Imagine a place where the crystal clear water remains perfect temperature year round and magnificent sunsets makes you weep in awe each evening. It's a place where time seems to stands still. Or perhaps it just seems that way because you are still waiting for the drink you ordered yesterday. Never mind, things here operate on island time. You will soon too.Port Vila, or Vila as it is better known, is the capital of Vanuatu and located on the island Efate. It is the perfect introduction to the country. The airport is nothing more than a tin shed without air-conditioning. Outside customs, visitors are greeted by the tropical sounds of musicians wearing brightly coloured floral ensembles, hinting at what awaits outside.
Escape
to the water front and admire the Pacific Ocean to the sound of children
laughing as they play unsupervised in the water. Locals jibe each
other loudly over bocce. Their comical banter provides many giggles and its easy to spend countless hours here people watching.
Vila is low-rise, run down, and underwhelming. If you get through a visit without blowing an ankle on one of the many steep drops of uneven footpath, you are doing well. Outside the city is a stunning Blue Lagoon, Cascade Waterfalls, small islands and reefs aplenty. All are easily accessible by hired driver and van.
One of the first - inescapable - things you will notice in Vanuatu is the
endless smiles. And it’s disconcerting. However,
the people here smile because their world is uncompromised and genuine. Children
don’t cry or throw tantrums – they are as laid back as their parents and blissfully
unaware of anything outside their borders.
Unlike Asia, there is no haggling in Vanuatu. None. And tipping is not part of their custom which can be unnerving. How can anywhere be this friendly without wanting something in return? What’s the catch? There isn’t one. The catch is that there is no catch. It's catch free!
This small nation is made up of 82 islands and its history packs a serious punch. Most of all, it’s paradise. How it managed to stay this way is a mystery, particularly as its neighbour Fiji has been heavily immigrated and developed. But Vanuatu is better for it and natives hope it stays this way. As should visitors alike.
Possibly the most magical island at Vanuatu, at least the most notable, is Tanna. South of Efate, this island is primal. Landing there is like arriving on the island from Jurassic Park – it is luscious green and thick with trees. Minus dinosaurs. But it does have that prehistoric feeling. There are no roads, very little electricity, and no buildings. It is village life in its most natural form.
Unlike Asia, there is no haggling in Vanuatu. None. And tipping is not part of their custom which can be unnerving. How can anywhere be this friendly without wanting something in return? What’s the catch? There isn’t one. The catch is that there is no catch. It's catch free!
This small nation is made up of 82 islands and its history packs a serious punch. Most of all, it’s paradise. How it managed to stay this way is a mystery, particularly as its neighbour Fiji has been heavily immigrated and developed. But Vanuatu is better for it and natives hope it stays this way. As should visitors alike.
Possibly the most magical island at Vanuatu, at least the most notable, is Tanna. South of Efate, this island is primal. Landing there is like arriving on the island from Jurassic Park – it is luscious green and thick with trees. Minus dinosaurs. But it does have that prehistoric feeling. There are no roads, very little electricity, and no buildings. It is village life in its most natural form.
Mt
Yasur will undoubtedly become a favourite travel story among even the most
worldly travellers. Mt Yasur is an active volcano accessible via
four-wheel-drive. The ground tremors and the air rains with ash as the car ascends with windscreen wipers on overdrive. When the car can go no further, it's time to leg it. But not before a safety briefing advising that: "If the volcano erupts or splashes lava high above, you may wish to turn and run. Do not do this. Stay where you are, look up to see where the lava is and try to step aside." Righto then.
Visitors can stand on the edge of the crater just meters from the centre of the earth roaring and spewing lava right before your eyes. It is a reminder of how insignificant and small we are in comparison to Mother Nature. We are at her will.
Getting
to this special island involves a short flight. Its airport makes the tin shed at Vila seem
like Heathrow in comparison. And hand luggage takes on an entirely new meaning. A whipper snipper, chain saw and giant bags of rice a few of the standout items - quite a sight. Tanna natives are also noticeably darker
skinned than other islands. It is well worth the visit.
Espiriitu Santo is the biggest island in Vanuatu. It is famous for hosting the Yanks in the Second World War and being the underwater graveyard for military equipment when the Japanese surrendered. Instead of shipping everything home, US Marines pushed it into the sea. It is now a popular diving site known as Million Dollar Bay. It’s also where the play South Pacific was written - unsurprising that someone found motivation to write in these surroundings.
Espiriitu Santo is the biggest island in Vanuatu. It is famous for hosting the Yanks in the Second World War and being the underwater graveyard for military equipment when the Japanese surrendered. Instead of shipping everything home, US Marines pushed it into the sea. It is now a popular diving site known as Million Dollar Bay. It’s also where the play South Pacific was written - unsurprising that someone found motivation to write in these surroundings.
Just two hours from Brisbane, there is no excuse not to add this paradise to the destination list. So before you cash in money for the next overseas holiday, consider converting it to Vatu (Vanuatu currency). You won't regret it.
Getting there
is easy. Leaving is the hard part!
