Jesse Martin Joins Places We Go in Vanuatu

I just got back from my first ever adventure with Places We Go in Vanuatu. AMAZING is the answer if you were wondering how it was!

Jesse Martin and Places We Go in Vanuatu

Our first stop with Places We Go in Vanuatu was the private island of Ratua, Vanuatu, owned by French entrepreneur, sailor and family man Marc. He discovered Ratua when he was sailing around the world and bought the island in a month. He then continued sailing back to France for the next two years, while dreaming about what to do with the island.

I’m pleased to let you know those two years were spent wisely. The island is a gem and Marc’s vision is an understated mix of high-end French class and old-world earthiness. The 200-year-old teak cabins imported from Indonesia contain no glass or plastic. Each one is nestled in the corner of one of the many small bays which put the ‘private’ in ‘private island’. What better feeling is there than showering on teak sleepers, a fern frond sneaking through the window and a view of the water?

If you’ve dreamt of what it’s like on a South Seas island, you’ve probably pictured yourself on a horse, riding bareback along the shallows. And once Marc cleared an aircraft runway in the coconut grove, horses, it seems, were the next item on his ‘to do’ list.

Six years in the making and now Ratua Private Island is open for business. However, nothing about the island feels like business. It feels like Marc has opened his arms and invited you into his living room, sharing splendid antiques collected on his travels for you to enjoy. You can’t help but look around and think to yourself “this is exactly how I’d do an island if I had an island.”

And on Ratua, it’s pretty easy to pretend that you do.

Cheers,

Jesse