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VANuATu TOuRISM BOARD
VANuATu TOuRISM BOARD
Yu Blong in Vanuatu Wendy Dunlop takes us on a virtual tour of these majestic islands.
Imagine an archipelago dotted with golden sands, lush jungle, active volcanoes and ancient cultures. If this sounds like your perfect winter hideaway, in the words of the locals, “Yu blong in Vanuatu!” Just three hours from New Zealand, Port Vila is the hub of Vanuatu and located on the main island of Efate. Visitors will find agreeable resorts around the sparkling Erakor Lagoon or northern coast, with facilities focused on relaxation in a tropical climate. Choose a room, suite or bungalow with all-inclusive resort amenities and activities that allow you to be as active or as leisurely as you wish. Enjoy the independence of a self-catering apartment or resort, or relax in private paradise at the luxurious Havannah Resort, which hosts a maximum of 34 guests at any one time. Sightseeing on Efate includes Port Vila’s colourful history, markets and shops, as well as an insight into traditional village life at the Custom Village or at the Botanic Gardens. At the stunning Cascade Falls, walkers are rewarded with wonderful waterfalls and rock pools for a cool, freshwater swim. For a delightful day out, take the tour or ferry to the marine reserve of Hideaway Island. As well as an excellent restaurant and beach bar, guests and day trippers can hire snorkelling and diving equipment to make the most of the spectacular marine life. There are few more appealing sights than a lovingly restored wooden ketch under sail on a brilliant blue lagoon. A day aboard the Coongoola will transport you to some of Efate’s finest diving and snorkelling sites, introduce you to a turtle farm and provide you with a superb barbecue lunch on Tranquility Island. For a back-to-nature experience, you can enjoy a romantic stay here beneath thatched fales with the waves lapping nearby. Beyond Port Vila, the many outer islands allow visitors to
VANuATu TOuRISM BOARD
appreciate the distinctive geographic and cultural entities that make up the 83 volcanic islands of Vanuatu. The islands of Espiritu Santo, Tanna and Pentecost are the best known and are accessible by Air Vanuatu services for day trips or longer. There are some wild adventures to be had there, too! Known as the “Sleeping Giant”, the island of Espiritu Santo is a diver’s Mecca. Within clear waters, along stunning reefs, view wrecks from World War II, when 100,000 American troops were based here. Explore Million Dollar Point and SS President Coolidge, which sunk in 1942. Take a day trek into Santo’s interior via a 30-metre bamboo ladder lashed with vines that descends to a canopy of green. Discovery Millenium Cave – open-mouthed in a 15-metre yawn through which a dark, eerie tunnel extends almost a kilometre until you emerge into dazzling sunlight beside the Vantar River. Sheer walls are sculpted into magnificent shapes and waterfalls plummet spectacularly as you float along the freshwater canal. Pentecost is famous for its land diving ceremonies – forget elastic, this is the original bungy using vines and a less-thanscientifically-calculated tower from which to launch! It’s not for tourists, however, and you only get to watch this cultural rite of passage into male adulthood. On Tanna, Vanuatu’s “Island of Fire”, peer into Yasur’s molten heart and feel a deep rumble shudder from its depths. At night, be riveted by its sound and light show as embers fall around like glow-in-the dark confetti. Nearby, Tanna’s villagers shun modern comforts to live traditionally in simple palm woven huts. With more than 115 cultures and languages throughout its islands, a diverse range of activities on offer and top resorts, Vanuatu can easily become your personal paradise.