Quick answers
Kooyu Villas — Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kooyu Villas?
Kooyu is a collection of four private oceanfront villas on Pango Peninsula, just outside Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Each villa is completely self-contained, giving you the privacy and ease of having your own place by the sea rather than the feel of a hotel or resort.
The property takes its name from the large Kooyu tree at its heart. Architecturally, the villas combine local timber, concrete, open-air living and a relaxed tropical sensibility. The result is simple, soulful and distinctly Vanuatu — a little more barefoot and characterful than conventional resort luxury.
Where is Kooyu?
Kooyu sits directly on the ocean on the sheltered side of Pango Peninsula, along the stretch of coastline locally known as Paradise Cove.
It is around 15 minutes by car from central Port Vila and approximately 35 minutes from Bauerfield International Airport.
For navigation, the Google Plus Code is 67PF+3WQ.
Paradise Cove refers to a sheltered stretch of coastline on the sheltered Northern side of Pango Peninsula which also includes Dream Cove and Angelfish Cove.
How many villas are there?
There are four villas:
- The Bohemian
- Tropical Art Villa
- The West Pool Villa
- The East Pool Villa
The West Pool Villa and East Pool Villa each have their own private 9 m lap pool. The Bohemian and Tropical Art Villa are our two non-pool villas but enjoy the same absolute beachfront location.
All four are private, self-contained homes and are booked individually.
Is there a villa with a private pool near Port Vila?
Yes. At Kooyu, The West Pool Villa and The East Pool Villa each have their own private 9 m lap pool, right on the beach on Pango Peninsula, about 15 minutes' drive from central Port Vila.
The pools run on a gentle salt-water system and are 1.8 m deep. Each villa sleeps up to four. The Bohemian and Tropical Art Villa don't have pools but sit on the same stretch of beachfront.
How far is Kooyu from Port Vila airport?
About 35 minutes by car from Bauerfield International Airport, and around 15 minutes from central Port Vila. The drive through town can take longer at busy times, so leave a little extra time if you have a flight to catch.
Fixed-rate taxis wait right outside the airport and charge a set fare of 5,500 vatu. If you're hiring a car, the rental company can arrange to have it delivered to the airport for you.
Do I need a car at Kooyu?
It helps. Kooyu is on a quiet part of Pango Peninsula, too far to walk into town, and past guests recommend hiring a car.
If you'd rather not drive, you can flag down one of the communal buses on the main road into Port Vila, or our staff can help you organise a driver. For dinner, there are three beachfront restaurants within a five-minute walk.
Is Kooyu good for families with kids?
Each villa has two pavilions. The Master Pavilion has the kitchen, living and dining areas and the master bedroom, with an indoor bathroom plus an outdoor courtyard shower. The Guest Pavilion is a separate building with the second bedroom and its own bathroom.
So think about your children's age and stage, and whether they'll be happy sleeping in a separate pavilion. If not, we can put a fold-out bed in the master bedroom at no charge. It counts within the four-guest maximum. Larger families, or two families travelling together, can book two villas.
The West Pool and East Pool villas have 9 m lap pools, 1.8 m deep, that open straight onto the house and deck with no fence. If you're travelling with small children, The Bohemian or Tropical Art Villa, which don't have a pool, may suit you better.
Is Kooyu a good place for a honeymoon on Efate?
If you'd rather have your own place on the water than a resort room, yes. You get the whole villa, your own deck facing the sea, an outdoor shower and sunsets over Mele Bay, and no shared pool or lobby.
When you don't feel like cooking, there are three beachfront restaurants within a five-minute walk.
Is Kooyu self-catering?
Yes. Every villa has its own full kitchen, so you can cook as much or as little as you like.
We leave some fresh fruit, and sometimes a baguette with butter and jam, but plan on doing your own grocery shop. Port Vila's daily market is the best place for fresh fruit, vegetables and fish.
Do the villas have air conditioning?
No, and that's by design. The villas are open to the sea breeze, and every bed sits inside its own custom mosquito-net box with a ceiling fan inside it, so you sleep cool and bite-free with the night air coming through. If you need air-con, it's better to know before you book.
Is there Wi-Fi at Kooyu?
Yes, there's Wi-Fi throughout the property. The bedroom walls are concrete, so the signal can be weaker in the bedrooms, which some guests actually prefer.
How many nights should I book?
The minimum stay is three nights. Guests stay about five nights on average, which gives you time to settle in, snorkel off the beach most days and get into town once or twice.
Check-in is from 2 pm and check-out is at 10 am, unless we've arranged something different with you.
Is Kooyu a hotel or resort?
No. Kooyu is deliberately small and is a collection of private self contained villas.
There is no hotel lobby, front desk or large collection of shared resort facilities. You book your own villa and settle in much as you would in a private beach house.
For many guests, that independence is part of the appeal.
How do I book?
The easiest way is to Book direct via Resly Direct — use the Book direct button on each villa card, or these links:
You can also book on Airbnb:
The villas can also be found on Booking.com, where that booking channel is managed by Element Escapes.
If you have a question that isn't answered in the listings, email us at info@kooyu.me.
How can I contact Kooyu?
The best way to reach us is by email at info@kooyu.me.
We don't publish a general phone number. The enquiry form on this page opens your own email app with your message addressed to info@kooyu.me, or you can email us directly.
Can you swim and snorkel in front of Kooyu?
Yes. One of the pleasures of Kooyu's location is having the ocean immediately in front of the villas.
This side of Pango Peninsula is generally more sheltered than the exposed coast on the other side, and the water is often calm and clear. There is a regenerating marine environment offshore, with coral and tropical fish, and snorkelling can be lovely when conditions are right.
Several local dive operators also use this side of the peninsula.
As anywhere in the tropics, sea conditions vary, so guests should always make a judgement based on the conditions on the day.
What else can you do around Pango Peninsula?
Pango gives you two very different coastlines within a few kilometres.
Kooyu is on the quieter, sheltered side of the peninsula, while the exposed side — around 2.5 km away — picks up more wind and swell and can offer surfing, wingfoiling and kitesurfing when conditions suit.
Honeymoon Beach is also nearby and forms part of a marine reserve where turtles and, from time to time, dugongs can be seen.
What do guests say about Kooyu?
Kooyu is made up of four individual villas, each with its own Airbnb listing and guest reviews. The rating for each villa is shown separately — there isn't a single combined Airbnb rating for the property as a whole.
As of 15 September 2026, the four villas have received 123 Airbnb reviews, with individual ratings between 4.91 and 4.96 out of 5:
You can read a selection of guest comments in
Guest Reviews,
see further references at
/guide/references/,
or visit the individual Airbnb listings for the latest reviews.
In a nutshell
Four private villas. Right on the ocean. A quiet stretch of Pango Peninsula around 15 minutes from Port Vila.
Kooyu is for people who would rather have their own tropical home by the sea than stay in a conventional resort — with space, privacy, warm water and the rhythm of island life just outside the door.
More detail:
kooyu.me
· guest reviews
