Vanuatu Travel Information | Trip to Vanuatu | Vanuatu Destination

The landscapes in the Vanuatu archipelago in the south-western Pacific are dramatic: brooding rainforests cover many of the 83 islands, some coasts are fringed with black sand beaches, and active volcanoes, such as the frenetic Yasur on Tanna, malevolently split out lava. Vanuatu is a remarkably friendly place. Although the sight of groups of men carrying half-meter-long machetes and taking exploratory thwacks at random palm trees may take some getting used to, they will probably greet you with a cheery “Good morning” or “Bonjour”.

The country was jointly colonized by Britain and France, and a family’s choice of school for its children depends largely on its Anglo – or Francophile leanings. On the surface this island nation resembles many other remote places that have undergone the combined onslaughts of colonialism and missionary zeal: fragile cultures lost in the curious belief that to be a Christian it is necessary to dress and act like a European.  Some 75 percent of the people live by subsistence farming, growing taro, yams, sweet potatoes, bananas, and cassava for food, as well as cash crops such as coconuts, cocoa, and coffee.

Many villages on outlying islands have become sort of Kastom celebration, but Vanuatu’s most famous one is Naghol, on the island of Pentecost.  The Naghol can be performed only in April and May, when vines are still wet and supple after the rainy season. This forerunner of bungee jumping involves the construction of a large tower that ranges in height from 15 to 30 meters, with platforms all the way up from which young men and boys throw themselves, attached to the tower only by a yam vine around each ankle. Accompanied by chanting and dancing, the participants climb to platforms allotted to them according to their age and status. Jumpers often posture before launching themselves into the air, throwing handfuls of grass contemptuously to the ground. The towers are built on a hill, and as the jumper leaps, head first, the platform gives way, swinging him back into freshly dug and softened earth on the hillside and breaking his fall.

Vanuatu is not the easiest place to travel around. There is a network of internal flights, but these are sporadic and often land on airstrips. On the outlying islands land transport is difficult and expensive, and accommodation is basic to say the least. Most visitors divide their time between the main island, Efate, and Espiritu Santo, which have more tourist development, and many come just for the scuba-diving they offer, which is among the best in the Pacific.

Efate, the most populated island in Vanuatu, is the location of the country’s capital city, Port Vila. The islands north of Efate have a distinct climate with high temperatures and humidity. The large Northern Island Espiritu Santo has several good diving areas where divers can view several shipwrecks from the Second World War. It is the largest island in Vanuatu with inaccessible interior and Sunken Warships at Million Dollar point.

It is a dynamic and a modern island that’s natural and cultural attractions make it an ideal destination for first time visitors.

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