Mele Cascades

Just outside Port Vila, the Mele Cascades climb a forested hillside in a series of terraced pools of pale turquoise, coloured by dissolved limestone, ending at a main fall of about thirty-five metres. The walk up crosses the stream repeatedly and passes pool after pool, most of them swimmable, with guides pointing out where the footing is safe. It is the most visited natural attraction on Efate because it is close to the capital, easy enough for most fitness levels, and delivers a genuinely lovely payoff at the top where the main fall drops into a deep basin.

What you actually see

• The terraced pools - turquoise basins stepping up the hillside.
• The main falls - the thirty-five-metre drop at the top of the walk.
• Swimming stops - pools along the route deep enough to get in.
• The forest walk - the stream crossings and jungle path.

When to go

The dry season from April to October gives the safest footing and clearest water. Flow is heavier in the wet season, when the colour dulls and the rocks get more slippery. Mornings beat the cruise-ship crowds when ships are in Port Vila.

Honest expectations

The rocks are extremely slippery and most visitors need the handrails and guide assistance in places - water shoes or grippy sandals make a real difference, and flip-flops are a bad idea. Cruise days bring hundreds of people up the same narrow path. There is a fee at the gate and a further expectation of tipping guides. Changing facilities are basic.

Nearby

Port Vila, Hideaway Island's underwater post box and Efate's ring road beaches.