Seeking info on Maskelynes & Malekula

Hello,

Has anyone been to Malekula and stayed at Rose Bay Bungalows? I'd like to hear what people thought about it or any other accom thereabouts.

I'm planning to travel by truck from Lakatoro to Lamap. I have read that it leaves Lakatoro at about 1 pm. How long is the trip and will I arrive in Lamap early enough to travel to Point Doucere and then catch a canoe/boat to the Maskelyne Islands? (or should I plan to stay a night somewhere in Lamap?)

Has anyone stayed at Malog or Malafalaf Bungalows on Uliveo? I was thinking of staying a few days at each one. I'd love to hear of anyone's experiences of those bungalows or any other accom in that area.

If anyone can recommend 'must visit' accom or attractions on the west coast of Malekula, I'd appreciate it.

While I'm on the topic, I'd like to share one of my favourite paragraphs from Lonely Planet, Vanuatu on Port Sandwich, Malekula .....

Quote
'At the wharf a small golden beach may tempt you in for a swim. Don't do it! Don't even paddle. This is the worst place for shark attacks.'

Great advice but it still gives me a chuckle!

Thanks very much,
Jo

me again,
sorry, I was a duffer, in the 4th paragraph, I meant the EAST coast of Malekula, not the west.
Probably just as well I'm not a navigator by trade .....
Jo

Hi Jo, my wife & I did just what you are planning last year.
Rose Bay bungalows were OK, but a bit expensive for what we got (in comparison to other places we stayed). If going there again, we would stay at a bungalow on Wala island. Not well publicised, & in 'competition' with Rose Bay, so the Rose Bay proprietors may try to convince you to stay with them. A Swiss couple who flew into Malekula with us stayed there. Sounded pretty good. Rose Bay is OK for a couple of days, might run out of things to do after that. The Smol Nambas dancing was a highlight. (see video on my web site). Snorkelling off Wala Island was pretty good too/

To travel from Lakatoro to Lamap, just hang around outside the MDC store in Lakatoro ( a few minutes truck ride from Norsup airstrip) at around 1pm & look for a truck with 'Levis' on it. They make the journey daily & it takes anything between 3 to 6 hours, depending upon the condition of the track. To return from Lamap, the truck usually leaves very early, around 3am. However whilst we were there, it rained heavily the day before & the river levels rose, postponing departure until around 1pm. A 'normal' occurrence! There is accomodation at Levis store in Lamap, 1200vt per person per night. For this you get a room & bed, with a separate kitchen (sufficiently equipped) & dining room. Provisions available at the store. , you can arrange for a boat to take you across to the Maskelynes from the store, & a truck ride to the beach where the boat picks you up. Trying to get across to the Maskelynes on the same day you travel from Lakatoro is optimistic. Stay at Levis in Lamap.

Malog bungalows are in Peskarus. We stayed there but would not recommend it.
I recommend that you arrange to stay in the village of Pellonk & not Peskarus . When we were phoning from Levis store, someone else in the shop overheard. We got the boat the following morning expecting to go to Pellonk. We were taken to Peskarus (hijacked) & didn't realise for 2 days. We then walked to Pellonk. We didn't like Peskarus & it's people too much, it is a village that has been badly affected by cruise ship visits, the accomodation is expensive, & we were constantly asked for money - for all sorts of reasons. We were also fed turtle, (tasted like beef!) & after we finished eating, were asked to 'keep it quiet' as they are a protected species. Not real good. The difference between the two villages, even though only 10-15 minutes apart is like chalk & cheese. . If you are there on a Sunday, go to the church service. You will have an experience you won't forget.

We had 10 days on Malekula, it was a real adventure & one of the highlights of a 1 month trip around several islands.

Contact me via my website (below) if you'd like to ask any more.
regards
Cuppa

Hi Cuppa,
As soon as I went to yr site I realised I'd visited before, a while ago. My computer doesn't handle that sort of email well so I may as well reply to you here, your info may be helpful to others. I'm travelling for a month too, originally I had planed on visiting Ambrym and Santo as well, flights didn't work out for Ambrym, so that'll be next time, probably winter so I can hike to the volcanoes. I read the chats that you and some other people had re Santo and that helped me to decide not to visit, it wasn't somewhere I felt I HAD to go, just would have been the end of a series of island hops. I would have hated to have been disappointed. Anyway, I've ended up with time on Efate (including visiting Bethel, which feels like my 2nd home), 10 days on Epi to stay at sunrise and sunset, and 10 days at Malekula.
Thanks for your very useful info, especially re the truck and Levi's store. I'm only going one way by truck, will be flying Lamap to Vila after the Maskelynes. I've read similar comments re Peskarus/Malog and Pellonk, so I'm definitely going to try Pellonk, is the place you stayed at the Women's Guesthouse? It's a shame that the cruise ships and the 'boat people' seem to spoil things. Did you manage to see Malafalaf which is further around at Lutes?
What did you think of Norsup?
I was only planning on somewhere like Rose Bay for 3 nights. Wala sounds better, I wonder if those bungalows you mentioned would have been George's Guestroom? I'll find my way up there and take it from there. Fingers crossed for no boat people coming by :)
Anyway, those are some plans up to now, thanks again for your reply, much appreciated,
Regards,
Jo

Hi again Jo,
That's it, George's guestroom, where did you find out about it? I didn't see it myself but the Swiss couple who left the same day we did (same truck) & were really raving about what a fantastic time they'd had there. (3 nights).

I met the guy who was building a bungalow in Lutes, but he hadn't finished it then. There is accommodation in Pellonk, (which may or may not be a womens guest house(?) but we didn't see it as it was all taken up, with a group of visiting students from other islands (in preparation for a youth conference on Epi). Instead we were offered the use of Elder Cedric's absent son's house. Cedric was a lovely man, with a high lilting voice, he brought us our meals (very basic bananas & fish) & hot water in a flask. There is a small basic shop (biscuits, tinned tuna & mackerel) in the village. Stock up with a few packs of instant noodles & goodies at Levis on Lamap.

Norsup - as far as I could make out Norsup consists of the airstrip (bitumen) & a couple of bungalows. We stayed in the bungalows immediately opposite the entrance to the airstrip, next to the water, on our last night on Malekula. It had the best facilities of any bungalow we stayed in on the islands but the beds were too short! I'm only 5'!0' & the lower 3rd of my legs were hanging over the end! There is a motel type accommodation in Lakatoro, but I think it's very expensive, mainly used by logging company buyers & the like.

Try the meat donuts from the MDC store at Lakatoro. :-)

Truck ride to Lamap - Don't take anything breakable in your luggage. ;-) Ideal if you can make your bag so that it's comfortable to sit on. Take some food with you to eat along the way. You won't believe how many people & their stuff fit on the back of a ute! Be prepared to be squashed & restricted . People get on & off along the way so always an opportunity to reposition yourself again! Hope it doesn't rain, we spent a good part of the downward trip valiantly hanging on to an old leaky tarp in a vain attempt to stay dry. If it's not raining on top of the cab is a good spot. ;-) A great sense of community with the other passengers though. :-) Don't look down to see how much of the tyre is overhanging the cliff edge!

The truck will take you to Levis, just on the outskirts of Lamap. Buy a phonecard & get one of the girls at the shop to phone Pellonk for you to arrange boat & accomodation, & tryurn boat trip for

Rosebay (Actually Sanwir Village, Rosebay is just the name of the bungalows) & Walarano are also places that the cruise ships visit. Our 'tour' of Wala island consisted of walking around being told "When the ship's here we do this ....
It seemed hard at Rosebay to do much that was not an accompanied 'tour'. That said don't miss out on going to see the Smol Nambas dance in their kastom village. I'm sure 'George' could arrange it just the same as Gloria or Peter at Rosebay.
Walking along the beach, swimming at the estuary, Walking into the village, hanging out at the nakamal (if you're male) in the evening is about it at the cottages.
I went snorkelling off Wala (from a canoe).

As I tell you about it, I am re-living my trip, & am really envious of yours. You'll have a great adventure & meet some great people. Just remember, when the boat is heading to the beach, Peskarus is the village at the right hand end of the island. Pellonk is in the middle (& Lutes at the left end). Peskarus has no concrete buildings, Pellonk does. If you find you've been taken to Peskarus, it's only a short walk to Pellonk, they'll be expecting you.

If you want to snorkel anywhere you'll need to have your own gear. In Pellonk we asked if it would be possible to go out to the reef, & a couple of girls paddled us out. It was the best coral I saw in Vanuatu. No 'tours' in Pellonk , just ask, prices when we were there 'what you think it's worth', & on one occasion refusal to accept the amount offered because it was too much.

When are you going? I'd love to hear about your trip when you get back.

Regards
Cuppa

Hi Cuppa,
I found out about George's guestroom from Vanuatu & New Cal Lonely Planet book and I'm definitely going to try to get there. If you haven't got it you could drop hints to your nearest and dearest before Christmas. It gives you phone numbers for every place listed so you can contact them before you get there if you want, though I guess you have to be flexible around, rain, cyclones, earthquakes, boat people, etc! I read everything I can get my eyes on re Vanuatu, spend hours googling, read lots of blogs and ship logs, probably read everything you have ever written about Vanuatu :) Thanks again for all your info, its invaluable.

Apparently the womens guesthouse at Pellonk is a concrete building so it sounds like that may be what you saw. Thanks for your description of where the villages are situated, it will be very helpful. Cedric sounds like a really nice man. I hope I get to meet him. I think the best thing about Vanuatu is the people and I've met some really genuine and kind people on past travels.

Great advice re the truck. I'm really trying to travel light this time seeing as I'll be carrying a backpack here and there, hopefully I can make it pillow-like. I'm really looking forward to that trip. I was going to fly from Norsup to Lamap but it wouldn't work time-wise so then I remembered reading about the truck. I will NOT be looking over the side down the cliff, too scary. Getting to Mt Yasur was bad enough! Taking food is a great idea too, thanks. If it rains, at least it will be warm that time of year.

Will definitely be trying the meat donuts at Lakatora, haha.

I'm arriving just before christmas, taking my husband for his first holiday in 7 years and this is also his first overseas trip. He just needs to relax and have fun in luxury so I'm taking him to Breakas for the 1st week, then he needs to go back to work, I'll put him on the plane and head off to Epi the next day. I want him to have such a great time in Vanuatu that he will insist on coming back every year. Maybe he will want to get more adventurous year after year, doesn't really matter, I'm happy travelling by myself, like aelan kae kae, have my island dresses and learn a bit more Bislama every visit, it's all good. I'll be coming back towards the end of January. Did you see those long grooves in the tarmac at Bauerfield when you left last time? Those were made by my fingers as they pulled me off the ground to get me on the plane, I just hate leaving that place!

I love your description of Norsup. Sounds like you stayed at Amelenear Bungalows. They sound good, so does Ameltoro. I would have liked to have had more time to explore that area. Ah well, there's always next trip.

My snorkelling gear practically lives in my 'handbag' (which is a basket from Futuna). We don't like to be parted. Snorkelling in Vanuatu is just fantastic. I thought the snorkelling at Bethel was much better than places like Hideaway and to have the bay to yourself is glorious. Lelepa had good snorkelling also, particularly off the boat in the deep hole where the huge fish swallowed our chicken leg bones whole. It's lovely to snorkel in such warm water too. I had a trip to NZ in August, snorkelled with Hectors Dolphins which was an unbelievable experience, in the mouth of a bay with snow capped mountains either side, but the water temp was 8°C which was freezing, even with thick wetties on. Managed to stay in for an hour though.

Re prices for Pellonk tours, what is reasonable? I'd hate to offend by offering too little and I'd hate them to refuse because I was offering tumas.
Did you carry a can opener with you or can you find one at yr accommodation?
Did you take a mozzie net? Did you need one or not? What time of the year did you do your trip?
Was Vanair very strict about the 10kg baggage rule? I'm hoping to travel light but weight may go up and down if I stock up on food, loo paper, coffee etc.
Did you visit Epi in your travels?

I'd love to tell you about my trip when I get back. On my last trip I wrote 3 exercise books of notes and I'm still typing them up. It's turning out to be a bigger job than I thought. When are you planning your next trip?

Thanks for your time and interest,
Looking forward to your next post,
Jo

Me again ;-)
I wouldn't rely 100% on having phone numbers. Useful if you can get through, & able to make yourself understood, but that was rare for us, despite, or because of, my limited French & Bislama. Phones are generally not specific to bungalows, more likely for the whole village or area.

When the Swiss couple got off the truck at Sanwir & asked about getting across the water to George's they had to be quite assertive before actually being shown where to go. Not sure, but I think there may be feud involved, as well as income.

So glad you didn't fly down to Lamap. The truck ride is rough & uncomfortable, but I wouldn't have missed it for quids. For the time we were down in Lamap & the Maskelynes people knew who we were, as word spread from others who had been on the truck. Flying in would be very different I think. White people on the market truck would still be a fairly uncommon event. As it turned out a fair haired white man with a long pony tail even less common. Despite my beard, my appearance generated much interest & discussion as to whether I was a man or a woman amongst children along the way. :-) The ride is no worse than Mt Yasur, generally much easier going, but it has it's moments, at least when it's wet. When you get to the shops in Lakatoro, tell someone you want to get the truck to Lamap, & they'll make sure you know which one it is when it arrives.

Just remember that basically you are travelling in '3rd world' & places can look pretty run down & shabby. Combine that with men hanging around holding or carrying big bush knives it may appear a little threatening & intimidating at first. If you came across a similar looking scene in any 'western' country you would be wise not to linger. The moment you talk to people any preconceptions informed by '1st world' experience will be quickly dismissed however. Appearances can be deceptive. Even the young adolescent 'hoons' we met could best be described as considerate & polite.

Gotta admit I was generally quite disappointed with the snorkelling in Vanuatu. Only other place I've snorkelled is on the Great Barrier reef , which I think spoiled me. A lot of coral I saw around Vanuatu was white & dead. The good bits were generally in 'protected areas' . Didn't see any big fish, nothing much bigger than my hand. Maybe I was just unlucky.

Re: prices in Pellonk - Dunno - you'll just have to 'suck it & see'. No 'tours' as such. Just ask to do what you want & likely someone will make it happen.

We bought our can opener at the MDC store in Lakatoro. :-)

Most of Lakatoro is away from the main road /shops on the hill opposite. Have a wander up the hill if you have time, it'll give you a better perspective of the town.

Mozzie net. - we went May/June (wanted to see Nangol on Pentecost) & found mozzies to be quite rare most of the time. A few at Lamap though fewer than you'd think given the 'jungle dampness/humidity. I think it sensible to expect mozzies & take adequate malaria protection. I took medication & used mozzie repellant at times. Some places had mozzie nets over beds, some didn't. We didn't take mossie nets with us, but instead had one of those silk sleeping bags( liners) each . Big enough so that in the absence of a net & presence of any flying/crawling/ buzzy things we could enclose ourselves in them. They were comfortable & reassuring in the climate & pack up tiny & were the best bit of gear we took.

Whilst I'm thinking of 'nasties', we were warned about one particular creature whose bite, whilst not deadly, is painful enough to warrant treatment with morphine. They are a millipede ( or maybe a centipede, can't remember). About the size of a finger. Have a torch within reach of your bed, so you can have a quick scan of the floor before putting your feet down. Good practice to check shoes before putting them on to. We didn't see any. :-)

A walk along the beach at Levis (your 'front yard as you prepare & eat your breakfast - open the shutters ) at low tide & check out all the life in the pools, & the exposed live coral you can walk right up to. On the beach, just stand still & watch, the beach is alive with hermit crabs. Little shells scurrying around everywhere.

You will get weighed for Vanair flights, & I doubt being a bit over is going to be an insurmountable problem, unless the flight is packed out (most of ours weren't). My wife's backpack was a bit heavier than mine & a little over. When getting weighed I think it's as much about packing the plane for best balance. Having said that there is little need to take a heap of food to Malekula. If you go straight to (ie pre-arranged) Sanwir/Rose Bay/Wala/Georges, you might want a few goodies to supplement the aelan kakae . Otherwise you can stock up at Lakatoro or Lamap. Not a huge variety, but enough. At Lamap I bought fresh baked bread & eggs at the store. Had to buy a half litre of oil to fry the eggs, most of which which we left there, but boy those eggs were good. The earth moved for us. Truly. I thought a dog was pushing under my chair, but no dog. Lasted around 40 seconds.

Loo paper, your mention of it brought a smile to my face, remembering Levis. You'll get the keys that open the bedrooms, kitchen & toilet (separate buildings). In the toilet there was 'normal' toilet paper supplied, where the toilet rolls that had been cut into 3rds. Carrying your own is a good idea, but you will be able to re-stock if needed.

No we didn't get to Epi. (Saw it in the distance though) . :-) We went to Efate, Nguna, Tanna, Malekula, Maskelyne, Pentecost, & Santo

Out next trip starts next year, We will be travelling around Australia in a converted bus for 16 months & hope to 'nip back' to Vanuatu for a while, when we're up Brisbane way way (cheaper fares). Whether to revisit places or go to different islands will be a very difficult choice. A couple of weeks back at Port Resolution would be pretty damn tempting.
regards
Cuppa

Hi Cuppa,
Yeah, true re phone numbers. I'm not planning to make too many bookings before I go except for Epi, only 3 places to stay at there and I want to make sure theres a bed for me. I might try ringing George's, maybe they'll arrange to get me from the mainland which will save hassles.

I really like when you say hello to the men with the bushknives and they break out those amazing smiles. At Bethel, there was a little girl who was not happy unless she was toddling around with one of those bushknives, chopping at this and that, it was about 3/4 her bodylength. I was thinking about taking her a doll when I go back but I reckon it'd be in pieces by the end of the day.

Yeah I'll be on the doxy and will have a good supply of repellent, antibiotics, painkillers etc. I'll have to check out those silk bags, they sound good. I met a lady in Efate who'd been bitten by one of those centipedes, her hand had swollen up about 3 x normal size so i gave her all the antihistamines I had left. Must have hurt like hell. We used to get similar sized centipedes in the outback, and you'd have a quick trip to the hospital if u got bitten by one of them. I can tell you from firsthand experience, redback bites hurt like hell too.

Laughing at your egg story! Gonna have to try them, they sound too good! Loo paper cut into thirds? Interesting ...

My original plan was going to be Port Res for a fortnight but I just got Malekula and Epi in my head so that was that. I'm going to try to head there next year though, it'd be really funny to run into you there!

Have fun planning your ozzy trip, thanks again for your help, I've got it all printed out.
Cheers
Jo

I think 'booking ahead' for George's is a good idea, just so you make sure there is a truck to meet you at the airstrip & take you up to Sanwir. Once the plane has come & gone, there would likely be no traffic & possibly people around. It'd be a fair walk into town if you had to.

Cuppa

Ok great, I'll try that. I'll let you know how I get on with the phone numbers too. I'm going to see if I can do the same with Pellonk hoping they might send a boat for me to lessen the hijack opportunity :) 48 sleeps to go and I'm getting excited!
I was thinking I'll email you re your oz trip, I might have some local knowledge to share with you on the Lightning Ridge and Tweed Coast areas that may be helpful for you re camping spots etc, just in case you don't know these areas well. Let me know if that would be helpful.
Regards,
Jo

Yes please! Not sure what the issue is with you being unable to access my email via my website, but I've sent my addess to you via a 'PM'.

Regards
Cuppa

Hi

I have just returned from three nights at Malog Bungalow at Peskarus and had a fantastic time. I had tried to phone to book ahead but the messge was relayed too late for me to be picked up at Lamap airport, so I just went along on the truck that arrived at the airport & took the boat ride with the locals to the island and hoped all would work out. The owners of Malog - Kalo and Nina were absolutely wonderful. They have built a new double bed bungalow right on the water's edge. The area is mangroves but it was still very pleasant to lie on the bed & look out. I was supplied with a mosquito net & coils, but saw few mozzies in any case. They have a separate flushing loo & cold water shower for guests & plenty of toilet paper!! I was supplied with a fresh & clean bath towel. Their children were delightful - especially their youngest daughter. Kalo is a great cook & they really gave me a feast. I was travelling on my own as a woman in her 50's - I wasn't hassled by anyone - just lots of smiles. Sure, the locals came to chat to me and offered me necklaces etc but there was no compusion to buy anything. Any costs incurred by me were discussed well before hand - I wanted to visit other islands and the right vatu change was always given. I went for a walk with Nina one afternoon to the other villages. Pellonk seemed nice too. There is an Australian family living in the Women's Centre at present who are translating the Bible. The other advertised Bungalows were unoccupied. I think that no matter where you stay, you will be walmly welcomed and very well cared for. Just go with the flow and all will work itself out. Nearly everyone speaks very good English on the Island as the various Christian Churches have made a big impact there. Please feel free to ask me any further questions.

Hi Robyn,
Thank you for your thoughts about that area. It's very reassuring to hear from a fellow woman travelling to the Maskelynes. I'm getting more excited about the trip every day. I'll have 5 or 6 days in that area.
I am wondering if you happened to visit Lutes, around the other side of Uliveo? If so, did you see the Malafalaf bungalows? I wonder what they are like?
I like the sound of the double bed bungalow on the water at Malog. It sounds lke you really enjoyed your visit to Peskarus, I'm glad to hear of it. (Maybe ppl only hassle the menn :) {just joking Cuppa}) Also thanks for the info re mozzies, towels and loo paper! :)
I'm quite happy to go with the flow of the visit, I think that has to be the best way. It sounds like there is a stack of accom to choose from.
If you think of anything else to tell me, please do. What other islands did you visit while you were there?
Have you visited Epi? I'll be spending 10 days there before Malekula. Did you get to the northern part of Malekula?
Regards,
Jo

Hi Jo

I went for a day's boat trip & visited Awei Island. The Family (Manse & kids) that live on Awei happily suppled all of us - Kalo Kelvin & son (the Boat owners) & me - with a lunch of cooked taro & sweet potato in coconut cream - yummy. I later offered Karlo 500 vatu to give to Manse for his kindness for feeding us. I had limited vatu with me & made that clear from the start. ( I had withdrawn vatu from the ATM at the International Airport when I arrived at midnight the night before. I flew to Lamap at 7am on a Monday. The ATM is opposite the baggage collection carousel) I paid Karlo up front for the accommodation - 4000 vatu per night for full board. The food was really great. I had two eggs & a lovely fruit platter for breakfast. Spaghetti & Tuna for lunch & either grilled fish & chips & salad for dinner or chicken curry. Thery serve prepacket sweeten coffee with meals & morning & avo tea. I also had tea bags with me. The drinking water is safe as it is rain water. I tried the local kava (200 vatu a large cup) - very strong and not to my liking, but the local's enjoy your involment in the ritual.

The boat & truck trip from the airport was 2000 vatu one way. I visited the "township" of Lamap & also visited Port Sandwich before catching my return mid-morning flight to Vila. I paid 2000 for the hire of the truck to do this little trip, but I was keen to see what those places were like. The necklaces that I bought were a bit expensive at 1000 vatu but I ensured that I bought from different families. They are extremley poor & and any opportunity to get some ready cash for buying rice etc from the village shop is well appreciated. I don't think that I would be bothered to sit down and thread a necklace for a mere $12.50! I had a string band (consisting of nine young men) entertain me each evening. Once again I paid Kalo a 1000 for each of the night's playing, but there was no compulsion to pay them. Between nine men, it's not much to pay. The played to me each night for over an hour!

As a solo woman traveller I couldn't have been better treated. I have travelled alone quite a bit & I was very comfortable with all the locals. The men were very polite and actively engaged me in conversation. The women were all smiles and happily said hello. The little kids were adorable & took me for walks to find shells.

I didn't get to North Malekula or the South West. There is a truck to Norsep from Lamap - the time it takes varies, but I suggest that you head off in the morning rather than afternoon - just in case there are problems with breakdowns etc. I have been to Santo & Efate, but with my family. Both are much busier places. We had two weeks at Lonnoc Bungalow on Santo last Christmas. A very run down & expensive place to stay - but has a lovely white sandy beach. This was my first time actiually staying in a village & I had a great time. The village of Pellonk has an American Peace Corps worker (Ben) and the Australian family doing the Bible translation (Sue & David Three kids), so you would not be the only European staying there. I didn't get to visit Lutes. Well at least I don't think I did. I did go for a walk with Nina and saw another village but can't remember it's name.

If you do stay with Kalo & Nina, and have the space in your bag, Nina loves to read ladies magazines. Her english is great, but she obviously doesn't get to read much (other than the Bible). They have a phone, and I used a phone card (available at the local village shop for 450 vatu) to phone my husband in Australia. I haven't got their number with me at work today but I will give it to you tomorrow.

Hi Robyn,
Fancy having a string band playing just for you, how great is that? I really like string bands and drive my neighbours crazy with the Naahu Tribes (Ambae) DVD I brought back last time so as you can imagine, the thought of having a band all to myself is amazing! I've got the ph number for Malog, I'm going to have to check that place out. I quite like kava too, this trip is sounding better and better.
$50 per night for great meals and a waterfront bungalow is such a bargain.
I'll try to fit a magazine or 2 in my bag, the main problem I'm going to have is keeping my luggage under 10kg for vanair.
Thanks for the info on the drinking water and being able to phone out if I want to. :) The food sounds good, it all sounds good. I'd love to see Awai too.
The cost of truck/boat to get to the islands is about half of what I'd estimated. That's good news, gives me more to spend on necklaces :)
All this information really helps so thank you very much.
Cuppa, if you're reading this, I sent u mail to yr email addy, hope u got it. I didn't get the PM u sent.
Regards,
Jo

Wow, sounds like Robyn's experience of Kalo & Peskarus was very different & much better than ours. I agree that the setting for the bungalow looking out onto the water & mangroves is very nice.

Jo, I have got your email, & will respond, but have a few things happening here that are taking up a lot of time. Will write to you soon.

Cuppa