Vanuatu tri 2009

Hi all!

I am planning a trip to Vanuatu in end of november/early december this year. I'm staying at Iririki resort and this will be my first overseas trip with my girlfriend! I just want tips on what to do. I am up for any suggestions on what to do. I am really intrested in culture so any activities do do with that would be great. I only have eight days but I think I can do a few activities. Also if I was to go to another island (Tanna), what are the chances in doing a day trip? Also I love trying beer so what is the Tusker beer like, how much is it and is there any other local alcoholoc drinks?

Josh

I guess your best bet to experience culture on Efate, Vanuatu's main island, is simply chatting to the locals even around Port Vila, and visiting some villages outside the city without a tour.

Day-trips to Tanna are not impossible and are offered by travel agents in Vila, but the general concensus seems to be that it is really better to spend at least one night there. With 8 days, you can definitely do that!
The culture in Tanna is far more traditional than on Efate.

The most popular local drink in Vanuatu is not an alcoholic one but kava.
It's not really appealing to western tastes, but trying it with locals is certainly a very typical "cultural experience"!

I recommend a couple of nights on Tanna, you will experience far more traditional culture and villages there than on Efate. And the volcano is a must-see.

Given it's your first trip overseas, do not be overwhelmed with the main street in Port Vila. Every time I go, my first impression is that there is rubbish on the ground, it looks grimey and not very friendly. I always feel confronted initially by the feeling of being a white minority. But these impressions are fleeting and wrong. Get out and about, chat to locals, hang around and you will discover something quite special.

The cheapest beer in Vila is 350 over the bar at the Yacht Club (last on the right as you face the water) or 4400 for a case at Dockside (opposite Sebel). Both are in the main street. Expect to pay 400 or so in your room mini bar so buying a case could be a good idea. There is also a high alcohol beer (called OP) at 5200/case at Dockside. Dockside is only about 200m from the Iririki wharf. Each of the Bon Marche supermarkets sell both beers at 220 or 250/bottle. Both beers are excellent provided they are drunk very cold. The local tipple is kava which looks like mud and tastes like pepper. I like it but most hate it. You should go to a kava bar at sunset one day and try it - 50/shell. Waterfront bar has its own beer called Boots. Save money there and buy a 10 drink ticket for either Boots or Tusker, or one of each.

Every hotel has a pile of tour brochures in the foyer. Your call there. Perhaps make up your own picnic lunch and take the bus down to the beach at Pango Sometimes there is surf and after that you can choose betwen Breakas hotel and the kava bar across the road. The fishing trip to Lelepa is very popular as is the canoe trip on one of the rivers. You could think about taking the bus up north and spending a night in a native hut on Nguna island. You would have to take the bus to Emua. It looks a lot like a cattle truck but you get to meet the locals who will probably be going home loaded with produce from the market. I can recommend this guy. He spent all last summer fixing up his boat so it is now bright and shiny new, and he will take you to dive spots that no one else visits. Here also is the Lelepa website.

http://www.sailawayvanuatu.com/indexs.html

http://www.lelepatours.com/

Here is a general tourist website with lots of ideas.

http://vanuatu.travel/

Final tip : head out early, morning = sun afternoon = rain

Hi again!

Thanks for all the suggestions! I went to Fiji in 2003 and I could remember the Kava, I quite enjoyed it and will have to go to a Kava bar when I go to Vanuatu. There seems to be a lot of activities in Efate as well which is getting me excited! Uncle Sav, that friend of yours who has the boat, that sounds bloddy fantastic!

He worked on that boat about 60 hours a week right through summer. I saw him do it. The boat is like new now.

His name is Peter. Very nice guy.

Just got back from a 3 week trip from Vatu so here are a few tips and replies to your enquires. November will be the wet season so you may vary what you can do depending on the weather but I would recomend a trip to Lepepa Island on Efate north coast with Lelepa tours for a full day trip, Hideway Island is a good place to visit by local bus for 400 vt each way, Mele falls are also worth a visit. Places to eat I would highly recommend the Flaming Bull for excellent steaks and Fajitas, Nambawan cafe on the waterfront for great coffee and food and they have outdoor film screenings on Wednesday and Sunday nights, and Au Peche Mignon cafe opposite the market for affordable filled baggettes, french pastries and coffee. Tusker is a very good tasting beer and at 300 vt well priced. They also have there own VB (Vanuatu bitter) or can buy aussies beers like VB and Crown for not much more. Tanna is well worth a visit, we stayed for 5 nights at evergreen bungalos which was very nice but if you are on the budget of places like Iriki resort White Grass resort looked very nice as well. Most people do overnight tours aranged by tour companies in Port Vila. Vanuatu is great country to travel with very friendly and welcoming people so I'm sure you will have a great trip whatever you decide to do.

Hello there. I spent a week in Vanuatu in Feb this year and it was wonderful. We actually went pretty much straight to Tanna island so I can't say much about Port vila but I honestly cannot recommend Tanna enough. I was really glad we stayed there instead, it was a gorgeous place and there was lots to do. If you are going to take a trip there I would recommend staying there for a couple of nights at least. There are great things to see there. Definitely the volcano is a must and if you are going to see that it is better to stay for a least one night (as then you can do the sunset tour - the best of both worlds because the photos are better at dusk but the volcano is definitely more impressive in the dark). We stayed at White Grass Ocean Resort which was phenomenal (really luxurious for the price it was). You can also do some great trips out to the kastom villages. I think Yakel was the best, up in the mountains and difficult to get to so it is really still run in a very traditional way.

I have heard that you can however do day tours to Tanna, I think some small airlines have them but once again if it is for the volcano you should really, really stay at least one night. The fireworks are that much better :)

I recommend also going to L'Houstelet restaurant in Port Vila. Very yummy (and interesting) French Vanuatan cuisine. I hope you have a wonderful time. I think it is one of the most beautiful places on earth.