VANUATU
Pentecost Island is renowned for the antics of its young men
who hurl themselves off 30–metre high towers with forest vines
attached to their ankles in a celebration of the yam harvest.
Where to stay
Vanuatu has a wide variety of hotels, popular resorts,
guesthouses and thatched bungalows on offer for the budget
conscious traveller.
Getting around
Organised tours are easily joined in Port Vila. Car rental is an
option, and as the roads are rough outside the city, four-wheel drive
vehicles are recommended. In Port Vila, a minibus service covers
three routes from sunrise to sunset and taxis operate 24–hours.
Food and entertainment
Port Vila offers outdoor cafés, a casino, discos and bars. A
favourite is a barbecue at some of the resorts on week days
where succulent local steaks, fresh fish, kebabs and a wide
selection of fresh vegetables, salads and pastries are served.
All major hotels have regular entertainment. International cuisine
features strongly with French, Polynesian, Indian, Chinese,
Vietnamese, English and Japanese to choose from, as well
as delicious local specialties like coconut crab, wild pigeon
and flying fox cooked island-style in ground ovens. The men
of Vanuatu drink kava at local kava bars and there are regular
Melanesian cultural shows. There is an abundance of water
sports with excellent reef and wreck diving in Efate and Santo
(living aboard the dive boats). Other activities include golf in
Port Vila, tennis, big game fishing, river and ocean kayaking,
horseriding and cycling.
www.paradisesonline.com 235
