Just returned from Vanuatu

Hello
I have just returned from Vanuatu after a three weeks vacation. For those who doubt whether to go there or not, I would highly recommend it as a travel destination. The people there are incredibly nice and forthcoming. It is the only country I found as a hassle-free place where no one urges you to choose his hotel or take his tour. I really found an interest in the traditional life in the villages I have seen.
Tanna- I stayed in Tanna for 5 days. There's a lot to see in this small island. I was accommodating in Evergreen Bungalows which is a nice hotel with a very well taken care of garden with tropical plants. It is near the sea and the atmosphere was really nice. They organized all tours in the island and there is a good restaurant catering for all guests.
I would like to recommend a visit to both Ipai and Kalangia. Both encase traditional lives and both are quite different. We saw kastom dancing in Ipai village where the villagers dressed such colorful dressings. Quite amazing sight. The other village, Kalangia, does not appear in the Lonely Planet guidebook but it was another highlight of my visit to Vanuatu. The men are almost naked wearing Namba and the women wear long skirts made of fibers of some tree trunk bark. The way they live and the tools used almost resemble prehistoric times. They also performed a kastom dancing for us. Quite an amazing experience.
Another must see is Mount Yasur. There is an afternoon organized tour to the mountain where you can see the quite impressive fireworks bursting out of its crater. The uproaring may be a bit intimidating but the sight of Mother Nature is really exhilarating.
Another nice day tour is to the cave hole. It involves snorkelling and a small dive through the underwater entrance to a big hollow cave with a ceiling hole through which the light pours down. The sun rays make the water's colors s though lit by neon lights and there are fish inside the water's cave.
There is also a nice tour which is more a performance rather than the real thing. It is full of surprises whose aim is to display the cannibal practices used when an unwanted visitor came to village. It is called the "Magic Tour".

Espiritu Santo - another beautiful island full of adventures. One of the highlights was to visit an isolated village in the mountains called Tanmet. The residents of this village are called the Malmal people. They still adhere to their kastom beliefs and have not yet converted to Christianity ( and why should they ? ). It was a three nights trek through jungle. Be warned that walking is bit demanding. There was a very beautiful river to wash in on the first night. The Malmal people are very traditional and go almost naked. They are extremely friendly. Unfortunately, the chief and his men went to the nearby village to do marketing. Therefore, we could not see the kastom dancing.
This tour was organized by an operator called Wrecks to Rainforest located near Apex hotel in Luganville. I really liked the stories of my tour guide, Mr. Glen, whose knowledge about history is really astounding ( I was especially mystified about his stories of the Lysepsep people who live up in the mountain caves. They are 1 metre tall with long hair and avoid contact with any other people.
You can include the Millenium cave on your return way. Unfortunately, my legs were sick and it was impossible.
Champagne beach is an idyllic to beach lovers. The waters are pure clean with turquoise color. The sand is white and there is a beautiful backdrop of the nearby mountain covered by a green lush forest. Quite a nice place.
Port Orly is also a nice place to visit. It is a village near the sea and good for snorkelling.

Pentecost- I organized a day tour through an opeator in Port Vila. It was an overnight stay. I stayed in a guesthouse whose name I can't recall. The owner's name was Silas Bule. A really nice person. Dinner was really good consisting of the traditional food of the villagers. We went to see the land diving performed by the men of the village. Do not miss this cultural experience. It is performed through April to May. The men build a high timber tower with platforms to jump from. This ceremony is linked to the seasonal Yam harvesting and concerns the masculinity of the men. They almost go naked with a Namba covering their penis while testicles remain exposed ( that is a manifestation of tribal life in which women are supposed to be of a higher role than men ).
The land diving was really a nice experience not to be missed. The younger jumped off the lower stages while the olders went to upper steps. The whole ceremony was accompanied by the men's singing and a women's cheering up. They were dressed in long traditional skirts and encouraged those climbing up and taking their land diving.

Efate- I left Efate to the last days of my visit. I made a round the island tour. Seemed to me less interesting than the other experiences of the other outer islands though we also saw a very interesting kastom dancing. More a performance show than the rel thing but still very appealing.
Another nice visit was to the sea turtles sanctuary. You can see how the turtles marine life is preserved to help this species not to be extinct. There is a chance to feed giant turtles with Papaya fruits. Quite a nice experience.

Be noted that Air Vanuatu has limited number of flights around the islands. I wanted to go fora 1-2 nights overstay to see the Big Nambas. Unfortunately, it was really hard for me to find a vacant place and go to visit Malekula island. Therefore, I would suggest you to book all flights in advance through the Air Vanuatu website. It is a pity I could not go there.

Generally speaking, I found Vanuatu as a perfect destination for my holiday. The people there are really warm hearted and never bother the tourist as in other countries I have visited. The traditional life which you can witness there and the authentic villages which still adhere to their tradition are quite interesting to see. I love this country.

Thanks,
Eli

Nice to read it after all your posts and doubts! ;-)

Thanks for that Eli. Glad to hear you had a good time.

We are going to Vanuatu in September and plan on going to Tanna, Santo, and a few nights in Port Vila. We had not planned on pre- booking our flights or accommadation until 2 or 3 days ahead. Would that be enough time to book a seat? Also, how did you find the cost of the tours? How long were you there, and how long did you stay on each island? We have 2 weeks.