Hideaway Island Resort and Marine Sanctuary

We had an unforgettable 2 nights on Hideaway Island and we left wishing we had more time there. From the moment we arrived at the airport to the day we left we were welcomed so warmly by Stella, Louisa and the team at Hideaway. We were lucky enough to have the whole island to ourselves at night once the day trippers left - what an experience! The bungalows are simple but clean and comfortable. Even when it rained heavily one night we felt dry and safe, the staff even dropped off suprise unbrellas for us to use to walk to dinner. The snorkelling to the left of the furthest pontoon is INSANE - you feel like you are on the “set” of Finding Nemo. Thousands of different types of fish everywhere. We ate on the island both nights - the fish curry is delicious! And you have the beautiful sound of the ladies in the kitchen laughing together while they cook in the background. If you want a relaxing, simple, castaway island feel holiday with some comforts from home while being cared for by the sweetest people on the planet then you can’t beat Hideaway. You’ll pinch yourself the whole time.

Hideaway Island, February 2025. Needs an upgrade as the Island is old and being left to run down. Snorkeling OK plenty of reef fish, banner fish,anemone fish, domino fish, parrot fish, etc. Colourful hard and soft coral. Entry to water hard on the feet but doable. Admission $25 AUD. for the day, free ferry ride. Could of booked a discounted room for one night $112. Since we had already paid $50 for my wife and myself should of stayed the night for the extra $62. Would not plan to stay much longer limited facilities. Worth the trip. Very quiet as no cruise ships in Port Villa yet. Staff very friendly. George K.

Went recently for a dive holiday, and LOVED it! Hideaway island is a beautiful place, with chill island vibes I love it. It’s not a fancy 5 star resort but I’m used to camping and staying in hostels so it was perfect for me. There is so much incredible marine life to look at while snorkelling and scuba diving. The staff are AMAZING!! They really made the trip great, and went above and beyond to make this a great holiday for us all. The diving guys are really good blokes, had a lot of fun with them. Stella and Louisa are so friendly and kind. The rest of the staff are all so friendly and hard working. Huge shout out to Edwin too, he really made this trip memorable. Some things I was a bit let down by: our package included kayak and paddleboard hire, but there were no paddles, and the paddleboards were really gross and in poor condition. The bar/restaurant was out of stock of a lot of ingredients, most of the time when I tried to order something off the menu “no we can’t make that” “no we don’t have that”, so we ended up going across to the beach bar which was a shame as I would have liked to eat/drink on the island. There’s a lot of things that need maintenance and are a bit run down. ALSO! Very important there are some cats on the island and they’re really cute and sometimes friendly. There are also lots of dogs on the beach across from the island, and most of them are pretty chill and like pats just make sure you watch their body language cos some get spooked.

Hideaway island is ideal for anyone who loves snorkelling. The staff are extremely helpful and courteous. Plenty of lovely coral and fish just off the shore and no crowds, safe for kids to snorkel, Kyak and swim. We did the included coral safari to feed the fish each day. The beach bar is just across on the mainland for food, shows and drinks although you can choose to eat at the resort and the free ferry runs back and forth.

We had a very relaxing day at Hideway Island. Excellent service, light snacks were ok, beer was cold and snorkeling was enjoyable. Trip too and fro was short and easy. Costs AUD20 day pass which is well worth it. Trip from Port Villa was rattly which is part and parcel and costs AUD 15 in a Taxi one way (negotiable).

This resort is in serious need of refurbishment. Our room was musty and not well cleaned. Water pressure was very low and couldn't get any hot water. Two cats stayed mewing outside our door for 15 minutes after arrival. Faulty power point saw us remove fridge and set up our own patch panel to run the fridge & kettle. Meal standard was low with many menu items not available. Cats were allowed to roam around and climb on meal tables. We lasted one night then moved out to a motel for the rest of our stay. Resort staff were very helpful and apologetic and did refund our unused nights. Didn't get a chance to dive there so can't comment on the reef. Another group we met stayed another night and their room flooded during a rain storm.