 | Vanuatu Shopping | Tips 1 - 10 of 12 |  |
Popular Shopping | Other Shopping Tips | All Tips (12) I was fascinated with the markets. A large outdoor market was set up in Vila and I spent quite a while browsing around. There were sarongs everywhere! - about $10. Locally made cotton beach bags $5 - $10 and beads, beads and more beads!. Every kind and combination you could think of. All very nice and very cheap. Some didn't make it through customs - avoid necklaces made with seads or beans. There were stalls where you could get your hair braided for about $10 and these places were very popular. Alot of local handicraft was for sale - you could spend half a day there.
They have a large covered fruit market as well with a huge selection of different fruits and vegetables. All quite ok to eat and the place was very clean. More pictures coming soon.
The local handicrafts were intriguing. Hula skirts were popular as were the sarongs and timber carvings. I actually found a stall that sold old bottles and bought a coke bottle from the sixties.
In the shopping district they also have a couple of duty free shops for alcohol, ciggys and perfume etc. and one store sold bargain brand name clothing and sunglasses etc.
Pictures coming soon.
This was not an expensive place to shop at. Most shops were reasonably priced and of course the markets had real bargains. Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftAddress: Port Vila
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Just walking around was a fascinating experience. Lots of stores and eateries. I found one store selling reduced brand name merchandise. Tee shirts - some were $10, shorts, sunglasses..........
I tried some locally made pastries at a little cafe. Of course plenty of touristy places - souvineers etc.
One interesting experience I had was when I was approached by an old man selling beaded necklaces. He had them in a bottle and I actually bought one - it was very nice.
Most of the stuff I bought made it through customs. I was suspicious of a set of marakas made out of coconut shells. However they got through. Apparently if they are sealed with a clear paint they are ok. They only cost $2 anyway so no great loss if they had've been confiscated. Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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The markets in Port Vila are fantastic. They sell fresh fruit and vegetables, jewellery, clothes, wood carvings, trinkets and so much more. The prices are fairly good for most things too - you will find the markets much cheaper than the shops.
Jewellery, wood carvings, woven baskets...all of it... :)
A necklace could cost anywhere between 200 vatu and 1500 vatu. A carving could be between 500 vatu and 12000 vatu... Leave a Comment Theme: OtherAddress: Port Vila, Efate
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When the ship docks and you go ashore the docks are packet full of stalls for the passengers to walk through on your way off the pier! There is no escape from these stalls as you must walk through all of them to get to the only exit into Port Vila.
The prices start off quite high when the ship first sails because it is quite busy with tourists. A few hours after the initial "rush" the prices are reduced by a few dollars because it is very quiet and they are chasing sales before they put the prices back up to their original price a few hours befoe the ship sales because it is once again very busy!!
You can find the same items in town at the big market in the main street for a little bit cheaper though!
Sarongs, shells, necklaces, bags, wooden carvings, t-shirts, local produce, postcards etc. Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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I found two duty free shops in Port Vila. Our taxi driver told me that one was cheaper.........can't remember which one! If you are visiting by cruise ship unfortunately the duty free shops comandeer your merchandise and sends them on to the ship. If it's cigarettes or alcohol you dont get it back till the night before you disembark. Beware of this if you plan to have your drinks in the cabin.
Alcohol, ciggys, perfume...................
I bought 40 oz bottles of Bundy Rum for $20 and cartons of ciggys for $22. There is a limit to how much you can buy. Leave a Comment Theme: Discount StoreAddress: The main street of Port Vila
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The supermarkets in Port Vila sell a lot of things that you'll find in the supermarkets at home. The use by dates and prices may not be so good though... A 2.25 litre bottle of Coke costed around 550 vatu (A$6.50)!!
It's still cheaper to buy some bread and cheese/meat than to buy a meal at a cafe - just like at home - but don't expect really low prices... Leave a Comment Theme: Food and Drink
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Foreign cash, travellers cheques and major international credit cards (Amex, Diners, JCB, Mastercard and Visa) are widely accepted. Bankcard is not normally accepted.
Most shops close for 'siesta' 11.30am to 1.30pm. Eating places, banks, supermarkets and the Post Office do not observe siesta. Shops open on Saturday morning and some speciality shops and supermarkets open on Sunday morning. Suburban general stores
open early and close late seven days a week.
The colourful market in the town centre
operates every day except Sundays for flowers, fruit, vegetables and handicrafts.
Handicraft Blong Vanuatu, located in the centre of Port Vila provides a wide selection of authentic handicrafts from many islands of Vanuatu.
PAY what's asked! Usually taged wares.
No bargaining please, it goes against local tradition. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and Drink
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Au Bon Marche Nambatu and Au Bon Marche Downtown are the supermarkets with the widest variety of food, drink and other necessities of life in Vanuatu.
Be sure to bring home some Tanna Coffee - it is superb (the best I have ever had - and I'm a very picky caffeine addict -I brought home 3 kilos of it!). It is cheaper to buy it from the Au Bon Marche supermarkets in Vila (beans or ground) than on Tanna itself. I did notice that even in the supermarket the price was higher when the cruise ship was in though... Leave a Comment Theme: Food and DrinkAddress: Downtown - Lini Highway, near the marketsDirections: To get to Nambatu (the newest, with a very extensive range) take a bus for 100VT.
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The shopping isnt like bali, or thailand. It is quite expensive as they import almost everything, and a lot of it from Australia. So prices are often equal to or greater than they are in Australia Theme: Other
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Unless of course, you plan on drinking it upon your return!
I purchased a large bottle to enjoy whilst away. Which is a great idea...until you factor in that a 1.25lt bottle of coke is about $8-
So, I was on rations...half a glass of Bourbon with just a splash of coke........ Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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