Gregory O
Google
We booked a stay at Rah Paradise Bungalows at the Local Tourism Expo in 2021. This was the second year of closed borders with no international tourism. Yang and Rachel were in Port Vila when we arrived on Rah. The rest of the family only had 2 days notice that we were coming, but they were ready for us. On our arrival we were welcomed by Sarah to the bottom level of a two-story bungalow. That was my first clue that this was not bush accommodation. The rock walls and sawed timber floors and ceiling were another clue. Multiple shelves and hanging pegs were also unusual. Then there was the en suite--bush bungalows do not have en suite. (I have stayed in many bush bungalows.) The only problem was the bed, which was too short for me. After the first night, Anna, who did the housekeeping, asked me how I slept. When I answered truthfully, we were moved upstairs. The bed on the top floor was wonderful, and I slept well the rest of the week. The upper story was reached by an outside staircase, but the separate en suite for the upper room was reached by an indoor staircase going down with two turns. The upper level had the more traditional bamboo walls and natangora roof. The romance of sleeping under a thatch roof is not so great if the roof leaks. This one did, but not on our bed. I expect that they will have the roof fixed when the borders reopen to international tourists. We burned mosquito coils in the evening and slept under mosquito nets at night. ||||The front verandas for both the upper and lower levels are spectacular, with as pretty a view as any place I have ever stayed. This bungalow is right on the beach, with views across the reef to sea stacks with Vanua Lava in the background on a clear day. At low tide you can walk out to the sea stacks, although the biggest rock has some deep holes that can be avoided if you stay to the left. At high tide the beach is a safe place for our 9-year-old daughter to swim. I also had some good fishing nearby. The same great view of sea stacks and distant Vanua Lava is also available from the beach restaurant. Sarah's cooking was wonderful. She uses mostly local ingredients, but she has an uncommonly wide range of ways to fix them. We had fish or other seafood every day, but it was never fixed the same way twice. We often had rice, which was the main exception to the local ingredient rule. We also had manioc, breadfruit, kumala, yam, Fiji taro, several kinds of banana, and lots of citrus. We had island cabbage, but not often enough to get tired of it. Breakfast featured Tanna coffee with different styles of fresh baked or fried breads and fritters, with warm coconut jam. One morning Sarah showed our daughter how she makes the coconut jam. The varied menu really sets this place apart from other island style dining that I have done. I highly recommend Rah Paradise based on the food, service, and location, despite some minor flaws in the bungalow.