Rockwater Resort

I have travelled many places throughout the world and this place is by far the most beautiful resort I have ever stayed at! My wife and I had the privilege of staying here for 7 days and thoroughly enjoyed it. We were amazed that such a unique paradise was built by John, Sylvana and many of the local Ni-Vanuatu people, in such a remote place, by hand! John and Sylvana are beautiful, kind and caring hosts who went out of their way to ensure we had a pleasant stay. As the local airline (Air Vanuatu) is coming out of liquidation, and booking through them is quite difficult at this time, Sylvana was in regular contact from the very beginning, helping us book flights, and updating us on any changes leading up to our stay. After we landed we were met by our amazing driver Junior, who was waiting for us out the front of the airport. Junior was our driver throughout our entire stay and drove us around the island to various activities. Not only is he a thoroughly competent, safe and courteous driver (many of the roads, including the resort road, are only accessible to 4WD's, lots of fun if you are a 4WD enthusiast!!), but he is very friendly, knowledgeable and prompt. Thankyou so much Junior!! On arrival John gave us a private tour of the entire resort and throughout our stay answered our many questions about their life on Tanna (20+ years!), how the resort was built in partnership with the local people, and the various challenges of what it's like living and operating a resort in a remote place. Witnessing him work together with the local Ni-Vanuatu people on various projects around the resort during our stay (garden maintenance and some small repairs required after the earthquake), it was clear how proud everyone was at what they had created together as a team. John even took a break from his work to take us snorkelling and showed us the best spots out on the reef, (snorkelling is a must do, the reef is spectacular!) Thankyou John! Our rooms were amazing! Built into the surrounding coral face, with pebble-stone floors, unique hardwood roofing and supports, with each room being different from the next. The beds were extremely comfortable, clean, bug free (as long as you keep the door closed!), and were maintained daily throughout our stay. Plenty of filtered water/hot water (instant gas hot water systems are the best!) to use the bath! The bar and restaurant area is truly spectacular with similar unique hardwood designs and many comfortable seating areas to choose from. I particularly enjoyed the sand floors and open design that blends with the surrounding nature to create a truly elemental dining experience. The food and restaurant service were top notch with prices being very reasonable (especially considering the challenges of transporting and storing). The menu changed daily which allowed us to try many different meals, all which were perfectly cooked and tasted amazing. A huge thankyou to Lina, Nawiwa, Mary and Lyn Rose for the amazing food and

We had the pleasure of staying a few nights at Rockwater. Private paradise! Built into the old coral with local materials and landscaped to perfection into the coastline, blending seemlessly into the ocean. The Villas are clean and comfortable. Quiet snd safe. Food was EXCELLENT! Fine dining 3 meals a day. Clean, fresh, local ingedients, prepared and presented to 5 stars! Service by Susan, a local, was superb! She also grows and cures her own vanilla beans! How lucky we were to buy them directly from her. Snorkeling was equally oustanding. The entrance to the sea is thru a canal carved into the old coral beds! There was so much to see in the Marine Reserve there. I even spotted a Spotted Handfish crawling on the reef! You can snorkel and go far or just stay in the small protected area. Great for all old and young! Finally, the owners, creators, curators…John and Silvana. 2 very enchanting people. They have done so much to help restore and preserve the environment on Tanna. Land and Sea. They help the local communities and made our Vanuatu trip magical. Vast amounts of knowledge, local and worldwide. There to be sure our every need was met. Arranged fantastic tours, airport transfers, activities and all with stimulating conversation.

Absolute highlight of our Vanuatu holiday ! This resort is impeccable - stunning views, comfortable and amazing rooms and best of all the people! John and Silvana and all their wonderful staff just went above and beyond for us making this part of our trip so relaxing and enjoyable ! We really go to experience Tanna and all its amazing culture :) will be a memory we will Treasure forever! Thank you !

Great experience. We stayed several nights. The whole resort is carved into and out of the ancient coral and rock. Rooms are comfortable, unique and large. Food was EXCELLENT! Service was five star and relaxed. Snorkeling right thrre at the Marine Reserve. John and Silvana arranged our tours with the best locals. Tanna is an interesting place. Rockwater Resort is its best kept secret!

This is one of those gems that you rarely come across in your travels. The location is stunning and the amenities great. John and Silvana provide more attention than their guests deserve. They are both authentic hosts and attentive to individual needs. Being research scientists we enjoyed the environment and having intelligent conversations with both of them and wished we could have stayed longer – perhaps a revisit is in order. Getting there (Tanna Island) sometimes has it issues (flights etc) -persist and be rewarded.

We had an absolutely amazing time at Rockwater. It was definitely a more unique room and resort. We specially loved how closely we were looked after and homely it was. Silvana and John made it feel like we were visiting home. John has plenty of stories to share as well. The coral just next to the resort was amazing. It was a little hard to get out to, but once you got to the shelf, there were so much finish and coral. You can borrow all equipment you need other than life jackets if you need it. But the water is very calm. The food was amazing and fresh. The staff were also so kind and helpful. Silvana organised all of our tours as well. And we had a really good visit to the blue cave, custom village and the volcano. Book with them directly if you can. They can really make it a special experience if you talk to them directly. Highly recommended!