Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# how does Efate compare with Tonga and Samoa? Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
camus63 23:57 UTC 27 Jul 2009 | We are planning a family trip to Vanuatu and will probably stay on Efate. We have visited Tonga, (staying in Nuku'alofa) and Samoa and loved both places. We were wondering how Efate compares particularly, in terms of budget accommodation, food costs, snorkeling, swimming, beaches and family activities. We are novice snorkelers and enjoyed this in Samoa and found a great little beach on Tongatapu that meet our needs. Also, How big is the island of Efate? I understand buses are a good way to get around. Do Ni Vanuatu have traditional tattooing? Suggestions of budget accommodation would be helpful as well. Thank you for your help |
Laszlo 04:50 UTC 28 Jul 2009 | Vanuatu in general is pricier than Samoa or Tonga, but Port Vila actually has a decent selection of budget accommodation (try Vila Hibiscus, for example). Food is expensive in touristy restaurants, but just like in Apia, it's cheap at food-stalls in the market - and better than such budget food in Samoa. For swimming and snorkelling you should find Efate as good and probably even better than the other 2 countries. Unfortunately, the most accessible such destination, Iriki Island right in front of downtown Port Vila, does not welcome children. No tradition of tatooing in Vanuatu as in Polynesia. I guess on dark skin tatoos are just less attractive anyway! :-) | 1
ozziegiraffe 12:57 UTC 28 Jul 2009 | Interesting that you noticed no groups in Vanuatu who have traditional tattoos, Laszlo, as there are specific Melanesian groups in both PNG and Solomon Islands who do traditional tattooing. Both Solomons groups (Santa Ana and the Lau and Langa Langa people in Malaita) are unpigmented, though. It is interesting that my Sudanese (Dinka-speaking) friends now living in Australia also use unpigmented tattoos (or facial engraving) as decoration. | 2
Laszlo 13:02 UTC 28 Jul 2009 | I've seen some Papuans, all women, with tattoos on their faces, but it was nothing like the ornate Polynesian tattoos, just a few blue lines on their chins that were hard to see on their dark skin anyway. Vanuatu has over a hundred ethnic groups most of whom I didn't see, but based on the cross-section of the population I did see it's fair to say there's nothing like the tattoo tradition in Polynesia. You call "facial engravings" tattoos, too? Can't recall seeing that in Melanesia myself, though it was definitely very visible in Sudan - or on South Sudanese refugees (mostly Nuer and Dinka, I think) in Ethiopia! Sepik Papuans do wear some impressive "crocodile" body decoration created by way of scars. It's on their bodies and arms, not on the faces though. I never thought these could be called "unpigmented tattoos". | 3