Vanuatu
The information below is provided by Lonely Planet readers and is not verified by Lonely Planet. For the official lowdown, contact your nearest embassy or check out our Travel Links.
Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
The new airport at Tanna has been built to take international flights to avoid Port Vila, so watch out for direct flights there in the near future. The customs and immigration departments are being set up at this time.
David Moreton, UK (Jul 01)
The Vanuatu consulate in Tokyo doesn't seem to exist any more.
Dina Priess Dos Santos Penha, Argentina (Feb 01)
Travel Tips
A mosquito net and strong tape and nails are essential along with a strong insect repellant. No matter how careful you are you will get bitten by mosquitoes, especially on the outer islands!
On a more fun note it is worth taking your own snorkel and mask as you can not hire these on many of the outer islands.
A volley ball is another good investment as everyone plays.
Lisa Waldek & Elena Strong, UK (Jun 01)
If you like the more laid back bird watching sort of life, Maewo is your island of choice.
Port Vila is lovely, but the islands are fantastic! I would say to women travellers not to be put off by the rather threatening sounding information in guidebooks, as long as you are sensible and confident you will not have any trouble.
Nicola Blay, UK (May 01)
There are many brochures to be found throughout Nadi Airport. Most of these are very helpful and informative if you are still unsure of where to go, however, some are outdated and contain prices that are no longer honoured. It might be to your advantage to confirm all listed prices before you venture off to that dream island. The Fiji Visitors Bureau is a great place to get directed to trustworthy travel agents and up to date information. They will also help you out with any disputes with travel agents as well.
William Berg, USA (April 01)
I do not recommend to go during the wet season. I went the last week of March. It rained a lot and the humidity was 80-90%, a killer if you are not used to it! Bring an umbrella.
Mosquitoes are fierce, especially at night. Despite reassurances from official sources, websites etc. The natives warned us about Malaria danger, so if you are susceptible (like I am) it is vital to bring tropical strength insect repellant and coils to burn, a bed net is good too.
Good map of the town and Efate Island is available free from the Tourist Information Office, main street.
Marianne Reimann, Australia (April 01)
Travel Insurance: all divers should be adequately insured in the event of a diving accident. Treatment at the decompression chamber in Santo has a charge associated with it and evacuation is highly expensive.
Tim Snowden, Australia (Jan 01)
Moving About
On Tanna Islan the roads are EXTREMELY rough, the roughest I have ever seen in my semi-extensive travels. The only sealed roads are between the main city and the airport, but to get to Mount Yasur can take up to an hour, even though it's less than 10 kilometers. This should not deter visitors, but we were not prepared for the trip to be so rough.
JT Brown, USA (Apr 03)
Mount Yasur and Sulphur Bay were both heavily affected by the 22 December 2002 floods. Until the road is repaired to Mount Yasur, tourists have a choice of viewing from the Ash Plain or hiking up the remains of the old road (about two hours) to see the volcano. My son and quite a number of others did the hike and were ecstatic about the experience.
Merrilyn Kennedy, Australia (Jan 03)
Being keen to stick to our moderate budget we took advice from the guidebook and decided not to take part in any of the round island tours. We opted instead to utilize Vanuatu's bus system. At first we were taken aback at the sight of nearly every small car, minivan and utility being either a taxi or a bus. Only a red T or B, on the number plate, distinguishes these vehicles (and when not on duty the letters are taped up!) and they stop to pick up and drop off passengers absolutely everywhere, regardless of bus stops. We found this an easy and cheap way to get around as long as you didn't mind being taken all over the place, as the driver drops local passengers off along the way to your destination. We actually enjoyed this aspect as it gave us an opportunity to really see the local way of life.
Kym Unwin & Ben Cooper, Australia (Jan 02)
Air Vanuatu now flies twice weekly to Melbourne, Australia. Having only one jet makes life difficult when urgent maintenance needs to be done, as I found out.
Always reconfirm flight scheduling for both Air Vanuatu & Vanair. My Craig Cove to Vila flight was an hour early and I had to run on to the tarmac and convince the pilot to take me!
Raj Lucas, (Nov 01)
Some of the air fields might not be open in the wet season, but the volcanic islands usually have no problem as the ground is so porous the water just drains away.
Also, the flight schedules may change, ask the local villagers, they have the most up to date information regarding flight times.
Be aware of 'Vanuatu Time' - add at least an hour to any time given to you. On several occasions we experienced this, on one occasion we nearly missed a flight, as our taxi driver did not turn up, another occasion a two minute wait for a taxi ended up being a two hour wait!
David Moreton, UK (Jul 01)
Scams & Warnings
Island of E. Santo -- Travellers should be warned about the risk of Leptospirosis from swimming in rivers, especially if they drink the water. If they develop flu symptoms, they must consider Leptosirosis and get antibiotic treatment promptly or there is risk of death.
David Brewster (MD, MPH, FRACP, PhD), Australia (Dec 04)
Efate: If it is around 8 pm the taxis tell visitors and travellers that the buses have finished for the night and then they quote terribly high fares. We had not trouble getting buses for 100VT anywhere up until quite late.
Florence & Peter Shaw, Australia (Nov 01)
Island of Ambryn: Beware that in wet conditions the walk from the town of Sanesup in Ambrym, which winds its way up the mountainside to the volcanic ashplain and the volcanic rocks, can be very slippery. Consider that medical help is probably going to come from Port Vila so take a good first aid kit with you in case of minor cuts and problems. It is also a good idea to leave three days to climb up the volcano. We only had a day and could not reach the top due to bad weather. Some of the locals say that the weather is very changeable and three days is needed to guarantee perfect weather to reach the lava lakes on the top.
David Moreton, UK (Jul 01)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
Vanuatu was an excellent place to visit. We visited in March, and though it rained frequently, the low season suited us fine because accommodations were easy to get, very reasonably priced, and solitude was very easy to come by.
JT Brown, USA (Apr 03)
A ride around the island is a good weekend trip. If you take a tent it is easy to stay in a village (just ask beforehand). I recommend cycling clock-wise because this way you can get the majority of the large hills out of the way quickly and can relax a little. If you bring a decent mountain bike with you to Vanuatu, you can sell it for a reasonable price when you leave. You can take bikes on the cargo ships without extra charges.
David Stuart (Feb 02)
At Port Resolution the Dugong, which was 82 years old, died of old age in November of 2000. Many visitors still travel to Tanna to see the volcano & visit and swim with the Dugong. It was only when we reached Port Resolution that we were told of the death of the Dugong. The Dugong's bones have been placed on the beach and are protected by a wooden cage. Unfortunately, the death of the Dugong appears to have had a significant impact on the tourists trips, which ran to Port Resolution specifically to see the Dugong. However, we had an excellent stay in the area and were treated to the best hospitality in the whole of Vanuatu, so I would still highly recommend staying here and eating the local food and talking to the villagers.
David Moreton, UK (July 01)
Yarns, Fables & Anecdotes
I've heard many stories about Mt Yasur's creation. The most popular runs like this (with minor variations between villages). Two ladies were washing their clothes in Lake Isiwi when an old hag came to them and started complaining to them (no one knows about what). She continued complaining for a long time and then, suddenly she started growing. The women were covered by the massive complaining hag who grumbles and complains. They're still trapped under Mt Yasur, signified by the two air vents.
Alistair Wilkinson, UK (Aug 00)
^ back to top
|
