Port Vila doesn't look like much from the plane — a crescent of hills around Mele Bay, a few clusters of buildings, container ships at anchor. But get into the city and it has more going on than its size suggests. About 50,000 people live here, drawn from every island in the archipelago. You'll hear Bislama, French, English, and half a dozen local languages in a short walk through the market. The food is better than you'd expect. The diving in the harbor is extraordinary. And the evening nakamal culture offers something you won't find anywhere else.

The central market is the best place to start any Port Vila visit. Open every morning, it's a genuine working market — not a tourist market — where ni-Vanuatu women sell taro, island cabbage, laplap ingredients, fresh fish, bundles of herbs, and piles of kava root. The prices are in vatu (Vanuatu's currency) and the transaction is straightforward. Going early, around 7 AM, means the best selection and the most activity.

The harbor area has good restaurants ranging from inexpensive local joints to proper seafood restaurants. The flying fish sandwich, if you can find a place that makes it properly, is a Port Vila specialty worth tracking down. Fresh coconut crab, when available, is extraordinary and expensive by local standards. The French colonial culinary heritage means you can find decent croissants and coffee on a Tuesday morning, which is not something you'd expect from a Melanesian island capital.

Underwater, Port Vila harbor has one of the best shore dives in the Pacific at SS President Coolidge — a 22,000-ton ocean liner that was sunk by friendly mines while entering the harbor at Espiritu Santo in 1942, not Port Vila, but accessible from either location. In the harbor itself, reef diving and snorkeling are possible from several spots. The famous Blue Lagoon, a few kilometers from the city center, is a freshwater blue hole that makes for a refreshing afternoon swim.

Iririki Island, visible from the harbor front, is a resort island accessible by free ferry. Non-guests can visit the beach and bar, and the views back to Port Vila's waterfront are worth the five-minute crossing. Sunset from the island's western side is reliably good.

The nakamal strip along the waterfront and behind the main market comes alive at dusk. Different nakamals have different clientele and different kava quality. Ask your guesthouse staff which ones are currently reputable for fresh, well-prepared kava. Don't drink kava on an empty stomach. Don't expect to have a high-energy evening afterward — kava is relaxing, not stimulating. Plan to drink kava, eat something light, and have an early, excellent night's sleep.

Three days in Port Vila: one day in the city — market, harbor, nakamal — one day at Espiritu Santo if you can manage a day trip, and one day at a cultural village or on a reef. The fourth day you'll probably want to extend it and stay longer.