Castaway for aday
Vanuatu's tiny
Mystery Island is little more than a speck on the world map but up close, adventure awaits.
for a list of cruises visiting Mystery Island.
12 Sail Away. Spring 2012
Who would have thought that tiny, 1.5-hectare Mystery Island could be
solved in a day? Located only a stone's throw from the larger island of Aneityum, you can actually walk around the whole coast in 40 minutes, experiencing the tranquility, taboo, wartime history and tropical scenery that have been attracting P&O Cruises ships for a decade.
According to local tales, it was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who first spread the word about Inyeug, the name used by locals, after she visited in 1975 aboard the royal yacht Britannia. Apparently her entourage went ashore for a picnic and was instantly bewitched. Whether by the romance of being a castaway for a day or the spirits that apparently gather there
after dark, who can say? The Ni-Van may tell you the latter, since this is the reason the island is still uninhabited, with no running water or electricity!
Despite not staying the night, Aneityum villagers don't mind venturing across during the day to greet passengers and offer handicrafts, clothes, massages and fresh seafood. You can even have your photo taken in a cauldron with a cannibal! Don't worry, he doesn't really eat humans, but it shows the locals' great sense of humour.
P&O Cruises have worked together with locals, providing a boat to help them ferry supplies and encouraging them to develop activities for passengers, while earning welcome income for their community.
