Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Tanna Kastom Village Stays/Visits

Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Vanuatu

I have three days in Tanna and I am hoping to visit some of the less touristy kastom villages. I will hire a local guide and vehicle if needs be or trek. Can anyone recommend any villages that can be considered more traditional and less touristy. Also is it possible to stay overnight in one of these villages. I am fine with rough conditions.

Thanks,
Matt

It is possible to stay overnight, but conditions in untouristed kastom villages are VERY basic (prepare for fleas). Only 1 or 2 kastom villages are regularly visited, so finding one of the others is not hard (I won't single "mine" out for obvious reasons).

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Thanks Laszlo

My plan is stay one night in one of the villages. Are you familiar with the village Yetpaleniel? It's location seems pretty remote on the map of Tanna. I am considering a stay here.

How did you organize a visit to the Kastom village you stayed at? Is it best to try and organize transport to a village and then arrange for a meeting with the village chief to ask for permission to visit?

Thanks,
Matt

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