Port-Vila Weather in December

December: warm, wet and humid

December is warm and sticky, with highs around 28°C and lows near 27°C. Rain falls on about 20 days, and the cloud softens the sunshine on many afternoons. Showers can interrupt beach time and make outdoor plans harder to pin down, though you'll still get a fair number of sunny hours. All of this is why December scores a fair 4.8/10 here, and why July and September are the better months to aim for.

Plan on flexible days. Browse Port Vila Market, try laplap (a baked dish made with grated root crops), or visit the Vanuatu Cultural Centre between showers. Mele Cascades can be slippery after rain, so take the wet paths slowly. If you'd rather avoid crowds, you may find quieter stretches of beach away from town.

Christmas in Port Vila

Christmas is a major holiday in Vanuatu, and you'll see churches and communities marking the season. Christmas Day and Boxing Day can affect opening hours, so don't count on every shop or service being open. New Year's brings another festive spell, and the lively mood is a nice bonus if the weather cooperates.

Travelling with kids? Keep a rainy-day option like the cultural centre in mind, especially when a beach afternoon gets washed out.

Crowds, costs and local tips

December sits in the wetter part of the year, so it's less suited to a classic beach holiday than the drier months of July and September. November is a little drier, with about 122 mm of rain against December's 156 mm, but January is wetter still, with around 227 mm. Around Christmas and New Year, holiday travel can make flights and accommodation busier or pricier than earlier in the month.

For a useful local stop, visit Port Vila Market for fruit and cooked food when it's open. Check its holiday hours before Christmas Day, and ask for laplap if you want to try a Vanuatu favourite.