Mystery Island is a tiny, uninhabited island 10 minutes away by boat from the big island called Aneityum, situated in Tafea Province, Vanuatu. Tiny Inyeug (Mystery) Island can be reached only via cruise ships, local boats and by planes (Air Vanuatu) 3 times a week on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from Port Vila and Tanna landing. You can take a leisurely stroll around the island in about 40 minutes. This incredibly beautiful conglomeration of pure white sand, palm trees and coral reefs provides the perfect place to relax and unwind. The Island itself has remained virtually untouched.
The indigenous name of Mystery Island is Inyeug. According to the locals, the island was changed to Mystery Island because a reporter writing about Queen Elizabeth’s II 1974 visit kept asking for the name of the small island that she visited. The reporter was told the name is “Inyeug” meaning “Small Island”. After his own version of “Who is on First” (What is the name of that small island? “Inyeug”, “Small Island”!), the newspaper’s headline read “Her Majesty visits Mystery Island” which surely sold more papers than “Her Majesty visits Small Island”. The tourist that followed came to see Mystery Island not Small Island. The name Mystery Island has stuck and is used widely by the tourist and cruise industry.
Today was our third visit to Mystery Island, but it was definitely the prettiest day we’ve spent here. The weather was warm, sunny and breezy, and we wasted no time tendering over to the island. We went almost empty-handed; we thought we’d hike around the island first, without needing to carry our beach things with us, return to the ship for lunch and then tender back over with our Swimways floats and snorkel gear for some beach time. It didn’t work out that way at all. Luckily, I had tied a pareo around my waist, because we ended up using that when we finally sat on the beach.
Mystery Island, surrounded by coral reefs,
as seen from the Ruby Princess
Panorama view of Mystery Island
Aneutyim Island, home to the locals working on Mystery Island
The island is very narrow (not much wider than the grass airstrip that runs its length) and we crossed to the other side and walked the length of the island on the beach, then connected with one of the several paths and walked back toward the tender on that. We stopped along the way for G to open his can of Coke, and sat on a downed coconut palm tree and listened to the waves crashing on the reef. It reminded us so much of the islands of French Polynesia.
The island is totally undeveloped and home to just a few wooden shacks with grass roofs
There are a lot of tours available on the island,
including snorkel trips and boat rides to Aneutyim Island
There are several well marked paths crossing the island
Coral flats at low tide
Our view for G’s Coke break
but there are a few cottages that look like this.
Those shades of blue...gorgeous
Some locals and children were performing for us, singing not just island tunes but John Denver’s Country Roads, too. That song is certainly well loved down here; we hear it a lot. Donations were accepted for their local school.
Local musicians and school children performed throughout the day
Lots of souvenirs for sale
These siblings were darling, and passengers were only too happy to push them
on the swings.
G had found a hermit crab, and these two little girls were entranced by it.
Around noon, we were getting hungry and thought we’d return to the ship for lunch, but then spotted a sign advertising island BBQ. That sounded even better, and we both had yellow fin tuna caught fresh this morning and cooked over an open firel. It was served with sweet potato fries and everything was delicious.
Cooking our lunch over an open fire
Lunch and the local beer, served with a view
The cafe and outdoor tables
Following lunch, we decided to use the beach without returning to the ship. We didn’t even have beach towels, just my pareo, but we made out just fine. The water temp felt great, probably around 82F, and we loved watching all the kids in the water and building sandcastles on the beach. This cruise has been so much more fun with them on board. We had heavily applied sunscreen before we left the ship this morning, and it lasted all day, because we didn’t get a hint of color. Still, by 3pm, we were done, sandy and sweaty and salt covered and greasy from sunscreen, and decided to take a tender back to the ship.
Going to the island empty-handed meant we didn’t have to wash and rinse and set out to dry all of our usual toys. We had just enough time to get showered and were in the Elite Lounge when it opened at 4:30pm. The views from Skywalkers on Deck 18 were spectacular. We watched sail away from our dinner table, but noticed it had turned rather cloudy as we left. I hope that’s not a harbinger of our weather tomorrow.
Day 5 dinner menu, page 1
Day 5 dinner menu, page 2
Day 5 dessert menu
Comedian Mark Palmer is back this cruise. Although G hadn’t been impressed that last time we saw him, we went to his 7:30pm show. He’s ok, but he hasn’t gotten any funnier. Tomorrow is a big day for us, our first visit to Isle of Pines, New Caledonia. Some fellow guests we were talking with in Skywalkers today said that if we thought Mystery Island was good, Isle of Pines is ten times better.
We can’t wait.
Mystery Island Port Guide, page 1
Mystery Island Port Guide, page 2
Day 5 Princess Patter, page 1
Day 5 Princess Patter, page 2
Day 5 Princess Patter, page 3
Day 6 Princess Patter, page 4
