VANUATU
Hi everyone,
How are ya?
I know I have been MIA for a long time now, but as you know, I have been on a very long press trip on the other side of the Earth, meaning in Vanuatu, a country just next to Australia.
Vanuatu is a set of islands in the South Pacific Ocean that has a wild beauty with dreamy beaches and remote islands and where local people still follow beautiful ancient customs.
Vanuatu
We were here to shoot a documentary of this country and I was super thrilled to be a part of this experience. Now I’m telling you the story from my point of view, so keep on reading if you want to learn more about my activities in Vanuatu, what I saw, how to get there, what to pack etc.
I would recommend taking malaria pills and having mosquito repellent packed, have a cardigan or something cosy packed as well if you are planning to visit Vanuatu during their wintertime. The water is still nice to dive in/swim, so a swimming suit is necessary.
Visa wise, this can be obtained quite easily, but of course, check your own conditions to have a better idea. The people of Vanuatu are really friendly and welcoming though.
On the money level, the prices are like in Europe, so expect to be charged as such.
The hotel we stood at, Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu was splendid and I really recommend it, but I’ll do a separate article on it very soon.
To get around the island, I advise renting a car. World Car Rentals Vanuatu has great rates, great services and also these super cute mokes that can make your holiday even better. Don’t know what a Moke is? Well, I’m gonna do a special article on this as well.
Afterwards, we went over to the UNICEF settlement and learnt more about drone vaccinations. As some islands have very rough paths like high mountains or lakes that would be very difficult to cross, UNICEF’s continued efforts on helping people getting treated against diseases launched its very first drone vaccination in 2018, when they managed to deliver shots to children and pregnant women in a remote part of the island.
On the 27th we went to Mele Cascades, the popular waterfalls from Port-Vila. You have a parking spot just in front and after a blissful walk in nature, you will start seeing the beautiful waterfalls. Obviously we did a couple of pictures there because the scenery is just WOW!
On the 27th we went to Mele Cascades, the popular waterfalls from Port-Vila. You have a parking spot just in front and after a blissful walk in nature, you will start seeing the beautiful waterfalls. Obviously we did a couple of pictures there because the scenery is just WOW!
At last, we have arrived at the Blue Lagoon, a perfect spot for an afternoon dive, when the high tide kicks in! You also have a swing-rope to use if you are the adventurous type. Not a swimmer? No problem. You have a little place where you can just feel the water without any dangers insight 🙂.
The scenery is so amazing there… definitely perfect for a fun afternoon.
The scenery is so amazing there… definitely perfect for a fun afternoon.
That evening we actually went (probably dragged ourselves more as we were so tired) to have a little party with the locals. We even had a sip of their national drink, the Kava. Their ancestors (and actually some tribes today) used to follow up their tribe meetings with drinking Kava, a symbol that they are at peace. Nowadays, Kava is drunk when people finish work and go to these get-together meetings, where they dance, eat some local dishes and just relax after a day at work. Think of it as an afterwork 🙂.
The next morning, Angelo and I had some surf lessons given by some very experienced locals. As I was in the water, I wasn’t able to take some pictures, but I’m sure that all of that will be available once the documentary will be done. This took place at one of the Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu ‘s beautiful beaches. The resort is actually perfect to stay at even if you don’t plan on visiting anything.
Following our day, some of us (including me) went to a sanctuary where I was counting on seeing a flying fox or a giant coconut crab. The place is very beautiful, but I feel that condition-wise, they could have done better for the animals.. there aren’t many left nevertheless; the last cyclone swept away a lot of them. For me, Secret Garden remains a nice place to go and get a drink or eat something.
Afterwards, we watched the sunset at a windy beach where people go surfing and we went to eat at a nice French restaurant downtown in Port Vila.
At this time I was starting to be more comfortable with the schedule and I went to bed at 9/10 pm 🙂 . The days are rather short in Vanuatu and each day we were up at 5 am to make the most of our trip and visit as much as we could.
September 29th was no exception. We woke up early in the morning and in the first part of our day, we went to Hideaway Island, a little corner of paradise surrounded by the Coral Sea that is home to the Underwater Letterbox. Divers and good snorkelers can go and check out this awesome attraction and even post some letters back home.
So we left our cars from World Car Rentals Vanuatu next to the pier and took a boat to the other side 😉 .
As I don’t know how to swim, I enjoyed some beach time on the island where you can even play volleyball to pass the time.
I’m going to build up the suspense here and tell you the rest of the story in a future post 😉 I think we had enough adventure for today and plus, being such a long trip, I couldn’t fit everything in just 2 posts!
So until next time, I wish you all a beautiful Friday!
Kisses,
