Mystery Island has the coolest name and creates such intrigue. Rarely visited except by the few cruise ships that have Vanuatu on their itinerary. This little island, Inyeug, aka Mystery Island, is barely 1km long and 200 meters wise. It can be walked, slowly, in an hour.
An uninhabited sandy islet surrounded by coral reefs lies to the very south of the Vanuatu island chain and is known as Mystery Island. The island’s real name is Inyeug, so, why is Mystery Island called Mystery Island? Well there are a few tales of this little island got its name.
- The Queen
According to some locals, the island used to be referred to as Inyeug, which means small island. When Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1974, a reporter trying to find out which small island she was visiting got confused. In news headlines, he referred to the island as Mystery Island, and the name stuck.
2. The Cruise Ships
The local people believe that Mystery Island is inhabited after dark by ghosts, so no one wants to stay there after the sun goes down. The indigenous name of the island is Inyeug, but the cruise lines renamed it Mystery Island because tourists sure prefer mystery over haunted islands.
3. WWII Planes
It was formerly used as an Allied forces landing strip during WWII. The “mystery” is said to have derived from the fact that the air strip is impossible to see from the sea and therefore it took some time for the Japanese to determine where all the planes were coming from.
It is believed the Japanese were confused as to where the planes were landing and taking off which is why the island was called Mystery island.
Haunted Island?
It is believed that the island is haunted therefore nobody actually lives there. The traditional owners live on the nearby island but don’t go there after dark as they believe ghosts inhabit the island at night.
On the days when cruise-ships call into the island, the locals come across from nearby islands of Anaton to spread their warmth, culture, and wares.
We were there during the day when the white beaches and turquoise waters sparkled with the afternoon sunshine. The locals created a beautifully manicured path around the entire island. It leads over several beaches, through the center of the island, by the airstrip, and the cruise ship dock.
Assuming they need loads of toilets when 2500-4000 people descend upon this little piece of paradise for 6 hours. So, they have dozens of small, wooden toilet sheds (some with toilets seats, some just holes in the ground).
There is also a solar farm that powers the large antennae that supplies the neighboring island of Anatom with communication services. Still sad to see on this beautiful island.
There is a small airstrip that was built by the Allied forces during WWII. This is still in use today – albeit infrequently and rarely. Especially since the one local airline is bankrupt.
Servicing the Cruise Ships
The long pier constructed for the cruise ship landing stands out like a sore thumb on the pristine beach. It then leads to the interior of the island where the Anatom villagers sell their crafts and wares. It is also where they offer massages, food and beverages, snorkeling and fishing tours, SUP, Kayak, and canoe rentals, hair braiding, and cabanas for rent.
We find the “cabanas” and the Tiki bar on the windward side of the island. Matt was so sad that the Tiki bar was closed, but then again the entire island was closed.
Of course Matt had to boil me and then offered a passport stamp for $2!.
Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events. This blog post occurred in early June. In our last blog post we explore Anatom Island, the neighboring island to Mystery Island.