Vanuatu

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Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

Port Vila

Population

199,000

Government

Parliamentary republic

Religions

Christianity (Protestant, Catholic), Traditional Religion

Languages

Bislama, English, French

Calling Code

+678

Nationality

Vanuatuan

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Introduction

Champagne Beach, Espiritu Santu

© All Rights Reserved cplford

Melanesian Vanuatu lies just south of the Solomon Islands, making it a favourite destination among Australians. It presents a self-confident palette of cultural influences interwoven with traditional island ways. In Port Vila, the French quarter and Chinatown highlight the vibrancy of modern Vanuatu - it's a town firmly locked into the future while retaining the emblems of its past with pride.

The real attraction of Vanuatu, though, is its phenomenal sightseeing. Underwater visibility at its peak hits fifty metres, revealing limitless schools of colourful fish darting around spectacular coral reefs, as well as a formidable array of submerged WWII wreckages. Above sea level, the scenery only gets more amazing. Tall volcanic peaks present a stunning backdrop to any photo, as well as lush ground for an eco-tourist's dream-come-true.

Brief History

Espiritu Santo was the first island in Vanuatu to be discovered by Europeans, back in 1606 when Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós, saw what he thought to be a southern continent. It was not until 1768 that Europeans returned when Louis Antoine de Bougainville rediscovered the islands. It was in 1774 that Captain Cook named the islands the New Hebrides, a name that lasted until independence in 1980 at which time it became the Republic of Vanuatu.

In the 1990s Vanuatu experienced political instability which resulted in a more decentralised government. The Vanuatu Mobile Force, a paramilitary group, attempted a coup in 1996 because of a pay dispute amongst allegations of corruption in the government of Maxime Carlot Korman. New elections have been called for a number of times since 1997, the most recent in 2004.

Geography

Regions/Provinces

Vanuatu consists of 6 provinces.

• Malampa
• Penama
• Sanma
• Shefa
• Tafea
• Torba

Cities/Towns

• Port Vila - The capital
• Luganville
• Port Olry
• Isangel
• Pango
• Whitesands

Sights and Activities

Volcanoes

yasur

© All Rights Reserved debnic

What the Hawaii Islands are for the east of the Pacific, Vanuatu is for the west. The islands have many volcanoes to see and explore as the islands are located right on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Probably the most famous one is Yasur volcano on Tanna Island. This volcanoe is easy to reach and although it's active year round, it is unusual for it to be too active to approach. Therefore, the Yasur volcano has become an extremely popular tourist attraction not to be missed when you are visiting this part of Vanuatu. Apart from Tanna, also the islands of Ambrym, Lopevi, Kuwai, Ambae and Gaua have nice volcanoes, many of which are just beautiful only to look at.

Chief Roi Mata's Domain

Chief Roi Mata’s Domain is the first and so far only site in Vanuatu that is on the Unesco World Heritage List. The site consists of three sites on the islands of Efate, Lelepa and Artok dating back to the early 17th century AD. They all refer to the life and death of the last paramount chief, or Roi Mata, of what is now Central Vanuatu. It includes Roi Mata’s residence, the site of his death and Roi Mata’s mass burial site and is closely connected to the oral traditions surrounding the chief and his moral values. Also, the site is important regarding the convergence between oral tradition and archaeology. It witnesses the persistence of Roi Mata’s social reforms and his resolution to resolve conflicts. Nowadays, this form of life partly still is relevant to the people living on these islands.

Vanuatu Waters alive with fish

© All Rights Reserved StephenJen

Wreck diving

Vanuatu is famous for its diving opportunities and one of the most important diving sites is located on the island of Espiritu Santo. The biggest draw to Espiritu Santo Island is the wreck of the SS President Coolidge. This was a WWII troop carrier sunk by friendly mines in 1942. Most travellers to Espiritu Santo are divers who only come for the purpose of exploring this famous wreck. That said, there are more options on the island, regarding diving, snorkelling or just relaxing on one of the beaches.

Other sights and activities

mid air

© All Rights Reserved pippamatt

• Kava drinking - Vanuatu claims to have the strongest in the Pacific!
• Bungee jumping - originally from Vanuatu, but probably best avoided in the traditional way

Events and Festivals

• Toka ceremony on the island of Tanna
• Malvatumauri Arts Festival
• Vanua Lava Day!

Weather

Girl on Vanuatu Beach

© All Rights Reserved StephenJen

Getting there

Plane

The national carrier of Vanuatu is Air Vanuatu and most flights arrive in the capital Port Vila, although there are connections from and to Espiritu Santo and Tanna as well. There are flights to several neighbouring countries in the pacific like Nouméa in New Caledonia, Nadi in Fiji and Honiara on the Solomon Islands.
Also there are connections to Brisbane and Sydney in Australia and to Auckland in New Zealand.
Other airlines serving Vanuatu are Aircalin based in New Caledonia, Air Pacific, based in Fiji and Pacific Blue and Qantas, both based in Australia.
Air Pacific is the best way to connect to North America and Japan.

By Boat

The MV Havannah runs a monthly service out of Noumea in New Caledonia to Port Vila, Malekula and Santo in Vanuatu.
Other than that, it's mainly cruisehips and yacht you will have to rely on, which are either expensive or difficult to find.

Getting Around

By Plane

Air Vanuatu, operating under the name Vanair for domestic flights, offers many daily scheduled flight connections. Other airlines include Unity Airlines and Air Club Vila, offering charter flights to many islands.

By Car

Rental cars are available at Port Vila and the airport, including normal, 4wd cars and smaller jeeps. Several roads are in good condition, but on the smaller islands, roads are of a lesser quality, being dirt tracks. You need a national driver's licence and traffic drives on the right on the Vanuatu islands.

By Bus

Minibuses travel in and around Port Vila and the island. You can wave one down as there are no scheduled services. Getting of the bus is just as easy, just shout.

By Boat

Inter-island ferries operate from Port-Vila and Espiritu Santo to the northern and southern islands, but services are infrequent. Boats can also be chartered at a cost of course.

Red Tape

Most people do not need a visa. A valid passport (at least 4 months after leaving the country) and proof of onward or return transport is enough.

Money

See also Money Matters

The local currency is the Vatu (VT). Coins include 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 VT pieces.
There are notes of 200 VT, 500 VT, 1000 VT, and 5000 VT.

Work

Study

Language

The main languages spoken in Vanuatu are Bislama, French and English though, like most of the pacific islands, there are dialects and variations in different regions.

Eat

A trip to Port Vila, Vanuatu, is not complete without a night out at French Restaurant and Piano Bar L'Houstalet, on Elluk Road, Port Vila. It is one of the most popular casual restaurants on the island since its opening in 1972, where host Clement Martinez will make sure that your night is one to remember! House specialities include escargot, coconut crab, flying fox, pizza, pasta and traditional French desserts. Open for dinner every day, but you might want to call first to make sure there is a table for you!

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

• Malaria is prevalent and most travel agents and travel doctors will recommend you take preventative medication.
• The sun is hot and sunblock a must in Vanuatu - even in winter. Remember to re-apply after swimming or you may end up as red as a beetroot after a relaxing day of snorkeling. It is not unheard of for tourists to have required MedEvac after sustaining serious sunburn and heatstroke. Keep in mind, too, that many anti-malarial tablets increase the likleihood of sunburn significantly.
• Hepatitis B and Tuberculosis exist throughout the islands but should be of no concern to travellers provided they take normal precautions.
• There is one hospital in Port Vila, another in Luganville. There are small clinics also throughout the islands. There are several English and French GP's on the Islands, speak to your staff at your accommodation and they can get you in contact with one should you need it.

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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