Cheap Flights to Olpoi Airport

Discover Olpoi

The Olpoi Airport, also known as North West Santo Airport, is an airport located on the island of Espiritu Santo, in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu. It is set at an elevation above mean sea level, and has an asphalt runway that measures 3,937 feet. The airport is one of the many airports in Vanuatu with rare to no scheduled services set. It looks like a simple airstrip – and while it can be used for landings, it does not have proper facilities to host important services such as pre-flight checks, check-in services, and others.

What to see & do

The Olpoi Airport, also known as the North West Santo Airport, is located in Vanuatu – one of the island nations that are scattered in the Pacific region. Vanuatu, or officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is of volcanic origin, and located some 1,750 kilometres east of northern Australia. Vanuatu was first inhabited by Melanesian people, with the first Europeans to visit the islands were of Spanish descent. The Melanesian-dominated place was then claimed for Spain and became a part of the colonial Spanish East Indies, which then had the name Australia del Espiritu Santo.

In the 1880s, France and United Kingdom claimed parts of the archipelago, and in 1906, they agreed on a framework for jointly managing the archipelago as the New Hebrides through a British-French Condominium. An independence movement arose in the 1970s thereafter, which resulted to the foundation of today's republic in the 1980s.

Vanuatu is known for its unique composition – being a volcanic nation and still having abundant wetlands and tropical forests. Despite the limited number of plants and animal species and the seemingly remote place, the country nation still has established a few handful of destinations that are amusing not only to the adventurous and outdoor-trippers, but to calm and lax tourists as well.

Apart from the seas and the unexplored forests, which are on a class of their own, the culture of Vanuatu is also worth mentioning. It is a regional thing – a divide that makes the country all the more interesting. Northern areas of the nation have two variations of social and political societies, where men and women can purchase positions of status. In the central areas meanwhile, the Polynesian systems have predominated, while in the southern islands, titles or names are bestowed on certain men, which designate them as chiefs. Religions, which are animists by nature, vary from point to point, although can also be similar at some point. Further, with limited to no written language, story-telling, songs, dances, as well as art, form a big part of telling the history of this island nation.

Piece of advice when travelling on the islands? Let loose. Do not stay on the parameters of travel magazines and others. Explore, and make sure to note the small yet important details. The people of Vanuatu are friendly, but always practice respect, especially when immersing.

How to get around

Modes of transport are mainly centred on the capital, Port Vila. Taxis, boats, buses, and trucks can all be enjoyed from here, although note that unless it is rented or chartered, travellers may not be able to demand where to go. It is best to ask around first before riding anything. If worse comes to worst, the best way to get around (at least for short distances) is to walk.

How to get there

Since the Olpoi Airport does not have scheduled flights as of the moment, the travellers' best bet would be the airports within Port Vila and the other important islands in Vanuatu. Port Vila's Bauerfield International Airport is served by Aircalin, Air New Zealand, Air Vanuatu, Fiji Airways, Solomon Airlines, and Virgin Australia, who mostly provides flight connections to international destinations. Air Vanuatu also offers domestic travel to other islands in the country. A few charter services also run, although travellers should learn about availabilities before travelling.