Pacific island living Issue 14 Vanuatu

Islandliving Pacific

SUMMER 2015 | ISSUE 14

e d i s Sesaations Sen Tours & tips PORT VILA

Fashion Flash PACIFIC DESIGNS

Beauty Buzz

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Pacific Pulse

NEWS+VIEWS RESORTS+RESTAURANTS

Vanuatu Edition

Plus

FOOD+HEALTH+MORE

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Welcome m a k l e W Bienvenue

elcome to Vanuatu! We are so pleased you have chosen our 83 islands as your holiday destination – particularly after we suffered such devastation from Cyclone Pam in March 2015. However, as we hope you will see – Vanuatu is definitely open for business and back, better than ever.

There is so much to see and do, from diving on the world’s largest, most accessible shipwreck – the SS President Coolidge in Santo, to market shopping, staying in custom villages, climbing fiery Mount Yasur on Tanna or simply lazing by your resort pool.

We encourage you to do as much or as little as you like, enjoying the genuine warmth and hospitality of the Ni-Vanuatu people.

Thank you again for visiting, please tell others about your experience by using the hashtag #discovervanuatu and #yourholidayhelps Happy holidays.

Linda Kalpoi, General Manager, Vanuatu Tourism Office

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out and about

Tours, Tips andaTrips nuatu V n i o d o t What

Vanuatu is all about being laid back and relaxing, or equally, getting out and about and enjoying the vast number of activities on offer.

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KANDY’S KITCHEN Vanuatu has some great produce, says Kandy Tamagushiku of Kandy’s Kitchen.

“It is seasonal however but we try to preserve the produce using classic techniques and all products are preservative free,” Kandy is a well-known chef, having run the kitchens at both Ratua and Eratap Resorts. Now she has branched out to organic, flavoursome, interesting and exciting preserves.

The range includes jams and sauces, pickles and even muesli.

WHERE: Traverso Butchery or Organic Paradise or buy online at www.kandyskitchen.com HOW MUCH: Prices vary according to the product.

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ISLAND TOURS If you want to see the real Vanuatu, one of the best ways is to see it with locally owned and operated tour companies.

Atmosphere Tours offers personalised tours and transfers, tailored to your time frame, budget and interests.

Professional drivers and well maintained vehicles ensure your tour is comfortable and enjoyable.

“At Atmosphere we do not aim to be the biggest operator, but to be the best and exclusive small inbound operator.”

WHERE: Atmosphere Tours, Port Vila Phone: 27 870 HOW MUCH: Show them Pacific Island Living magazine for a 15% discount.

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THE RIGHT ADVICE If you are looking to purchase a property, set-up a business and/ or obtain residency sound advice, experience and assistance can help you navigate your way through the necessary requirements.

Law Partners are specialists in company formation, arranging banking services, foreign investment applications, business and other licenses, VAT, accounting, payroll, work and residency permits, vessel registration, body corporate administration, you name it.

WHO: Law Partners, chartered accountants and business advisers, previously KPMG, doing business in Vanuatu since 1970 with local and international experience.

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5 HEADS CAFE Foodies get excited about the delicious 100% gluten free menu at 5 Heads Cafe and Navara Restaurant, at Coconut Palms Resort just a short 10-minute stroll or fiveminute bus ride from Port Vila’s CBD. With plenty of indoor and poolside tables you can relax with a Tanna coffee or herbal tea while you choose from many of their gluten free international flavour items including pizza, pasta, and fresh Vanuatu beef, fish and prawns.

There’s also the locally inspired ‘Tapas blong Vanuatu’. Don’t miss the Melanesian Feast on Tuesday and the Fire Show on Saturday, both at 7p.m OPEN seven days a week.

Vanuatu has twice been voted the happiest place on earth and with good reason, the locals know how to enjoy themselves and how to make holidaymakers welcome. Here we’ve picked eight of the best things to make your stay a memorable one. But there’s heaps more on offer, ask your hotel concierge or visit the Vanuatu Tourism Office in the middle of town or check their website for more activities.

Buy a business, stay on an island, visit a custom village or shop for designer wear or local handicrafts.

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BUYER’S MARKET Vanuatu is well known for offering bargain waterfront land.

From subdivisions to established homes, real estate is a pretty safe investment.

To get the right advice, you need to speak to sound, professional and well regarded advisors.

Island Property real estate has been established for around 20 years and specialise in waterfront properties under $400,000.

They also have exclusive subdivisions and a large rental portfolio.

WHO: Call in to see Douglas, Kaye, Rod and the team at Island Property, in between Westpac and ANZ on the main street of Port Vila.

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SEE THE ISLAND Here’s a tip. Go the Fun Cars at World Car Rentals, it’ll be the highlight of your Vanuatu adventure.

Combining the fun of an off-road buggy with a fully registered vehicle, the four seater Mini Moke gets you where you want to go in the beautiful Vanuatu sun. Put the boards on top, explore the Blue Hole, hit the beach, pack a picnic and get off the beaten track. Follow your nose so to speak and explore Vanuatu in your time.

World Car Rentals have got the vehicle for every adventure. The Mini Moke, 4 x 4 Luxury and tray back vehicle options.

OPEN: 7 days, 7.30am 5.00pm, there’s no bad time to start. Just ring and they will deliver.

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ELEGANT BEAUTY In 1981 Vanuatu Bijouterie opened its doors for the first time, showcasing the finest quality, Vanuatu-made and designed jewellery available in Port Vila.

Gemstones and semiprecious stones, local coral and other minerals and metals are cut and polished at their Port Vila workshop every day, the end result being exquisite art for the discerning buyer.

Quality is assured and rings, pendants, earrings, necklaces and bracelets are made to order.

Choose one of their Vanuatu-inspired, stunning designs, or suggest your own.

WHERE: Nambatu area, past Au Bon Marché.

TELEPHONE 7768750.

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OYSTER ISLAND It’s less than an hour to fly from Port Vila to Santo on Air Vanuatu’s ATR72-500 and once you get there, the options for accommodation are endless.

One of our favourites, however is Oyster Island Resort.

This private island offers over-water and water’s edge bungalows, unique tours and fabulous food.

Even if you’re not an inhouse guest, you’re welcome to visit the island for lunch or dinner. We suggest you don’t miss their Sunday buffet bbq lunch. With seafood and Santo steaks plus entertainment, it’s a great day out.

HOW MUCH: Air Vanuatu has package deals starting at VT36,500 per person.

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In the know

Finding Paradise If you want to meet the locals, snorkel in crystal clear water, learn about custom and culture - one locally owned and operated tour has it all - Lelepa Island Tours. By Tiffany Carroll.

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here water and there’s water. I’ve been to plenty of beaches around the world and admit to becoming a little blasé about some of them. The beaches of Thailand are lauded for their beauty and stunning sunsets, but frankly I’ve been to Phuket and its water is like swimming in the kitchen sink.

Maybe that’s a little harsh, but Vanuatu is my home – and there’s no better water than here.

So it was with a little excitement I booked my day trip to Lelepa Island, off the south coast of Efaté. I’d known Albert Solomon, Lelepa’s main spruiker and tour operator for years and every time we met he spoke about his island’s unmatched beauty.

After visiting Mystery Island in the very south of Vanuatu, and Hui in the very north, I wasn’t convinced the beauty of Lelepa would be unmatched in the archipelago.

We drove about 25 minutes from Port Vila until we reached the sign for Lelepa Island Day Tours, just past the Lelepa landing. The beach was covered in shells and the odd World WarII relic, such as bits of broken Coke bottle and rusted machinery. Around 300,000 US troops were stationed in Vanuatu during WWII, in fact many of Port Vila’s suburbs are named after them – Numbatu (for the Second Battalion), Numbatri (for the third Battalion) and so on.

Albert greeted me on the shore, his wide grin brimming

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with excitement.

“Finally, you come,” he says.

We’re loaded on to the banana boats and set off into the ink blue water. The crossing to Lelepa from the mainland takes about 15 minutes. The water is typical for Vanuatu – crystal clear. We can see myriad fish of all shapes and sizes, swimming below and Albert tells us to look out for dolphins, common in these parts. We arrive at a powdery white sand beach with the water now almost turquoise in colour, gently lapping at the shore.

“Welcome to my home,” Albert says.

“We are going for a little walk to the other side of the island and along the way I am going to point out some trees and plants we use for life – for making medicines, boats, housing and food.”

And so begins one of the most fascinating and informative trips I have ever been on in Vanuatu. Albert is rightly proud of his beautiful island home and fiercely protective of sustaining his village’s traditional way of life.

“We have our own language on Lelepa that no one else can understand – not even the people on the mainland where we picked you up. It’s good,” he says with a smirk.

We walk through the island and learn about plants that are good for curing toothache, headache and wounds. We see 500 year old Namele Palms (the fronds of which are used at

custom ceremonies throughout Vanuatu to signify tabu) and tall trees with names carved in them.

“If we see a tree that we think will one day be good for making a canoe, we carve our name in it, so it becomes ours.

No one else is allowed to cut it down. But if we argue about who owns the tree – such as this one with many names carved in it – we just leave it. It is best not to cut it down and cause a fight within the village.”

Albert explains the importance of the Chiefly system, custom marriage, where their food comes from (you guessed it – mainly from those clear waters surrounding the island) and how they survive cyclones.

We reach the other side of the island and the wow factor is most definitely there – the beach is indeed stunning.

“Recognise it?” Albert asks.

“Um, no. Should I?” “Yes! It’s the Survivor beach!”

Turns out the ninth series of American Survivor was filmed on this very beach.

“And just there is where they had tribal council,” Albert proudly says.

We spend the next hour snorkeling and trying out the traditional village canoes (which we manage to sink). Then it’s time for lunch, lovingly prepared by Albert’s family.

After lunch we take another walk to the crash site of a US

bomber and are then loaded back into the banana boats to visit a remarkable cave that was once used as a hospice for villagers suffering leprosy.

“Since then, the cave became tabu because we believe the spirits still haunt the cave. I asked my mother and grandmother about this and they said it wasn’t safe to go inside – but I thought tourists may be interested to see it.

“So that is why we send the tourists inside first,” he laughs.

It’s now early afternoon and we head to Albert’s secret snorkeling spot, a little cove accessible only by boat. The water is breathtaking and I overhear a tourist from Brisbane say ‘why the hell would ANYONE go to Thailand?’ And I think, yes, why would you?

Every person on that tour remarked it was the best snorkeling they had ever done, anywhere in the world. All the while, Albert sat at the end of the boat smiling, happy his secret was out and no doubt welcoming the thought of sharing it with others.

On the way back to the mainland, we call in at the village to meet Albert’s family and are welcomed by the children singing gospel songs. It is a beautiful sight. I think to myself Albert, you are right – this place is unmatched for its beauty, but not because of the water, the white sandy beaches, the beautiful palm trees or stunning outlook – but because of its people. I had found paradise.•

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T +678 26 517 F +678 26 516

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