VANUATU – GENERAL

NOMAD MANIA Vanuatu – North – Malampa, Penama, Torba, Sanma (Espiritu Santo)
Experiences: Sand drawing
M@P: Torba province (Banks islands and Torres islands)
Tentative WHS
Lake Letas (01/10/2004)
The Nowon and Votwos of Ureparapara (05/10/2005)
The President Coolidge (01/10/2004)
Vat the Conservation Area (01/10/2004)
Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula (01/10/2004)
Islands
Ambae (Aoba)
Ambrym
Espiritu Santo
Gaua
Maewo
Malakula
Pentecost
Vanua Lava
XL
Torres Islands
Ureparapara
Airports: Espiritu Santo (SON)
Religious Temples: Luganville: Saint Therese
World of Nature
Hiu Island Reserve Forest Conservation Area
Lake Letas Conservation Area
Loru Conservation Area
President Coolidge and Million Dollar Point Marine Reserve
Vatthe Conservation Area
Lakes: Lake Letas
Festivals
Naghol Land Driving
North Ambrym Magic Festival
Saint Andrew Festival
Beaches: Espirito Santo: Champagne Beach
Waterfalls: Mount Hope Waterfall
Caves: Millennium Cave
Indigenous Peoples: Pentecost Island : Sas (land diving)

HISTORY
The prehistory of Vanuatu is obscure; archaeological evidence supports the commonly held theory that peoples speaking Austronesian languages first came to the islands some 4,000 years ago. Pottery fragments have been found dating back to 1300–1100 BC.
The first island in the Vanuatu group discovered by Europeans was Espiritu Santo, when in 1606 the Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós working for the Spanish crown, spied what he thought was a southern continent. Europeans did not return until 1768. In 1774, Captain Cook named the islands the New Hebrides, a name that lasted until independence.
During the 1860s, planters in Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, and the Samoa Islands, in need of labourers, encouraged a long-term indentured labour trade called “blackbirding”. At the height of the labour trade, more than one-half the adult male population of several of the Islands worked abroad. Fragmentary evidence indicates that the current population of Vanuatu is greatly reduced compared to pre-contact times.
The British and French agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium. Challenges to this form of government began in the early 1940s. The arrival of Americans during World War II, with their informal demeanour and relative wealth, was instrumental in the rise of nationalism in the islands. The belief in a mythical messianic figure named John Frum was the basis for an indigenous cargo cult (a movement attempting to obtain industrial goods through magic) promising Melanesian deliverance. Today, John Frum is both a religion and a political party with a member in Parliament.
In 1980, amidst the brief Coconut War, the independent Republic of Vanuatu was created. During the 1990s Vanuatu experienced political instability which eventually resulted in a more decentralised government. The Vanuatu Mobile Force, a paramilitary group, attempted a coup in 1996 because of a pay dispute. New elections have been called for several times since 1997, most recently in 2004.
Saltwater crocodiles are native to Vanuatu, despite anecdotal reports of being released by Europeans in historic times. Along with the Santa Cruz Islands of the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu represents the easternmost range of the saltwater crocodile.

Climate. With such a large north-south area, Vanuatu has all the tropical variances possible. From hot and humid in the north, to mild and dry in the south. The Capital Port Vila on Efate can expect 27°C in July to 30°C in January. Nights can drop to 12°C. Humidity from December to February is around 82% and 70% around July.
Rainfall from January to April is around 300mm per month – for the rest of the year around 200mm per month. The Banks Islands in the top North can receive above 4,000mm of rain in a year, yet the southern islands may receive less than 2,000mm.
Cyclones are natural phenomena to understand and respect. Mainstream tourism facilities are solidly built and experienced in cyclone management. Cyclones appear (in varying degrees with plenty of warning) on an average every couple of years from December to March. By following instructions given by the local authorities, you will be in no danger.
Tourism peaks in the months of July to December. The months of January to June are the quietest. Experienced travellers take advantage of these tourism troughs to travel, as airlines, accommodation providers and other tourism related businesses discount heavily during this period.
The months of January to June are a little more humid, but cooled by the occasional tropical down pour. The added bonus is that in this period, tourism numbers are low. You have more opportunities to mingle with locals and carelessly do your own thing instead of being rushed by the crowd (except when cruise ships are in Port).

Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula (01/10/2004)
SEE
If you want a relaxing time and the usual comforts of a tropical holiday, stay in Port Vila. If you want adventure and something really different, get out of Port Vila.
Sand drawing is a ni-Vanuatu artistic and ritual tradition and practice, recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Sand drawing is produced in sand, volcanic ash or clay. It consists of “a continuous meandering line on an imagined grid to produce a graceful, often symmetrical, composition of geometric patterns”. The artist’s implement is a single finger.
It was developed as a means of communication among the members of some 80 different language groups inhabiting the central and northern islands of Vanuatu. The drawings also function as mnemonic devices to record and transmit rituals, mythological lore and a wealth of oral information about local histories, cosmologies, kinship systems, song cycles, farming techniques, architectural and craft design, and choreographic patterns. Most sand drawings possess several functions and layers of meaning: they can be “read” as artistic works, repositories of information, illustration for stories, signatures, or simply messages and objects of contemplation.

Only a few practitioners still master the special techniques of sand drawing. Nowadays, this form of art is mainly used as a graphic layout for advertising or tourism ends, and its original sense and purpose is getting lost.
The Turaga indigenous movement based on Pentecost Island write using Avoiuli, an alphabet inspired by designs found in traditional sand drawings. Sand drawing is interpreted as a key visual medium in a country where more than 100 languages are spoken.
Festivals
North Ambrym Magic Festival. Held in Olal Village Ambrym Island (Island of Magic) over 2 days in the first week of July. Ceremonial activities such as pig killing, kastom singing and dancing, sand drawings, ritual magic and legendary Rom dances all telling stories of how yams are sacred in Ambrym. The islands of Vanuatu are grouped into six geographic provinces, the names formed by combining the first syllables or letters of the major islands in each.

TORBA. Torres Islands and Banks Islands
Lake Letas. Tentative WHS(01/10/2004). The largest lake in Vanuatu, 9 km by 6 km, located in the center of the 20km diameter volcanic island of Gaua of the Banks Islands. The volcanic crater lake is U-shaped, surrounding Mount Gharat except in the southwest. 418 meters above sea level and 119 meters deep.
It is a freshwater lake at 32° Celsius, only eels and shrimps can survive. The water has a greenish colour. Natural outflow is located on the eastern side of the lake. The water flows about 3 km east to Siri Waterfall and then another 3 km through rivers Namang or Be Solomul before it reaches the sea.
The Nowon and Votwos of Ureparapara. Tentative WHS (05/10/2005).  Ureparapara has historical sites made of coral stone, named nowon and votwos in Lehali. These ancestral villages, located inland in the forest, were abandoned in the 19th century, yet have been preserved under the vegetation. One of the most famous sites is a 12-feet high stone platform called Votwos. These used to serve as a ceremonial platform for the high-profile grade-taking ceremonies. These sites are now only visited for ceremonial purposes, as most people nowadays live along the coast.
Ureparapara island is a circular (diameter 15 km), an old volcanic cone that has been breached by the sea on its east coast, forming Divers Bay. The population was 437 in 2009 living in three villages.
Saint Andrew Festival. Held over 3 days on the last weekend of November for more than 100 years, the people of Rah and neighbouring Mota Lava in the Banks group of islands have been coming together to combine custom tradition with Christianity celebrating the life of St. Andrew. Fish using a giant traditional coconut leaves fishing net, taste the “volcano baked” food, see the famed sea snake dances and trek up the Rock of Rah or the Sleeping Giant mount. Rah island – Mota Lava island.

SANMA
ESPIRITU SANTO
Airport (SON)
Saint Therese Church, Luganville.
Mt Hope Waterfall is on the private Mt Hope Estate near Luganville and is administered by the Oyster Island Resort. After a 50-minute 4×4 drive. Float down the river through a limestone gorge overhung with ferns, vines and trees.  At the end of the river you will reach Mt. Hope Waterfall.
Millennium Cave. This full-day trip: 45 minute off-road drive from Luganville to Nambel village and a 20-minute walk to Vunaspef village. Walk along narrow tracks, bamboo bridges and ladders and descend to the river. Guides paint your face with traditional symbols from local clay, which will ensure your safe passage through the river and cave. Climb down into the cave with its high ceiling, swallows and some bats. The river runs the entire way through the cave and is cool and refreshing as you climb over rocks and wade through the cavern.
The canyoning portion of the trip involves climbing over and under boulders. Then float down the Sarakata river through jungle and overhanging sheer rock faces. Return to Vunaspef village. Bring a packed lunch and reef shoes or adventure sandals.
Millennium Caves is a community-run operation and proceeds are reinvested directly into the community.
Champagne Beach is a popular beach near Hog Harbour village on the northeast of Santo. The beach is famous for its crystal clear waters and powdery white sands and is visited regularly by tourists and cruise boats from Australia.
The President Coolidge. Tentative WHS (01/10/2004). SS President Coolidge was an American luxury ocean liner that was completed in 1931. She was operated by Dollar Steamship Lines until 1938, and then by American President Lines until 1941. She served as a troopship from December 1941 until October 1942, when she was sunk by mines in Espiritu Santo.
Divers see a largely intact luxury cruise liner and a military ship. They can swim through numerous holds and decks. There are guns, cannons, Jeeps, helmets, trucks and personal supplies, a beautiful statue of “The Lady” (a porcelain relief of a lady riding a unicorn) chandeliers, and a mosaic tile fountain. Coral grows around, with many creatures such as reef fish, barracuda, lionfish, sea turtles and moray eels. It is a relatively accessible shipwreck due to relatively shallow site, easy beach access, and visibility. The massive size of the wreck, combined with the gradual downward slope, mean that care must be taken monitoring depth, as the diver’s horizontal frame of reference may be skewed, preventing awareness of the continual gradual descent.
Vatthe Conservation Area. Tentative WHS (01/10/2004). Covers 2,276 hectares of lowland alluvial forest at the southern end of Big Bay on the island of Espiritu Santo. Bush walking and bird watching are popular visitor activities at Vatthe. You can walk along the black sand beach and explore the Jordan River named by Pedro Quiroz in May 1606 when he ‘discovered’ Vanuatu.

AORE
MALO DO

PENAMA
PENTECOST
Naghol Land Diving. Land diving is a ritual performed by the men of the southern part of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu. The precursor to bungee jumping, men jump off wooden towers around 20 to 30 meters (66 to 98 ft) high, with two tree vines wrapped around the ankles. Land diving is done by tying vines to each ankle. The tradition has developed into a tourist attraction. According to the Guinness World Records, the g-force experienced by those at their lowest point in the dive is the greatest experienced in the non-industrialized world by humans.
The time of yam harvest is significant because tower construction is best done during the dry season. Also, the lianas have the best elasticity during this time. The construction of the tower typically takes between two and five weeks by 20-30 men.  During the jump, the platform supports snap, causing the platform to hinge downward and absorb some of the force from falling. The vines are selected by a village elder and matched with each jumper’s weight without any mechanical calculations.  If the vine is too long, the diver can hit the ground hard, but if the vine is too short, then the diver can collide with the tower.
Only the men are allowed to dive, but the dancing women provide mental support. Around 10 to 20 men in a village will jump.

GET IN
Visas. Nationals of any European Union state within the Schengen Area may enter Vanuatu visa-free for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.
Nationals of most others enter Vanuatu visa-free for up to 30 days
Need 1. passport valid for 4 months 2. onward/return ticket
By boat. Vanuatu’s main ports are Port-Vila on Efate and Luganville on Espiritu Santo.
Heritage Expeditions (New Zealand) operates Vanuatu cruises aboard its 50-passenger expedition ship ‘Spirit of Enderby / Professor Kromov’ each October. They navigate waterways using the ship and inflatable zodiacs to visit out-of-the-way islands and communities in expedition-style travel. Daily landings and excursions focus on culture, wildlife, hiking, birdwatching and underwater snorkeling experiences.
P&O Cruise Lines operate regular cruises through Vanuatu waters.
Tall ship Soren Larsen, +64 9 817-8799, sails from Fiji to Port Vila and Santo and explores the northern Banks Islands once a year. Subsequent 11 night cruises explore the Banks Islands, then the isolated islands of central Vanuatu, departing from Port Vila via Tanna island to New Caledonia.
Vanuatu Yacht Services (Seal Superyachts Vanuatu) [10] provide exclusive yacht agency services and other VIP travel arrangements for yachts and superyachts visiting Vanuatu.
Yacht Charters Vanuatu offer skippered sailing charters year round throughout the archipelago.
By plane. The main international airport is in Port-Vila with flights to and from:
Australia
Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne – Air Vanuatu
New Zealand: Auckland – Air Vanuatu and Air New Zealand
Fiji: Nadi – Air Vanuatu and Fiji Airways
Honiara – Solomon Airlines

GET AROUND 
By air. The national airline, Air Vanuatu, operates domestic flights throughout the islands. Daily to Santo and Tanna, but elsewhere on a tiny plane, bush airstrips, schedules change continuously and at short notice. Book online. If flying from Vila to northern islands, transit Santo.
By boat. Two ferry boats are operating regularly on the route Vila – Santo:
Vanuatu Ferry leaves Vila on Monday to Santo 24 hours. Return trip on Wednesday. Lately,
Big Sista leaves Vila on Monday – Vila-Emae-Lamen (Epi)-Maskelynes-Lamap-Litzlitz (Malekula)-Luganville.
Cargo ships servicing all inhabited islands in Vanuatu. Cheapest
Tafea islands are served by MV Tauraken, however, the passage is not advised if you can afford a plane ticket. The passage between Efate and Erromango is very rough, and while Tauraken reliably visits Tanna, it does not usually make it to Aneityum more than a few times in one year. Check for it at Star Wharf, where the cruise ship docks.
By bus. In Port Vila mini vans seating about 10 people. Luganville has comparatively few buses but taxis are plentiful and cheap (VT200 around town).

Talk. Vanuatu has the highest density of languages per capita in the world – over 100 native languages are spoken throughout the archipelago. Official English, French and Bislama.
English and French are taught in schools, but badly. Most ni-Vanautu can make use of one or both of these languages if they’re forced to, and those working in tourism speak them well, but visitors should make an effort to speak clearly, and remember that ni-Vanuatu are often too embarrassed to admit when they don’t understand you.
Bislama is a sophisticated yet easy-to-learn language that does its job of bridging Vanuatu’s many linguistic divisions. It is the only language that can be understood and spoken by nearly everyone in Vanuatu,

Photography: The Vanuatu people are a delight to photograph, friendly, co-operative and photogenic. Do not offer to pay. Always ask before taking photos of local people.

MONEY. The local currency is the Vatu (VT).
Credit and debit cards accepted by many businesses in town, but by nobody in rural areas. High-end tourist businesses in town also accept Australian dollars, but elsewhere you’ll need local currency. It’s best not to try paying at the market or on a bus with anything larger than 500 VT otherwise the seller/driver may have to go to a lot of hassle to find change.
ATMs are available in Port Vila and Luganville. Goodies, which has various branches in town offers the best rates in Port Vila for currency exchange.
There are no banking facilities at all outside Port Vila and Luganville.
Prices are fixed and if prices seem high, that’s usually just because Vanuatu is expensive.

EAT
There are many restaurants and eateries in Port Vila, ranging from up-market places catering to tourists and expats, to more low-key establishments. The main markets in Port Vila and Luganville have sections selling cheap rice meals. Elsewhere food is generally expensive.
In rural areas, there are village stores selling basics, and occasionally small markets, but generally self-catering is not an option, so you’ll find yourself eating at guesthouses or with host families.
Vanuatu is one of the few countries in the world without McDonald’s or Starbucks. A couple of greasy takeaways in the centre of Port Vila substitute for the former; at Seaview takeaway near the market you can have fun throwing your leftovers to the fish. There is not a culture of grabbing a takeaway coffee, but Jungle Cafe in Port Vila will serve you one if you’re desperate. Hot meals are very difficult to find after about 9.30 in the evening, but the Sportsman’s Bar by the Cultural Centre is open 24 hours. In Luganville you’ll find many cafes shut at weekends.
Lap-Lap. Traditional root vegetable cake, either manioc (kasava), sweet potato, taro or yam shaved into the middle of a banana leaf with island cabbage and sometimes a chicken wing on top. This is all wrapped up into a flat package and then cooked in hot stones underground till it all melts together into a cake.
Tuluk. Variation of lap lap with the the cake rolled into a cylinder with meat in the middle. It tastes a lot like a sausage roll.
Steak. Vanuatu’s meat is renowned in the region as all is naturally grown and very good, cheap and good value.
Coconut crab. Giant land crustaceans are delicious but endangered so either avoid eating coconut crabs in order to help ensure the survival of the species, or eat them while you still can.
Drink
Kava. Kava is a local drink, made from the roots of the plant Piper methysticum, a type of pepper. Kava is intoxicating, but not like alcohol. Its effects are sedative. If you drink good quality kava, don’t overdo it, and don’t mix it with alcohol, the only after-effect will be a slight ‘slackness’ the next morning. If the kava was good quality, this after-effect fades quickly (though beware of ‘two-day’ kava varieties with longer-lasting and more unpleasant effects).
The kava served in Vanuatu is typically much stronger than in neighbouring Fiji. Do not be put off trying kava in Vanuatu because you drank it once in Fiji and it seemed like nothing more than “dishwater”.
Kava is served in a “shell” – traditionally a coconut shell, but in urban bars usually a small bowl. The price (at least in town) is always 50 vatu for a small shell, 100 vatu for a bigger one. Drink the whole shell in one go – the taste is too unpleasant to be allowed to linger – then seek something to wash the taste out of your mouth. Many bars sell small snacks called wasemaot (“mouth wash”) especially for this. Feel free to spit too.
Kava is great, but drink slowly as it can also be nauseating. Unlike alcohol, kava is best drunk before food. Kava promotes relaxation and kava bars and nakamals are generally quiet places.

ACCOMMODATION
Around Port Vila and Luganville there is a range of accommodation, from dorm beds to luxury resorts. Prices are not super cheap by developing-country standards but there’s a reasonable amount of moderately-priced accommodation. Eating out is expensive.
On rural islands, accommodation is provided mostly by small family-run guest bungalows. Some church missions also have guestrooms. Rural bungalows usually also provide meals, as there are generally no alternative eating options.
Budget.
Tranquility Island Eco Dive Lodge on Moso Island and is not just for divers, deserted beaches or caves, snorkelling and kayaking to spot some turtles or a Dugong. Camping 2,400vt with own pitch/3,500vt with twin hire pitch, Dorm 2,400vt per bed, Fare with outside bathroom 9,900vt,
Pacific Paradise behind Tebakor Shopping Center is between 3,600 and 5,000 vatu per night for a room, with an extra 1,000 vatu/night for air conditioning. It’s dingy and basic but cheap and convenient. The same family operates City Motel on top of Jill’s cafe in downtown Vila.
Hibiscus Motel has similar rates, and a nicer garden. They are located close to Georges Pompidou area on the outskirts of downtown.
Tanna Island
Friendly Bungalows on Tanna Island is located 6km away from Mt Yasur Volcano right on the quiet secluded sand beach of Lowelkas Cove, on the other side of the island from the airport.
Yasur View Bungalows on Tanna is a perfect Tropical Retreat away from tourists and a great base for hiking around. Affordable, neat and secluded. Phone +678 5640197

STAY SAFE
Vanuatu is, on the whole, a safe and friendly environment.
Health. It is advisable to be immunised against Hepatitis A and B
Tap water in Port Vila is potable, but is best avoided elsewhere.
Small sores can easily become infected.

RESPECT
Within their own small communities, ni-Vanuatu uphold very conservative values, but they are used to diversity and tend not to openly criticise other people’s cultural practices (Western openness towards homosexuality, for example), although they may be curious or uncomprehending. They expect visitors to show similar respect towards their own cultures.
Throughout Vanuatu, and especially outside of Port Vila in the villages, life is strongly influenced by kastom — a set of traditional customs and taboos that apply to all kinds of matters. Be aware of this, and respect locals’ requests with regard to “kastom”.
Christian religion is very strong. If staying with a local family you may be invited to attend church services, or expected to say grace before meals.
When visiting villages, women should dress modestly, wearing clothes that cover the shoulders and knees. Revealing and sexy clothing is not advisable, as over 100 years of missionary work has had its effect on the perception of what is considered as respectable attire in the islands. Don’t walk around in beach wear outside tourist resorts.
If planning to go to the outer islands, bring a good flashlight (with spare batteries, you will use them!), lightweight, walking shoes, sandals or good thongs (flip flops/croks) for wet weather and old clothes to donate. In Vanuatu, the display of anger, displeasure or irritability at a person or situation will reduce the recipient to a stony silence with a lack of co-operation or empathy to your point of view. Please be patient as it is a waste of time complaining. It will have no bearing on the outcome. And if you are verbally abusive, you will generate one of three responses: Smiling, subdued laughter, or a fist in your face.
Be aware that in the islands, direct eye contact or raised voice level contact may be interpreted as intimidation. A local person’s voice level combined with body language may be directly opposite to Europeans. He or she may nod agreement with everything you say in order not to offend you but may not have understood a word you have said!

NOMAD MANIA Vanuatu – South – Shefa and Tafea Provinces (Port Vila)
World Heritage Sites: Chief Roi Mata’s Domain
Islands
EFATE
PORT VILA World Capitals
Airports: Port Vila (VLI)
Museums: National Museum of Vanuatu
Religious Temples: Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
Zoos: Efate: The Reef Vanuatu Zoological
Beaches: Erakor Beach
Waterfalls: Mele Cascades
Bizzarium: Underwater and Volcano Post Boxes

ANEITYUM (Anatom)M@P
ERROMANGO
TANNA
Airports: Tanna (TAH)
====================================================

NOMAD MANIA Vanuatu – North – Malampa, Penama, Torba, Sanma (Espiritu Santo)
Experiences: Sand drawing
M@P: Torba province (Banks islands and Torres islands)
Tentative WHS
Lake Letas (01/10/2004)
The Nowon and Votwos of Ureparapara (05/10/2005)
The President Coolidge (01/10/2004)
Vat the Conservation Area (01/10/2004)
Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula (01/10/2004)
Islands
Ambae (Aoba)
Ambrym
Espiritu Santo
Gaua
Maewo
Malakula
Pentecost
Vanua Lava
XL
Torres Islands
Ureparapara
Airports: Espiritu Santo (SON)
Religious Temples: Luganville: Saint Therese
World of Nature
Hiu Island Reserve Forest Conservation Area
Lake Letas Conservation Area
Loru Conservation Area
President Coolidge and Million Dollar Point Marine Reserve
Vatthe Conservation Area
Lakes: Lake Letas
Festivals
Naghol Land Driving
North Ambrym Magic Festival
Saint Andrew Festival
Beaches: Espirito Santo: Champagne Beach
Waterfalls: Mount Hope Waterfall
Caves: Millennium Cave
Indigenous Peoples: Pentecost Island : Sas (land diving)