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The Alofa Beach Bungalows offers travellers to Vanuatu rustic accommodations by the sea. With two bungalows, each with a double and a single bed and private hot shower facilities, providing basic accommodations for its guests and the property's direct access to the beach, guests at the Alofa Beach Bungalow are assured a comfortable stay and a truly unique Vanuatu experience of living the simple, quiet life by the sea. Our kitchen can prepare meals upon request, and an island breakfast is provided.
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We stayed 6 days with John, Veronique and their son John Mark and were so glad we chose this small beachfront operation rather than a big resort.
Great location , in small village of Lowanatum, a quick local bus ride to Lanakel Markets, shops and the Tamanu restaurant ( great pina coladas!).
John really helped us a lot with our plans in the way that bigger resorts would charge a lot more for. He arranged the volcano tour, Port Resolution, Yakel Kastom village and even a cooking lesson because I wanted to know how to make the Vanuatu snack Simboro. His wife Veronique arramged an inpromtu dancing display from her womens dancing group.We also paid a visit to the local Kava bar 🤪
If we had not ended up here i think out visit to Tanna would have been a lot more difficult and expensive - a little gem of a place.
P.S. if you are visiting from UK bring an England soccer shirt, he supports them, and soccer is huge on Tanna.
P.s.
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Come in June - August if you want to see the volcano -when it rains the roads are impassable.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was the highlight of my two weeks trip in Vanuatu. John and his partner were the best hosts I have ever met as a traveller. The bungalows are beautifully located near the beach, the room was clean and comfortable and the meals were delicious. If you are looking for an authentic experience with the loveliest persons you can imagine, this is it. John is very helpful, always smiling and full of stories about his beautiful island.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Trust John and his partner, they will make your stay memorable
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gorgeous basic bungalows right on the beach. A short drive from the airport and you’ll find John, Veronique and Lizzy to be welcoming, kind hosts. We greatly enjoyed our stay here and would recommend it to folks traveling to Tanna looking for something different than the resorts. Accommodation was basic, but clean and comfortable. Wifi in common areas and delicious food at the restaurant. They will even organize tours for you (including volcano) and point you to local kava bars.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alofa Beach Bungalow is a MUST in Tanna now. The friendly, helpful and full of energy Lizzie who runs the place is just the right woman to know if you visit this amazing island. She can take a great care of you and offer you the best and most interesting tours in the land! Close to the airport and to Lenakel city center. Bungalows are simply great! Just in front of the ocean and everything is cured very carefully. everyday you'll see fresh flowers around and the smiles of all the staff... Ask Lizzie about what to do and visit in the island, consider that there are tons of activities to experience and many tribes, cultures to live. The bungalows are well equipped, with hot water and electricity all day and absolutely clean. You can't miss: Kastom dance, futuna village, lady's dance, vulcano yasur visit, walking on the beach till bat trees and Lava's kastom village. Inside the lodge there is a tiny but amazing restaurant. Lizzie and her staff will provide you everyday excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner at very reasonable prices. Try pumpkin soup and coconut fruit salad. Absolutely recommended it
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Date of stay: October 2014
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alofa Tanna Beach Bungalows is locally owned, managed and staffed by Tanna villagers most of whom are related to each other. There's Lizzie the manager, her brother Collin the handyman, their cousin Catlyn the housekeeper cum cook cum Mt Yasur guide and Mr Yumi, the intrepid guard dog. So keep in mind that when you stay here, your tourist dollars are really plowed back into the local Tanna economy.
The bungalow is comfortable and spacious with ensuite toilet/shower. You can partly see the ocean from the patio and hear the crashing waves. The empty sprawling beach is a mere 100 meter walk from the room. For a price of just 4000 Vatu a night, it is a steal compared to the foreign owned resorts on the island that offer the same - a bungalow by the beach but at exorbitant prices.
They have a small restaurant and the food they serve is amazing. We feasted on Chicken curry, beefsteak, grilled cheese sandwiches and pan fried chicken with caramelized onions - meals that rival rated restaurants in the big cities. They also have beers, wine and cokes, no bottled water at that time but we drank their water and we were fine.
They have plans to add more bungalows in the future and build a bigger restaurant closer to the beach. Lizzie will also be taking a hospitality course in Port Vila for a few months. We really wish them well and that their enterprise succeeds and receives more guests.
Our transfers, volcano tour and Yakel tribe visit were all arranged through them.
Tanna is recovering from the cyclone. Everything is green again and new leaves have sprouted on trees once stripped bare. People are still rebuilding their homes but everyone is smiling and friendly. It is an amazing island.
Come to Tanna and do stay a night or 2. We recommend Alofa.
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Date of stay: June 2015
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I booked my 5 nights stay at this place based on the good reviews. Unfortunately I did not experience any of what the other guests had said. For a place charging 6000 vatu and night, you expect water 24 hrs. Lizzie doesn't inform her guests that water pump is shut off after 9p. When you feeling sick and cant flush your toilet or wash your hands or brush your teeth, that's gross and annoying.
FYI there was no electricity on the 3rd day of my stay and Lizzie got me to cover the cost of 1000 vatu for transporting the generator from her home simply because I needed a lift which was on her way to her home.
Meals at this place was 1200 vatu on average. Without electricity your food is limited to vegetarian meals. There are other better options in Tanna called Rocky Ridge perfect for snorkeling and is near the blue hole and airport and for less money.
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Date of stay: December 2014
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lin G, Owner at Alofa Beach Bungalows
Responded 7 Jan 2015
I sympathize with you for not having to experience what other guest has said in their reviews. Firstly I am surprised that you do not know how much we a charging as you booked through Booking.com which you should have known how much it cost a night so I gather this is an ignorant on your part. Lizzie always explains to our guests about the water pump and if she did not inform you at that time then we apologies for that. Again thank you for reminding us of the water pump issue so we are addressing it at the moment. In regards to the electricity unfortunately unforeseen circumstances happen and we apologies for the inconvenience caused but we have now address the issue and we ensure it will not happen again in the future. The power cut was not more than 8 hrs as we have the generator powering the place for the next two days 24hrs. For clarifications the VT1,000 is not for the generator transport nor is to take Lizzie to her home. I am shock that you have to put up such false accusation as that cost is for the transfer that you have requested. We have a sentence in Booking.com that states transfer is at an extra cost. It is sad to read about your disappointment about the power cut yet on the same review you recommend Rocky Ridge where it has been running on generator from 5pm to 9pm. In regards to food we assured that we only serve fresh food and none of our food have gone bad given we a well equipped with food preservation facilities to gather for such. Again the power is out for not more than 8hrs thus none of our food at that time had gone bad. Having said that you are right about the electricity and the water problems. We are now addressing it as our number one priority. Again please ensure you know the rate you booked for and please book directly with us to get some of our best rates. Cheers Linda
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The place could be fine but unfortunately it depends on who is on staff. No more beer or tea bags seem to be usual. Chicken and fries more often than the lobster mentioned in some comments. If you need something, you'll have to wait until you find someone. Kind of a Robinson Crusoe experience, far from everything and too expensive considering the poor service.
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Date of stay: January 2019
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After spending weeks in very basic and rustic bungalows, coming to this place felt like coming to a luxury boutique sort of place. These bungalows are pretty new and in great condition. It has concrete walls, floor, electricity and it even comes with your own bathroom and fan! It was like heaven. Too bad I only stayed for one night, on my way to another island. It is super close to the airport, so its great if you need a place in transit. But if I knew it would be this nice, I would have stayed longer and explored more of Tanna. They arrange day tours, so it makes a great base to see more of the coastal parts of Tanna.
The restaurant serves great local food. And is run by really nice ni-vans.
It is kind of a beach bungalow, but its not located on a white sand beach. More in a garden witch ocean views. I didn't find a really great spot for swimming, but I think if you walk further down the beach, there are places to swim. But the beach is a great spot for people watching in the afternoon.
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Date of stay: February 2016
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My partner and I had booked a three night stay at the Alofa Beach Bungalows on Tanna, however our flight was rescheduled due to cyclone Ula and unfortunately we had to settle for only two nights.
The Alofa Bungalows are a short ride from the still damaged airport of Tanna and are situated approx. 200m from the beach. The bungalow we stayed in included an ensuite bathroom with hot water, double bed with mosquito net, a single bed with mosquito net and two fans. This provided a comfortable couple of nights sleep for the both of us.
The real stand out at the resort however are the staff. During our stay Natalie and Sam catered for all our needs including organising our tours and providing some extremely impressive dinners. You get to know them personally which is just an added bonus (I have to thank Sam for teaching us a new card game which we call "Sams 7's).
The resort also offers the lowest prices for the tours on the island. The volcano tour cost approx. 10,000 Vatu and is definitely worth the cost. If booked with Alofa, Ian, a friendly driver, will drive you the two hour trip and provide a good history of the island. This again all adds up to a great stay with Alofa and we would recommend staying there for anyone planning on visiting this brilliant island.
One tip, ensure you take enough money to the island prior to departing as there are no ATM's on the island and the bank only caters for locals. You wouldn't want to miss out on anything this beautiful island has to offer by not taking sufficient Vatu with you.
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Date of stay: January 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We visited this lovely place before Pam hit Vanuatu, and we loved the place and the staff. The bungalows are set in a nice garden, close to the beach. We learned about live in Vanuatu, eating coconut apple and visiting several places where people danced for us. We came after 1 night in Evergreen, part of our volcano tour. But Alofa is really much more related to life in Tanna. Very relaxing place and good food.
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Date of stay: March 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Brett,
Thank you for choosing to stay with us. We can always pick you up at the airport. Please let us know of your arrival timing
Looking forward to meeting you as well
Best regards
Linda
Hi Fiona,
Thank you for contacting us. We do organize all the tours you mention. You are correct we do accept cash only payment. Your budget will be approximately AUD $2.000 for tours and transfers. You can always pay for your bills with Alofa in Port-Vila.
Regards
Linda Sam
Reservation
Alofa, Tanna
Linda
Anglesey, United Kingdom229 contributions155 helpful votes
Hi, thank you for reply. It was extremely helpful, I pressed the wrong side of the voting system. I have emailed alofa direct for further information on availability prices etc. thank you again.
There are more places to choose from in the Tanna Island area.
PRICE RANGE
$91 - $113 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
VanuatuTanna Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
2
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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