange local food on a day trip out, something got lost in the chain of people involved and we missed out. However, we do understand that the (new) owners are looking to change that. They already provide guests with local kava tastings. The pool is somewhat basic and a little away from the sea. But then you have the sea anyway, so we weren't using it in any case. More generally, the place is immaculate, both inside and throughout in the grounds. Would score Aore Island Resort higher if we could!

Beware of hidden cost..

The local staff were absolutely lovely...... this is where my good review ends.. I would not Recomend staying at the resort if you like value for money. Firstly you are locked on the island for dinner. The last ferry from the mainland leaves at 4:30 pm and you are charged 1500vt ($12 aud) for a one way trip after this time. if you like spending huge amounts of money for tiny portions of food then you are staying at the right price ($21 AUD for a soup entree) like I stated earlier the food portions are tiny and expensive) and good luck if you have any dietary requirements as there is nothing on this limited menu. We had no hot water for two days and when we alerted the manager (Lisa) she simply told us that "the weather was beautiful and you don't need a shower" after being in transit for 24 hours we suggested we would like to have one to which she reluctantly led us to a dirty room where old guest had just checked out.. This resort is not cheap and after told Lisa about the lack of hot water she was rude and didn't acknowledge us the remainder of the stay.. If you like the sound of a diesal generator running all night next to your bungalow stay at this resort ... Lovely local staff Rude Arrogrant Australian manager

Disappointing accommodation

Bungalows badly need repairs and updating, as did all equipment.

Lovely Place to relax!

This resort is in a lovely peaceful spot. The rooms are comfortable, staff friendly and the food is good with a lot of variety to choose from. There is snorkelling off the beach, bikes to ride and a choice of other activities on and off the island. We did a fantastic snorkelling trip with Fabrice. He took us to Aese Island and Fabrice was very knowledgeable and keen to share as much as he could about Santo. We would highly recommend this tour which is advertised in the resort information book. In the 6 nights we stayed there was nothing to complain about!!!! Just a great holiday in a relaxing environment.

Lovely friendly resort on a beautiful beach

Wonderful relaxing location, staff are fabulous, meals were very good.

Nice island experience

Anne and her staff are all really nice and made for a lovely stay. Great Christmas spent on Aore island.

Aore Island Resort is one of the most beautiful places I have ever stayed. The staff are very friendly and helpful and the bungalows are spacious, airy and clean with great views.

Bungalows on lovely snorkelling beach

From the time you arrive Ann and the Aore staff are welcoming. The bungalows are right on the beach with snorkelling straight out the front. A 20 min boat ride takes you across to Luganville where friendly local taxi drivers take you to whatever adventure you fancy. There is a lot of exciting things to do on Espiritu Santo - we were there for a week with two teenage boys and Kayaked from Oyster Bay to Matevulu Blue hole, went jungle and beach horseriding with Megan at Lope Lope and went to Riri Blue Hole where we jumped off the tarzan rope. Rest of our days we snorkelled at Aore which is the perfect base to come back to and relax. We miss Aore!

Ideal laid back tropical resort

From arrival to departure, Aore Island Resort was wonderful! The setting is idyllic beachfront accommodation with snorkelling right out front. The food is varied and really good and the staff amazing! Plenty of off-resort activities also available that are easy to arrange.

The staff make this place heaven on earth ...

The resort itself is very well built, maintained and run but it is the staff that will make your stay 5* plus. You arrive as a guest and leave as a friend.

We stayed from 19/7/15 and found that the resort was very nice and clean but the food was average with staff needing more training

Lovely sheltered beachfront resort

We were picked up at the airport and ferried across a beautiful bay to be met by Anne and the staff with tropical drinks. Our bure was right on the beach, with a verandah to sit and gaze out to sea. The bure consisted of a decent sized bedroom with tiled floor and en-suite. Tea and coffee making facilities and a fridge. We started to relax immediately. Every day fresh towels and beach towels were provided- very necessary with all the snorkelling,swimming and kayaking we did (equipment provided free). The restaurant was reasonably priced and served fresh fish every day. We were a little disappointed in the variety of fruits on offer. It was not pineapple or mango season, so we only got paw paw and grapefruit and were surprised to be offered tinned fruit as part of the island night dessert. The great treat was the two nights when some islanders came across and sang, played and danced for us. The staff were all very helpful and ensured we had a really great time.

Island paradise

Relaxation is the theme and it gets easier each day. A very timeless experience.

Hot!

This stay was in March, owners of this resort need to think hard about placement of fans in guest bedrooms and the fact there are none in the dining area. Not good enough. We were uncomfortably hot at night and dining is not a pleasure when you are already hot and sticky. Day time guests were fighting flies to get to their food, during our stay small table fans were supplied, but frankly I would like to see at least part of the restaurant area fly screened, not much to ask with modern magnetic screens available. Decent fans would also do the job. This may primarily be a diving resort, but have to draw the manager's attention to this. We boarded the boat to take us across to Aore Island, the boat man then went off, while we sat there being banged around for some time, I put the fenders over to help stop some of the noise, but we still had the forward motion and noise. Put up a bench seat for passengers and at the very least a shade sail, don't load anyone until you are ready to transfer. Just common sense. The Manager Anne , made sure we got back safely to pick up our plane, this was just before Cyclone Pam, we were pleased to hear Santo was not affected by this cyclone, personally I would have picked a Mainland Hotel to sit this one out. Anne, you were spot on in judging it would hit Port Vila hard!

Lovely island stay at a great price

A friend and I spent 5 nights here on our trip to Santo, and we loved it. The staff were extremely friendly and forthcoming, and welcomed us warmly when ee arrived. The facilities are great, and the staff helped us out with our tours and diving trips. The food was delicious and very generous portions. The only downside was that being on a fairly secluded island, we had to plan our trips around the ferry schedules, but this ended up being very easy and there were additional ferries we could pay for if needed. Overall a great stay, we were very happy!

Awesome in every way

Aore Island Resort was a delight in every way. Peaceful, clean, thoughtful touches. Ann and her staff were excellent. The resort is managed extremely well and nothing was too much trouble for anyone. We will be back. Thanks!

Wonderful resort

The hotel was an absolute paradise, I would strongly recommend. The hotel is a series of wooden huts set in gardens on a calm bay with a beautiful little beach and the sea is full of fish and corals. When we were there the hotel was being run by the lovely Helen. Helen and all the wonderful local staff took good care of us. The restaurant food was wholesome, healthy, filling and delicious. The restaurant also served wonderful cocktails. There were no televisions in the room, but the idea of the hotel is tranquillity - it was very peaceful. After our 4 days, we were sorry to leave.

Excellent resort

Pros: Snorkeling, landscaping, food. Cons: Nothing I'd highly recommend Aore Island resort.

holiday

we had a great time what more can i say

Facilities: Brilliant restaurant;

Great service and gorgeous location

I'd highly recommend Aore Resort. It's a real gem. The staff were fantastic and went out of their way to make our stay in this beautiful location a really memorable one.

Very quiet and serene

Very friendly staff. The owner Anne was very knowledgeable and attentive. Loved the Cava teasing get together for sunset. Great food.

the quick ferry over the island is well worth getting off the main land

Best place in Santo

Anne and her staff did evertyhing they could to make our stay enjoyable. The individaul bungalows were roomy, comfortable and catered for all our needs. We stayed in the beach front and the garden bungalows and both were great. The food was very good and there is so much to do at Aore and around Santo. The ferry in and out of Santo was easy to catch and fitted in with most activities.

Relaxing resort and friendly staff.

The resort was relaxing and peaceful, across the channel from Luganville with a free ferry service four times each day. Staff were friendly and helpful, meals were delicious, rooms well equipped with comfortable chairs on the balcony overlooking the garden or water.

Paradise

Incredible peaceful beautiful location. Intelligent, thoughtful and attentive staff. Lovely pool and terrific snorkeling on reef outside my bungalow. Sensational food in restaurant with French emphasis. Great time spent whiling away the hours in beach hammock with awesome views.

Great holiday

Had a lovely relaxing holiday with lovely helpful staff. Beautiful position, crystal clear water and lovely gardens. Good food and the owner is very helpful and knowledgable about the area. Overall we had a great time and will return

excellent overall: location, service & food

My wife and I, with another couple, spent a most enjoyable 5 nights at Aore Resort in October 2013. The resort owner/operator, Anne, received us on arrival and was most helpful throughout our stay. The location is magical with beautiful sunsets overlooking the distant lights of Luganville township, which is a mere 20 minutes 'free' boat trip away. The beach is great and safe to swim with fantastic snorkeling and corals literally when you step out of your beach Fale. Food and service were great, reasonably priced, with very friendly staff.