Underwater Post Office Vanuatu
Vanuatu's underwater post office at Hideaway Island: how the post box works, the flag on the float, postcards, depth and hours, and the tours that take you there from Port Vila.
Vanuatu’s underwater post office is at Hideaway Island, a small coral atoll in Mele Bay near Port Vila: you snorkel out from the beach and post a waterproof postcard in a box under the water. The Vanuatu Tourism Office says a special flag is raised on a float above the site when there are postal workers in the water (13 November 2026). The tour with a live calendar is Peter Ora’s Luxury Shore Tours & Transfers’ Waterfalls, Snorkel & Underwater Post Office Tour: two people pay US$231.48 together, US$115.74 each (checked November 2026).
The calendar above runs 5 hours from 9:00 AM with pickup at the cruise ship terminal or your hotel. At the island you “swim down to the special mailbox and send waterproof postcards that are stamped underwater”. One person alone cannot book it, and snorkel gear is not included.
How the underwater post office works
- Where it is. Off Hideaway Island, which the Vanuatu Tourism Office places only 100 metres offshore from the mainland in Mele Bay. The Office’s listing for Hideaway Island Resort and Marine Sanctuary calls it the only underwater post office in the world; its Efate guide calls it the world’s first.
- How you get to it. You snorkel. Tours describe a swim down to the mailbox, so you need to be able to swim; Peter Ora’s Luxury Shore Tours & Transfers’ waterfalls and post office tour is not for non-swimmers.
- When it is staffed. The Tourism Office’s family itinerary says a special flag is raised on a float above the site when there are postal workers in the water. It gives no hours.
- The postcard. The Tourism Office describes a waterproof postcard and publishes no price. Some tours include one, some do not (below).
How deep is the underwater post office?
The Vanuatu Tourism Office does not publish a depth, and the resort’s own website could not be opened on 13 November 2026. What the Office does say is that you can snorkel right off the beach in front of the island’s restaurant. Plan on swimming down from the surface, and ask on the island about the day’s conditions, as the Office suggests for every snorkel spot.
Postcards: which tours include one
| Tour (operator) | The postcard | From |
|---|---|---|
| Underwater Post, Mele Feast & Chocolate Factory (Paruki Transfer and Tour Adventures) | Included, with the island fee, the ferry and a Mele lunch | US$150 per person, one adult can book |
| Cultural Village, Waterfalls & Snorkeling (Sammy`s Port Vila Tours & Transfers) | Not included (“Waterproof postcards” is on its not-included list) | US$272.32 for two (US$136.16 each) |
| Waterfalls, Snorkel & Underwater Post Office (Peter Ora's Luxury Shore Tours & Transfers) | Not mentioned in its includes | US$231.48 for two (US$115.74 each) |
| Hideaway Island Combo (Yumi Tours & Transfers Vanuatu, Viator) | “a chance to send a postcard” | US$92 per person, two adults minimum |
GetYourGuide checked November 2026; Viator checked November 2026.
Paruki Transfer and Tour Adventures’ post office and Mele lunch tour starts at the post office: snorkelling at the marine sanctuary with the postcard, then a traditional lunch from the Mele community and a chocolate tasting, with starts every hour from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
See the post office and Mele lunch tour
The day around the post office
The post office is one stop of a day at the island. Vila Hope Tours and Transfers’ Hideaway Island Escape gives you 90 minutes on Hideaway Island with entry fees included, from US$118.03 per person (checked November 2026); the Hideaway Island day trips compares the tours that stop there, and the day pass covers going on your own.
Post Your Card from Hideaway Island
Peter Ora's Luxury Shore Tours & Transfers' 5-hour tour: the Cascade Waterfalls, the chocolate factory and a short ferry to Hideaway Island to snorkel to the underwater post office. US$231.48 for two; snorkel gear not included.
Check dates