Vanuatu travel

hi. Im heading to Vanuatu for 6 weeks and want to experience some of the different cultures there. I arrive in Port Vila and Im definitly visiting Tanna and Pentecost, but think I got time enought for at least one more island. So where to go: Malekula, Ambrym or maybe Espiritu Santo? Is there something else or some place I just can't miss when visiting Vanuatu?
How many islands will I have time enought to visit? I travel to get to know about the culture, so I want to spend some time in each place. Also can I wear skirts that covers the knees, but not the legs, or should it be totally covered?
Thank you for all the usefull help here in the forum!

Re the skirts, in Melanesian countries, it is important to cover the knees, but in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu you don't need to wear the really long skirts the Fijian women seem to wear. I find (in Solomon Islands, which is similar to Vanuatu culturally) that below the knee skirts are the most convenient, as longer ones can get muddy and be a nuisace.

I wouldn't consider Vanuatu (and I have many ni-Vanuatu friends and ex-students) more conservative than rural Malaita, where I travel frequently.

Vanuatu is actually a bit more conservative than the Solomons when it comes to women's dress, but skirts covering kness should definitely be enough.
As for the choice of island to visit, my vote goes for Santo, which I consider one of the most diverse and interesting islands in the country.
I found 6 weeks about the right time to cover 4 islands well enough to get to know some of their cultures beyond just taking some tourist shots, though you might be able to see more if you travel around by air - I mostly took boats.

I would.
In Vanuatu (as well as in PNG and even New Caledonia), Mother Hubbard "island clothes" are everywhere, and even women wearing grass skirts are easily seen on several islands.

In the Solomons, I saw a total of 2 women wearing those island clothes (both in Malaita), and only saw interior Kwaio women wearing traditional "dress".
In fact I had been thinking of asking you whether the Mother Hubbard never got introduced into the Solomons, or simply went out of fashion there?
Interestingly, the one part of PNG here the same dress was uncommon was the province of North Solomons.

You sound the type whom I would say you can just buy air tickets once there, which also leaves you with more flexiblity.
Taking the boat is certainly NOT easier, in fact tends to be uncomfortable and unpredictable, but is cheaper, lets you see some remote islands/coastlines, and perhaps most temptingly, almost assures you make some local friends before even reaching your destination!

Thanks a lot:) Do I have to get the airplane tickets before I get there or can I fix it along the way? Or is it easier to just take the boat?

Agree 100% with Lazslo,

My vote goes also to Santo.

Port Orly (Tarcisius Bungalows) and Lonnoc Beach (Lonnoc Beach Bungalows) are a few places we stayed and recommend to you in Santo, in special Port Orly, which is a 3000 people village (french-speaking but english is spoken too). Both places are managed by Ni-Vanuatu people and the profit goes to the villagers.

Some Tips:

• Don't miss the Milleniun Cave tour. Absolutelly fastastic experience and worth every cent. (from Luganville)
• In Port Orly, ask Tarcisius to cook a "Traditional Vanuatu Fish" for you, and after enjoying it, go meet the kid on the beach after school (great opportunity for photos). Wake up early morning and go swim with the turtles right in front of your bungalow.
• If staying in Lonnoc (one of the most beautifull beaches in the South Pacific) have a 20 minutes walk to Campagne Beach (as beautiful as Lonnoc - entrance fee 500 Vatu for people staying in Lonnoc Bungalows).
• If you have a spare day, go snorkelling at the Million Dollar Point near Luganville.
• I've heard Pli-Pli (or Bli Bli) Village in Santo has a very strong cultural tradiction but had no time to visit or to reseach more about it.

Vanuatu is incredible - Great people and culture.

Hope it helps - Have a great trip

Roger

Re the mother hubbard, no they were never introduced in Solomon Islands, because there were no Presbyterian missionaries. They seem to have been a product of this particular church. However, Solomon Islanders are just as conservative about women's dress, just not in any particular style. They tend to go more for skirts and loose t-shirts, basically, anything available in seocnd-hand shops.
I acquired a couple of mother hubbards from friends visiting Vanuatu. They were both just below the knee - not long like you would see in Fiji or Tonga.

my vote goes for Santo in terms of beaches, scenery, culture and friendliness of locals. Unbeatable. I spent 6 weeks traveling round the country just getting on the next boat or plane available whenever I felt like it, never had to wait more than a day or two. I found that 6 weeks was enough to see the parts of 5 islands that most interested me.

sounds great. looking so foreward to get there! Don't have any skirts here though, so have to go shopping:) is it possible to charge batteries on the different islands? I got three batteries for a canon camera, but do I need more?

If there's electricity or a generator its usually ok to charge batteries. Exceptions are if you're off trekking in remote jungle or mountains. Most other places have one of the two.

If you are travelling anywhere other than Vila and Santo, I would suggest taking spare batteries. In Solomon Islands I have found it easier to take a camera that uses the high tech Lithium AA batteries, which last a lot longer than rechargeable batteries. Many of the places I visit there do not have generators.
As for the skirt, you could buy a couple of Mother Hubbard dresses when you get to Vila, or use sarongs, which can also be bought locally.
The other possibility, if you have a sewing machine, is simply to get a length of non-see-through cotton fabric, and join it, hem it and put elastic in the waist.

I'd disagree with most of what Ozziegiraffe said. I found in Vanuatu that even remote island villages have generators you can use to recharge things. One even had a generator AND the right adapter to use my UK battery charger in the vanuatu sockets there! Of course if you go really remote, like trekking into the mountains and jungle of Espiritu Santo or Pentecost to villages not connected to the road system, then you are not going to find a generator. On Malekula, however, even Lambongbong, a village slap bang in the middle of the island and a 2 day walk in either direction to the nearest road, they had a generator. In Ambrym also, everywhere i visited had a generator.

As for battery type I used Uniross Nimh batteries, i think 2700 mah. They're rechargeable and have the longest life of any AA battery. When I was in the really remote parts of Espiritu Santo with no generators available I found that 4 of these lasted one week in my camera with loads of 20x zooming, making videos, etc.

re skirts, the other suggestion would be ot buy a few "op shop" (ie second-hand charity shop) skirts, and leave them with villagers when you leave.
(I'm assuming Eddy does not disagree with my comments about clothes, only the ones about batteries.)