Luganville is the largest town in Vanuatu outside the capital and has a laid-back, frontier feel. The main street runs parallel to the waterfront and is lined with Chinese-owned shops, dive operators, bakeries, and the covered market. The Saturday market is a good place to meet locals and buy tropical fruit, root vegetables, and fresh fish.
The town was a massive American military base during WWII — at its peak, around 100,000 troops were stationed here, making it one of the largest Allied bases in the Pacific. The scale of that operation is still visible in the grid layout and some surviving structures. Dive operators, travel agencies, and most practical services for exploring the island are all based in Luganville.