Travel to Vanuatu
* PLEASE HELP VANUATU *
On the 14th of March 2015 the islands of Vanuatu were devastated by Cyclone Pam. Please help the local people and aid workers there in any way you that you can by donating as much as you are able to either of the following charities - Thankyou.
www.unicef.org.uk/landing-pages/donate-vanuatu-cylone-pam.
http://350.org/donate-to-the-cyclone-pam-recovery.
FIND HOTELS IN VANUATU
GENERAL INFO
The Republic of Vanuatu is an archipelago of over eighty islands situated in the South Pacific which between them cover an area of 12,274 square kilometers. The country is divided into the six provinces of Torba, Sanma, Penama, Malampa, Shefa and Tafea.
Vanuatu is a renowned tax haven with a major offshore financial centre which is also a nation which is known as a Flag of Convenience which is used by international shipping companies.
The island's main industry is agriculture although the island group has a growing tourist industry which offers visitors a wealth of coral reefs, sandy beaches, stunning waterfalls, prime scuba diving sites, large areas of tropical rain forests, cultural venues, golf courses, prime game fishing waters and even an active volcano.
The islands can also offer visitors every type of accommodation from budget hostels and self catering apartments through to luxury hotels which include all inclusive spa or dive resorts and even a private island resort with it's own nature reserve.
Christianity is the predominant religion of the islands.
Tap water is potable in all major towns and cities but bottled water is advised in rural or remote areas.
Alcohol is allowed on the islands although it's prices are highly inflated.
Tourists are politely requested to dress conservatively at all times especially on Sunday which is the Sabbath Day.
Several indigenous Polynesian languages are the lingua franca on the various islands although English and French are also widely spoken by the locals.
All international credit cards are accepted within Vanuatu as well as Australian Dollars and it's own currency the Vatu.
Vanuatu is located on time zone UTC +11.
LOCAL TRAVEL
The islands are served by a major commercial shipping port and cruise liner terminal and the Bauerfield International Airport, both of which are situated near to the island's capital city of Port Vila which is situated on the island of Efate.
There are no ferry services operating between the islands of Vanuatu but the country's flag carrier airline, Air Vanuatu, provides twenty regular routes to all it's outlying islands. Bauerfield International Airport is also served by flights from Noumea in New Caledonia, Auckland in New Zealand, Nadi and Suva in Fiji, Honiara in the Solomon Islands and Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia.
There are several car hire establishments located around the islands but roads in rural areas are quite poor. The island's speed limit is 50 km/h and vehicles drive on the right. Seat belts are not compulsory and international driving licenses are not required although a driver must have held their licence for at least twelve months before they are eligible to hire a motor vehicle.
Local bus services are both efficient and cheap with buses coming in the form of standard 26 seaters or luxury ten seater mini vans. Bus services do not provide regular routes however with services basically going anywhere the various passengers want them to go.
Taxis on Vanuatu are not metered but run instead on a flat rate fare basis. Taxi vans are also available although one has to wait until they are full before they disembark.
PORT VILA
The city of Port Vila, pictured above, is situated on a natural harbour on the south coast of the island of Efate in the province of Shefa. The city has a population of around 45,000 people.
Port Vila is the location of the country's main sea port, airport and hospital, the country's seat of government, the Emalus Campus of the University of the South Pacific, the Sacre Coeur Roman Catholic Cathedral, the eighteen hole Royal Golf Course, several international hotels, cultural venues, entertainment venues, restaurants, bars, shops and local markets.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
ESPITITU SANTO
Espiritu Santo is Vanuatu's largest island and home to the country's second largest city of Luganville.
Situated off the coast of the island is the world famous wreck of the SS President Coolidge a luxury liner which sank in 1945. The area around the wreck is now a Marine Reserve.
Million Dollar Point is another world famous dive site where the Americans threw tons of equipment into the sea at the end of World War II.
Other highlights of the island include the The Santo Golf Club and the Ri Ri River blue holes.
MALEKULA
Malekula is Vanuatu's second largest island and is renowned for it's 879 meter high Mount Liambele and it's unique local language, Ninde, of which all it's common nouns begin with the letter N.
EFATE
The island of Efate is home to Vanuatu's capital city and main port Port Vila as well as the Mele Golf Course and the nearby Mele Cascades waterfall.
Situated just off Efate is the Hideaway Island Marine Sanctuary which sports the world's only underwater post office.
TANNA
Tanna Island is home to the world's most easily accessible active volcano Mount Yasur along with the two extinct volcanoes of Mount Tukosmera and Mount Melen.
Tanna is also the home of the Yaohnanen tribe who revere and worship Britain's HRH Prince Philip the Duke Of Edinburgh, husband of the monarch Queen Elisabeth II, as a God.
PENTECOST
Penetecost Island is the site of an annual yam picking event, held during April and May, where local men land dive from high up in the trees.
Situated just off Pentecost is the island of Bali Hai, immortalised by the 1950's musical blockbuster South Pacific.
AMBRYM
Ambrym Island is famous for it's Tam Tams which are large sculptures several meters high carved out of the trunks of trees.
Also situated on Ambrym are the two extinct volcanoes of Mount Benbow and Mount Marum whose old lava flows and dust deposits have given the landscape a moon like appearance.
VANUA LAVA
The island of Vanua Lava is dominated by the peak of Mount Tolap which overlooks the smoke holes and crater lakes of Mount Sera Ama.
The island is also the site of some very impressive cascade waterfalls.
Game fishing is popular on Vanua Lava as the island holds the world record for the highest weight of game fish ever caught.
BOKISSA ISLAND
Bokissa Island is a small island of just 175 acres which has been designated as a national park. The island consists of the luxury Bokissa Private Island Resort hotel.
TORRES ISLANDS
The tiny Torres Islands are renowned for their pristine beaches, large coconut crabs, giant turtles and vast cave systems.
WEATHER / NATURAL PHENOMENA
The islands have a tropical climate with high humidity and two distinct wet and dry seasons. Temperatures on the islands range between 24c in the coolest month of August through to 34c in the hottest month of February.The country's wettest month is April and the country's driest month is September. Rainfall is highest during the hottest months.
The islands are prone to cyclones or tropical storms, with cyclone season generally occuring between November and April. In March 2015 the islands witnessed the worst ever south Pacific storm on record, which resulted in the islands being devastated.
The islands are also prone to slight earthquake tremors the largest of which was in 2002 when extensive damage was caused throughout the capital city of Port Vila.
* PLEASE HELP VANUATU *
On the 14th of March 2015 the islands of Vanuatu were devastated by Cyclone Pam. Please help the local people and aid workers there in any way you that you can by donating as much as you are able to either of the following charities - Thankyou.
www.unicef.org.uk/landing-pages/donate-vanuatu-cylone-pam.
http://350.org/donate-to-the-cyclone-pam-recovery.
CRIME
Crime in Vanuatu is rare, but on the increase, especially petty theft and sexual assault. Civil disorder is also rare, but visitors are asked to refrain from joining in any protest rallies for fear of erupting violence.
In case of problems the police emergency number in Vanuatu is 112.
Possession of narcotics and obscene publications, especially publications depicting children, are punishable by heavy fines, incarceration or both.
HEALTH
Comprehensive travel insurance is a must when travelling to Vanuatu as all doctor, nurse, hospital and pharmacy services require immediate payment.
Health precautions must be taken before travel to Vanuatu for Hepatitis A, Tuberculosis and Malaria, all of which are highly prevalent in the area. Please seek vaccination advice before travel for Typhoid and Diptheria as vaccinations for these diseases are not always necessary.
Ciguatera poisoning from eating reef fish is also a major concern for tourists so do err on the side of caution when ordering fish dishes.
A hyperbaric unit is available at Port Vila's Central Hospital, but as many of the dive centres are situated on outlying or remote islands, emergency evacutation to Port Vila on the island of Efate will be required at a very high cost.
Serious medical cases are airlifted to hospitals in New Zealand or Australia, a two to three and a half hour flight away, depending upon which hospital the patient is being airlifted to. Airlifts are carried out by private South Pacific inter – island, medical extraction services.
Central Hospital, Rue de Wales, Port Vila, Efate.
Northern District Hopital, Luganville, Espiritu Santo.
South Pacific Smiles, Dental Clinic, Ellouk, Port Vila, Efate. Tel 249 95.
FOREIGN CONSULATES
There are eight overseas consulates in Vanutu all of which are located in Port Vila on the island of Efate.
Below are the telephone numbers for each of them;
Consulate of Australia - (+678) 23 948.
Consulate of Belgium - (+678) 223 06.
Consulate of the Peoples Republic of China - (+678) 235 98.
Consulate of the Republic of France - (+678) 28 700.
Consulate of the Philippines - (+678) 255 89.
Consulate of Sweden - (+678) 229 44.
The New Zealand High Commission - (+678) 229 33.
The Embassy of the United Kingdom - (+678) 231 OR 25550.
Other foreign nationals who require consular help should contact their relevant consulate or embassy located in either Fiji or New Zealand.
VISA INFO
Visas are not required to enter Vanuatu for any Australian, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, European Union or Canadian nationals, although a valid passport and return tickets must be shown upon arrival otherwise entry will be refused.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
January 1 – New Years Day.
February 21 – Father Walter Lini Day.
March 5 – Custom Chief’s Day.
Good Friday
Easter Monday
May 1 – Labour Day.
May 9 – Ascension Day.
July 24 – Children’s Day.
July 30 – Independence Day.
August 15 – Assumption Day.
October 5 – Constitution Day.
November 29 – Unity Day.
December 25 – Christmas Day.
December 26 – Family Day.
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
For Vanuatu's official tourism website, visit - www.vanuatuparadise.com
For Vanuatu's flag carrier airline website, visit - www.airvanuatu.com
For Vanuatu's government website, visit - www.governmentofvanuatu.gov.vu
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Port Villa image courtesy of Philip Capper, wikimedia commons.
