Vanuatu General Tips

by lou31
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Colourful and friendly

Many of the locals ferry tourists round in their cars for a reasonable fee. Our driver took the four of us on a tour around the country roads and villages. I think we paid $15 each for about 2 hours. We loved it, especially when a little boy in one of the villages ran over and gave us some beautiful ginger flowers. The villages were primitive but quite clean. I highly recommend visiting them.

Vanuatu seemed to me to have stopped in time. It has an unspoilt beauty enhanced by the happy, friendly people who live there. It is not over commercialised yet is developed enough to cater for todays tourists. The people there are real characters, living by their local laws and customs. Apparently drink driving is not an offence and they seem to drive all over the road......fast!! If you want a true feeling of being in a tropical paradise without the hype and glamour Vanuatu is the place to go. More pictures coming soon.


	Banks	Tip Rating:

By CandS

on May 12, 2004

Melanesian Feast dancer

Make sure you check that you can use your bank cards in Vanuatu before you get there. We had trouble getting money out of our savings account using our credit card (which we normally use). In the end we had to take money out of our credit card account just to have some cash. I would recommend taking your debit card as well as your credit card. Most restaurants and resorts accept credit cards but the markets and some shops will not.


	Mele Cascades	Tip Rating:

By CandS

on May 7, 2004

Mele Cascades

The Mele Cascades are beautiful!! It is about a 10 minute drive from Port Vila out to the cascades - about a 200 vatu bus trip. There is a 1000 vatu charge on entry to the cascades and if you're lucky you will get a guide to show you around. Robert was our guide and he was excellent.


	Coconut Plantations	Tip Rating:

By CandS

on May 14, 2004

Coconut Plantation

Everywhere you drive around Efate you will see coconut plantations. One of our guides told us that they aren't native to Vanuatu but were introduced by the British and French many years ago. The coconuts are used for so many things these days though and the local people are very happy to have coconuts on their land.


	French or English or vice versa??	Tip Rating:

By cosmopolit

on November 18, 2002

Vanuatu, with its colourful past of English-French influences, has created a great atmosphere of excellent dining, unsurpassed in the Pacific. There are many excellent restaurants serving the complete variety of International cuisines. Fine dining is also available in the main hotels.

Do you speak french or english? Both. Which do you prefer? only after this exchange ordering at the restaurant would commence. Quite amazing to find both languages together in a people plus their 115 bislama dialects very much alive.


	Visit the islands around Port Vila and Efate!	Tip Rating:

By Peri25

on November 29, 2005

by Peri25, 1 more photos
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One of the islands around
Efate

The best thing you can do is get out and explore. There's not much in Port Vila except for shops and hotels, so hop on a bus or a boat and get around there's lots to see. I have different pages for all the islands we went to...it's really worth getting around and checking them out!

The landscapes- blue green water, the friendly people and the fact that everything runs on Island Time- so relax! soon enough you'll be on your own time and turning up late yourself. I love the locals, they're so happy and friendly despite having so little. Very infectious and inspiring attitude.


	Local People	Tip Rating:

By CandS

on May 7, 2004

Tanna Island locals

The Ni-Vanuatu (native) people here are fantastic...they are all very friendly and always smile or wave when they see you. The kids run along side the bus/car and yell hello too...


	Markets	Tip Rating:

By CandS

on May 7, 2004

Wood Carvings

The markets are definitely worth looking at if you're in Port Vila...they sell all sorts of things from wooden carvings to vegetables to jewellery. The markets are easy to find...right in the main street of Vila.


	Vanuatu General Tips Tip (Untitled)	Tip Rating:

By slaybelle

on September 12, 2002

by slaybelle
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Pentecost Island is where bungee jumping originated and still occurs today. This ancient rite of initiation is very sacred to the people of the island. Although, according to legend, it was a young woman who escaped an evil chief by challenging him to leap from a tree with her (she had a vine attached to her ankle, he did not), only men jump today. Every spring young men freefall into space to test their testosterone level, from 100-foot high towers with only a vine tied around their ankles. Jump dates are scheduled throughout April and May when vines are most supple.


	Make sure to get out and...	Tip Rating:

By hollyday

on September 8, 2002

Make sure to get out and about. I found Port Vila to be one of the friendliest towns I have ever been to. The locals are amazingly friendly and laid back. A smile is all you need in this town.

The image of this tropical paradise will stay with me forever, everything is lush and green and overgrown.