Day 30 April 5 – Mystery Island, Vanuatu

Day 30 Sunday April 5th (90 days to go) — When looking at the itinerary for this World Cruise, Mystery Island was the stop that intrigued me the most. After reading much about it and viewing photos and videos, I knew there was not much to the island. Also, I knew we were stopping here on a Sunday which meant not many if any stalls would be open. Add in Easter Day and we pretty much knew the island would be deserted, which it was and honestly we were happy about not having to deal with vendors.

Mystery Island, also known as Inyeug, is a tiny, uninhabited paradise in southern Vanuatu, famous for its pristine beaches, coral reefs, and cruise ship excursions.

The island covers about 15.9 hectares and is flanked by the coral Intao Reef, marking the southernmost point of Vanuatu. It is uninhabited, with no roads, electricity, or permanent facilities, and can be circumnavigated on foot in 20–30 minutes.

Key history includes its role as a World War II Allied airfield and a 1974 visit by Queen Elizabeth II, which helped popularize its “mystery” name, and it is now a major cruise stop.

Original Name & Status: Known locally as Inyeug (“small island”), it was historically uninhabited because it was believed to be inhabited by spirits and used as a taboo (sacred) area, with locals only visiting during daylight hours

World War II Era: During the 1940s, U.S. troops constructed a small airstrip on the island for reconnaissance and fueling. The location was considered strategic because the island was hard to spot from the sea.

Modern Day: The historic airstrip remains in use today for small planes. It is now a popular, though uninhabited, tourist spot that locals from nearby Aneityum manage during cruise ship visits.

Cultural Significance: While visitors now enjoy beaches, the island holds a “haunted” reputation, and tourists often visit the “cannibal soup” pot for photos, referencing a broader, old Vanuatu tradition.

Our first look towards the direction of Mystery Island this morning. The fog and rain made it difficult to spot the island. It does look sort of mysterious in this photo.

Easter morning basket. The basket went along with the Mystery Island theme. How many Gold Brick Eggs do you see? I see three and saw three when taking this photo. There were four in the box. We looked all over the cabin and could not find the fourth Gold Brick Egg. I told Jackie this egg was the important one as it held the cure for Type II Diabetes, Hypertension and these damn bug bites that have returned to my legs and arms.

Jackie waits all year for the Heavenly Hash Candy on Easter morning, so she started her breakfast with two.

She followed with a cheese omelet

Lane had the same as yesterday — mixed berries, oatmeal and Swiss Pancakes. Oh. almost forgot added a croissant this morning

It is believed that the island is haunted therefore nobody actually lives there. The traditional owners live on the nearby island but don’t go there after dark as they believe ghosts inhabit the island at night. 

On the days when cruise-ships call into the island, the locals come across from nearby islands of Anaton.

First view of Mystery Island from the pier upon arrival

Saw a few fish swimming around the pier

According to some locals, the island used to be referred to as Inyeug, which means small island. When Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1974, a reporter trying to find out which small island she was visiting got confused. In news headlines, he referred to the island as Mystery Island, and the name stuck.

Check out the roots on this Mangrove Tree

The locals created a beautifully manicured path around the entire island.  It leads over several beaches, through the center of the island, by the airstrip, and the cruise ship dock.

Assuming they need loads of toilets when 2500-4000 people descend upon this little piece of paradise for 6 hours.  So, they have dozens of small, wooden toilet sheds (some with toilets seats, some just holes in the ground).

There is also a solar farm that powers the large antennae that supplies the neighboring island of Anatom with communication services. 

Reminded me of the camp bathroom at Fourchon when I was young

A walkway leads from the pier to the interior of the island where the Anatom villagers sell their crafts and wares.  It is also where they offer massages, food and beverages, snorkeling and fishing tours, SUP, Kayak, and canoe rentals, hair braiding, and cabanas for rent.

Another island with a natural wave break from a coral reef

We took the obligatory photos inside the cannibal soup pot

It was formerly used as an Allied forces landing strip during WWII. The “mystery” is said to have derived from the fact that the air strip is impossible to see from the sea and therefore it took some time for the Japanese to determine where all the planes were coming from.

It is believed the Japanese were confused as to where the planes were landing and taking off which is why the island was called Mystery island.

When we returned to the ship we saw a small plane landing on the island and then taking off

The island has the airport for the neighboring inhabited Aneityum Island. The airport is basically a grass airstrip, which gets small plane flights twice weekly from Port Vila via Tanna Island.

View of our ship from Mystery Island

Many of the vendor huts were put together like this

After getting back on the ship we had a burger and club sandwich then went up to the spa deck and I captured this rainbow as we began to sail away. A great end to a perfect day.

This evening we attended Easter service which was lead by the ship’s cruise director. He was quite impressive and we enjoyed it.

After the service we attended a birthday party and dinner for LeAnne Bock. She is a super person, and we have enjoyed the opportunity to meet her on this cruise. She has volunteered her time to have classes for passengers wanting to learn how to make iMovies, which you have seen Jackie posting on Facebook.

Be sure to check out the four new faces From Around the World.

Tomorrow is New Caledonia and an afternoon wine tasting excursion.