Trabable goods in Vanuatu

Hello,
Heading over to Vanuatu on Saturday for a week, its a last minute rushed trip we haven't saved for (its just sort of come up) and we're trying to do things on the cheap, e.g. going out fishing, Snorkelling the outer reefs etc.
Instead of paying the over priced charter boat rates we just wanted to trade with the locals to take us out.
But we have no idea what is a rare or over priced commodity in Vanuatu that is cheap in NZ :)

Frankly, I think the days when The White Men could go to the Pacific islands and just barter cheap goods from home for anything from fruit to sex are long gone.
Like elsewhere in the World, locals need and want cash. All the more so as pretty much everything imported is very expensive in Vanuatu - including the fuel you'd need on your boat trips.

Goods from home should be taken as presents, not payment, I'd say.

Well said, Laszlo. But what about these traditional ones?
http://www.beadsfactory.com/beads/glass-pearls.html

I am still pretty sure, they wouldn't readily be accepted as currency. :-)

Even the famous shell-bead money of the Solomons has only a limited use in a certain region of that country these days.

Hi there,

Am pretty sure my partner (who posted this on my account) did not mean to cause offence to anyone of you on the island. Even in NZ we are capable of doing favours for others in return for services; e. g. manual work for beer. He did a similar thing in Rarotonga; where he went out with some local guys and gave them the fish he caught. He was not looking for a free-be as such, nor disrespecting anyone, but looking to interact with local people and share some knowledge of spear fishing. Anyway, wanted to clarify this.

Exchanging favours certainly is common in the Pacific, so you will have many chances to be generous. Please just be aware that the minimum wage in Vanuatu is US1.54 per hour, compared to US$4.75 in the Cook Islands or US$14.75 in New Zealand. And the prices in the store are usually even higher in Vanuatu. Only to mention it.

Thanks wksamoa for highlighting the facts. In all dealings throughout the islands, one should remain aware of the very low minimum wage and very high cost of living. It's commendable that acoton prefers to negotiate with ni-Van locals rather than choose tours owned by expats. Several locals have established tourism businesses and this is a good option. Others locals will be happy to negotiate one-off arrangements. If you have skills which a village or individual needs, bartering will be possible. The locals enjoy teaching their skills as much as receiving the benefit of ours. Most locals are welcoming but always ask and gain permission before entering villages. Most villagers grow their own fruit and veg. and often raise pigs. Given this and given the high cost of living for other purchases, ni-Van locals very much appreciate gifts of stables (eg rice) and other items that can't be grown. When I visit islands beyond Efate, solar garden lights are always popular. Items for the kids to use at school are also good. Locals will be more than happy to provide the service you want. However, they often will not set a price - they leave this up to your discretion and generosity ... so, do be reasonable.

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