|
Vanuatu is one of the best-kept secrets in the South Pacific today. This young volcanic island group consists of over 80 islands in the shape of a Y. It is located just 1 hour and forty minutes West of Fiji. Vanuatu is home to several active volcanoes of which you can observe eruptions. Traditional cultures are very much alive as the people of Vanautu feel it is essential to preserve their customs so future generations may live in peace and harmony as their predecessors have. They are a peace loving country that believes there is no need to discuss differences among its people.
One of the most spectacular rituals in the entire Pacific is the Land Diving from which bungee jumping originated. It takes place when the yams are ripe for picking in April/May. The men build a tower made of vines and timber around a tall tree and with a vine tied to their ankle, they plunge toward the softened ground. According to customs, this is to ensure a good harvest for the following season upon the men touching the earth with their shoulders.
Food is a real highlight with freshly grown organic produce and organically raised cattle to offer one of the best steaks you will have anywhere in the world. It is also rich in avifauna and home to over 121 different species of birds, the fruit bat, flying fox and wood pigeon or “nawimba”. It offers a variety of activities from marketplace shopping, village tours, world-class fishing, diving, snorkeling, and kayaking the blue holes, sailboat cruises, waterfalls and world class trekking. It is home to the only underwater post office in the world.
|
 |
© Susan Pantle 2010 |
Port Vila Market |
|
)
