VANUATU
Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, Vanuatu is an independent island nation. This island nation lies east of northern Australia, 500 kilometers (310 mi) north-east of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.
It was in the later years of the 18th century that the country began to settled by the Europeans and in 1880s both France and UK claimed parts of the territory.
Vanuatu (then called the New Hebrides) was governed jointly by France and Britain from the late 19th century until its independence in 1980.
Located on the island of Efate, the largest city and capital of Vanuatu is Port-Vila.
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
The country covers an area of 12, 190 sq. km and its territory is a geologically active archipelago that has simmering volcanoes, colorful reefs and lush jungles. The archipelago consists of a total of 82 islands out of which 65 are inhabited.
Rising from the ocean floor, Vanuatu’s islands are actually peaks of volcanic mountain ranges.
The country has a humid, tropical type of climate. The weather is very warm, wet and humid between the months of November and April. Between May and October, falls the relatively cooler and drier season and perhaps the best time to visit the country.
ECONOMY AND CURRENCY
Vanuatu Vatu is the country’s monetary unit and although it is agriculture that mainly dominates the economy of Vanuatu, tourism, offshore financial services and cattle raising are the other three important aspects of the economy. About 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture and the key crops are yams, taro, cassava, and bananas.
PEOPLE, CULTURE AND LANGUAGES
According to the latest census the population of the country is 218, 519. About 94% of the population is composed of the ethnic Melanesians known as ni-Vanuatu. The small minority of the population is a mix of French, Vietnamese, Chinese, Polynesian, or Micronesian descent.
Vanuatu has three distinct cultural divisions: the northern culture where the financial status of a person is established on how much he can give away, in the central regions of the country traditional Melanesian cultural systems dominate and in the south titles are granted and with the titles come several privileges.
Coming-of-age rituals and ceremonies for boys are an important aspect of all regional culture types in the country.
String Band is a music genre which has become very popular in the country and this genre is a combination of guitars, ukulele, and popular songs.
The majority of the population follows Christianity.
The country has four official languages- English, French, and Bislama, a form of pidgin English. The common language of communication is Bislama, although there are almost a hundred Melanesian languages spoken in the country.
HOW TO REACH
The national airline IS Air Vanuatu and the main airport is Port-Vila (VLI) (Bauerfield), which is 6km (4 miles) from the capital city, Port-Vila. Bus and taxi services are available at the airport to take passengers to the city.
TRAVEL DESTINATIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Explore Port-Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, which reflects French and English colonial heritage, with fine restaurants, shops, and hotels, it is a cosmopolitan city that caters to Western tourists. Cultural Centre at Port-vila has one of the most extensive Pacific artifact collections in the world. The capital also offers various water sports facilities to the visitors.
Vanuatu is home to the world’s most accessible active volcano, Yasur, on Tanna Island. Drive to the summit of Yasur and peer into the crater at a seething mass of bubbling lava.
Visit the legendry village of the John Frum cargo cult, which began with the arrival of an American soldier in WWII and believers wait for him to return with great riches.
Discover Espiritu Santo Island, which gave film maker James A Michener the inspiration for the 1958 film ‘South Pacific’. If you indulge in scuba diving, not only does the Espiritu Santo Island offer scuba diving opportunities but while diving allows you the chance to see the liner President Coolidge and the destroyer USS Tucker rest on the seabed.
During April and May if you are in the country, watch the men of Pentecost Island perform the Naghol (a ritual leap) by tying vines to their ankles and leap from a 30m (100ft) tower, falling head first. This ritual is performed in order to ensure a bountiful yam harvest and only recently, this ceremony was opened to the public and the fee goes towards local projects.
Vanuatu has a remarkable underwater world to explore. Vanuatu’s waters ensure excellent conditions for scuba-diving due to warm weather and good visibility, and scuba diving can be practiced all year round here. Most of the diving sites and dive operators are located at Port-Vila, on the island of Efate, and on Espiritu Santo Island. the deep waters at Espiritu Santo Island offer divers a chance to see many WWII shipwrecks and divers can additionally visit the Million Dollar Point, the place where military equipment was dumped at the end of the war.
If you are a swimming enthusiast, there are several beautiful beaches in the country where you can swim and also most hotels have pools where one can enjoy swimming. Other water sports that visitors can enjoy on in the island nation include: Kayaking, game fishing, sailing, windsurfing and waterskiing.
During the breeding season of the birds (September to January), particularly in the southern islands, one can enjoy Vanuatu's prolific and varied birdlife.
SHOPPING
Shop for some indigenous items of the country like grass skirts from Futuna and Tanna, baskets and mats from Futuna and Pentecost, carved forms and masks from Ambrym and Malekula, woodwork from Tongoa and Santo, and pig tusks and necklaces made of shells or colorful seeds from villages near Port-Vila. These items will make unique souvenirs, gifts and keepsakes for all.
NIGHTLIFE
Port-Vila is where all the nightlife of the country is mostly limited to; the city has several nightclubs with music and dancing and there is also a cinema. Complete with wine, snacks and island music, very enjoyable evening cruises are organized. At various island festivities to which visitors are welcome, one can enjoy the flavor of traditional dance and music. There are some hotels also which put up evening entertainment in the form of dance and music.
CUISINE
There are many restaurants in the main tourist areas and seafood features strongly on hotel and restaurant menus in the major urban areas. Owing to its diverse ethnic background, the cuisine of the country has varied cooking styles. You will notice strong influences of French and Chinese cuisines. In Port-Vila’s two major shops French cheese, pâtés, bread, cognac and wine are available and the local fruit is excellent.
Be sure to get a taste of the traditional flavors during your visit. Some of the national delicacies include: Lap Lap, which is grated yam, banana or manioc smothered in coconut cream and cooked in an earth oven and Coconut crab. Try the world famous Vanuatu ‘Kava’, which is a soporific drink made from the root of a plant related to the pepper tree. Kava is non-alcoholic but is intoxicating and Vanuatu kava is the strongest in the world.
GETTING AROUND
Air
Vanair provides scheduled services to 29 destinations within the archipelago and Unity Airlines and Air Club Vila offer charter flights.
Water
From Port-Vila and Espiritu Santo to the northern and southern islands, Inter-island ferries are run but these are not regular. Alternatively one can also charter boats.
Road
There are private buses that serve the town centre and the airport in Port-Vila and also frequent minibus services are available. However, there are no timetables, the most common way to catch a minibus is to flag one down and tell the driver where to go.
Taxis are plenty in the country and they are metered and comfortable. Alternatively car hire is also available and major car hire operators have offices in Port-Vila, from whom one can hire Cars, 4-wheel drive vehicles and jeeps as well.
WHERE TO STAY
Several international-standard resorts are based in Port-Vila, including luxury/superior resorts. In addition to these there are also plenty of standard hotels and adventure lodges on Port-Vila and a number of smaller resorts with simpler facilities are located on Efate, Espiritu Santo, Malekula, Tanna and other islands.
All the resorts have conventional hotel-style accommodation as well as self-contained studio apartments, bungalows, guest houses and lodges.
For a cheaper alternative, on Efate and Nguna Island and some of the outer islands visitors can find camping.
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